Murder in Vein

by Sue Ann Jaffarian

  "Let the girl tell us." Samuel pressed harder over the bandaged area. Madison winced, her eyes watering.

  Madison focused her attention on Dodie and remembered what she'd told her earlier: show respect but not fear. Madison took several breaths while everyone waited. Samuel kept his hands on her shoulders.

  Madison turned slightly in her chair and looked up at Samuel with as steady an eye as she could command. "Wilhelm sucked my blood." Madison managed to say the words evenly and clearly. "Is that what you wanted to hear, Samuel?"

  "He did what?" Colin was on his feet.

  "Goddamn it!" yelled Mike. "I knew you couldn't be trusted out on your own."

  Without a word, Samuel grabbed the collar of Madison's jersey and tore it away from her neck on the left side, from the collar right through to the sleeveless opening, exposing the bandaged area. She let out a soft cry of surprise and clutched her shirt in front of her to keep it from falling. Samuel ripped off the bandage. Although Madison couldn't see Samuel's face, every other eye at the table was on him, watching in serious contemplation of what would come next.

  With one finger, Samuel lowered Madison's bra strap down off her shoulder. The area was showing signs of bruising from the earlier aggressive suction. Then he squeezed the large puncture wounds. A soft gasp of pain escaped Madison's lips.

  "Did you like it?" Samuel asked Madison, continuing to speak in a soft, persuasive tone.

  "Now see here, La Croix," said Mike in anger. "That's quite enough. Stop torturing the girl."

  When Samuel pressed harder on Madison's shoulder, Mike reached out to grab Samuel's arm. The head vampire's fangs shot out as he bared them at the cop. "I wouldn't if I were you," he warned.

  Colin moved to Notchey and pulled him back from the table. The Dedhams looked on in silence. Like Colin, they were totally obedient to Samuel and would not interfere.

  Madison looked straight ahead, her eyes fixed on the sofa in the living area of the great room, trying to forget that anyone else was in the room. "I'm not sure," she said in a small voice, answering Samuel's question.

  "And what does that mean?" Samuel asked, his fangs still exposed, long, sharp, and deadly.

  "It means ...," Madison paused. "It means I did not enjoy that it was Wilhelm doing it to me."

  Samuel gathered Madison's hair, just as Wilhelm had, and tossed it over her right shoulder. Leaning close to Madison, he rubbed his fangs over her long, graceful neck, several inches above Wilhelm's marks. She could feel their sharpness against her flesh.

  "Maybe you'd like me to bite you?" suggested Samuel. "Believe me, it would be much more satisfying than the sucking of an old, delusional man." For a brief moment, he closed his mouth over Madison's neck, but he didn't bite. "Would you like that?"

  Madison relaxed in her chair, a feeling of unexplainable peace enveloping her for the first time since she'd met the vampires. "I don't know, Samuel," she answered honestly. "But if you wish it, you have my consent."

  "No!" shouted Mike, still restrained by Colin.

  "This doesn't concern you, Mike," Doug said in a firm voice.

  As if they were alone, Samuel turned Madison around in her chair so that they were face to face, showing her his terrifying fangs. She displayed no fear.

  Samuel leaned in close to her neck again. "And why would you let me bite you?" he whispered to her.

  "Because I trust you," Madison whispered back. When Samuel pulled away to look into her eyes, she reached up and placed the palm of her hand against his cheek. "Because I trust everyone at this table more than I've ever trusted anyone."

  TWENTY-ONE

  or a few moments, Samuel was still, his fangs exposed and threatening. Then, as quickly as he had arrived at her side, he was back at the head of the table. He retracted his fangs, replaced his sunglasses, and sat down as if nothing beyond a little misunderstanding had occurred.

  Samuel looked at Colin, signaling him to release Notchey. "So, Mike," Samuel said. "Any ideas on who killed this Geoff Baxter fellow?"

  Mike Notchey shook off Colin and stood bewildered, like a man who'd entered a private party by mistake. He looked at Madison, then at Samuel, not happy with either the recent news or the dental display. Colin sat back down on the other side of Madison, studying her now-exposed neck as he walked behind her.

  Dodie left the table and returned with the cardigan sweater Pauline kept in the kitchen. She placed it over Madison's shoulders as Madison pulled her bra strap back in place. After giving Madison a gentle pat of reassurance, Dodie returned to her spot next to Doug.

  "Geoff Baxter died the same way Evie Banks did," Mike explained, taking his seat but still watching Madison. "He bled out after receiving small but accurately placed cuts. It happened elsewhere, and his body was dumped in the woods."

  Doug scrunched his brows in thought. "First time it's been a man, correct?"

  "That we know of," Mike answered.

  Turning to Madison, Doug asked, "And you're sure this Geoff person had a bloodline?"

  "Positive," she answered.

  Samuel tapped his pen on the notepad in front of him. "Seems whoever is doing this is no longer gender specific."

  "There's something else I'm wondering about," Madison said. When all eyes turned to her, she continued. "Wilhelm told me about a ceremony at Bat Beauty-something involving the coven cutting and sucking the blood of newer members, people who volunteered."

  "It's done on feast days," Colin said, turning to look at her, his eyes bright with intensity.

  "Yes," Madison continued. "That's it. Feast days" She looked away from Colin as the strong erotic memory of Wilhelm's description started to shroud her purpose. "Apparently, the members cut these volunteers and suck their blood over the course of several hours. Maybe that's what happened to these people."

  "But no one dies from those ceremonies," Colin added. "I've seen them."

  "Seen them, yes," Madison said, looking at Colin. "Wilhelm told me you attended one." She looked quickly away, mindful of Samuel's eyes on both of them. "But what if sometimes these ceremonies get carried away? What if not all the covens took the same care as Bat Beauty and the sacrifices of these members included death?"

  Notchey leaned in closer to Madison, totally forgetting about the earlier drama. "It's possible you're onto something here, but I don't recall any evidence that the other women were into vampirism." He sorted through some of his notes as he spoke. "Did Wilhelm say anything about other types of ceremonies?"

  Madison shook her head. "No, just that one"

  Samuel looked to Colin. "How about you? Ever see or hear anything about members being bled to death?"

  Colin also shook his head. "Never. I've witnessed feast days at most of the covens I've visited, and they are pretty much the same. Lilith at Fang Me has mentioned blood bars, but I've never seen concrete evidence that they exist outside of our own vampire culture. That doesn't mean they don't, of course."

  Madison's eyes widened. "There really are such things as blood bars?" She turned to Colin. "I thought Lilith was just teasing you."

  "No," said Dodie moving her head up and down with quick, short movements. "They exist. Scarlet, the place I took you on Monday, is a vampire blood bar"

  Madison drew her lower lip into her mouth while she digested the information. She'd not given much thought to where the blood Dodie had ordered at Scarlet had come from, just that Dodie had assured her that no one had died to provide it. "So blood bars are places where vampires can get human blood by the glass, like ordering a merlot or chardonnay?"

  The vampires all glanced at each other. Finally, Dodie cleared her throat and prepared to set the record straight. "That night I had a glass of human blood-blood that was donated by a will ing human. It's like making a donation to a blood bank, but for money. As you may have already discovered, some vampires prefer blood fresh from the vein."

  "Some?" Samuel said. "Don't sugarcoat it, Dodie. Tell the girl the truth. She needs to know."

  "A
ll right," Dodie said, not pleased with having to be so blunt. "Not some, Madison; all-all of us prefer blood straight from the vein. But that doesn't mean we run amok like savages-at least, most of us don't. In the back room at Scarlet, a vampire can go and get sustenance directly from a human who is paid to provide it."

  "Paid well, I might add," commented Doug.

  Madison frowned. "That sounds like a brothel."

  Samuel tilted his head back and laughed heartily. "That it does, Madison. Though at Scarlet, sex isn't on the menu, just the blood. But there are places for both."

  Madison looked at Samuel with confusion. "And there are beaters who do this, and you don't fear them telling anyone?"

  It was Mike Notchey who continued her education. "There's a whole service industry out there that caters to vampires, Madison. People like Pauline who care for their homes and personal needs, those who provide human blood, deliver animal blood, take care of their business and finances. It's a small, tight, and very secretive service community."

  "That's paid very well," repeated Doug.

  "Yes," Mike conceded. "People who are paid well to do what they do and keep their mouths shut."

  "And they know if they talk, they will die," added Samuel, the laughter gone from his voice.

  "Okay," said Madison, ignoring the die part and turning the information around inside her head with the other stuff. "So if there are blood bars for vampires, then why can't there be blood bars for the covens?"

  "There very well could be," agreed Mike. "And probably are. But they would be very deep underground-so underground that even Colin here hasn't seen them."

  "That doesn't mean these people weren't killed at one," Madison persisted. She shivered at her next thought. "Maybe their blood was drained and stored to keep the covens provided with human blood for those who drink it or for special events. Like Dodie said, it's like making a donation to a blood bank, but in these cases it wasn't voluntary."

  "But why only people with bloodlines?" Dodie asked. "Seems if these poor folks were killed during a ceremony or at a blood bar, the bloodline wouldn't matter."

  Notchey leaned back in his chair. "Sorry to say this, but I think someone-a beater outside the service industry-knows about the bloodline and what it means. Could be, they think the blood of people with bloodlines is special."

  Madison looked down at the fake bloodline in her own hand and rubbed it. It didn't go away. It felt like having a target on her back, but then it was meant to be exactly that.

  "Outside of Geoff noticing my bloodline last night," she told the group, "only two other people have taken notice of it. Although she didn't say anything at the time, I'm sure Lilith at Fang Me was surprised by it." Madison didn't want to say the other name but knew she had to, and if she didn't, she knew Samuel would know by getting into her head like an unwelcome bed bug. "Kyle, my boss at the diner, noticed it when I was in there today"

  Colin jerked his head in her direction. "What did he say? Did he seem surprised?"

  "He just wondered what it was. I told him I thought I'd broken a blood vessel or something like that and it was starting to go away." Madison shrugged. "That was it."

  Samuel's jaw was tight. "He didn't say anything to you about Evie having one like it?"

  "No. Nothing like that. He just seemed curious. But I thought I should mention that he'd noticed it."

  "You did the right thing, Madison," Samuel told her. "Anytime anyone notices that bloodline, tell one of us, especially Colin if he's with you at the time. Your boss, does he work at the diner at night?"

  "Sometimes"

  "Do you know where he lives?"

  Madison nodded.

  Samuel paused before speaking again. Everyone waited. "Doug. Dodie," he finally said. "I want you to follow this Kyle person from sundown to sunup, starting immediately. I'll have Gordon take over from sunup to sundown."

  Madison was puzzled. "Who's Gordon?"

  "Gordon is Samuel's personal driver and bodyguard," Dodie explained. "He's waiting outside right now."

  Curious, Madison got up and went to the window. Pulling back the drape, she spotted a dark sedan parked in front of the house. Leaning against the car was a tall, beefy man in a dark suit.

  "What about that man you recognized at Dark Tidings?" Dodie asked Madison. "Have you placed him yet?"

  "No, not yet. I keep thinking about it, but nothing comes to me.

  "What man?" asked Mike.

  "There was a guy at the Dark Tidings coven I thought I'd seen somewhere before, but I can't remember where."

  "Was he in one of the photos I showed you?" Mike pulled a folder out of a case he'd brought with him. From it, he retrieved the photos of the coven leaders and spread them on the table for Madison to have another look.

  Madison came back to the table. She pushed the photos of Lord Wilhelm, Lady Harriet, and Lilith to the side and studied the others. "No, he's not here. But this one," she tapped a photo in the pile. "He was tending bar at Bat Beauty today." She looked at Mike. "Do you have a photo of Ethan Young?" She shot a glance at Colin. "Wasn't that his name? The leader of Bloodlust?" Colin nodded.

  Mike pulled a photo out of the pile and showed it to her. "This is Ethan Young."

  The man in the photo fit close to the description Lilith had given them. He wasn't a big guy but looked very built, with a shaved head and trimmed goatee. The wire-framed glasses perched on his nose gave him an intellectual air, while the tattoo Lilith described was nowhere to be seen in the photo.

  "Colin," Samuel said, continuing to hand out further orders, you keep making the rounds of the covens with Madison. Give her some room to roam without you, but not too far. Mike and I will work our respective contacts. I'll also get someone to cozy up to Lilith and see what she might know. Isabella Claussen just got back into town. I'll see if she can do it."

  Samuel looked at Madison. "I also want you to go back to Bat Beauty tomorrow afternoon."

  Both Colin and Mike started to say something, but Samuel stopped them. "Now that he's had her blood, he may not be suspicious of her intentions," he explained. "He might think she's coming back for more." He looked at Mike. "Will the news about Geoff Baxter be in the paper or on local TV news?"

  "Some information was on TV tonight."

  "Good" Samuel returned his attention to Madison. "Show up under the pretense of seeing it on the news and offer your condolences."

  Madison spoke up. "I don't think Wilhelm killed Geoff. He seemed genuinely pissed that Geoff didn't show up today. He would never have mentioned him if he'd killed Geoff himself, would he?"

  "Probably not," Mike told her. "Unless it was an act to throw suspicion away from him once the death was discovered."

  "Mike's right," said Doug. "So be very careful. But if Wilhelm is grieving, he might want to talk about Geoff. You may be able to find out if Geoff was hanging out at other covens in addition to Bat Beauty. Just don't stay long."

  "And for bloody sake," Colin barked, "don't let the bastard drink your blood!"

  Everyone turned to stare at Madison. Unperturbed, she scowled back in return.

  Samuel started gathering his notes, signaling that the meeting was almost over. "We have to find out who is doing this and stop them. If Mike is right and this person knows about bloodlines, then he knows that we really exist. We've got to nip this in the bud before everyone knows."

  Madison chuckled.

  Colin glared at her. "You find this amusing?"

  "No, I don't," she answered truthfully. "I just thought of something one of my foster mothers, a religious nut, used to say all the time." She clutched the sweater together in the front of her with one hand. "Something like, `the devil's greatest trick was convincing the world he didn't exist.' Seems to me it's the vampire's greatest trick, too."

  TWENTY-TWO

  adison was upstairs going through her closet, looking for something to wear now that her top had been torn to pieces. She didn't own many trendy things to start with, and now she was
down one garment-a favorite top she'd purchased only after patiently waiting for it to go on sale. She'd wanted to say something to Samuel but thought better of it, under the circumstances. She'd meant what she said about trusting him and the others, but she didn't want to push her luck when it came to ruined clothing. She didn't know what any of the vampires did for a living except for Stacie and Eddie, but they all seemed flush with cash and oblivious to those who weren't.

  An idea struck Madison as her eye caught on the tee shirt she'd worn to bed. It was a favorite of hers that she'd picked up in a used clothing store when she'd first come to Los Angeles. The faded black tee shirt, size men's large, hung on her and came well past her hips. It was a souvenir shirt from the Rolling Stones' 1972 US Tour, touting big red lips, white teeth, and a huge red tongue on the front. As she held it up in front of herself and looked in the mirror, a knock sounded on her closed door.

  "Madison," asked Dodie through the door, "may I come in?"

  "Sure," Madison called to her, still studying the tee shirt in the mirror. It didn't look half bad with her jeans and boots.

  Dodie came in and shut the door behind her. "I wanted to bandage those wounds before you got dressed." Dodie eyed the shirt. "That could look very cute with the right accessories. Very hip, isn't that what it's called?"

  "Not sure it will cover the bandage, though. I don't have many things that will."

  "Let's see what we can do after I patch you up." Dodie took Madison into the bathroom and washed the cuts. They weren't that bad, but Dodie knew that puncture wounds could get infected easily, and she didn't want to take any chances. "There," she announced when she was finished. "I think that will do. I used smaller bandages this time. Fortunately, Wilhelm cut you on the back of your shoulder instead of on your neck. Now let's try that shirt on."

  Madison slipped the shirt on over her head. It hung like a sack on her, and the collar gapped. She started rolling up the sleeves. "I think this will help." Dodie helped her with the rolling. It did make it look better, but it was still just a man's tee shirt.