Murder in Vein

by Sue Ann Jaffarian

  TWENTY-NINE

  amuel's house was a sprawling villa set high in the hills above Los Angeles. After entering a security gate, they had driven up a long private drive to reach the house. They'd entered through the garage, coming into a service room that fed into a huge kitchen with a tile floor and shiny appliances. Following Samuel, Madison was led into the great room. Colorful carpets covered the tile floor, and the walls were painted in varying earth tones. The furniture and overall decor had a Mediterranean feel, yet the furnishings were sparse, as at Colin's condominium, though here there were cut flowers throughout the room. And, as at Colin's, the view was spectacular, though Samuel's home looked out over the lights of Los Angeles instead of the ocean.

  "You guys seem to like views," Madison observed.

  Samuel came up beside her and looked out. "During the day it's just a boring cityscape, but at night it looks like a blanket of jewels against velvet. Since I'm up mostly at night, it made sense to buy a house with such a view."

  "I also noticed none of you, not even the Dedhams, are big on a lot of furniture or knickknacks."

  "We like to keep things simple, Madison. Vampires never know when they might have to disappear for a while. Sometimes we even have to move permanently."

  "I like to keep things simple, too. Makes it easier."

  Samuel chuckled. "Is that why you keep your money stashed in a feminine hygiene box?"

  "How did you know that?" Madison turned, looking at him with surprise. "I'm not thinking about that at all."

  "No, but you were when you got the call about your apartment," he explained. "Good thing you moved those boxes when you did."

  "Can you read my mind now?" Madison zeroed her eyes in on his. He had removed his sunglasses and met her look head-on.

  "Tsk, tsk, tsk" Samuel feigned offense. "For such a cute little thing, you certainly have a potty mind, and what you just said to me, I believe, is anatomically impossible, even for a vampire."

  Now it was Madison's turn to chuckle. "That money is my inheritance from my great aunt Eleanor-or what's left of it. It wasn't much, about twenty thousand. I used some of it to buy a car and to get my ass out of Boise shortly after I turned twenty-one."

  "Even we vampires trust banks, Madison. Maybe it's because they're blood suckers like us."

  Madison smiled at the comment but shrugged. "As a kid, I got used to moving without notice. I was dragged from one foster home to another with little more than the clothes on my back and a small bag of backups. I guess once a gypsy, always a gypsy."

  Samuel glanced back out at the view. "Most of my life," he paused, "both then and now, has been like that, too. I've been in Los Angeles quite a while. So have most of the vampires on the council. We like it here. It's easy for us to blend in with all the city's usual crazies and eccentrics, and most people here keep to their own business, unlike other parts of the country. We're trying to build a real community so we won't have to wander anymore.

  "Dodie and Stacie told me it was very different before you got here. They said it was like the Wild West."

  Samuel nodded. "There were bloodthirsty beater hunts and violent territorial fights between the vampires. It made it difficult for those who were simply in search of peace. They were afraid if it continued, they would be exposed." Samuel grunted. "Just as we're concerned about exposure now, only this time it's not other vampires causing the trouble."

  The house was U-shaped, with its extensions reaching out like arms to embrace a large tiled courtyard. Beyond it was a large pool. Low-level lights lit the courtyard and set off the various pots of flowers and shrubs to their best advantage. Submerged lights in the pool made the water shimmer in a slow liquid dance like a mirage.

  Madison watched the lights for a moment. "It's lovely, Samuel"

  "Thank you. Maybe, in time, you'd like to come and stay for a visit." When Madison jerked her head to look at him, he added with a smile, "Just for a visit. A guest. Nothing else. I often have houseguests."

  "Live ones?"

  "Yes, and undead ones." He laughed. "The wing to the right houses two large guest suites. The wing to the left contains the master suite and my office. Most of the rooms have doors that open up onto the courtyard."

  Samuel led her through the house into the right wing and showed her to a guest suite that consisted of a spacious bedroom with a roomy sitting area and private bath. The bed was large and covered with a quilt the color of terra-cotta pots. On the bed, pillows of different sizes and shapes were clustered like green- and peach-patterned mushrooms. The sight of the bed made Madison yawn.

  "You must be tired," Samuel said. "I'll bet since last night you've hardly gotten any sleep."

  "Just the couple of hours at Colin's" Madison yawned again. "I'm sorry, but I'm ready to drop."

  "Understandable" Samuel placed the small bag of toiletries and clothing Madison had brought with her on the bed. "Through that door is the bathroom. Feel free to use the whirlpool tub; it might help you sleep. Also, there is some food in the kitchen-I'm not sure how much, but don't hesitate to check out the cupboards and refrigerator. I always keep things on hand for my living friends. There's no one else here tonight. Gordon lives in an apartment over the garage, and my housekeeper doesn't come until after eleven in the morning."

  Samuel pointed to drapes pulled back close to the wall, away from the French doors. "You will find that all the bedrooms have room-darkening drapery panels to the side of the windows. My undead guests generally use those, but you might enjoy leaving the windows uncovered to enjoy the moonlight and the morning sun.

  Before he left, Samuel bent and kissed Madison lightly on the cheek. "Good night, little one. Put the events of the day aside and sleep like the dead." He winked, closing the door behind him.

  A few minutes later, Madison wandered into the kitchen in search of food. Finding a small bag of gourmet cookies in a cupboard and some apples in a bowl on the counter, she retreated to her room with her booty and ate while soaking in the deep tub.

  The life of a vampire didn't seem that bad, Madison thought to herself as she relaxed in scented bubbles. They lived in luxury homes, drove expensive cars, and had money. Then she remembered Doug sniffing food he couldn't eat and Dodie baking cookies to keep her memories alive. Bowls of oranges and lemons instead of scrapbooks. And Kate Thornton with a mate who would grow old and die-Jerry being nothing but a heartbeat in Kate's eternal world. Under the wealth and power, it seemed a lonely and painful life, and one filled with worry of exposure and concern about who to trust and who could not be trusted. It was a secret life lived in darkness. And it was forever.

  Madison started to cry and wasn't sure why.

  Sometime in the night, Madison woke to find herself in total darkness. Someone had come in and closed her drapes. Maybe Samuel had, thinking it would help her sleep longer in the morning. Slipping out of bed, she went to the window and peeked through the heavy curtain. Everything looked the same in the large courtyard: the pool was still blue and inviting, the moon bright. In their outdoor dim light, the trees and potted shrubs stood like dancers in the wings, waiting for their cue to step into the spotlight.

  Madison was about to return to bed when she spotted a shadow leaving the house from a back door on the other wing. She scooted farther back behind the drapes and watched. It was a man. He seemed short and squat and moved like a nocturnal animal across the courtyard and past the pool. When he reached the far end of the property, which was bordered by an ivy-covered fence, he disappeared. A moment later, another figure left the opposite wing. This time it was a woman. She strolled with confidence, taking the same path as the man before her. For a brief moment moonlight crossed her face, and Madison recognized Stacie Neroni. Like the man before her, she approached the ivy fence and disappeared.

  If Stacie was here, maybe she'd learned something more from Cubby, but why was she outside? Why couldn't she just meet with Samuel in the living room? And who was the man who'd arrived before her? Bursting with c
uriosity and hoping Stacie's presence meant they'd found the killers, Madison slipped into her jeans and her sneakers. Quietly opening the French doors from her room to the courtyard, she crept out into the night and followed the trail to the fence.

  The night was cold and damp. Madison hugged her arms to herself as she scurried across the courtyard tiles and onto the grass on the far side of the pool. Besides her jeans and sneakers, she was only wearing the tee shirt she'd worn to bed. Once at the fence, she couldn't see where they'd gone.

  Reaching through the ivy, Madison discovered it wasn't a fence at all, but a building on the other side. She quietly felt her way along until her hand hit something familiar. It was a door handle. She pulled on it just far enough so she could look inside.

  On the other side of the door was a long, narrow storage room with its lights on, but no sign of Stacie or the man. Madison slipped inside. Once inside, she heard voices and followed them to the far side of the room, where she found another door. This one was slightly open.

  From here, she could recognize Samuel's voice but couldn't see him. He sounded cold and menacing. She also recognized Colin's voice, and Stacie's. Madison wondered if they were arguing. She stepped through the door to get a better look and found herself in a small, dark area with a thick curtain separating it from the main area. She pulled back the drapery an inch and peered through the slit.

  The room was the size of a large garage and bare except for chairs set up in a circle around a table. Seated in the chairs were Stacie Neroni, Colin Reddy, Isabella Claussen, and the man she'd seen crossing the lawn. Samuel La Croix stood at the head of the table, looking down.

  Madison clenched her teeth to keep from screaming.

  On the table was Lilith, leader of the Fang Me coven. She was naked and moaning. Blood dripped from her body onto the floor like wax from a melting red candle.

  "Tell us where Ethan and Ben are," Samuel demanded.

  "I don't know," Lilith answered in a weak voice. Her eyes were closed. Her head sagged to one side.

  Stacie got up, sunk her fangs into one of Lilith's wrists, and sucked hard. Lilith screamed, but the sound was ragged and feeble.

  "How does it feel to bleed to death?" Blood dripped from Stacie's mouth as she asked Lilith the question. "This is how your victims died. Talk or you'll die the same way."

  "I don't ... I don't know where they are. I haven't seen them since last night."

  Lilith raised her head slightly and turned it toward Isabella. "I was with you all last night and tonight-tell them."

  Isabella got up and walked to the table. Stacie moved away, taking her place back on a chair. Isabella stroked Lilith's hair. "We were together, and it was lovely." Isabella smiled down at Lilith. "But you need to tell us everything you know." Isabella's voice was tender. "Who's behind this, Lilith? We know it's not you. Who is calling the shots on the kidnappings and killings?"

  "I don't know," Lilith whimpered, her former arrogance drained from her as her blood dripped from her body. "Really. Ethan told me they knew how to become real vampires and asked if I wanted in. That's it. I'm telling you the truth." Lilith sobbed, then choked back the tears. "But you're real." She moved her head to look at the rest of them. "You're all real." She caught her eye on Colin. "Even you. All this time, you were a real vampire."

  Colin stared at her, his dark, handsome face molded into a terrible mask.

  Isabella nodded and continued to stroke Lilith's hair. "Yes, darling, we're the genuine article." She flashed her fangs.

  Lilith shrank against the table. "But we worship you. We want to be like you ... to be one of you."

  "So much so," Colin finally said, his voice thick with disgust, "that you were willing to kill innocent people? Even we don't do that." He stood up and covered the distance to the table in a single stride. "Only people with bloodlines can become vampires, Lilith. You killed at least five potential vampires in your fruitless quest to become one yourself. We don't take that lightly. It's like killing our children." Colin unleashed his fangs. He reared back and thrust himself forward, latching himself onto one of Lilith's upper thighs. Lilith screamed while Isabella held her head.

  Acidic bile rose in Madison's throat as she fought the urge to vomit.

  When Colin finished sucking on Lilith's thigh, he returned to his chair. Samuel stepped up to the table. Isabella continued to hold Lilith's head, keeping it steady and turned toward Samuel.

  "Tell us everything you know, Lilith," Samuel demanded, "or your life ends right here, right now."

  Madison shrunk away, stumbling on rubbery legs to find her way out of the building and across the lawn and courtyard to her room. She knew no matter what Lilith said or confessed, the high priestess of Fang Me was going to die tonight on that table. The council had already sentenced her.

  The weak light of dawn woke Madison as it crept into her room like a stealthy cat. She turned toward the French doors to find that someone had pulled back the drapes, just as they had been when she'd first gone to bed the night before. Again, she'd heard nothing.

  The frightening memory of Lilith's screams filled Madison's morning thoughts. She got out of bed and looked out across the courtyard toward the ivy. Everything appeared peaceful, and there was no sign of a building beyond the ivy. Then her eye caught her sneakers where she'd kicked them off upon returning to her room. Wet grass clung to them. It hadn't been a dream. She had been out in the night. Madison looked again at the ivy and shivered. She wanted to crawl back in bed and stay there forever.

  Turning, she looked out again into the courtyard and saw movement out of the corner of her eye. It was Samuel. He was standing in the doorway that opened to the living room, beckon ing her to join him. Wrapping herself in a thick white terrycloth robe she'd found the night before in the bathroom, Madison padded down the hallway and through the house to the living room, where she found Colin and Samuel together, deep in discussion. Colin was slouched on the sofa, facing the French doors. Samuel was pacing. Neither were wearing the same clothes they'd had on the night before.

  On the large coffee table in front of the sofa was a tray with a small pitcher of fresh orange juice, a glass, and a plate of croissants.

  Samuel indicated the tray. "That's for you, Madison. Help yourself."

  Madison poured herself a glass of juice and curled up on one end of the large sofa, tucking her legs beneath her. With their super hearing and Samuel's ability to read thoughts, they had to know she'd seen them last night. She took a drink of juice and waited for it to play out, knowing she was powerless to avoid it.

  "Seems our surveillance turned up nothing," Samuel told her. "Neither Ethan nor Ben showed up anywhere last night."

  Colin turned to her. "It's almost like they knew someone was looking for them and took off."

  "Maybe they realized I overheard them and decided not to stick around in case I called the police." Madison took another drink, hoping the vampires didn't notice her shaking hands. "Maybe what happened to my apartment was just vandalism by kids."

  Samuel shook his head. "Doug didn't think so. He said it looked like someone was angry at you. But we have to consider all the options."

  "What about Gordon?" Madison asked. "Did he find out anything?"

  "He checked in with me right after we got home last night. He said he had a lead and was checking it out. I haven't heard from him since." Samuel ran a hand over his bald head. "Not like him. It worries me. No answer on his cell phone either."

  "And Lilith?" asked Madison, addressing the elephant in the room.

  Samuel sat down in a chair across from the sofa and studied Madison before speaking. "She was bragging to Isabella about how she was going to be running all the covens shortly."

  The information surprised Madison, and she pushed the thought of Lilith's death aside for the moment. "But of all the covens, hers was the one going downhill fast. In fact, Ethan told us he was trying to get Lilith to merge her coven into his."

  Samuel sighed. "Well, som
ething had her thinking that after she turned, she was going to be the queen bee of vampirism here in California."

  "But," Colin added, "even if their cockeyed theory had been correct, she'd still have to deal with Ethan and Ben also being vampires. I find it difficult to believe they would let her take control."

  Madison nodded. "I agree with Colin. There's no way those two would let a woman even share power with them, let alone be over them. I'm surprised she was even in on it."

  Colin leaned forward, one dark brow lowered, the other arched in thought. "Isabella thinks they just let Lilith in for her money. Hiring thugs to kidnap people is costly, even if the thugs are on the cheap."

  Samuel got up and stretched. "Stacie will continue looking into this Porky angle tonight. That old guy knows where those deaths occurred, I'm sure of it. We just have to unlock it from his mind. I think if we find that spot, we'll find Ethan and Ben, or at least someone else connected to them"

  Colin looked angry. "We have to end this, and soon."

  I couldn't agree with you more, Colin" Samuel turned to look out the windows. With the morning had come a light rain. "Madison," he said, not turning around, "why don't you get dressed. I'll have Colin take you home." He turned to look at Colin. "If you don't mind, Colin."

  "Not at all. I can fill the Dedhams in on last night."

  Samuel shook his head. "No need. I've already spoken with them this morning."

  "Home? Home as in back to my apartment?" Madison's voice was tinged with hope. "Or home as in back to the Dedhams'?" Trashed or not, after last night, Madison was thinking she'd rather be back in her tiny, ruined apartment in Culver City.

  Instead of answering, Samuel gave her a soft, slow smile. He turned back to look out the window again. "And ease your mind about the rain, Madison. Colin brought a car today."