by Jade Eby
When Diana opened the bathroom door and spotted Asher, terror glazed over her eyes.
She’s afraid again? Why?
She dabbed at the corner of her lips with a folded piece of paper towel, and then dropped the crumpled paper into the trashcan that had been decorated like a howling werewolf.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She shrugged, her rubies dangling at her ears. “No. I’m not okay.”
This is never going to work. What am I going to do?
“Do you want this?” He held up a wine glass with dark red liquid. It bubbled at the rim. A cinnamon scented steam rose from its watery surface. “The bartender called it Dracula’s Blood.”
She forced herself to smile back at him. He could tell it was forced by the way her cheeks shivered as they strained to keep her face in that expression. “And will it give me immortality?”
“You want to live forever?” he asked.
“Right now, I just want to live.”
“You will as much as I can control it. I’ll always protect you.”
“But, Asher, can you protect me from you?”
“I could try.”
“That doesn’t comfort me.”
“What other choice do you have?” He gave her the glass.
“I have plenty of options. Several, in fact.” She took the glass to her mouth and drank, tipping the bottom high to finish it all.
When she returned the empty wine glass to him, he frowned and stared at it. “You’re thirsty?”
“No, I’m in desperate need to get drunk.”
“I don’t think that’s—”
“Bishop, the wonderful man of the hour!” The voice came from behind them.
Both Asher and Diana turned.
A thin, wiry man with Buddy Holly glasses and a crooked smile faced them.
Maxwell.
When Asher had asked around about Maxwell, everyone always had great things to say about him.
“He’s a kid at heart, that Maxwell.”
“Such a clown.”
“What a lovable character!”
“He just has a way with kids. Always coming by the playground with ice cream and balloons for my twins.”
If people didn’t brag about his sense of humor or charm, then they celebrated his toy corporation. His family had started in the business over fifty years ago. They’d been one of the first business to see the money in buying gifts for kids. They triggered the craze for certain products through their guerilla advertising around cartoon hour and on sugar coated cereal boxes.
When Maxwell graduated from Princeton and became CEO of Toymania, he took the company even further. The corporation developed a new product line for babies. He’d also come out with an ice cream brand. Each package displayed some of their top-selling toys. Rainbow popsicles inspired kids to yearn for Toymania multicolored building blocks. There were even chocolate dipped cones shaped like action figures and dolls.
“That Maxwell. He sure is a fine guy. He’s trying to be a sort of real life Willy Wonka. I heard he’s building another factory in India.”
Asher gave Maxwell a strained smile and nod. “Ah, I suspected you’d find me at some point.”
Maxwell laughed, his glasses shaking slightly as his head bobbed. “Of course, old chap,” he winked and then added, “and who is this goddess on your arm?”
Asher cleared his throat. “Diana Carson.”
“Pleasure to meet you.” Maxwell did a dramatic bow, straightened, and produced a bouquet of roses out of nowhere. At first, Asher had only saw Maxwell’s empty fingers. Next, a dozen roses bloomed in front of Diana.
A giggle left her lips. “That’s amazing. How did you do that?”
Asher formed his hands into closed fists. “Yes, how did you do that?”
“Magic.” Maxwell snapped his fingers. A cigar appeared where nothing had been. “Do you like cigars, Asher?”
“That’s Mr. Bishop to you, and no I do not.”
“You want me to call you Mr. Bishop?” Maxwell chuckled and turned to Diana. “Is he serious?”
Careful, Maxwell. You do not talk to her. I’d planned to give you another night to breathe. That may not happen.
Diana eyed Asher. “I’m not sure, if Asher is serious or not. But, he does love to joke around.”
Maxwell hit Asher on the back. “Oh I love a good joker!”
Asher grunted.
“Do you know any good jokes?” Maxwell tucked the cigar in his pocket. “I would love to hear one.”
Diana grabbed another glass of Dracula’s blood from a server passing by with a full tray. “Yes, Asher or rather, Mr. Bishop. Why don’t you tell us one of your hilarious jokes?”
“I only know one.” Asher tried to maintain his calm, even after Maxwell got closer to Diana, winked, and nudged her side with his. He stiffened, not used to seeing Diana next to another man. They’d barely known each other themselves, but still, jealousy pricked at his skin.
I don’t think straight when she’s around.
“Tell us the joke, Mr. Bishop.” Diana sipped her second glass.
“Okay. Here it goes,” Asher said. “How do you stop a rich man from drowning?”
A wrinkle came on Maxwell’s forehead. “Hmmm. I don’t know. How do you stop a rich man from drowning?”
Asher beamed. “You shoot him in the chest, before he hits the water.”
Diana spit out some of her drink and coughed. Of course, Maxwell produced a handkerchief from somewhere and cleaned the few drops off her neck and the top part of her cleavage.
However, both Diana and Maxwell paused as they realized that in the moments of the coughing and cleaning, Asher had come close to them.
Very close.
His huge body dominated their space. “Please, stop touching her.”
Maxwell inched back. “Um... I hope I was... helpful.”
“You were,” Diana replied in annoyance. “My Asher is just a little possessive at times.”
Asher grunted and continued to stare at Maxwell. It was hard for him to describe the feeling that overcame his every cell. It had been more than jealousy. Maybe, it was rage. Hot boiling rage.
Besides his mother, he’d never put another woman above himself. Letting Diana live, after she knew that he was a killer, was the only other time he’d allowed another to have something over him.
It made him fragile, as thin and weak as eggshells. And even though Maxwell probably had no interest in a woman Diana’s age, Asher couldn’t deal with the man so close to her, his pedophilic fingers touching the tops of her breasts.
You may die tonight, Mr. Wonka.
“I’m sorry.” Maxwell raised his hands in the air in mock surrender. “I only meant to help her out.”
“Of course.” Asher didn’t move and continued to tower over him. “Did you like my joke?”
Maxwell backed up some more. “I did. It’s rather fitting, being that so many rich men have... you know... ”
“Died.” Asher widened his mouth into a huge smile.
Diana cleared her throat and hooked her arm around Asher’s. “So, your charity really intrigues me, Maxwell. I would love to help.”
“It does?” Maxwell raised his bushy eyebrows. “Now... I must confess something. I know who Mr. Bishop is, but I don’t know much about you, Mrs. Carson. What do you do?”
Asher pulled her closer. “She’s a reporter for the Ovid Island Newspaper and also my date for the evening.”
“Carson? That name sounds rather familiar,” Maxwell said, scrunching his eyebrows together.
“Perhaps it’s because my husband and his mistress were slaughtered by a serial killer last week. By Cupid, to be specific.” Diana’s smile left her face. “Mr. Bishop has made it his duty to comfort me in my time of need.”
“Right, right. I’m so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Carson,” Maxwell said. “It must be extremely difficult to deal with this situation.”
“You have no idea,” Diana mumbled.
“I have not made it yet,” Asher said. “Like I’ve told your office, I want to see the foster home.”
Maxwell frowned. “You want to see it tonight?”
“Only if you want me to give you my million dollars tonight. If not, then we can schedule a later date.”
“No. No. Tonight is fine.” Maxwell dug his hands into his pockets and pulled out his phone. “Let me just get my assistant to take you over there. It’s right next door, she can give you the tour, while—”
“No,” Asher said. “I would like you to show me.”
“I’m hosting the ball.” Maxwell gestured to the packed dance floor and went back to typing into his phone.
“I would like the man behind the foster home to take me on a tour.” Asher glanced at Diana. “Sweetheart, you won’t mind, if I go off with Maxwell for a few minutes. Right?”
“You want me to stay here?” Shock fell on Diana’s face.
“Yes.” He leaned in, kissed her cheek, and then whispered in her ear, “Follow us. Stay several feet behind. When he opens the door, I’ll make sure you are able to get in. Then do what you do.”
Asher let go of her arm and stood back from her. “Okay, Maxwell. Let’s go.”
Maxwell looked up from his phone. “Are you serious?”
“As serious as a heart attack.” Asher laughed. “Hey, that’s sort of a joke right there. Heart attacks are funny, right?”
Diana shook her head. “We really need to work on your sense of humor.”
“Is it my timing?” Asher quirked his blonde eyebrows.
“I think you’re just a little too dark,” she said.
Frowning, Maxwell put his phone up. “Yes, I agree.” He checked his watch. “Okay, I guess I have a few minutes to show you around. We’ll have to be quick. The auction starts in an hour.”
“We’ll be quick.”
“Let me just notify my assistant.” Maxwell rushed off. “For some reason, I’m not getting a good signal in the ball room.”
As soon as he scurried away, Diana glared at Asher. “Why were you acting so weird?”
“How did he know you loved roses?”
“What?” She handed the bouquet over to him. “Most women like roses. It’s a pretty safe pick. And it’s a simple magic trick that anyone can do.”
A waitress came by. “Would you like another drink, Ma’am?”
“Yes.” Diana finished her second one, and grabbed the third.
“And how about you, sir?” The server looked at Asher.
“No, thank you, but could you take these.” Asher gave the bouquet to her. “Lovely flowers for a lovely woman.”
A blush spread over her face. “Why thank you.”
Diana snorted as the waitress winked at him and sashayed away. “You’re such a flirt.”
“That’s not me flirting. That was me simply being nice. You’ve seen how I flirt.” He licked his lips. “Should I remind you?”
“No.” She gulped the Dracula’s Blood down.
He took the glass from her. “I think you may have had enough.”
“I think, I’m a grown ass woman and can decide when I’ve had enough on my own.” She signaled for another server to come.
“How are you going to investigate Maxwell, if you’re drunk?”
“Are you serious?”
“I am.”
“You don’t want me to investigate.” She poked at his chest. “You just want me to have busy work.”
“No, I want you to understand me.”
“I do.” She picked up her fourth glass from another waitress, waited for the woman to leave, and declared, “You are a killer.”
“Be careful, Diana.”
“Even if Maxwell was innocent, you would still make up your mind that he had to die.”
“That’s not true,” he said through clenched teeth. “I would leave him alone.”
“Has that ever happened?”
“No.”
“Then you’re full of shit.” She sipped her drink. “I bet some of your victims were innocent.”
“They were.”
She blinked twice. “Excuse me?”
He grabbed the glass from her and took his own sip. “I killed all of my mother’s husbands. And every one of them, besides my father, was innocent.”
She parted her lips.
“Each time my mother married, she would stay with the guy for a year or two, and then all of a sudden, her husband ended up raping or abusing her. At least that was what she would tell me. These were her bedtime stories, whispering the sick crap her ex-husbands would do to her. Something sickening always happened to dear mother, and I, the ever loyal, and protective son, I... ” He drank some more of Dracula’s Blood. Spicy cinnamon bit at his tongue.
He swallowed some more. “This isn’t that bad.”
“How did you figure out that she was lying?”
“Things stopped making sense. In her old age, she mixed up her lies. The guy who she’d said raped her, later had hit her. Things like that. Deceit and lies only last for so long before the light shines on them, and reveals the truth.”
Diana gazed at him, never reaching for her glass or inching back in fear like she’d done before. “What happened, when you realized that she’d been lying?”
“I took her to the end of the property late at night, choked her... for a long time... and then I watched that devil burn up in flames.” Water glazed over his eyes. It was his turn to finish the glass. “I take my time with my kills now. Usually. I spend months trying to make sure the person really is guilty. It’s hard to do. More people get hurt, while I’m trying to decide if the person should die or not. Take, Maxwell. The nurse confessed his transgressions two months ago. That means that in that time, some more of his kids have been raped.”
“But how do you ever know for sure?”
“I don’t. That’s one of the reasons why you’re here. You’re going to investigate, while I keep him busy.”
“What do you expect me to do?”
“Snoop. It’s what you do best.”
Maybe, she was too drunk to feign ignorance. Instead, she grinned. “So you want your cat to stumble drunkenly along the foster home and sniff out clues?”
“And,” He raised one finger. “I want you to see why I’m necessary.”
“You want me to see if you’re a necessary murderer.”
“A hero.”
“I don’t name heroes.” She targeted him with her gaze. “I only name serial killers.”
“You still believe that’s what I am?”
“Maybe.”
“And what do you think of Maxwell?”
“I’m not sure.”
Asher rolled his eyes. “Please tell me you can see through his silly sophisticated façade?”
Diana plucked another wine glass from a traveling waiter. “I don’t know. He seemed pretty genuine to me.”
Asher took the drink away, and offered it to another waiter. “Perhaps that’s because now you’ll be comparing every person to me. The atrocities you think I’ve committed. I promise you, my curious little cat, that you will understand one day. At least it’s my sincere hope that you will.”
Diana looked away from him.
“Stop.”
She whipped her head in his direction. “What?”
“Stop thinking about it. Can you just let it go for tonight? Enjoy yourself? Isn’t the truth what you live for? Doesn’t it burn in your gut just as deeply as righting wrongs does for me?”
She pursed her lips together in defiance. She probably didn’t want him to know that he�
�d pegged her so completely. It was easier for her to pretend he was a monster, when he didn’t say things like that. It was so much harder to forget the lust coursing through her veins at the same time.
“For tonight, follow Cupid on his trail. Promise me that. No trying to run off and escape or whatever you’d planned on doing in the bathroom.” He extended his hand. “Tonight, we work together.”
“Together?” She grimaced at his hand. “I don’t know how to use a bow and arrow.”
“But you do know how to find the truth.”
“I doubt you want that.”
“Try me, Diana. See how far the rabbit hole goes when it comes to Asher Rice.”
“Asher Rice?”
“My real name. Besides my mother, you’re the only person that knows that fact. And now she’s dead.”
“Why did you tell me?”
“Because I put my faith in you. I—”
She put a finger to his lips. Her gaze softened and her face flushed. Whether it was from the alcohol or the honesty in his voice – he’d never know. She intertwined her fingers with his.“Okay, I’ll help you out. Just for tonight.”
Six
Diana
How do you escape a killer?
Be his friend.
Alcohol fogged Diana’s thoughts, but she didn’t care. The drinks were necessary, every last one. Her inhibitions needed to be lowered, in order to get through this night with Asher.
She wanted the alcohol to drown out the two parts of her body warring against each other. Fighting on whether or not Asher should be a part of her future.
Liquor always flooded the logical part of her brain. Logic wouldn’t save her though, not when it came to Asher.
Dracula’s blood ran through her veins. It made her strong, put some power into her step as she followed behind Asher and Maxwell.
How do you catch a pedophile?
Go to where the children are.
Like Asher commanded, she maintained a good distance between them, ducking into the ballroom’s shadows or even hiding behind a group of chatting folks. By that time, everybody had more than enough of Dracula’s Blood pulsing through them.
One woman had pulled her gown down a little and exposed a pink nipple to the fat, old man next to her. He’d snorted like a pig, fell into the big breast, and suckled on the tip like a hungry baby with its mother. A few around the craziness shrieked. Others gazed wickedly at the scene.