by R. J. Jagger
He had never felt such a desolate place.
And couldn’t imagine what it had been like to feel only that and nothing else, day after day and night after night.
He shivered.
Thunder cracked.
And never felt better in his life.
Chapter 105
Day Eight—April 19
Tuesday Night
______________
THREE HOURS LATER, THE SAME STORM continued to fall out of the same sky. Teffinger watched it from his garage, sitting behind the wheel of the ’67 Vette, drinking a cold Bud Light. London sat in the passenger seat, downing white wine faster than she should. Jena Vellone was at Lutheran Medical Center, dehydrated and malnourished, but expected to obtain a full recovery with no long-term side effects. A throng of media was camped in the hospital lobby, waiting for prognosis updates and the opportunity to actually talk to the woman.
Jena’s sister, Geneva, was with her in the room.
Thanks to Katie Baxter and the team, who found her hogtied on the top floor of an abandoned warehouse.
Teffinger’s cell phone was off and sitting on the kitchen table.
He watched the storm and chewed on London’s story, which he fully believed.
ACCORDING TO LONDON, SHE HAD NO IDEA of Parker’s involvement in anything until this evening. That’s when two things happened. Tim Pepper called Rave and said that he’d seen Parker early on in a New Orleans club. Then the Montreal genealogist, Suzanne Wheeler, called Rave and said that Parker had set Rave up as bait to draw in the slayers.
Rave and London confronted Parker.
And Parker admitted, for the first time, a lot of things.
He admitted that he had in fact first seen Rave in New Orleans. He liked her, asked around about her, and found that she lived in Denver. He resolved to look her up if he ever got to Colorado.
He admitted that he and Forrest Jones had been killing women and drinking their blood—strong woman blood—in a effort to increase and activate their dormant immortality genes.
Kennedy Pinehurst.
Barbara Rocker.
Destiny Moon.
And many more.
The scenario was always the same. Parker chose the woman. He only picked women with “strong” blood, meaning women of stature, recognition, fame or money. He often used billboards to help him pick. Then, Forrest Jones did all the work, meaning the abduction, obtaining the vials of blood, and eventually killing them.
Parker and Forrest both drank the blood.
They were both chasing immortality in the worst way.
None of the other vampires, including London, had any knowledge of their activities.
EXCEPT FOR CAMERON LEIGH. Parker admitted that he found out that Cameron Leigh had grown suspicious and had started an investigation. She had obtained information on Kennedy Pinehurst and Destiny Moon. Those were the files found tucked in her vampire books.
Parker was afraid that she would go to the police.
So he decided to kill her.
That’s why he told the Montreal woman, Suzanne Wheeler, to leave Cameron Leigh’s file out.
Then he killed her, exactly as planned.
He pounded a stake through her heart to make it look like the slayers did it. That way London and the other vampires would never suspect him.
PARKER ADMITTED that he knew that Jake VanDeventer, Tripp and Matthew Abbott were after him and Forrest Jones. So he used Rave as bait.
To lure them in so he could kill them.
He made everyone on the vampire side of the equation—including London and Rave—believe that they were slayers, out to get all the vampires, when in fact they only wanted him and Forrest.
Parker’s plan worked well, relatively speaking.
Rave ended up shooting Matthew Abbott in the face.
Rave ended up sticking a knife through Tripp’s eye and into his brain.
Unfortunately for Parker, he lost Forrest Jones in the process, when Rave shot him in the face by accident on Rooney Road.
Over time, Rave became more than bait.
Parker fell in love with her.
That’s why he admitted everything, in the end, so she would understand and, hopefully, stay with him.
He was wrong.
She wouldn’t.
She told him that in no uncertain terms.
And Parker left.
TEFFINGER FINISHED WHAT WAS LEFT in the beer can, then fetched another from the fridge, and brought London a fresh glass of wine. Jena Vellone was safe. Geneva Vellone was safe. The murders of Cameron Leigh, Kennedy Pinehurst and Destiny Moon were solved. It was now clear that Teffinger had been improperly accused as being implicated by the media in the disappearances of Jena Vellone and Geneva Vellone. Alley would move back with Jena if she wanted him; otherwise, Alley could stay here. Teffinger felt like a human being for the first time in a long time.
Lightning ripped across the sky.
Beautiful.
“The storm’s getting worse,” London said. A pause, then, “Have you made up your mind yet, about us?”
Teffinger nodded.
“The things you did, I can understand,” he said. “I can appreciate why you helped bury the skinhead—actually, make that Matthew Abbott—in the desert. And helped get Tripp into Parker’s car, to be dumped. Legally, of course, those things could be big trouble, if anyone ever found out. But I’m not telling. The only important thing to me is that you told me what you knew as soon as you knew it. That led to us saving Jena and Geneva. That trumps everything.”
London exhaled.
And clinked her glass against his.
“What about Rave?” she asked.
“She did a lot of stuff,” he said. “She shot Matthew Abbott, but justifiably believed he was there to kill her, so that’s self- defense. She shot Forrest Jones in the face, but again, that was by accident. She was trying to save him. Then she stabbed Tripp in the eye, but only because she was justifiably trying to save Parker from a violent attack in her own home. If I was in her shoes, I would have done exactly the same thing—not to mention that I promised you that I wouldn’t use what you told me against either you or her. The poor thing’s been through enough. As far as I’m concerned, I hope she turns out to be the biggest singer the world’s ever seen.”
London leaned over and kissed him.
“I’m done with all the vampire stuff,” she said.
Teffinger chuckled.
“So you’re giving up on being immortal?”
“I just want to be mortal, with you,” she said.
Teffinger kissed her.
“Fine by me,” he said.
THE END
Copyright (c) R.J. Jagger
All rights reserved
R.J. Jagger is the author of over 20 thrillers and is also a long-standing member of the International Thriller Writers. He has two series, one featuring Denver homicide detective Nick Teffinger, set in modern times; and a noir series featuring private investigator Bryson Wilde, set in 1952. His books can be read in any order. For complete information on the author and his ebooks, hardcovers, paperbacks and audio books, as well as upcoming titles, news and events, please visit him at:
Rjjagger.blogspot.com
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