Dhampir Secrets

by Lewis, Shirlee

  “Oh,” was all I said.

  That sickening feeling was coming back in my stomach. I slid down in the tub, rested my head against the back, and closed my eyes.

  Little did we know Charlotte was headed to Oregon?

  Mr. Pierce and Megan walked into the station following Detective Sean into an interrogation room. “Would you like anything to drink?” he asked, before closing the door.

  “No thank you, Detective,” Mr. Pierce answered for himself and Megan.

  Detective Sean excused himself to retrieve the report Annette Burke had written. It wasn’t solid evidence, but he was hoping it would persuade Megan to confess to the arson’s. In the interrogation room, Detective Sean sat across from Megan laying the paper face down on the table in front of them. Megan looked at the paper then at the wall.

  “Megan, do you know why you’re here?” Detective Sean asked.

  Megan glanced at him then back to the wall. “Yes,” she said, after a minute. “It isn’t mine.”

  “What isn’t yours?” Detective Sean asked.

  “The cooler, it belongs to Max. He asked me to hide it for him, because the hideout is in the bushes. He told me not to use any of the drugs, but I can’t help it. I’m hooked.”

  “Is there anything else you need to tell us?”

  “Nope, that’s it.” Megan sighed and wiggled herself down in the seat.

  “Sit up straight, young lady,” Mr. Pierce scolded her.

  Megan straightened back up in the chair. “I need the bathroom.”

  “You can go in a minute,” Detective Sean said, picking up the paper in front of him. “Where were you on the evening of July 5th?”

  “I was at home with my dad. He was watching TV in the living room. I was in my bedroom listening to music on my CD player.

  “Mr. Pierce, was she at home with you?” Detective Sean asked.

  “I guess so. She went to her room after she finished the supper dishes. I watched a little TV. Guess I fell asleep. I woke with the TV program off the air.”

  “Megan, do you happen to know anything about the fire the other day?”

  “Now wait a minute, Megan didn’t start no fire. She’s not capable of doing any harm like that,” Mr. Pierce said.

  Megan looked pleased with her father’s answer. Detective Sean watched Megan’s expression from his peripheral vision.

  “What if I told you we have an eyewitness that saw Megan coming from behind Ms. Cartwright’s home and running down the street?” Detective Sean stated as he watched Megan’s reaction.

  “I’d say there is no such thing. Megan was…” Mr. Pierce stopped talking. “Where were you?” he asked, looking at Megan.

  Megan looked at her father and then at Detective Sean. “I was visiting Surina. Remember, Dad?”

  “Surina? Who is Surina?” Mr. Pierce asked.

  “She’s the new kid in town. Remember, I was going to visit her and help her unpack. She’s the one I told you I met at school.”

  “All you said was ‘a new kid’ and turned up your nose,” Mr. Pierce said. “I don’t remember you saying anything about visiting anyone.”

  “I did, Dad! I said it when I was heading out the door. Sometimes I think you need your hearing checked,” Megan said in a smart aleck way.

  “I don’t need my hearing checked,” Mr. Pierce said angrily at Megan.

  “Settle down. We aren’t here to argue or fight. I just wanted to know where she was when the fire started. Nothing more,” Detective Sean said calmly. “Does Surina have a last name?”

  “Graham, I think. She lives over on Elm. It’s the blue house down from the house that burned,” Megan said, firmly. “I can show you where she lives, if you want.”

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  “I gotta use the bathroom,” Megan said, squirming in the chair.

  Detective Sean opened the door and called, “Kylee, could you please come here?”

  Kylee walked up to them. “What do you need?”

  “Would you escort Ms. Pierce to the restroom please?”

  “Sure.”

  When Megan was out of the room Detective Sean proceeded to inform Mr. Pierce of an anonymous phone call about Megan seen leaving the scene of the fire. He also showed him the statement of Annette Burke.

  “I don’t know what to say, Detective. Are you sure it’s Megan?”

  “That’s why I came to your house earlier. I wanted to ask her if she knew anything, but she ran off into the trees.”

  “I suppose she thought it was about the drugs,” Mr. Pierce said.

  The door opened, and Megan walked back in the room. She plopped herself down in the chair. “Can we go? I’m hungry.”

  “Why did you run when Detective Sean came to the house?” her father asked.

  “I ran because I thought Max told about the drugs. I didn’t want anybody taking them away. I like them,” she giggled.

  “Well, you won’t be getting any more drugs. I’m grounding you!” Mr. Pierce said angrily, “You won’t be stepping even one foot outside for a very long time,” looking at Detective Sean. “Is there anything else?”

  “If there is, I’ll give you a call. You’re free to go.”

  Mr. Pierce and Megan left the station.

  We drove to MaryAnn’s new house to see how it was coming along. The walls were done and the roof in place. Several men swarmed the house like bees and we knew it wouldn’t be long before MaryAnn could move in.

  Tony stopped by Grove’s Self Storage to rent a storage shed and then drove to the bowling alley to see if MaryAnn was ready for the trip to Portland.

  Pulling up to the furniture gallery, Tony told MaryAnn to pick out everything she needed. He asked the clerk permission to sit in a recliner while MaryAnn and I shopped.

  “Jess, this is expensive. Tony isn’t going to want me to get something that costs so much.”

  “MaryAnn, Tony wants you to have the best. You already know he isn’t going to take “no” for an answer.”

  We shopped for two hours. MaryAnn felt she had everything for her home, and worried she had picked out too much, but I reassured she didn’t.

  Tony had arranged for the household items to be picked up and delivered to the storage shed.

  At the register, he arranged for MaryAnn’s furniture to be delivered today. As the transformation was taking place, Tony took us to the Steak and Grog. He wanted the delivery trucks to have plenty of time to unload in Mayville.

  On the way home, we passed the delivery trucks heading back to Portland. MaryAnn thanked Tony the entire ride back to Mayville.

  We pulled up in front of Tony’s house and walked to the door with MaryAnn.

  “Would you like to come in? I’ll put on some coffee,” MaryAnn asked.

  “I’d love some, thanks.”

  Tony and I looked at each other and smiled as MaryAnn was unlocking the door. She turned to us and asked to excuse her mess. Then she noticed her mother coming from our house.

  “What’s mother doing coming from your house?” she asked.

  “We paid her to clean while we shopped. She must be done,” I said.

  MaryAnn opened the door, turned on the light and her mouth dropped to the floor. She was stunned, with tears forming in her eyes.

  “You’re welcome, MaryAnn. Thought you’d like to enjoy your furniture now instead of waiting,” Tony said.

  She turned to Tony and almost strangled him giving him the biggest hug. Then she hugged me. “Ouch!” I exclaimed, as she released me.

  “I just don’t know what to say? Thanks!” she finally got out.

  Her mother came up behind us and said, “Surprise, honey. Thanks Tony and Jessica, it’s lovely.”

  “We need to get home. I’ll come by tomorrow for that cup of coffee,” I said.

  Tony and I took the car home and glanced back at his house. “You made her so happy,” I commented.

  “She deserved it,” was all Tony said.

  In a month, MaryA
nn would be able to move into her new house.

  Tony took off to the garage; I went to the gazebo. The moon was bright tonight. The air, cool with a hint of rain on the horizon. I shivered for no apparent reason. Something didn’t feel right, almost an eerie feeling, something bad was headed our way. Looking around the yard I noticed the trees lining the back behind my fence swayed and the chills overwhelmed me. A storm brewing and this was the calm. I looked away.

  Turning back to the house, I watched Tony stock the refrigerator with bags of blood to keep trips at a minimum to the garage.

  “Jess, are you out here?” he asked from the back door.

  “Yes.”

  Tony walked over to the gazebo, wrapped his arms around me. “You okay Jess?”

  “I’m fine,” I said and another eerie feeling came over me.

  “You’re cold. Let’s go inside.” Tony persuaded.

  Tony and I walked to the house.

  “Something doesn’t feel right,” I whispered.

  “What Jess?” He asked as we walked inside.

  “I don’t know? Just a strange feeling that something’s not right?”

  We walked to the bedroom. Tony turned me around to face him, put his hand under my chin and raised my head to look directly into my eyes. “Sweetie what is it?” Tony asked.

  “I really don’t know, I just have a strange feeling. Maybe it’s just been too much shopping for one day and I need a good night’s sleep.” I reassured him.

  Tony kissed me long and hard. “I think you’re right. Get some rest. Tomorrow’s another day.” Tony turned me towards the bed, gave me a pat on my bottom and said, “Goodnight,” and went to his recliner to watch some television.

  I went to bed hoping this feeling would be gone in the morning.

  I laid in bed tossing around in my head Tony’s desire for me to quit work. Spend forever with him. Not hard to answer that one. I almost told myself to do it, but I didn’t want to leave the patients and loved working with my co-workers. I weighed the options… Tony, Work… Tony, Work. There wasn’t really a question. Tony was my life, but right now I needed my work. Eventually, I’d quit, but for now Tony would have to come to terms with my decision to stay at work. He was going to have to stop continually asking me the same question every day ‘when would I quit?’ and hearing the same answer…. ‘Soon.’

  In the morning I woke refreshed and resolving the fact that Tony would have to deal with my decision. The eerie feeling subsided and the further I drove away from the house the more at ease I became. What was going on? Why couldn’t I understand or explain the way I felt? I knew it wasn’t Tony. That I had resolved to myself last night, alright I still had to tell him. No it was something different, something I couldn’t explain. But what?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Megan was so mad at the world. She missed her Max and wanted him with her. Her anger was beyond control, her drugs were gone and so was her Max. Mad at the people who were responsible for putting him behind bars. Tonight, another house would burn.

  Mr. Pierce went to bed around two in the morning. Before retiring he checked on Megan to make sure she was in bed. Hearing the door handle, she closed her eyes, waiting for dad to close the door. When the door close, she hopped out of bed fully clothed, opened her window and left.

  Making her way to Kentucky Avenue slipping through dark alleys, she arrived at the house. Placing the stocking mask over her face, she went into the garage. A gas can was sitting by the door which led into the backyard. Megan smiled. Taking the can, she emptied the gasoline around the entire house, making sure she wasn’t seen. Then taking Max’s Zippo lighter from her pocket, she watched with wide eyes, focused, as she ignited it and the flame grew. Smiling, she threw the lighter into the gas.

  In an instant, the flame covered the bottom of the house. Megan’s excitement grew as the flames grew higher and higher. Instead of running to the front of the house, she made her way to the alley in the back, hopping a chain-link fence on the other side.

  As her feet landed on the soft grass, she heard growling behind her. Crap! A dog. She turned to see a Border collie looking at her, showing its teeth and then the dog started barking. Trying to shut the dog, without success, Megan heard a door open and watched as the owner came out of the house.

  He noticed the fire and hurried back inside to call the police.

  Megan was trapped in the backyard with nowhere to go. Surely the man would return to watch the fire being put out. Looking for a place to hide, she saw a tree a little further down the yard, near the backdoor. But she’d be seen for sure. Megan changed her mind; instead she would jump the fence and escape down the alley. Okay, if a dog doesn’t bark, I’ll hide in another yard. At least until the coast is clear.

  Megan put both hands on the fence, turning her back on the dog slowly lifting herself to clear the fence when the dog leapt, grabbing her by the back of her leg and pants. The dog pulled. “Aarrrrh!” She screamed, kicking her leg. The owner of the dog came out and called the dog to him. The dog let go of her pant leg. Please don’t see me. Megan cleared the fence limping away until she found a yard to hide in.

  Blood was running down her leg and into her shoe. The dog had bitten her on her calf and tore her pants which were now soaked with blood. She hadn’t counted on a dog. She sat in a yard until she felt she could make it home without being seen.

  Deciding everyone was busy watching the fire, she made her way back to her house. Climbing up to the window took a lot of effort. Megan’s leg was extremely painful. Holding her breath she jumped for the ledge, pulling herself in the window and landing head first on the floor. “Crap!” she whispered. Afraid the sound had woken her father, she stayed on the floor. Deciding the coast was clear, she got herself upright and took the mask off her face. Standing in the middle of the room, arms folded looking angry as hell, was her father.

  “Megan Pierce! What do you think you’re doing?” He yelled in rage.

  “I was…I was getting some fresh air. I’ve been in the house for weeks, and I’m tired of my room.”

  “I don’t care what you’re tired of, young lady. Get to bed and stay there.” Mr. Pierce yelled as he turned and slammed the door shut.

  Megan climbed in the bed. Pulling the blankets over her mouth, she giggled, proud for burning another house and getting away with it.

  Later that morning, Megan’s father nailed her windows shut. There would be no leaving in the middle of the night again.

  The morning news showed a house burnt to the ground. Annette Burke stood outside the house as fire fighters were shuffling through the rubble. The chief of the fire department walked up to Annette.

  “On the scene is Chief Mark Jacobs. Can you tell us how the fire started?” Annette asked. The cameraman panned the camera to the chief.

  “The fire was started with gas. We found a gas can in the backyard. We also found a body in the rubble. We don’t know who it is yet.”

  The cameraman panned the camera back to Annette. “As we get the details, we’ll bring them to you. Back to you Bob.”

  I sat on the sofa in shock. Another house burned along with the occupant. Tony came from the kitchen with my coffee.

  “What’s the matter sweetie,” he asked looking at the television, and then back to me.

  “Another house burned last night along with the occupant.”

  “Did you recognize the house?” he asked handing me my coffee.

  “It looked to be the house across the street from Sharon’s, but it’s hard to tell.”

  Charlotte spent weeks planning how she was going to get to Jessica. Her fascination with the scent she left behind consumed her every thought. Embedded in Charlotte’s mind was a picture of Jessica from the description William had provided, an exact image of her mother. Charlotte missed her mother deeply. Jessica looked like her mother and she wanted to be with her mother forever. Charlotte packed a wedding dress she had pictured her mother wearing. The picture in her memory of her mother
and father on their wedding day hung in her mind as if it was yesterday. She smiled. Tonight Charlotte was going hunting.

  “I’m going hunting,” Charlotte told William.

  “I’ll go with you,” William offered.

  “No, you’ve already been. I won’t be long. I just need to get out for a bit.”

  Charlotte opened the window. Crouching on the window ledge, she took in a deep breath smelling the countryside then looked back at William. He was busy closing the lid to the coffin. She turned back and flung herself off the ledge.

  With her notions planned, Charlotte had packed the wedding dress weeks ahead of her departure, hiding the bag at the end of the property. Retrieving the bag she tied it to her back and headed west. Making her way to the nearest pub, she slipped into the restroom, unnoticed, to prepare for the civilized world. Opening her bag, taking out a blonde wig and makeup, she readied herself for the flight. Looking in the mirror she whispered, “Perfect, no one will notice.” At the airport she made her way to the ticket counter, and watched to see if she would be notice. No one stared. Perfect. With her ticket in hand, she waited patiently in line to board her flight. In thirty minutes, she would be heading to the United States.

  Her flight landed in New York City as scheduled. She didn’t have a long wait for her departure to Portland. In five hours she would be closer to Jessica.

  Landing in Portland, she rented a car to Mayville. Stopping at Miller’s Diner, she went inside and asked a waitress, “I’m an old friend of Jessica and Tony’s. Could you be a dear and give me directions to their house?”

  The waitress on duty gave her directions to Tony and Jess’s home. Instead of driving to the house, she drove back to Portland to get rid of the car. Removing the wig, she placed it in the bag and headed on foot back to Mayville. Arriving at the house she waited outside by the front window and listened. Soon the phone rang. Jessica came down the hall and into the kitchen. Charlotte smiled wide. She had found her. Making her way to the backyard, she went to the tree line to wait.