Cursed fs-1

by S. J. Harper

  “You saw a client looking like this?”

  “It was an emergency.” She pulls me inside. “There’s some political unrest in the vampire community, trouble brewing. Vampire-on-vampire hate crimes are on the rise and . . . Never mind about that.” She thumps her chest. “What am I going to do?”

  “Well, if Evan saw you looking like this before he left for work this morning, you might not have anything to worry about now.”

  She runs her fingers through her hair. “I didn’t sleep a wink.”

  I find myself looking around the loft. “So, this is Evan’s place. How about a tour?”

  She waves a hand. “Living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms upstairs. Should we talk in the living room or maybe in the kitchen? I have lunch.”

  I’ve never seen her so upset. I reach out and attempt to smooth down her hair. “How about we start with lunch? If I know you, you probably skipped breakfast.”

  She leads me through a designer’s showcase of a place. Comfortable but sterile. Living room painted all white with overstuffed sofa and large media unit, dining room with whitewashed fireplace and a modern glass table, kitchen the Top Chef would feel at home in. Only here and there do I see touches that can only be Liz’s—a funky black-and-white rug under the coffee table in the living room, a crystal vase on the fireplace mantel that catches the sunlight streaming in from terrace doors and reflects a rainbow of color on the wall behind it, a pot of herbs on the granite kitchen counters.

  I barely have time to take it all in before Liz is pushing a plate into my hand. “Help yourself. We’ll sit on the terrace. I could use some fresh air.”

  She’s set up a salad bar on the counter separating the kitchen from the living room. I pile my plate with greens, spinach, artichoke hearts, olives, red pepper, sliced tomato. She has a tiny plate of shredded chicken breast. I know it’s for me. Liz is vegan. I dump it on top of the other stuff. The only dressing I see is some kind of raspberry vinaigrette.

  Vinaigrette? Liz knows me better.

  “Where’s the good stuff?” I ask, holding up the offending bottle.

  She lets out an exaggerated sigh that telegraphs the level of her impatience, tromps to the fridge, and pulls out a bottle of ranch dressing. “Sorry. I meant to put it out.”

  Much better. It’s my favorite. I get it at a local farmers’ market. I try to be subtle as I check the expiration date.

  I’m not subtle enough.

  “It’s still good,” Liz huffs. “I bought it for you the last time you ate at my place.”

  I shake the bottle. “How’d it end up here?”

  “I brought the perishables from my fridge so they wouldn’t spoil. They had to unplug and move it to paint. Jeez. Has it only been a couple of days?”

  My salad is ready. I pick up a napkin and fork. “Aren’t you eating?”

  “I can’t. I’m too upset.”

  She’s across the floor and out the terrace doors before I draw another breath.

  I settle into a wrought-iron chair at the glass table facing Liz. I resist the urge to scold her for not eating. What she needs me to do now is listen. I’ll have to remember to scold her before I leave. “I don’t understand why this has you so spooked,” I say between bites. “It’s not as though you and Evan just met. And you like him, don’t you?”

  “Of course I like him,” Liz snaps. “That’s the trouble. We have fun. We understand each other. He lets me have my space and I let him have his. But there are complications, if you know what I mean.”

  “Of course I do. Evan is a vampire. There are naturally some things you’ll never be able to share.” For thousands of years vampires have lived among, but separate from, humans. Now that’s changing. The boundaries are blurring, with more and more vampires like Evan blending in, holding down jobs, buying homes, and participating in all aspects of society. I make a point of looking around the spacious condo. “But he’s mainstreamed pretty well, I’d say.”

  “He has. Evan’s not the problem.”

  “So who is?” I ask.

  “I am.” She leans toward me, hands clasped on the table. “He really wants to take our relationship to the next level. These last few days have been great. And he sees that as a sign we should make this living arrangement permanent.”

  “And you don’t?”

  Her hands unclasp and fly upward. “I don’t know. What if I move in and it doesn’t work out? I don’t want to lose Evan.”

  “So keep your place.”

  Now her hands flutter like hummingbirds’ wings. I reach over and grab them. “Have you talked with Evan about how you feel?”

  She shakes her head, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears. “I’m afraid.”

  “Of Evan?”

  She gasps. “Goddess, no, not afraid like that.”

  “Then what?”

  “I’m afraid if I don’t agree to move in, he’ll end our relationship.”

  I sit back and look at my friend. “I wish I could tell you what to do,” I say at last. “But you need to talk to Evan. From what you’ve told me about him, he’s a pretty levelheaded guy. If he respects you, he’ll respect your feelings.”

  Liz’s smile is rueful. “I just wish I knew what those feelings were.”

  “Well, the way I see it, you’ve got until your apartment is painted, a week, to decide. In the meantime, enjoy roughing it in this überluxurious condo with a man who obviously adores you. I’m sure it will be tough, but you’ll muddle through.”

  Liz laughs. A real laugh. “Hurry up and eat. I want you to help me pick out a cocktail dress for a benefit Evan and I are attending tomorrow night at the Hotel Del.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Yeah. Real tough.”

  While I eat, Liz asks me questions about work in general, my new partner in particular. I answer in nonspecific, noncommittal terms.

  When I’ve finished eating, I ask in what I hope is an offhand way, “Does my dampening spell need a boost, you think?”

  Liz jumps on what I’d hoped was an innocent enough query with the intensity of a witch who smells a trick question. “Why? What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. I just wanted to be sure I’m not giving anything away.”

  “Because of what happened with my client in the parking lot?”

  Why not? I nod.

  She tilts her head and peers at me through narrowed eyes. “Nope,” she says at last. “Spell’s holding just fine.”

  “So nothing’s leaking through. The glamour and dampening spells are both solid, safe?”

  “Safe as houses.”

  Shit. That’s what I was afraid she was going to say. Zack got a zap of my powers in the kitchen, all right, but what’s going on now is something else entirely.

  CHAPTER 10

  At one forty-five I leave Liz in a much better mood than I found her in. We didn’t resolve her dilemma with Evan, but she seems calmer and ready to look at the situation through less hysterical eyes. And we picked the red Badgley Mischka for her date with Evan tomorrow night.

  It’s a short drive from Evan’s to Balboa Park. I take an outside table in the Tea Pavilion after ordering the Spicy Green Dragon Chai from the menu. I sip it while I wait for Dexter, and consider whether I should go back inside and order a curry rice bowl with beef. I love Liz, but salad just isn’t my idea of lunch.

  Before I make a decision, I spy Dexter coming toward me with the determined look of a man intent on unburdening himself. He doesn’t stop at the Pavilion to pick up anything to eat or drink. Instead he comes directly over and slumps into the chair across from me. He is out of breath, even paler than yesterday, and I’m alarmed at the haunted look in his eyes.

  “Can I get you something to drink? To eat?” I ask.

  He shakes his head, passing a hand over his face. “No. Thanks. The walk over here took more out of me than I expected. I’ll be fine. Just let me catch my breath.”

  It takes a few minutes for Michael’s breathing to return to normal, for some c
olor to come back into his face. Still, his eyes are troubled when they meet mine. It’s more now than physical illness that’s clouding them. He reminds me of the way Liz looked when I first saw her, anxious, uncomfortable, uneasy in his own skin.

  I take a few sips of tea while I wait. Then I gently prod him to begin. “Whatever you need to tell me, it’s not going to shock me. I’ve heard it all before, Michael.”

  He closes his eyes for a moment, exhales. “I doubt you’ve heard this before,” he mumbles.

  “Want to try me?”

  He breathes in, slowly, deeply, like a man about to plunge underwater. Then he lets go. His words come out in a pent-up rush.

  “Isabella is a vampire. I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. She was bitten her first week of grad school—taken by force when she wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time. She was gone two weeks. She called me once right after it happened to tell me some bullshit story about having met some old friends from her undergrad days. She didn’t want me to worry, but she was going to go on a trip with them and would be gone for a little while. That’s the only time I heard from her until she came back home. I knew something was wrong the minute I saw her. I kept after her until she told me the truth.”

  He gets all the words out without drawing a breath. Then he stops abruptly. He’s waiting for me to react. He expects me to be shocked; I read it on his face. After a moment, he points out the obvious. “I just told you Isabella is a vampire. You aren’t calling me crazy. Why?”

  I stall by pouring another cup of tea, swirling my spoon around in the cup, taking a sip. Gathering my thoughts. How should I answer Dexter?

  I, too, know vampires exist. Their existence, like that of other supernatural creatures, is a well-guarded secret. One I wouldn’t normally betray. But this cat is out of the proverbial bag. More important, I now have another angle to explore, one that might lead us to finding Isabella.

  I push at my cup, edging it away, deciding the only way to find out is to be blunt with Dexter. “So she was turned just a few months before her disappearance. Do you know if Isabella had sworn fealty to any of the vampire factions?”

  Dexter’s shoulders wilt with relief. “You believe me? You know vampires exist? You’re not trying to humor me?”

  “I’m not trying to humor you. Vampires are as real as you and me.”

  His hand flies up to cover his mouth, and his eyes fill with tears. “I can’t tell you what a relief this is.”

  I nod and give his hand a squeeze. He doesn’t have to tell me. I know what it’s like to have to hold a secret inside because you fear no one will understand or believe you.

  After a few seconds he pulls himself together and continues. “Isabella never let go of her humanity. As soon as she was strong enough, she abandoned her sire. He was a junkie who could barely take care of himself, never mind show Isabella the ropes. It took time, but she came to terms with what happened. She made up her mind that she was going to finish school and she’s been working toward that goal ever since.”

  “But she must feed to survive.”

  “She never feeds directly from people. She gets her supply from one of the Blood Emporiums. Or she did.” He peers at me. “You know about those, too?”

  I nod. Emporiums opened up a couple of decades ago, around the same time that Protectus was discovered—a drug that allows vampires to tolerate sunlight. It’s these two things that really sparked the mainstream movement. It started here in California and spread east, then into Europe and other parts of the world.

  Most Emporiums are located in the back of businesses catering to those who pursue alternative lifestyles, tattoo shops, and heavy metal clubs. For vampires they offer fresh blood from paid donors who, for the most part, have no idea where the blood ends up or who is paying for it. Would-be vampires and goths simply believe they are indulging in a fantasy. They never see the real vampires who come to buy their blood bags and the drugs that allow them to function during the day.

  Dexter continues. “She used a drug called Protectus to be able to walk in daylight. She went back to school, held down a part-time job, lived like everyone else. Even our friends didn’t know.”

  “So she mainstreamed.”

  “Totally. And as far as I know, she never had contact again with the vamp who sired her. Or any other vamp, for that matter.”

  “Can you tell me the address of the Blood Emporium she frequented?”

  “It’s somewhere downtown in the Gaslamp District.” He leans toward me. “Do you think the vampire connection is important?”

  “Truthfully, I’m not sure. But I’m glad you told me. It’s one more lead to pursue.” I read his next question in the shadow of anxiety in his expression. “Nothing we spoke of today will ever be part of the official record. It can’t be.”

  Dexter closes his eyes for an instant, settling back in his chair. When he opens them again, the darkness is gone. “You have no idea how tied up in knots I’ve been about this. I love Isabella. But I just knew if I told the police what I told you, they’d ship me to Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.” As quickly as the optimism has appeared, it’s swallowed up by a grim frown. “Then again, if I had told them, maybe Isabella would be home instead of God knows where.”

  “Don’t do that to yourself. You were right when you said how the police would have reacted.” That, of course, is true. But what I say next sounds like cold comfort, even to my own ears. “Don’t give up hope. We’re not.”

  Dexter reaches into his pocket, pulls out a piece of paper, opens it, and slides it across the table toward me.

  “What’s this?” I ask.

  “A receipt from the Blood Emporium. Isabella always paid cash. I found this in her room. She went there on the day she disappeared, then came home afterward. Someone there might have been the last person to see Isabella before she disappeared. Maybe she said something. Maybe someone at the Emporium saw something.”

  I glance at the date on the slip, refold it, and slip it into my handbag. “Thanks for this.”

  “You’ll look into it?” he asks.

  “I’ll look into it,” I assure him.

  Yet Dexter still looks uncertain. “I feel horrible. Before now, I didn’t know who to go to. Do you think this is too little too late?”

  “No. Every detail is important.” I push my chair away from the table and stand up. “Thank you for trusting me. I promise to be in touch.”

  He takes my outstretched hand but doesn’t get up with me. I glance back once on the way to the exit. He’s staring down at the table, as still and inanimate as one of his statues.

  CHAPTER 11

  It’s not easy to put that last image of Dexter out of my mind as I drive to the office. It would be a miracle if we found Isabella after two months. Was it possible she didn’t want to be found? Dexter seemed convinced she was taken. But maybe she’d merely decided living a double life was too hard and left to find sanctuary with her own kind. If that’s the case, we’ll never find her.

  What I do find when I approach my cubicle is a note on my desk from Zack. I’m in the conference room. I stop just long enough to text Liz before trekking off to find him. I ask her to see if Evan knows anything about the Blood Emporium in the Gaslamp District.

  Zack has taken over the conference room we usually use for staff meetings and potlucks. The long table is now scattered with the folders stacked in neat little piles. The whiteboard is covered with notes, some handwritten directly on it in blue or red pen, others on Post-its of various colors. Zack is sitting at the far end, hand suspended in midair as if he’s forgotten the cup held halfway to his mouth. He’s staring at the notes. I take a moment to observe him.

  “Waiting for an invitation? Come and join the party.”

  Note to self: it’s hard to spy on a werewolf.

  He puts his cup down. “The coffee’s fresh.”

  I shake my head. “I think I met my caffeine quota before lunch today.” I look over a
t the board. “Anything?”

  “No.” The one word is spit out in disappointment and irritation. “And my research into Barakov’s first wife went nowhere, either.”

  “Well, the board looks lovely. Very . . . colorful.”

  He gives me the fish-eye. “Where have you been all afternoon? Fending off attacks from the Nordstrom perfume girl?”

  I ignore the gibe and close the door to the conference room.

  Zack immediately perks up. “You’ve got something worth closing the door for? What?”

  I sit down beside him. “I had a meeting with Michael Dexter.”

  “How did that happen?”

  “He called me right after you and I hung up this morning. He asked if I could meet him.” Now comes the tricky part, how to address the matter of Isabella’s nature. I need to convey to Zack my knowledge of the supernatural world, without intimating that I’m part of it. I’d like to be able to do it without him feeling threatened, exposed. But after thinking it through, I don’t think I can. This could be an important new lead, and whatever his reaction, I’ll come up with a way to deal with it.

  I draw a sharp breath. “There’s something about Isabella that he wanted to tell me. Something that wasn’t in the official police report.”

  I have his complete attention. “Oh?”

  “She’s a vampire, Zack.” Before he can sputter that vampires don’t exist and I must have had too much wine with lunch, I cut him off. “Don’t waste time pretending to be shocked or telling me that I’m crazy. This isn’t going to end up in any report. It won’t leave the room. But we both know vampires are as real as . . . well, werewolves.”

  Both eyebrows shoot up, but he recovers quickly. He reaches out and places a hand on my forehead. “Are you running a fever?”

  I push it away, then lower my voice and lean in close. “I won’t expose you, promise. But I know what you are. I’ve known it from the beginning. From the instant we met.”