Deception (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 3)

by S. M. Spencer

  I followed Sam back out onto the front porch where the agent was waiting for us, his hand extended to take mine.

  ‘Mrs Todd, congratulations on purchasing this fine home. I hope you’ll be very happy here,’ he said, shaking my hand warmly.

  And I bet you’ll be very happy with your commission that you’ve earned without having to do much work I thought to myself, but not in a resentful way. After all, this man had helped make my dream come true. We were finally going to have a home.

  ~~***~~

  Debs wasn’t in yet when I got back to the apartment. Exhausted from the busy day, I put on my pyjamas thinking I’d have an early night, but before I went to bed I decided to send emails to Mom and Claire, telling them about the house and attaching a link so they could see the listing. Within a few minutes, my phone rang.

  ‘Wow!’ said Claire, her voice high and excited.

  ‘It’s nice, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yeah, I love it! But it’s massive; which I suppose is a good thing, of course. You’ll have plenty of room for me to stay whenever I need a place to crash in the city,’ she laughed.

  ‘Of course, any time. But, you know Tom will end up living with us again?’

  ‘I’m sure he will. He won’t want to stay in that house with that weird girl—what was her name? That friend of Crystal’s? I mean, he’d be mad not to move in with you.’

  ‘Angelica. Yeah, you’re right. He doesn’t like her much. He’ll be rapt when he finds out about the house.’

  ‘Too right he will. And you never know, maybe that new girlfriend won’t last. I mean, you said yourself they didn’t seem to have a lot in common.’

  ‘Did I? Yeah, well, who knows? So, how’s the job going?’ I asked to change the subject.

  ‘Uh, no better than it was on Tuesday, but thanks for asking, again,’ she laughed.

  ‘Hmm, so, what else is new?’

  ‘Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I need to find a new party partner—someone to go clubbing with me, now that you’re an old married lady with a massive house to clean.’

  ‘Yeah, sorry about that.’

  ‘No you’re not. You’re over the moon. And why wouldn’t you be? You got to marry that handsome man of yours … you don’t have to work at some stupid job just to make your Mum happy … you’re about to move into a beautiful home … what’s to be sorry about?’

  ‘Well, I guess I’m just sorry that I seem to have gotten everything you wanted.’

  ‘You did. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have it too! You just wait—I won’t be far behind you. The past four years have been a royal pain in the backside, but guess what? I’m dedicated to the cause once again. And who knows, maybe I’ll win Tom back from this new girlfriend of his, eh? Oh, and something just occurred to me; you might just be the perfect party partner. You’re married, so you’re no competition.’

  ‘Yeah? Well, I don’t know.’

  ‘I’m just kidding. I won’t drag you out to the nightclubs with me—at least not unless I’m desperate. Steph and Holly are both single still—they took me to a great place last weekend. And this other friend who I don’t think you’ve met, Sara, she was telling me about this place she hangs out that has live bands. So I don’t think I’ll need to drag you out—not often anyway,’ she giggled.

  That was a relief. Images of previous times I’d been to nightclubs with Claire raced through my mind, and didn’t exactly make me in a hurry to try it again. But I knew I’d give in anyway—if she was stuck for someone to go with.

  When I got off the phone, I printed out a couple of the photos of the house so I could send them to Ceylona with my next letter. She would no doubt be excited to learn she would have her own room when she arrived at Christmas. Then, even though it still wasn’t all that late, I took myself off to bed so I could snuggle under the covers and dream of how wonderful it was going to be in our new home.

  I must have dropped off quickly, as I was sound asleep when my phone woke me.

  ‘Hello?’ I said sleepily as I fumbled with the phone.

  ‘Lili—I’m sorry if I woke you. I just wanted ... I needed to make sure you were home and safe.’

  ~ Chapter Nineteen ~

  ‘Safe? Sure, Sam … I’m safe,’ I said, wide awake now. ‘What’s the matter?’

  ‘It’s frantic out here tonight. We’ve caught several vampires already, and they’re all absolute raving lunatics. They just laugh hysterically when we try to question them. They’ve killed at least six people—six that we’ve found anyway.’

  ‘Is everyone alright? Tom … Crystal?’

  ‘Yeah, we’re all fine. Michael and Tom did most of the hard work. Crystal is still training Angelica, but even she helped too. Everyone’s fine.’

  ‘And you? You’re okay?’

  ‘Yeah, of course—I’m just frustrated that we haven’t been able to stop them. You know, the funny thing is, even Michael and Crystal can’t see these bastards until it’s too late to save their human victims. It’s been a real mess. That’s why I called—I wanted to be sure you were safe at home.’

  It was the first time I’d heard Sam swear. It sounded odd, coming from him. I knew he must be really upset.

  ‘Yeah—I mean, I was asleep. What time is it?’

  ‘Just after midnight. Look, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I’d better get back to Michael. I’m so glad you weren’t out somewhere.’

  ‘You’ll be careful, won’t you? Or is it over?’

  ‘Over? No, I don’t think it’s over. Nothing’s ever over … but for tonight, I hope we’ve done all we have to—we’re hoping that was the lot of them anyway.’

  ‘I don’t suppose you could come here, tonight?’

  ‘No, I’m afraid not. We’ll need to keep a close watch for any more of these creeps. But I’ll come see you in the morning.’

  ‘Okay. I’ll look for you then.’

  ‘Oh, and Lili, I’d rather you stayed out of the gardens for a while—until we’re sure there aren’t any more of them lingering.’

  After he hung up I tried to go back to sleep—tried to remember the look and feel of our wonderful new home. But the only images that would come to mind were of laughing vampires and bodies covered in blood.

  ~~***~~

  The sun wasn’t up yet when I was awoken by a text message coming through on my phone.

  ‘Sam, what’s happening …?’

  ‘I didn’t want to wake Debs by ringing the bell. Are you up? Do you want to let me in?’

  I tiptoed to the door, and pressed the buzzer to let him in, then stood with the door open until he appeared. He pulled me into his arms, and it felt like we’d gone back in time. He was the man I married again. My whole body quivered with his closeness—my sheer nightgown doing little to mask the feel of his hands on my back, then on my thighs as he picked me up and pulled me even closer.

  ‘I was so worried about you last night. It was such a mess. I don’t know why, but I thought you might be out there somewhere, with Claire. I thought I could lose you, and it made me remember how much you mean to me. I don’t ever want to lose you again.’

  ‘You’ll never lose me, Sam,’ I whispered, struggling to control the emotions welling up inside me.

  Then he kissed me, and the warmth of his kiss shot through my veins—it was electrifying and I didn’t want it to ever end. I felt myself clinging to him, pressing hard up against his firm body, wishing I could be part of him forever.

  When he eventually stepped back from me, I started to shiver. He led me back to my bedroom, and closed the door.

  ‘Here, you’re freezing,’ he said, picking up my robe from the end of the bed and putting it around my shoulders. The moment had passed. He was that distant man again—the one that had been walking around in the body of my husband.

  I sat on the edge of the bed, not sure what would happen next. But he continued to stand, pacing back and forth and looking unsettled.

  ‘I’ve never been frightened like tha
t before. I mean, I get keyed up—when there’s lots of activity. But something was different last night. I just had this … feeling … I can’t explain it. I think maybe it was their frantic laughter.’

  ‘It’s okay, Sam. You don’t have to explain. I’m just glad you’re okay, and that the worst seems to be behind us.’

  ‘Yes, well I hope it is behind us,’ he said, back to being almost businesslike in his manner.

  ‘You said there were six people killed … in the gardens? Is that why you want me staying out of there?’

  ‘They were across from the gardens actually—four in the market car park, and the other two a bit further into the markets,’ he answered, still pacing.

  ‘I suppose the police must have come? It would have been awful … what did they make of it?’ I asked, shaking my head as I pictured their bloodied bodies in my mind.

  ‘Michael and Crystal quickly set it up so it looked like a fight over drugs. Some of the victims were obviously drunk—that’s possibly what made them easy targets in the first place. And there were drugs in the pockets of a couple of them too. Michael pulled some of the drugs out, and made it look like a fight started over the drugs. A couple of the stupid kids even had knives, so it was easy for Michael to set up the scene. And their fingerprints were all over the knives.’

  ‘Well, I’ve seen how much good knives are against vampires,’ I said, remembering an incident after a movie, when a couple of kids with knives thought they could take on Tom.

  Sam stopped pacing, and stared at me for a minute, perhaps recalling the same incident I had. He just nodded—his frown deepening.

  ‘Luckily we got there before the vampires had drained too much blood from them, so although there was blood everywhere Michael was able to make it look like it just came from knife cuts.’

  ‘And I take it there weren’t any witnesses?’ I imagined people milling around the area—leaving pubs and hotels, that sort of thing.

  ‘There were a few, but I was able to clear their minds. They won’t be a problem.’

  ‘And the vampires?’

  ‘Michael and Crystal took care of them, as they always do. The police will find no sign of them—they never do.’

  ‘Of course not,’ I said, shaking my head. I’d never really asked questions about any of the vampires or their victims before. I wasn’t entirely sure why I was tonight, except that Sam seemed unusually bothered by it, so I needed to know more. ‘And … were any of the victims girls?’

  ‘Yeah, there was one female—she reminded me a little of you. A little too much of you, actually—I think that’s what got me so worried.’

  I looked into his eyes, and I could see pain in them. He really had been worried for me. My heart went out to him, but at the same time, it was wonderful to see just how much he cared.

  ‘I want you to stay out of the gardens … until we feel it’s safe again,’ he said, his voice serious yet still full of emotion. ‘We didn’t find any others after I rang you, so we’re hoping that was all of them, but somehow I doubt it was.’

  ‘Okay. I’ll run down here around Docklands for a few days.’

  ‘If you must. But really, I’d prefer if you weren’t out anywhere by yourself—just for a few days.’

  ‘You’re that worried?’

  ‘Yes. And so is Crystal. She agreed with me when I said I was coming to speak to you.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘I can’t stay, Lili. I just had to see you; to know you were safe. I’m going back out to find Michael now, but I’ll call you later.’

  ‘Sam, do you think … I mean … will there be new ghosts? The six that were killed, I wonder if they’ll be wandering around not knowing what happened to them.’

  ‘I’ll go see Elizabeth. I’ll explain what happened, and ask her to keep an eye out for them.’

  I stood up and went to him, putting my arms around his waist, wanting to feel his strength. But I could feel him stiffen, and he placed his hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me back from him.

  ‘I have to go. I’m sorry. I’ll call you tonight.’

  ~~***~~

  Tuesday morning Sam asked me to meet him at Elizabeth’s bench. He smiled when he saw me walking toward him, and stood to kiss my cheek when I got there.

  We sat and talked, and although it wasn’t quite like old times, it was close.

  ‘You’re safe to go running here again, if you want to, but of course I’d still rather you didn’t,’ he said, smiling at me.

  ‘Great. So … it’s all clear? You think you’ve got them all now?’

  ‘Yes. Michael and Tom found the rest of them Sunday morning—not long after I left you. Michael questioned the leader for two days, and believes there are no others.’

  ‘He got their leader? Fabulous. Then it should all be over now?’

  ‘Yes. Well, this time anyway. You know there will always be others, but hopefully things will settle down for a while at least.’

  ‘So, I gather it wasn’t Zunios, but did it have anything to do with him?’

  ‘Michael doesn’t think so. The guy was from America, so it’s highly unlikely he would have known Zunios. Of course, Zunios is a very old, very smart vampire. He could have connections in every direction. But Michael isn’t concerned. Not at this stage anyway.’

  ‘So … why were they all laughing and acting hysterical? And why weren’t you able to spot them the way you usually can?’

  ‘They were being drugged. This leader, Buck, he was a master at mind control, and involved in a lot of dark magic. He gave them these potions that masked their scent. That’s what he told them anyway. And it did mask their scent, but also made them more susceptible to his control. He didn’t want them talking, if they got caught.’

  ‘You said was … so I take it he’s been destroyed?’

  ‘Yes. Michael got rid of him early this morning.’

  ‘How did he get the information from him? I mean, how did he get him to talk … if he was such a master at mind control? It must have been very dangerous for Michael.’

  ‘Yes, it was dangerous. Buck was dangerous. But so is Michael. You’ve only ever seen the kind side of him. He’s not someone I’d ever want to cross swords with.’

  ‘Oh,’ I said, trying not to cringe.

  ‘Hey, don’t worry. Michael would never hurt a human. It’s me I was talking about, not you! I just need to make sure I never get on the wrong side of his anger.’

  We sat there for quite some time, and he was as close to his old self as I’d seen him since I’d returned to Melbourne. We chatted about the house, and the kids coming to visit at Christmas, and I even got him to laugh a little. Eventually he slid over and sat next to me, and put one arm around my shoulders and held my hand with his other. It was so wonderful, just sitting there, hearing his voice and being close to him. And when Elizabeth and Cassie approached, he didn’t even move away from me. Maybe he was getting better.

  ‘Hey, Sam, Lili,’ said Elizabeth as she and Cassie skipped toward us.

  ‘Hey yourself,’ Sam replied. He sounded so normal, so casual, so … Sam.

  ‘When do you move into the new house? I’m so excited,’ asked Elizabeth.

  ‘Yeah Sam, when will we move in to the house?’ I asked.

  He smiled, and squeezed my hand. ‘The agent could have the contracts ready for us to sign as early as today—then it’ll be sixty days. I’ll ring him a bit later if I don’t hear from him.’

  ‘Oh, I can’t wait. Cassie says she’ll teach me how to slide down the banister. And we’ll be able to watch television with you too! Cassie’s told me all about television. She’s even explained Ninety-Nine to me,’ she giggled.

  ‘Ninety-nine?’ asked Sam, looking at me with a quizzical look on his face.

  ‘Oh, it’s a nickname of a character in a TV show. I called Elizabeth Ninety-Nine one day, and she’s obviously mentioned it to Cassie.’

  ‘Yeah, she asked me. I used to watch that show all the time. It’s gro
ovy,’ laughed Cassie.

  ‘Groovy, right. See. You’ll regret this. You’ll have two kids underfoot all the time, talking like loonies,’ said Sam, with mock seriousness.

  And so the four of us sat there and laughed and talked about old TV shows that Cassie and I both remembered, and it was like old times. Sam seemed back to normal or at least a lot closer to normal than he’d been in ages. Life was going to be wonderful. No, better than wonderful, it really was going to be perfect.

  ~~***~~

  Each day after that got a little warmer and a little brighter. And so did my spirits. I think it was partly because we were now in spring, when life renewed itself, but also because as each day passed we got closer to moving into our new home.

  The vampire activity went back to what it had been like in the days before Zunios. Sam said he probably spotted one every second or third night, but they were always loners, and for the most part he was able to reason with them and convince them to leave the area. There’d been no more murders, no more frantic laughing—just wayward loners. It was the same with Michael, Crystal and Tom—just one every now and then, however Sam wasn’t too sure about there being negotiations with the vampires that the others found.

  Debs was nearly as excited about the house as I was, and although she said she’d miss me, I also thought that, secretly, she’d like having her home to herself again. But it was no secret that she was having a great time taking me shopping to pick out furniture and linens and everything else that a young couple, moving from a sparsely furnished two-bedroom home into a very large five-bedroom home, might need. And what made it really easy was that Sam just kept saying ‘whatever makes you happy will make me happy’ so we were able to make decisions on the spot.

  Claire wasn’t half jealous—she was completely jealous. She still didn’t have a man in her life, let alone the possibility of a new home. And she still hated her job. I figured it was mostly because it was just that; a job. We had a late lunch every Tuesday and she’d complain about her co-workers, or the clients, or the air-conditioner in the building. Bottom line, she didn’t want to work. She asked about Tom every time I saw her, and she was always disappointed to hear that I hadn’t really seen him other than in passing. And yes, he was still with Rebekah. And yes, Rebekah was most likely still just as gorgeous as the last time I’d seen her.