FIONA FROST: Order of the Black Moon
Vol 2
Dr. Bon Blossman
Copyright © 2012 Dr. Bon Blossman
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Dr. Bon Blossman Dallas, Texas USA
www.fionafrost.com
The characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, alive or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Blossman, Bon, 1970—
Fiona Frost: Order of the Black Moon / by Dr. Bon Blossman
Summary: Teen vampire cult members from Godley Grove are the primary suspects in a brutal ritualistic murder deep in the abyss of a cave.
ISBN: 978-0-9850363-6-2
[1. Crime- Fiction. 2. Mystery – Fiction. 3. High Schools – Fiction. 4. Murder – Fiction. 5. Forensic Science – Fiction. 6. Vampires – Fiction.]
For Ella, Lauren and Madison.
A blind eye avoids swift judgment.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to thank all of my wonderful fans whose continued support has kept my writing alive, my mind creative, and my soul enlightened.
I appreciate each one of you.
A special thanks to Sylvia and Jason for your help in the final stages of the production of this book. You guys are the best.
I wish to thank my husband Jason for being who he is—my love, my soul mate, my everything.
1 DRACUL’S DEN
Another dead body, another killer. My father was the district attorney of Godley Grove, Texas, and while working homicide cases, he rarely filled his seat at the family dinner table. Fortunately, he hadn’t missed too many dinners in my seventeen years. I feared this was about to change. The wholesome town that had nurtured me during my childhood was blackening at an alarming pace.
As butterflies ravaged my stomach, I addressed my team, trying to sort through the chaos in my head.
“There’s been another murder,” I said in a grim tone.
The curious faces before me melted into morbid masks of dread. Maddie cupped her mouth, fear washing over her face. Wolfe inhaled a slow breath, staring unseeingly at the ground. Lauren and Willow, the inseparable duo, engaged in a private whisper with widened eyes.
Standing on my toes, I caught sight of the top of Carden’s blonde head—as usual, he sat at the back of the lab, head down, avoiding eye contact. A brilliant mind, but I worried if he would be mentally strong enough to take over the program once the rest of us graduated in May. Holding up a hand to grab everybody’s full attention, I cleared my throat.
“The murder occurred in Arles Cave.”
Willow snapped her tiny fingers.
“That doesn’t surprise me. Criminals hang out there; I’m pretty sure. I live two blocks away; the cave shouldn’t be in the city. I told my mother she should bring the issue up at the city council meetings and suggest to get rid of the atrocity and fill it in with dirt.”
She sarcastically flipped her caramel locks off her shoulder and surveyed the team members to see if anybody agreed with her stance.
“I agree,” Lauren said in a raspy tone.
I wasn’t a bit surprised—they shared a brain.
Maddie’s pouted lips stretched into a humorless sneer as she broodingly gazed at the inseparable duo.
“Willow, the cave’s a landmark. They should preserve it, if anything. Have you been inside? There’s a room in there—so awesome, full of crystals,” she said, eyes focusing on Willow with a slight intensity before her expression turned playful. “Smells a little funny, though.”
Wolfe slid from his lab stool, landing on the balls of his feet. He scanned the group to ensure he had the floor.
“I’ve been in that cave before. In the back, there’s this tunnel you crawl through to get to these stairs that go down to a creepy room. The tunnel’s so narrow; I almost passed out when I went in there.”
He gazed at me with a charming grin. I couldn’t help but counter with a huge smile. More than a distractingly handsome face, I admired him for his intelligence and charismatic personality. His piercing, gray eyes possessed the magnetism of a black hole, and each time I gazed into them, I lost time...or at least it felt that way. Unlike the other handsome boys at school, Wolfe Nero didn’t know he was flawless, which made him even more irresistible.
Things had turned a bit awkward between us after he had asked me to the prom. However, I remained clueless if he was serious about the invitation—he had a thing for jokes. I had to jerk my head away to avoid an awkward stare.
“My father’s warned me to stay away—many cases he’s prosecuted have involved something that happened there. However, I disagree with you, Willow. I’m with Maddie—the cave’s a Godley Grove landmark, but I do think the police should monitor it more often.”
Wolfe tapped on the lab counter to grab my attention as he slid back down onto his lab stool.
“Fiona, I need to add something to defend what I said before about almost passing out in the cave. I went in there on a dare back in elementary school and have not been back since. I wouldn’t be scared of the tunnel today,” he said, smiling as he caught everybody’s reaction.
Laughter filled the lab. Always one to break the tension, he flashed everybody a warm grin, and I fought to refocus.
“I didn’t think you’d still be scared, Wolfe,” I added as Maddie shot a good-humored glare in my direction.
My best friend sensed I had a crush on him, even though I refused to admit it.
“Can we get on with the details, Fiona?” she inquired, a frisky irritation growing in her tone as she spoke.
I nodded with a smile, and she countered with an animated grin.
“Yes, Detective Chase said this murder was gruesome. The victim had gaping chest wounds made with a long sword. They believe a vampire group from our school is involved.”
“What! Those Goth freaks are murdering people now?” Lauren shrieked, shaking her head.
Willow squeezed her lips together in disgust.
“Figures!” she scoffed.
“Wait a minute, people. Do you even know anybody in that group?” I inquired sternly as a chill tingled along my spine.
I maintained a strong disdain for confrontation.
“You mean cult, don’t you Fiona?” Lauren snapped, chewing her gum as if she were angry at it.
“I don’t know enough about them, and I hesitate to judge people based upon appearance. I wouldn’t call them a cult, but more like wannabe vampires. In the end, they’re just kids like us! You’ve all heard the saying—”
“We know…don’t judge a book by its cover,” Lauren interrupted before pausing to gather her bushy locks from under her shirt collar and adjust her cap. “On a possibly related note, did you hear about the blood that was stolen from the blood bank over on Dearing Drive?”
“I think I read about that in the paper yesterday. What does it have to do with anything?” I asked abruptly.
“I think what she’s trying to say is nobody normal would want to steal blood. What kind of people would steal human blood? Vampires,” Willow huffed.
A lump formed in the back of my throat, constricting. This way of thinking made me angry. I despised stereotypes and firmly believed in the premise of innocent until proven guilty.
“Get real, guys,” I said in disgust, flickering an icy glare between the two members of the inseparable duo.
“Let’s hear Fiona out before we start convicti
ng kids at our school of crimes without evidence. Innocent until proven guilty," Wolfe defended, the corners of his mouth slightly upturning.
I steered the meeting back on track.
“Detective Chase listed three suspects from our school who are part of a group called the Order of the Black Moon. Their names are Victoria Newsted, Damien Lee, and Camber Johnson,” I reported.
“Camber’s a member of the cult? Are you joking?” Willow shouted, jumping off her lab stool. “She’s my neighbor! Her family is very wealthy! She might be a little rebellious, but one of the Goths? A vampire? No, you’re mistaken, Fiona! I have known her for years!”
I clenched my teeth in irritation, composing my response.
“I’m only reporting what the detective told me. And when is the last time you spoke to her?”
“Well…it’s been a couple of years, but—”
Maddie cleared her throat, “Willow, you’re wrong about her. Lately, she’s been dressing differently, real dark. She wore gold fangs on her teeth one day in history class and was studying a small black book, looked like a Bible, and had Old World writing on the cover. She highlighted things all period instead of paying attention! I can only assume it had something to do with the cult…I mean, group.”
Willow scowled in Maddie’s general direction.
“We’re losing time, and we need to get out of here before school starts. Detective Chase just texted me and asked us to come out and observe the crime lab collect the rest of the evidence on site. They’ve been out there since after 2 AM. Once they clear the scene, we can investigate the cave for practice,” I said in a hard voice, gathering up my backpack and car keys.
“So, you’re skipping classes, Fiona?” Lauren countered with a smirk.
She always knew how to get under my skin.
“Yes. My teachers will understand. I will notify them tomorrow where I was and will make up my assignments. They know the deal with my training program,” I defended, shaking my head, annoyed, “so—is everybody in? Let’s get going if we want to see anything worthwhile.”
“I’m in; want me to grab a kit?” Wolfe said, pointing towards a wall with forensic field kits arranged on a shelf.
“There’s one in my trunk—should be enough for us, but thanks,” I said, smiling.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Maddie said, hopping off her lab stool, collecting her belongings.
The inseparable duo engaged in a quiet conversation before turning to face me.
“There’s a test in our physics class first period–no way we can miss it because Mr. Coleman won’t allow makeup exams. Also, Willow’s mother gets angry with her missing school for your program. Doc’s gonna see live patients, not dead bodies in her future,” Lauren said with a giggle before pausing to take a short breath. “Since I’m majoring in paranormal studies at Hartford next fall, my parents don’t support me skipping school for crime scenes, either. Can we meet after school and catch up?”
The word paranormal was enough to put me in a bad mood.
“I understand most of what you said besides the paranormal career choice, but it sounds like a plan, Lauren,” I said sarcastically. “You guys do well on your exam, and Maddie, Wolfe and I will head out to Arles Cave. Hopefully, we will get lucky and find something they missed.” I remembered quiet Carden and stood on my toes to catch eyes with him. “Since you’re only a recruit, you have to go to class—only the five official members are cleared to go on site.”
“Not a problem, I understand. I have a test in bio, anyway. Good luck to you guys,” he said, his cheeks blushing.
We started moving towards the door.
“Seems like we just went through this, Fiona,” Maddie whimpered, pushing up her sleeves to her elbows. “Twenty-four hours hasn’t even passed since we solved the Foster murder.”
“Well, you can’t choose when crimes happen, Maddie.”
“Good point. I’m just mentally exhausted, but I’ll be fine.”
Maddie, Wolfe and I aspired to be forensic investigators after college, and we took it seriously. Able to gain valuable experience nobody else our age could have obtained, we were in training—a real life preparation—all possible from a grant I wrote my junior year with Hartford University and the police department for a forensic education program. Now a senior, I ran a fully functional crime lab at our high school, and Detective Chase from the police crime lab was our liaison along with contacts at Hartford and the Biology Department at our school. The chaotic lifestyle of crime scene investigators was hastily becoming a reality for us.
After locking the lab, we headed out to the parking. Students were pulling into their spots and climbing out of their cars—all with sullen, too-early-in-the-morning grimaces swiped across their faces.
We rushed to my car, trying not to be seen as we were leaving. My teachers all approved of my absences for crime scene investigation, but I didn’t like the outward appearance of breaking school rules—especially since most of my fellow students couldn’t stand me because I couldn’t allow them to join my program—my grant only allowed for five members.
“Taking the black bug, Fiona?” Wolfe asked playfully, trailing my footsteps.
“Duh! There’s no way you’d fit into Maddie’s Mini Cooper, and we’re not riding your longboard. I just got the car out of the shop, so it’s all good!”
We piled into my shiny black Volkswagen Beetle in our usual arrangement—Maddie in the front and the sizeable Wolfe filling up every inch of the back.
I fired up the engine as I tipped my rearview mirror upwards to avoid a connection with his mesmerizing eyes. He was built like a linebacker, so he blocked my view and rendered the mirror useless, nevertheless.
As I started the car, the song White Christmas by Frank Sinatra blasted from my speakers. In a panic, scrambling for the knob, I lowered it to a manageable volume, switching to FM radio and making a silent wish to get away with it. Christmas was long over, but I loved to listen to holiday music all year long. Some things were better left as secrets.
I pulled out of the lot, exhilarated. With one homicide case already under my belt, the thrill of murder investigations was becoming devilishly addictive.
Maddie broke the silence.
“Victoria Newsted was in my Spanish class last year. She was kinda wacko then, and now, it doesn’t surprise me she’s a murder suspect, to be honest,” she said bluntly.
“Don’t be quick to judge—have you ever had a conversation with her?” I stated in a flat tone, slowing to a stop at the corner.
“Not really, just in the exercises we had to do in class. She was always quiet. It seemed she always had something better to do—or at least that’s the vibe I got from her.”
Wolfe leaned his face between our seats, taking in a deep breath before an exaggerated exhale.
“I have never met the pink-haired girl, but I have seen her in the hallway. She’s a typical Goth who dresses differently for attention,” he said, tapping on the back of my seat in a soothing rhythm. “And I refuse to ignore the fact that you were listening to Frank Sinatra Christmas music in your car on the way to school, Fiona.”
I bit my lip, resisting a smile, blood rushing to my cheeks. Maddie giggled.
“Thanks for not letting that slide by,” I sighed. “Damien Lee’s the leader of the vampire group. Detective Chase said he was the number one suspect,” I added, turning onto Astantine Street.
“Oh, that dude’s crazy looking. He’s got a shaved head on one side, and the other side is jet-black and long just like mine. When his roots grow out, they’re blonde,” Maddie said, raking her fingers through her shiny black hair.
“He is a natural blonde! Don’t you remember him from elementary and middle school before he started dying his hair?”
I turned a sharp corner onto Osmium Street.
“I can’t believe Camber Johnson’s with them. Like Willow said, her parents are rich—she lives in our neighborhood in a huge house,” Wolfe said candidly, rearranging
his long legs in the limited space.
“I don’t think weirdness is related to financial status. I mean, plenty of rich people are nutty,” Maddie said bluntly, laughing. “Look at Marilyn Manson!”
“Good point, Mads,” he chuckled.
We arrived at the parking area next to the Arles Cave entrance and I parked my car beside a crime scene investigation van.
“By the way, Fiona. Did the detective say where the murder occurred in the cave? Please tell me it is near the entrance. I’m slightly claustrophobic,” Maddie asked with anticipation, bounding out of the front seat.
She held the seat forward as Wolfe climbed out of the back, hopping on the pavement.
“Unfortunately, he said it was in Dracul’s Den. From what I gathered, that’s in—”
“The bottom dungeon of the cave, Fiona. We’ll have to go down the tunnel thing I spoke about,” Wolfe interrupted softly, a slight disdain in his voice.
“Great,” Maddie whimpered.
2 WITCHING HOUR
Fifty-eight degrees, the sky a cloudless blue. The chilly breeze blew tendrils of my hair onto my face as we approached the mouth of the cave. Happy birds chirped in unison and a squirrel darted across my pathway, pausing for a second for a curious gaze before dodging into a hole in the ground. This didn’t seem like the morning after a brutal murder.
After a brisk walk down a dirt trail towards the entrance, the receding hairline belonging to the director of the crime lab came into view. He jogged towards us, handing out pairs of disposable booties. We slipped them on top of our shoes and stooped under the barrier tape spanning across the cave entrance—bright yellow with a repeating CRIME SCENE, DO NOT CROSS warning in black lettering.
He was the appointed mentor of my program—an incessant middle-aged workaholic who devoted his time to train us in the field of forensic science. Next to my father, Detective Chase was one of the most intelligent men I was blessed with in my life.
Fiona Frost: Order of the Black Moon Page 1