CHAPTER 5
A crowd had formed in the lobby. Raf rushed to take Willy — who didn’t seem to mind — now. The crowd parted to let us proceed to the office.
“Cops are on their way, boss.” Raf deposited Willy in his bed. “Stay!”
Siren warbles quickly grew louder. The police station was only a few blocks away. Tom pulled a small box of individually wrapped antibacterial wipes from a desk drawer, opened one and swabbed the blood from his wrist. I watched in awe as the wound disappeared with the blood.
A detective’s unmarked car arrived on the scene first. Tom went out to the sidewalk to meet her. I watched them walk out of sight. Raf patted my hand like a nervous, little old lady. I could tell he wanted to ask questions but wasn’t sure I was in any condition to answer. Good call.
I never vomit — a great quality for a vet tech. The stench from the dumpster had been something so foul, so disgusting — I’d tossed up my toenails.
Tom returned with the detective. The uniformed officers questioned customers. Only after the cops had contact information was anyone allowed to leave. The detective knelt in front of me.
“Miss, do you think you can answer a few questions?”
I know that voice. I looked up. “Becki? You made detective?”
“Connie? You’re not at the clinic anymore?”
Becki Elms had a Rottweiler. I hadn’t seen her at the clinic in a couple of months but vaguely remembered her telling Dr. Smith she’d taken a second crack at the detectives exam. She must have aced it this time. Good for her.
“Nope, this is my second day here.”
“Do you feel up to telling me what happened?”
“I can’t tell you much. Willy and I were outside on break, while he took care of business I called home. When we headed toward the dumpster he became agitated. I raised the lid and the smell about knocked me over! I think I saw a face — a hand maybe — but I’m not sure. It was pretty dark. That’s about it. I must have screamed, because next thing I know the boss had hold of me.”
I saw the coroner’s van round the corner to the parking lot. Becky stood and smoothed her navy skirt before directing her attention to Tom.
“I hate to do this on your second business day Mr. Thornton, but I must ask you to close your doors for the night. If everything goes smoothly you should be able to reopen tomorrow morning, noon at the latest. The fewer gawkers, the faster we’ll get our job done.”
“Don’t concern yourself Detective Elms. I’m sure business will recover. I’ll stay in case you need me. I think Raf should take Connie home, if, you have no more questions?”
Becki looked from Raf to me, and raised an eyebrow. “You see or hear anything else while you were in the parking lot?”
“Not a thing. Willy was fine until we started for the alley.”
“Okay then, you can go. If I need anything else I know where to find you.” She gave me a hug. “Try to get some sleep, okay?”
“I’ll try.”
What I wanted most was a shower and to brush my teeth. I felt as if the stench of death clung to me.
Raf ushered me out of the office and I picked Willy up, startling him from sleep. Raf made me wait on the curb while he brought the car around so I wouldn’t have to go back to the side lot. We turned at the light and headed uptown, toward MacArthur Park.
There were some really nice restored homes in the area. Maybe Raf lived in one. I closed my eyes. The streets downtown got me so turned around it made me dizzy and Raf’s driving didn’t help.
We didn’t end up at one of the quaint antebellum homes in the Quapaw Quarter, but rather in an industrial area. The area was full of red brick structures ranging from two to five stories. Some had ornate facades, others, not so much. The windows were all bricked up leaving the buildings blind. Granted it was night, but the sheen of glass was in none of them, a perfect place for vampires.
Although I’d lived in and around Little Rock for twenty of my twenty-five years, I really hadn’t seen much of it. I pretty much knew how to get from home to the clinic and back. Of course I knew the location of most of the Wal-Mart stores in the area, the poor girl’s best friend.
I thought this might be the area I read about in the paper. The article had been all about attempts to reinvigorate the downtown area. The River Market played a big part. The city wanted people to move back to the downtown area and converted some of the old well-built buildings into condos and loft spaces. Some were for sale, others for rent.
Raf pulled up to a metal door at the base of a three story red brick building and inserted a card into a little box on the driver’s side of the door. The metal door rose and Raf steered through, the iron slab closed behind us automatically. The car’s headlights shone in the otherwise pitch-black space. He pulled into a parking space beside a metal entry door and shut off the engine. It was a good thing the car lights stayed on for a couple of minutes otherwise I would have tripped over the curbing.
“You guys don’t need lights huh?” This was my tactful way of reminding him I couldn’t see shit.
“Sorry, Sugar, I forgot. Stay put … ” A bank of fluorescent lights illuminated the parking deck. “There you go. Come on honey, let’s get you settled.”
He stuck a key in the door and held it open for Willy and me to precede him. When we stepped inside I expected stairs, but instead found we were in an elevator. Raf hit two.
The scent of leather wafted in as the elevator doors opened. I inhaled deeply.
As a teenager I cleaned the tack at a riding stable and got hooked on the scent. If it came in a spray bottle, I would probably wear it for perfume. Funny, I could see Raf wearing leather, but he seemed more an overstuffed chintz kind of guy. Hey, what did I know? I’d known him less than two days.
The masculine space’s very a high ceiling showcased the metal beams overhead. A balcony with iron railing was to the right, exposing part of another floor. There were built-in floor to ceiling bookcases along one end wall of the living space, filled with books, complete with one of those sliding ladders you see librarians use in some old movies. Cool!
The large sofa in a bomber jacket sort of leather, sat in front of the bookcase, along with a matching chair. The leather was either old or distressed to look that way. A couple of smaller upholstered chairs dotted the space. Tabletops had leather insets as did the desk positioned catty-corner at the far end of the room with, you guessed it, a high back leather chair behind it. Diamond tucked of course.
A tiny kitchen occupied the left corner, with a sink, microwave, stove and a fridge, but little else. Willy whined, bringing me out of my reverie. He wanted down and my arm wanted to put him down.
He’s a standard dachshund, weighing in at twenty-five pounds. I’m used to toting him about and have the guns to prove it, but after a while he does get heavy. I sat him down, not sure what he’d do. The rug appeared to be some kind of a hide, whitish and woolly. I didn’t want him chewing on it. He didn’t. He rubbed his face over and over and pawed with his front feet like it was the most wonderful thing he ever felt then he just stretched out and lay there. His doggie grin said “mine!”
I giggled and repaired the diaper and wrap he’d almost dragged off.
“Girl, you gonna stay on the floor or come with me?”
I shrugged and grinned. “We have to talk ya know?”
Raf grimaced. “Yeah, but let’s play twenty questions after we get you cleaned up because, honey, no offense, your breath could choke a mule and you got barf on your shoe.”
The memory of what caused the barf came rushing back and my stomach rolled.
“Don’t even think about it!” Raf squealed and pushed me toward a dim corner.
A close inspection revealed an iron, circular stairway. I started to turn.
“He’ll be fine. Willy’s out like a light.”
At the top of the stairs were six doors. Raf pushed me toward one and opened it.
The decor revolved around an old claw foot ba
thtub that sat smack dab in the center of the room. It had one of those oval shower curtain rods going all the way round. The bead board walls were in dark tones. A full-length cheval mirror in the corner reflected the dim light of the antique chandelier. As I surveyed the room, a heavenly smell of yellow roses wafted over me. Raf poured amber oil into the bathwater, which foamed into lush bubbles.
“Hon, there’s a spare toothbrush in the cabinet. Please use it while I get your towels.”
I made a face but did as instructed. Raf set a pile of fluffy towels on the small table next to the tub and turned off the faucet. The foam rose almost a foot over the top. The sweet fragrance slowly replaced the horrid stench that seemed to have permanently permeated my sinuses. I couldn’t wait for Raf to leave.
Raf went to the door. “I’ll go check on Wee Willy.”
I shucked my clothes and made a pile to wash later, shoes included, then slowly sank into the frothy warmth of the tub.
The water was just this side of too hot, absolutely perfect as far as I was concerned. I know hot water isn’t supposed to be good for your skin, but it is great for sore muscles and even better to soothe the soul. Mine needed a good soothing. The bizarre events of the past few days rattled about in my mind. My actions seemed so foreign, yet everything had worked out … until tonight.
To distract myself, I began to make a list in my head of questions to ask Raf. One: Rent? My eyes began to flutter. Two: Dating customers or staff? Yawn. Three … But like counting sheep, each addition drew me closer to oblivion.
Has anyone ever accidentally drowned in a bathtub? I felt like a limp rag. If someone pulled the plug, I would go down the drain with the water. A blissful sigh escaped as strong fingers eased the knot of tension from my shoulders … my eyes popped open!
Bubbles? Yes, I still had bubbles.
“Raf?” I tried to turn my head, only to have it returned to its former position by an unseen hand.
“Don’t fidget.”
How would Dee handle this?
I’m a modern woman. Raf’s my friend, new friend yeah, but friend nonetheless. How was this any different than having Dee in the bathroom with me? Well, let’s see here, could be ’cause Dee’s a woman and Raf is, well he is a guy, but he’s into guys — not me. Right? There was a glass of red wine on the table next to the towels. I reached for it and downed it in two swallows. Raf refilled it. Gulp …
“Raf, honey? Can I ask you a question?” I felt him rise.
“Sure.”
“You, I mean, well … this is kind of a — a well.” Spit it out Connie! “Raf you only do guys, right?”
He moved the stool to the foot of the tub and reached into the water. He paused, looked up into my eyes and smiled.
“Yes, Honey.” He drew my right leg from the water and began to massage my foot.
I tried to relax.
As roommates and friends we would confide in each other, do each other’s hair and nails, and borrow each other clothes. I could do this. I would learn to be a confident, modern, liberal woman … I reached for the wine glass … or a lush. Whichever came first.
CHAPTER 6
It occurred to me when I awoke in my sumptuous bed — I had no memory of getting there. I could accuse the wine, but I had no headache. Maybe I had a head for it? I didn’t drink — much — and had never really put wine to the test. What woke me? I stretched slowly and found I was loose as a goose.
A thumping to the right of the bed caused me to roll and peer over the side. Willy lay on a large pillow made from the same white fuzzy hide as the rug downstairs. The steady thump of his tail on the floor had been my alarm! I fell over the side, barely missing him.
“Willy, baby! You’re wagging your tail!” I crushed him to me not believing my own eyes. He wriggled and snorted until I released him, his tail thumping happily. He licked away my tears of happiness. Realizing it had been several hours since his last break, necessity pushed the miracle aside. “Honeyboy, we’ve got to figure out how to get you down those twisty stairs.”
A little over a year ago Willy had been fine when I left for work, but I returned home to find his rear paralyzed. Perhaps he fell or jumped off the furniture. I couldn’t afford the specialist fees for a laminectomy. Guilt still weighed heavily, but money wasn’t the only issue.
Dogs often made a complete recovery with full function after surgery. Unfortunately there also were those left quadriplegic or stroked on the table. Spinal surgery was risky business. Finances aside, I wasn’t willing to take those risks with Willy. He had adjusted well to his cart but hadn’t wagged his tail since the accident. Now the appendage thumped up a storm! Woohoo!
My attire, silk drawstring PJ bottoms in navy and a black tank, seemed presentable. My toenails were red. When did that happen? After rolling the pant legs twice so I wouldn’t trip, I scooped Willy off the pillow and we began to wind our way around the staircase. Fortune again smiled on us. We made it to the second floor without incident. Okay, now what?
A note from Raf taped to the elevator door read: “The key card is on the entry table. You need it to open the garage door. It locks automatically. Cool huh? Car keys are in the bowl, etc., etc.” It was pretty long note, but suffices to say I got the use of his car to move my meager belongings and buy some food. Did vampires eat real food? If not, did they miss it?
Without a greenbelt near, newspapers would have to do for now. Oddly, I found Willy’s diaper dry. He didn’t have the muscle control to completely empty his bladder. His paralysis made him prone to urinary infections so I had always been fastidious in my attentions.
I’d no choice but to wear the pajamas since I had no idea of where Raf slept during the day and no intentions of poking around on my own just yet. Please Lord, don’t let me get stopped by a cop or have a wreck.
We loaded into the elevator. I hit the button on the key fob to unlock the car doors and the headlights flashed, briefly illuminating the dark garage. Lucky for me the car was an automatic or I would have been screwed. I turned the key, put it in reverse, backed out of the slot and turned toward the door. The headlights shone on a metal arm with a black box at the end and I swiped the keycard through it. The garage door opened and I pulled out, waiting to make sure it shut behind me. Now what? I had no idea where I was.
The street was one-way, as many downtown are, so my options were limited. I knew I needed to head west … about an hour later we hit I-630. The good news was we found a McDonald’s in our search, which supplied us with food as well as directions. Willy and I each ate a cheeseburger. He didn’t want pickles on his.
By the time we turned off Lawson Road, I had reviewed the packing list in my head several times. We stopped at Ted’s One Stop for some sturdy egg boxes. Luckily I didn’t have much to move because Raf’s car is really small, although the trunk seemed pretty spacious. I discovered when I pulled into my drive all my mental planning had been wasted.
“I tried to stop her,” Dee called from her front porch. “There was just no holding her,” she continued as she walked across the lawn. “Cindy moved in last night.”
“So I see.” All my worldly possessions, such as they were, sat in boxes on the tiny front porch. I found myself very thankful it hadn’t rained last night. “Everything’s out?”
“Yeah, I’ve got Willy’s food over at our place. I was afraid coons might get in it. Want some iced coffee since you have nothing to do?”
“Sure. Let me load this stuff up. Can you get Willy’s cart? Might as well let him tool around while we work.” Dee pulled the cart from the backseat and I strapped Willy in. He was off like a shot, running the fence line barking at the neighbor’s cows like a demon dog.
“Is his tail wagging?” Dee asked in amazement. She paused from loading the box of CDs and DVDs in the back seat to stare. “Well hot damn!”
“ … A miracle, right?” I grinned from ear to ear. “Is Buffy in there?”
“I double checked.”
Dee knew I loved my Buffy D
VDs. “What am I going to do without you?”
“Connie, you’ll see us. More than you want, most likely.”
“Uh huh, sure I will. I live with a gay guy. Jimmy’s really going to visit often.”
“Sweetie, you live with a gay vampire who sleeps all day. Jimmy won’t be seeing him. Anyway, you know he does as he’s told.”
She grinned when she said it, but it was true nonetheless. Jimmy worshipped the ground Dee walked on. Her word was his law.
“Maybe I can get you to train one for me?”
“Sure, but we’ve got to find you one first,” she agreed. “ … Ready for coffee?”
“You bet. Willy, come!” If his lolling tongue was any indication, he was ready for a drink, too.
It should have been a leisurely visit; our work being done for us and all, unfortunately, the morning paper lay on the table. Dee glanced at it as she poured the coffee into tall ice filled glasses. Our little incident made the front page.
CORPSE FOUND IN DUMPSTER BEHIND NEW MIDNIGHT SUN TANNING SALON.
Foul play is suspected in the case of a dismembered corpse found in a dumpster behind the newly opened Midnight Sun Tanning Salon. The salon, the first of its kind, has a mixed clientele catering to both humans and vampires. An unnamed employee of the salon is reported to have discovered the corpse while on a break.
When asked if this could have been a hate crime, Mr. Thomas Thornton, owner and entrepreneur is quoted as saying, “I certainly hope not. We have had absolutely no problem among our clients or any of the local establishments. If anything, our opening has brought in more customers for the other twenty-four hour businesses in the River Market Area.”
Mr. Thornton, a member of our local vampire community, has many holdings in this area and is well known for his philanthropy.
Detective Rebecca Elms of the Little Rock Police Department, had no comment to make at this time. The remains have yet to be identified.
The accompanying photo of Becki and Tom was quite good.
“You were going to tell me when?” Dee asked.
Midnight Sun, Inc. (Crimson Romance) Page 4