“Could it just be some anti-vampire nut job?” I suggested. “There are plenty of those.”
Becki nodded to the coroner, who re-covered the remains.
“We can’t release the body yet of course, ongoing investigation, but when we’re finished … ” She paused. “I’m sorry I don’t know the protocol in a vampire … death.”
“If no one claims him, notify me and I’ll make the arrangements,” Tom answered without hesitation. Becki looked relieved, the coroner, annoyed. Tom raised a brow and Dr. Johnson busied himself filing the body behind one of the steel doors.
“Cause of death?” Becki asked the air.
The coroner looked at Tom expectantly.
“Removing his heart would do it. As to the how and why, I have no idea. Was the brain removed before or after the head was severed?” Tom asked Dr. Johnson.
“While I have no way to determine positively, I assume before. Why go to all the trouble to pull the brain through the nose if you plan to cut the head off anyway?”
Several gruesome scenarios ran through my mind. I was pleased to no end when Becki ushered us to the door. She slipped a face shot of Mr. Doe into Tom’s hand. “You did not get this from me,” she told him. “We ran the photo and prints through everything we have, got nothing. No social, no driver’s license, no fingerprints on file. I don’t know how organized y’all are, but hopefully you’ll have better luck?” She looked at Tom expectantly.
“You’ll be the first to know if I find anything.”
“So the reopening is going ahead as planned?”
“Yes, it is.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed,” Becki promised as she led the way back toward the parking deck. “Maybe I’ll get some color.”
I gave her a wink. “Might get more than that.”
“From your lips … ” Becki sighed.
I couldn’t manage to feel too sorry for her, knowing how long it had been for Raf, but still …
“Connie’s going to sing,” Raf volunteered. “Aren’t you, hon?”
“That remains to be seen.” If looks could kill, Raf should spontaneously combust. Tom’s lip curled in a half smile. I glared at him, causing his smile to spread. “I give up!”
“If you’re finished, we should get moving.” Tom mentioned. “There’s still a lot of work to do before next week.”
“I’ll keep you posted,” Becki assured him. “You’ll do the same?”
“Absolutely,” Tom answered, shaking her hand.
“That reporter you asked me about?” Becki mentioned. “I wasn’t able to find out much, but she’s affiliated with a group called S.E.T.H., The Society for the Ethical Treatment of Humans. They’re one of those anti-vampire groups. Any reason we should suspect them in Mr. Doe’s demise?”
“I certainly wouldn’t rule them out,” Tom answered thoughtfully. “Could the other problem be connected as well?” He meant Harley and his cohorts.
Becki nodded, “Like you said, I wouldn’t rule it out. I’ll keep scratching and see what I dig up. Y’all watch your backs.”
CHAPTER 28
Raf was demented. Too much time alone in a crypt. Lack of sex addled his brain. All of the above. Karaoke night wasn’t enough. Oh no. It required a theme as well. The number of themes a vampire of Raf’s age could come up with, was staggering.
“Raf, it won’t matter if you’re dead. You’ll be even deader when I tear your head off your shoulders and won’t that take all the fun out of the evening?” I ground my teeth, wondering if I had dental to repair any damage. “I cast my vote, Motown, music of the seventies and eighties. You don’t like that, pick something else, but do it now. I need to know what to practice. We only have a week.”
“You don’t need to practice, just open your mouth and let the music come out.”
Grrr … “What music, Raf? I’ve got to have words. Or did you just expect me to hum?” Tom, smart man, had gone to discuss the new product line with the R&D guys and gals at the RR bottling plant. He gave us two hours to make a decision, yet here we stood in the lobby of Midnight Sun no further along than before he left. I presumed the Karaoke machine had to load or whatever. Or were they like iPods that held thousands of songs? How would I know? I can barely work my CD player.
“How about just the seventies,” Raf offered.
I nodded and we settled on a plan. I’d perform three numbers of my choosing. Unfortunately, I also had to be prepared to step in if the crowd proved too shy to step up. How many shy vampires could there be? None — I hoped.
“I’ll take care of wardrobe,” Raf told me. “You only need to change for your three numbers. The rest of the time you’ll be dressed in theme. Each shift will dress for a different musical category.” Raf mused aloud. The karaoke would continue through the first twenty-four hours of our Labor Day grand reopening.
Raf spent the rest of the evening on the phone, ordering God knew what. I made sure the salon was spiffy, which wasn’t hard since it was closed. The plate glass was new, as was the door. The hard part proved to be getting the blood off the floor. The crime scene techs had offered suggestions for local disaster cleaning companies, but I wanted to be sure things were perfect. On my hands and knees I inspected the floor, applying a little floor polish to dull spots. Tom returned and the look on his face was priceless.
“You do realize we have a cleaning crew?”
He coughed and rolled his eyes when I caught him staring at my butt. I grinned. He returned it. We were good, after last night, excellent even. But happy as I was, the other shoe was bound to drop. If Dee was such a screw up as a witch, why did I continue throwing caution to the wind? Something in my subconscious eluded me, like the carrot in front of the jackass, always there, but out of reach.
For now Raf’s problem took center stage. I wondered if Bianca was making any progress.
“Did you two get everything worked out?” Tom asked as he helped me up.
“Mostly,” Raf answered rather vaguely. “When Connie picks her songs, I’ll get the costumes.”
“I’ll try to get them together tomorrow.” I promised, patting his hand. “Nothing too risqué in the costume department though, hear me?”
“Who, me?”
• • •
After Tom and I had our quality time, I left him reading a stock report — Bo-ring! — and crossed the hall. I crawled into bed next to Raf, moved Willy, and cuddled in close. The pinkish smudges under his long lashes told me he’d been crying. My heart hurt for him. I pulled his head onto my shoulder inhaling the scent of sandalwood and sugar cookie. “It’s gonna be all right, sweetie.” I offered him a vein. His bite was as gentle as before, but I felt it clean to my toes.
The sensation must have gone both ways. He stayed latched on little longer than he had the first time. When he finished sealing the wound I asked, “Did the earth just move?”
His face filled with wonder, his reply came hushed and simple. “Yes.”
He pulled me into his arms. I meant to go back to Tom, but sleep overtook me.
I awoke pinned and experienced a moment of panic before things became clear. There was a vampire to the left of me, vampire to the right, and Willy on top of the covers pinning my legs. I craned my neck to see the clock. It would be impossible to wake Tom for hours yet and I wasn’t sure about Raf. I tried to scootch out from under Willy, but I couldn’t maneuver. I really needed to pee and was at the point of desperation.
“Raf? Raf, honey, I got to get up.” I whispered in his ear. “Honey, please wake up.”
“Mmm, tickles,” he said sleepily, batting his ear.
“Raf!” I yelled. Who was I afraid of waking anyway? I wanted someone awake. “Raf! Wake up!”
“What?” His eyes glazed and his fangs ran out. “What is it?”
“I can’t get up. Y’all have me pinned. Move!”
His eyes rolled and fangs retracted. He lifted Willy off me and set him on the floor. In one quick motion, he rolled me over the top of
him to the edge of the bed, grinned and closed his eyes. I ran to the bathroom.
After my morning ablutions, I decided Willy needed to start sleeping in his own bed. I told him so when I took him out for his morning constitutional. He had gotten so close to Raf, which sort of hurt my feelings. At the same time I understood. Raf had the same effect on me. I dropped the baggie in the dumpster, waved at the workmen across the street, and walked Willy around the block twice. He wasn’t getting much exercise these days. Able bodied once again, he needed to stretch his short little legs. Raf and I planned to take him to the dog park this Saturday night.
Assuming I survived the Friday performance.
Songs ran through my head, but the huge variety of choices left me at a loss. Raf needed the list tonight and I had to settle on three. A sudden epiphany left me grinning as Willy and I returned home.
I turned Willy loose and fixed his breakfast. While he ate, I had coffee and toast, and scribbled notes on a pad. By the time I’d finished, I had my songs, but still wanted to find a couple of duets. If I had to sing, so did Raf. When the perfect tunes came to mind, I put the list aside before I could change my mind again and went to keep myself busy so I wouldn’t think about either the upcoming Karaoke festival or last night’s … whatever-the-hell-it was. Without knowing what to make of our interlude, I was shy about quizzing Raf. We hadn’t had sex, but waking up with both guys seemed just as intimate — not to mention what had happened between Raf and me when he fed.
Finally at a loss for things to do, I booted the computer and Googled Lilitu/Lilith.
The search led to a thesis by some Cambridge professor. I read it twice and still didn’t get it. The theory had Ms. L as the first wife of Adam. She believed herself to be his equal and refused to “lie under him” sexually. So she ran away from Eden and hid with the demons. When God’s angels found her, she still refused to submit to Adam so God’s curse was placed upon her and she was replaced with the more compliant Eve. According to the Prof, the strong willed demoness had a hatred of men, glorying in her power to seduce them. She liked having the upper hand. I assumed “God’s curse” was what made her a succubus. The curse was rather vague — and ironic. While she had the control she wanted over men, she was also entirely dependent upon them for her existence.
“Evening, Doll,” Raf’s voice said in my ear.
“Eek!” I jumped a foot. I hadn’t even heard him approach. “Swear to God, I’m going to put a bell around your neck.”
Raf chuckled and nibbled my neck. I tried to glare. I never got over his paleness before his daily treatment. Raf’s hair and eyes were inky black against the pallor of his skin.
“So, have you picked your songs?”
“Yep,” I stuck the list in his face and moved away from the computer.
“You really want Evergreen?” He looked at me under raised brows. “My. My.”
“You said my choice. I have another surprise for you. You get to do the last two with me.” I waited for him to throw a fit.
“Okay.”
Well hell. “So what now, we rehearse?”
Raf shrugged, “I don’t see why. You know the words, besides, they’ll be on screen.” He gave a little eyebrow waggle, “When the time comes, you’ll do just fine.”
“Really? What about you, stud muffin, you plan to practice?” Raf just smiled. Have I mentioned his smile could melt an iceberg? I looked at my feet for a moment. “Honey, what was that last night?”
“Actually, I don’t have a clue. Sure did rock my world though.” He seemed baffled. “You okay?”
“Sure, just … confused.” I didn’t add that I wanted to feel it again. Instead, I changed the subject. “So, what are your plans for the day-ah-evening?”
“Wardrobe to line up, decorations to order, work, work, work. Why?”
I felt antsy. I don’t know why. Nerves maybe? “You think you might have time to go to the park later? Willy really needs to get some exercise. We can still go Saturday.”
“Don’t see why not.” He sighed.
“It’ll be okay, sweetie. We’ll fix it somehow.” I really hoped I wasn’t lying. I patted his cheek. “Well, you get to work. I’m gonna go bake. Want a bottle of blood before I go up?”
“No thanks. I couldn’t drink another drop.”
I blushed and left. Coward, who me?
I managed to stay upstairs for several hours. Lately I’d been slacking in the personal maintenance department so I gave myself a haircut. It had been over a month since my last one and the hair was beginning to crawl in my ears, which bugged me. After that I waxed. I shrieked as I yanked the first strip off the bikini area.
“You okay?” Raf called from downstairs.
“Fine!” I yelled back. Grinding my teeth together, I managed to stifle my scream when I ripped off the second wax strip. By comparison, the rest was easy. I went across the hall wearing only a towel. My tan was holding well, but I missed the sun. I set the timer for five minutes, put on the goggles, and climbed into the tanning bed. The buzzer went off before the bed even got warm. I passed Tom in the hall. He kissed me so hard I almost lost the towel then grinned and let me go. Vampires!
Men have no concept of what a woman endures for beauty’s sake! It’s tough being a girl.
I put on beige satin panties, because frankly lace is too rough after a wax, and a matching bra followed by khaki shorts and a tee shirt that read “Anything you want. Anything you need,” my motto of late. A glance at the clock explained my hunger. I’d missed lunch and the toast, and coffee I’d eaten for breakfast had long since worn off.
I fixed Willy’s dinner and let him eat while I pondered my own. The intercom squawked and made me jump. I answered, “Yes?”
“Applebee’s delivery,” a voice said.
Raf emerged from the laundry room tan, in fresh jeans and a Grateful Dead tee, took one look at my shirt and laughed. “I’ll get your food.” He hit the intercom button. “Come into the garage. I’ll be right down.”
Within minutes I sat down to dinner. Tom joined me with a steak RR, after which Willy and I took a short walk. That accomplished, we left for the bottling plant.
Willy had to wait in Tom’s office, something about health codes. A turbaned gentleman met us in the hallway. He bowed, touching his forehead to my hand. Tom introduced him as Dr. Sam.
“Sam?” I questioned after he returned my hand.
“I am afraid,” he said in perfect English with the clipped pronunciation common among Indians and Pakistanis, “my name is very difficult to pronounce. Sam is simpler.”
“Ah.”
“And you are the brilliant young woman with the interesting ideas we have heard so much about. It is a pleasure.” With a gesture of his hand he usher me forward leaving Raf and Tom behind.
My guys were waiting when we exited the area. I noticed a pink mark on Raf’s right arm. It looked like his wrist had been slashed at some point but had healed. The pink mark faded as I watched.
“What happened?”
“I gave a donation.” Raf said simply as he sipped from a mug that read, “Tip Your Waitress” and showed a waitress upended in a trash can.
“You give a pint of yours and get a cup of someone else’s?” Raf’s grin was a little gruesome, bloody fangs and all. I rolled my eyes and wisely shut up. I extended my hand to my tour guide. “Thanks Dr. Sam, it’s been interesting.”
“My pleasure, Miss Connie.” He again bent over my hand. When he rose, a hint of fang was visible. I should have known.
Raf hurriedly finished his beverage and gave Dr. Sam his mug before Tom led us through a rear door. We returned to the office to retrieve Willy and leave Tom, who had paperwork to finish. Raf, Willy and I headed for the park after promising to circle back and pick him up when we headed home.
CHAPTER 29
MacArthur Park is in an old part of Little Rock, once surrounded by stately Victorian homes. Most are gone, the few remaining, in disrepair. Efforts were ongoing to revita
lize the downtown area, like the building we lived in. I couldn’t help wonder if the current economic woes would put a halt to this progress or help it along. Surely it must be cheaper to rehabilitate an existing structure than tear it down and build something else.
The park wasn’t very large, made up of a basketball area, a couple of tennis courts, walking paths, and a war museum. The park was named for General Douglas MacArthur after all. Of course the museum is closed after dark. Although the area is well lit, I would never bring Willy here alone at night. With Raf, I didn’t sweat it.
Other brave souls had ventured out. A couple knocked the ball back and forth on one of the tennis courts and several young men played basketball. A geriatric couple walked their equally elderly poodle. The fat dog needed the exercise! They nodded as we passed with Willy in his bright green harness and matching leash.
I smiled back at her. A tug on my arm got my attention. It wasn’t Willy, but Raf.
“Um?”
“I think you have an admirer,” Raf told me tilting his head to indicate the basketball court.
I looked. I stared. I grinned. “Terrell?”
“Connie!” His smile lit up the night. It always had. I hadn’t seen him since high school. He graduated two years ahead of me. Stepping out of the chain link enclosure, he trotted our way.
“Who is he?” Raf asked a little breathlessly.
“That is Terrell Rose, otherwise known as Tea-rose, because he is so damned pretty!” I spoke loudly enough “T” heard me. His smile brightened. “I had the world’s worst crush on this man in high school.” He reached us and I jumped up to hug his neck, and plant a kiss on his cheek while I was at it. “God, you’re gorgeous!” I told him.
Terrell was the most handsome man I’d ever met until Raf. Tom was handsome in a rugged, manly, cowboy sort of way. Terrell, like Raf, was painfully handsome. Perfect. He was about six feet tall, slender, with wide shoulders. He wore only a pair of green Nike shorts and basketball shoes, so I leisurely admired his body. He had the arms of a baseball player. Yum!
Midnight Sun, Inc. (Crimson Romance) Page 23