Jason started racing over. “Hey!”
Brock looked at him a moment, then the high beams came on.
Riley jumped out of the van behind Jason just as Brock’s car accelerated and roared past them.
“Fucking hey!” Jason screamed. “Where’s my girlfriend? Where’s Roxanne?”
“Jason,” Riley said urgently. “Over there.”
They both hurried over to the darkened area where the car had been parked. There appeared to be someone lying on the ground.
“Roxanne?” Jason called hopefully. “Oh please, please don’t be –”
They both dropped to the ground and rolled the figure over. It wasn’t Roxanne.
It was Haley.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cresh leaned against the desk. As Luna clicked through page after page of tedious dictation, he found himself thinking about what had just happened between them. The truth was that it should have been ugly, in all the worst possible ways. Whether she realized it or not, Luna now had the power to possibly get him fired, and certainly divorced… It may not even arise for the next few months – or even years down the road. But what if it did then? When he’d practically forgotten about it. His whole life could be turned upside down by what just happened.
It should have been ugly.
Inside him.
Inside her.
But he couldn’t stop looking at her with love.
“Well, that’s Jason cleared I think,” Luna said still clicking around with the mouse. “Nothing out of the ordinary there.”
“So where does that leave us?”
“Maurice, Kendra, Riley, Jason – who’s left?”
Suddenly their attention was directed elsewhere. A cloud of purple smog was hissing into the room.
“Get away from it,” Cresh said. “It’s coming from the window.”
“Oh shit,” Luna exclaimed jumping up from the chair.
They both back away near the exit as the purple smog flooded further and further.
“How’s it getting in?” Luna asked. “The window is –”
The window then instantly shattered, and a dark-winged animal zoomed by them and out of the room.
Cresh and Luna quickly followed it out into the corridor, closing and locking the door behind them.
“What was that?” Luna cried. “A bat of some kind? You don’t think –”
“Take the stairs. Get the fuck out of here. I’ll figure it out.”
“Are you sure? Maybe you should get out too. Send someone else to –”
“It’s okay,” Cresh said. “I’ve got this. Go home.”
“Alright,” Luna said bowing her head.
Cresh watched her exit through the fire escape before turning his attention back to the corridor ahead. He could see traces of the purple smog still hovering in the air.
Cresh followed the trail slowly, pausing to open a set of doors at the corridor’s end. The corridor then forked beyond this, the trail floating onto the left.
“Where are you going?” Cresh whispered.
He followed it again slowly. His mind was going back. Through all the vampire suspects.
Through all his team of possible traitors.
It couldn’t be that someone didn’t want them to continue their investigation further. After all, they were alone in that room. No one knew what they were doing.
Unless…
The trail had stopped.
Cresh looked up at the door and saw that it was his own office that he used on this floor. Someone knew exactly where to meet with him…
Cresh opened the door.
In the dark of the room, he could see a tall figure standing at the end of the room. Their back was too him.
“Who are you?” Cresh demanded. “What are you doing here?”
The figure turned.
He saw the Count’s red eyes gleam with delight.
“Sit down, Dermott.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Cresh felt around for the light-switch behind him. The Count turned away before he found it.
“Okay,” Cresh muttered. “Just … okay…”
“I said sit down.”
Cresh grabbed hold of the chair in front of the desk and moved it back near the door. He sat down anxiously. “Nadine should have arrived by now. We were willing to comply with your demands.”
The Count reached over to some photo frames standing on Cresh’s desk. He picked up one of them. “Your wife, Megan. She’s very beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“I suppose I could go visit her if I wanted. Now I know where you live.”
He put the frame down.
Then picked up another. “Marcus, Adam and little Caitlyn. What a happy family you all seem to be.”
Tears fell from Cresh’s eyes.
He looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry. Please. Forgive me. Forgive us.”
The Count turned slightly. “What a sad little fool you’ve become. I’m most disappointed in you.”
“Are you the killer?” Cresh asked. “Are you behind all this?”
“That doesn’t matter, does it?” the Count replied. “Whether I killed all those young women … Whether I killed Haley’s family … You know I’ve killed my share of people.”
“So it’s not you then?”
“I didn’t say that,” the Count grinned.
He walked round in front of the desk to face Cresh.
“I know who the killer is,” the Count said. “I know what they want. But, I say to you – hands off.”
“What do you mean?”
“I say to you, keep away. Little … Paranormal Policeman…”
“What about Nadine? What about –?”
“If she is where I think she is, then she too will soon know who the killer is. And then after that, I shall take her in as my own.”
“What?”
“We all have our little secrets, don’t we, Dermott? You remember how it used to be? How I fell to the darkness, but you were spared by the light…?”
“That was a long time ago,” Cresh said.
“I lost someone tonight. Someone who … I need to replace. I thought maybe her sister would fill the roll … but there is too much, shall we say ‘kookiness’ to my other daughter. She is not a suitable protégé. So I have decided I shall take on yours instead.”
“It wasn’t her who killed your daughter,” Cresh said. “It was the new girl.”
“I know. Haley will get hers too.”
A chill ran down Cresh’s spine. “It is you, isn’t it? Kendra was right.”
“Look at me, Cresh,” the Count said in a hypnotic voice.
Cresh looked up.
The thing in front of him barely resembled the man he once knew. Disfigurations aside, he was clearly a monster.
“There is no me,” the Count said. “There is no you.”
“So what is there?” Cresh whispered.
“There is only darkness. There is only … a screeching … swirling … pit of nothing. The sky is empty. It’s just a void.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Water. It was flushing everywhere. Through her hair. Down her shoulders. Into her chest…
Haley came to, a shivering, dripping mess.
Bright lights, all around her. She couldn’t see.
Figures, to the left.
And to the right.
“Haley,” a woman’s voice said grabbing her hand. “Haley, can you hear me?”
She reached up, wiping the water from her eyes.
The lights were coming into focus.
“She’s awake,” someone else declared.
Haley parted her lips. She searched for her voice. “Brock … Brock … Where are you?”
“He’s gone,” Jason said proudly. “We chased him off.”
He held out a towel for her.
As Haley begun to dry herself, she realized she was back inside the diner.
“What are you guys doing here?” she said after a
moment.
“He called us down here,” Riley answered. “How did he get to you?”
“What?”
“Brock dumped you in the car park,” Jason said. “He’s the killer.”
“No –” Haley said trying to stand. “He can’t be –”
“What do you remember?” Riley asked.
“I don’t know,” Haley said resting her hand on the table. “It’s a blur.”
“Did he say anything about my girlfriend?” Jason asked. “Did he mention a girl named Roxanne?”
Haley shook her head.
“Think now,” Jason insisted. “Where do you think he’s keeping her?”
“He’s not the killer!” Haley cried. “I know he isn’t!”
“How? How do you know?”
Riley turned to Jason. “Leave it be would you. She obviously doesn’t remember.”
“No, I remember,” Haley murmured. “He put something in my hand.”
She turned it over.
The needle-mark was still there.
“Let me see,” Riley said grabbing the hand. “So he … he put you to sleep then?”
“He must have.”
Jason was pacing. “Haven’t you guys figured this out? This is all part of his plan. He wants me to – he wants me to –”
“Look maybe we’ve got this wrong,” Riley said. “Maybe he was just giving Haley to us to look after her or something.”
“What are you nuts?” Jason exploded. “Any minute now I’m gonna get another call from him –”
“Is everything alright here?” the waitress asked walking over.
“We’re fine,” Riley said.
“Does your friend need an ambulance?”
Haley forced herself out of the booth. “I … I think I’m okay.”
“Well, you guys can’t stay here forever. Not unless you order something.”
“We’ll get something to go,” Riley said. She got up and led the waitress away from them.
Jason put his hands behind his head. “Where the hell have you been, Haley? What’s happened to you?”
Haley touched the side of her face.
She could still feel Edmond’s claws going into her skin.
As well, as some other things…
“Haley?”
She felt as though she was going to collapse.
Why?
Why had he abandoned her?
How could he –?
“It’s okay,” Jason said taking her in his arms. “It’s okay, Haley I’ve got you now.”
Haley allowed Jason to lead her through the diner and back into the parking lot. As they passed Riley at the counter she saw that she gave them a funny look.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Cresh’s blood was still on my hands.
Literally speaking, not my hands themselves. But it was all over my gloves.
I let them sit under water in the bottom of the basin, watching the red run down the sink. Above the basin there was a mirror. It had been smashed in three places.
My reflection was distorted. Sections of my face split apart. As I leaned in closer, the angles blurred further. It was the face of a stranger. A face of the undead.
I took a step away from it and peered through the opening. Not much light. But it was enough.
I reached in and pulled the gloves out of the basin. I gave them a flap, and then forced my fingers through the soggy holes.
Outside the wash room, the air was thick and dirty. My feet crunched as they walked across the gravelly floor towards the cold hard center. Jason’s girlfriend had been reduced to her underwear, and was huddled there on her knees making whimpering noises. A splash of blood rolled down from her left temple. A gun hovered just above her head.
“Time’s up darling,” I said quietly. “Let’s see how much your fellow loves you.”
I pulled out my phone and dialed Jason’s number.
He answered quickly. “Hello?”
“How did we go?”
Silence.
“Is Haley with you?”
“You know she is,” he replied. “And she’s safe now.”
“You put the moves on her? As per our arrangement?”
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s right. So you can let Roxanne go now.”
“I haven’t received any images from you.”
“I thought you were watching us. I thought you’d know when the deed was done.”
I considered a moment. “Let me talk to her.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Okay. Let me paint you a picture, Jason. I’m standing in a room right now, a room neither you or the police will ever find. Roxanne is on the floor just a few feet away. She’s crying. She’s bleeding. All it takes is one action from me and she’s gone. Forever. For all existence. In other words, it might be best for you to indulge me.”
Silence.
My eyes shifted.
“Jason?”
“It’s me,” a girl’s voice spoke. “It’s Haley.”
“Haley,” I whispered. “How are you handling things?”
“Not too well.”
“Well, I’m sorry. If it counts for anything. Sometimes things happen without a reason.”
A pause on her end. “What will it take for you to let Roxanne go?”
“You slept with Jason?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not.”
“Did he tell you I asked him to fuck you?”
“Yes.”
“So it wasn’t rape then?”
“I don’t know.”
“Very well.”
I suddenly felt the urge to start moving again. To get back outside.
I started to walk.
“Have you been thinking about me, Haley?” I asked. “Who I really am?”
“That’s all I think about.”
“I think it’s time we should meet then. I mean, properly.”
“Alright.”
“Good. You seem a lot calmer than you were before.”
“You’ll need to let Roxanne go first,” Haley said. “Give her a phone so we know she’s okay. So we know you haven’t gone back on your word.”
“It will be arranged,” I said. “She means nothing to me, of course. I just … wanted to toy with Jason for a bit.”
“Where shall I meet you?”
“A car will be sent to your location. Just text me an address and you’ll be picked up. And then you and I shall have a proper date.”
“Right.”
“Well. I’m looking forward to this. Are you?”
“Yep.”
“Good. I … I guess I’ll let you go then. Give you … one last chance to wonder about who I am…”
She mumbled something.
“And Haley?”
“Yes?” she replied.
“I love you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
The words meant nothing to her. Whatever twisted frame of mind, whatever fucked up fantasy – it was his, the killer’s alone. At least … for now.
Message sent.
Haley’s face was expressionless as the phone slipped from her grasp. It had gone beyond trauma. Beyond rage, hysteria. The unspeakable sorrow. She was in limbo. Her thoughts. Her emotions. She’d frozen over. It was no longer a nightmare she was living in. She was actually asleep.
“Haley,” Jason said picking up the phone beside her. “What did he say?”
“I’m to meet him,” Haley whispered. “Just me. He’s sending a car.”
“What about Roxanne?”
“She’ll call you soon.”
“What? How do you know that?”
“It was part of the deal.”
Haley opened the door beside her and jumped out from the van into the parking lot. As she walked across it, she passed Riley in the centre.
“What’s going on?” she said handing Haley a coffee.
“I’m surrendering,” Haley replied.
“To who?”
“That’s what I’m about to find out.”
Haley kept on walking.
She didn’t stop until she was at the highway’s edge. Once there she sat on the ground and crossed her legs.
It was a waiting game now.
Hopefully he wouldn’t keep her too long.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Count’s study was quiet. Maurice was still at the computer, his hand gently hovering over the mouse. Nadine had left abruptly a short time after they’d arrived. Maurice glanced for a moment at the empty space where she’d been, wishing that she’d never left.
Because now he had it.
Now he finally knew the name of the killer.
It hadn’t been easy, piecing together the data scattered in the manner it was. Nothing was kept in one place. Knowing who the victims were was only half the battle.
But here it was. The perfect composite.
The man who’d been involved with each and all of them.
The man who’d made his move on Haley tonight.
Maurice shook his head. It seemed so obvious now. How they could have thought it was anyone else, was beyond him. Perhaps this wasn’t definitive proof either, he was well aware, but he figured the killer wouldn’t hold up too well under questioning. When confronted with the evidence against him, it would be all too easy to put his hand up and say … Yes. It was me. I confess…
Maurice breathed in deeply.
He pulled out his phone.
Dialed Cresh’s number.
“Come on…” Maurice muttered as it dialed out.
He wasn’t answering.
Figures.
His next call was to Luna.
Six rings later, she finally answered. “Hello?”
“Hi, it’s Maurice. I’m trying to get a hold of Cresh. Are you still with him?”
“No, he sent me home. There was … an incident.”
“What?”
“A fucking bat flew into Kendra’s office where we were working, spraying all this smog everywhere. Cresh went after it, told me to get out. So I did.”
“So you’re home now?”
“Yeah.”
“Shit.”
“What is it?”
“I know who the killer is. I guess I’ll keep trying him … but…”
Vampire Dating Agency III Page 4