Baited Blood (A Madison Rose Vampire Mystery)

by Sue Ann Jaffarian

  “The can’s fine.” Madison wiped the top with a nearby kitchen towel and popped the top.

  Joni stuck her head into a large pantry and emerged with a big scoop of dog food. She dumped it into a bowl on the floor by the back door. Boo left Madison’s side and eagerly attacked the kibble. With the dog occupied, Joni started out of the roomy kitchen and indicated for Madison to follow.

  Between the front door to the cabin and the staircase was a closed door. When she’d first come into the house, Madison had assumed it was a coat closet. Taking a key from her pocket, Joni unlocked the door. Reaching in, she snapped on a light.

  It wasn’t a closet at all, but an office. As rustic as the rest of the cabin was, this room gleamed with the latest in sophisticated computers and office equipment.

  “Welcome to vampire command central.” With a sweep of her arm, Joni invited Madison to enter.

  Madison stepped into the room and looked around as if she’d stepped down a rabbit hole. The room was long and narrow, running alongside the length of the house, but instead of tightly fitted and stained logs, the inside walls were regular flat walls painted a neutral color. The floor was a pale tile.

  “Was this room added on?” Madison peered at one of the computer screens. Across it, colorful shapes danced a choreographed ensemble piece in silence.

  “No, it was a storage room,” Joni explained. “As much as I hated to do it, I covered the log walls with extra insulation and Sheetrock to maintain the temperature at an even level no matter what time of the year. This is the only room in the whole place outfitted with AC.”

  “This is what Samuel wanted me to see?”

  “What’s on these computers is what he wanted you to see.” Joni went over to one of the computer stations. Pulling a fob from her pocket, she consulted it, then punched a series of numbers out on the keyboard. “And learn.” Joni took a seat in one of the rolling desk chairs and scooted up to the computer. She indicated for Madison to take another nearby chair and do the same.

  “How much do you know about vampire politics?” Joni asked.

  Madison shifted in her seat as she dug through her brain for what little information she’d been given to date. “I’ve been told that Samuel came to California and took it over; that before he did, it was out of control.”

  “Samuel La Croix didn’t just come in, he was invited.” Joni paused, then added, “A hired gun would be closer to the truth.”

  “I was also told his cleanup was very bloody.”

  Joni turned her eyes to Madison. “You heard correctly. A lot of vampires died in the struggle between those who wanted change and those who wanted it to remain as it was. It was a civil war. And after, those who prevailed put on trial those who opposed them.”

  “You mean, they were executed.” Madison’s voice was flat, as if reading a grocery list. She didn’t relish how often the word execute or some variation of it was popping up in her vocabulary lately.

  “Some were. Some were not. Some were banished from California. A few were given the choice to stay and change their ways or leave. Punishment was determined on the extent of their crimes.”

  Madison pushed the information around in her head, trying to store and organize it. “How long ago was this?”

  Joni leaned back in her chair and gave it some thought. “Forty-five years ago, maybe a few years less.”

  “Last night, Stacie said she’d been a vampire forty-three years. Any correlation?”

  “Yes. Stacie turned vampire to assist Samuel in bringing about the change. Before that, she worked with some of them on legal matters.”

  Joni scrutinized Madison. It gave Madison the willies. The more she was around Joni, the more wary she became. She wondered if Joni had the same gift as Samuel, but a look of disappointment in Joni’s eyes told Madison her thoughts were safe.

  “Samuel said,” Joni continued, “that I’m to explain anything you ask about. That’s pretty high clearance for a beater. In fact, it’s unprecedented. But I trust Samuel implicitly, so I trust his judgment about you.”

  Madison scoffed. “Truthfully, I’m not sure I want to know all this stuff. What I know now is enough to make me think I’m going crazy.”

  Joni turned back to the computer screen. A small smile, no more than a fine line of lip, crossed her face. “Well, buckle up, because you’re about to learn a hell of a lot more.”

  As Joni’s fingers flew over the keyboard, several different screens flew by. “I’ll be giving you access to this information after I show you how to use it. It’s stored on a secured site and uses a special rotating password. Before we’re done, I’ll give you a fob like mine.”

  Boo wandered into the computer room. He nudged Madison’s hand. After she petted him a few times, he curled up on the floor like a big ball of variegated black, silver, and white yarn. Madison glanced at the bracelet on her wrist. She knew it would protect her from Joni, but would it protect her if Joni gave Boo a command to attack? When she returned to LA, she was going to ask Samuel the extent of the protection. She wouldn’t be able to protect herself if she didn’t know the bracelet’s limits, and she doubted if the bloodroot would work on a dog.

  “This,” Joni explained to Madison, “is a database of information I’ve been gathering for years, even before I was a vampire. At first I kept it in a journal all by hand. Now I just input it here. I’ve also transferred all the old information to this database.”

  Madison squinted at the screen. It looked like nothing more than a long list of names displayed on a plain background in a ho-hum font. “What is it?”

  “It’s a vampire database.”

  “You track the world’s vampires?” Madison couldn’t keep the wonder out of her voice.

  “Only those the council knows or learns about, so the list is far from complete.” Joni glanced over at Madison. “There are far fewer vampires in the world than you might think. Only about a hundred thousand to one hundred fifty thousand, tops. And those numbers include a generous allowance for those vampires we don’t know about. There are just shy of fifty thousand names on this list, and some of those we know have died.”

  Madison felt her eyebrows arch in surprise at the number but wasn’t sure if it was because she expected the number of vampires in the world to be less or more. “Fifty thousand names is very impressive,” she said instead, and meant it.

  Joni laughed. “Not if you consider we’ve been working on this list for nearly two hundred years. Samuel got an idea in his head to track vampires.” She glanced at Madison, one corner of her mouth tilted upward. “And I’m sure you know how he can be when he’s determined to do something.”

  Madison gave Joni a small, knowing smile. “How do you gather the names?”

  With a shrug of her shoulders, Joni answered, “They come in from here and there. Isabella provides a lot from her travels. This database isn’t public, by the way.” She shot Madison a pointed look. “Samuel and I started it before he came to California, and we kept it a secret. Except for myself, I’m not sure anyone outside of the present council even knows about it. And you’re the only mortal I know of who knows of its existence.”

  “Don’t worry, I know how to keep my mouth shut.”

  Joni gave her a tight smile. “If you didn’t, Samuel would never have sent you here.”

  Joni pointed at the screen. “See this? That’s Doug Dedham’s name.” She clicked on Doug’s name and a new page popped open, complete with a small photo and a list of personal information. Joni stabbed at the screen with an index finger. “This tells me everything we know about Doug Dedham—information such as where he lives, what names he’s used, who turned him and when.”

  “He was turned by Ann Hayes.”

  “That’s right.” Joni highlighted a name on Doug’s page next to the term Upline—Annabelle Fogle aka Ann Hayes. “This link will take us to Ann’s information. I just updated her name this week.”

  Under the line with Ann’s name was the heading Downline
. Under that were listed three names: Sebastian Worth, Mary Ellen Cox, and Dodie Dedham. Only Dodie’s name was known to Madison.

  “The downline,” Madison asked. “Are those vampires Doug has personally turned?”

  “Yes.”

  “There aren’t many names there.”

  “Contrary to some popular beliefs, vampires don’t roam the world creating other vampires willy-nilly.” Joni swiveled to face Madison. “Most of us only make a few. Some go through eternity turning no one. Most vampires only turn someone when there’s a need or purpose to it.”

  “Why is that?”

  The corner of Joni’s mouth turned up. “It’s about power, Madison. Generally, a vampire can control a mortal easily, but it’s much more difficult to control another vampire. Turning someone doesn’t mean they become your servant. It’s like children. Eventually, they want to leave the nest and create their own home and life. A smart vampire thirsting for both blood and power will keep a group of dedicated beaters around him—controlling them through money, excitement, and even sex—not a pack of unruly vampires.”

  The comment turned Madison’s thoughts to Lady. Was she creating new vampires only to kill them if she couldn’t control them? She hadn’t been able to control Duff, but Madison couldn’t imagine Keleta being difficult. And was Parker killed because he was stepping out of line? Keleta had said there were about seven or eight vampires at the castle. With Keleta, Duff, and Parker gone, that would leave four to five, unless Lady already had their replacements lined up. Try as she might, Madison couldn’t fathom what Lady was doing with so many male vampires, especially newbies. Was it just for the sex?

  Madison screwed up her face in contemplation. “I get the blood thing. That’s food to you. But what’s all the sex about? Seems every vampire I’ve met is sex crazy.”

  Joni laughed out loud before answering. “That’s actually a very good question. I’m surprised you haven’t asked Samuel that, considering his penchant for small harems.” She shot Madison a sly look and received a scowl in return.

  “Sex,” Joni continued, “is one of the few human pleasures we are allowed. What’s more, for us the enjoyment is intensified. In return, we can give our partners a more satisfying experience. Some even call it intoxicating.”

  Madison thought of Miriam and the other women who flocked around vampires. She thought of Chuck, Joni’s lover, bouncing down the stairs with hyped-up energy. Then she remembered how Colin had made her feel, even though their lovemaking had not been consummated. She shivered but not with cold. She gripped the arms of her chair and looked down at the floor, trying to clear her mind. When she looked up, Joni was watching her like a hungry hawk eyeing a sparrow.

  “If it wasn’t Samuel who popped your vampire cherry, I’m guessing it was the delicious Colin Reddy. Or is there some new vampire hunk on the scene I’m not aware of? You’re far too appealing not to be claimed by someone.”

  Madison tossed her hair back over her left shoulder, careful not to expose her right ear. The cut had been small and was already nearly healed, but she didn’t want to give Joni’s speculation any satisfaction. “I belong to no one, vampire or otherwise.”

  Returning her attention to the computer, Madison was surprised to see her own name under a column on Doug’s page marked Associates. It was just below the name Pauline Speakes. She pointed to it. “Why am I listed there?”

  Joni clicked on the link and brought up a page featuring Madison, including a photo of her taken during her welcome reception at Samuel’s villa. “To the extent possible, we also keep information on everyone working closely with vampires. You are listed as living with the Dedhams and working with the council.”

  The detail of the information was impressive and took Madison’s mind away from Colin and Joni’s prying.

  “Are V-girls or consorts listed?”

  “Sometimes they are, especially if they’ve been with a vampire for a long time. The consorts that move around frequently are difficult to track.”

  With a few keystrokes, Joni brought the screen back to the list of names. “This is how you conduct a search.” A small search menu popped up, and Joni inserted Samuel La Croix in the box. “You can put in a whole name or a partial, depending on what you’re searching for. You can also put in a geographical location.”

  In a flash, up popped Samuel’s page. Joni pointed to the column listing Associates. “I believe these are Samuel’s three current ladies.” She glanced at Madison. “Am I correct?”

  “Yes.”

  Several names below the women, Madison spotted her own name, Michael Notchey’s, and Hyun’s. Just above Hyun’s name was Gordon, Samuel’s former driver and bodyguard. Next to his name was AD.

  “What does ad mean?”

  “It’s not ad but AD. Whenever you see that, it means that associate is deceased. A lone D signifies a deceased vampire. If you see a BL next to a name, that means a human with a bloodline. We like to track those as best we can, but it’s difficult unless they are associates.”

  Joni switched to another screen. “This is a listing of only the names and jobs of humans in the service industry,” Joni explained. “It’s almost like an online Yellow Pages. You’re also listed there as the council’s assistant.”

  “How do you get photos of the vampires?” Madison asked. “They don’t come through very well in pictures. I know Samuel doesn’t come out at all.”

  Joni returned to Samuel’s page. “Newer vampires do come out. For the others, we take what photos we can, then enhance them using descriptions or drawings like those you brought with you. For the very old vampires like Samuel, we take a photo of someone who looks like him, then Photoshop it to resemble him better.”

  Madison studied Samuel’s profile photo. It looked like him, but then again it didn’t. “Is that how vampires get driver’s licenses and passports? Do you fake those, too?”

  Joni turned and smiled at Madison. “Yes, you are quite the smart cookie.” Her tone was one of appreciation edged with suspicion. She turned back to the computer. “We can generate fairly good photos to submit for things like passport applications. The driver’s license is tricky because the DMV wants to take their own photos. Younger vampires can do that, but when it comes to the older ones, we simply buy them very good fake licenses using our enhanced photos.”

  “You guys have thought of everything.” Madison shook her head in wonder.

  “Our survival depends on it.”

  TWENTY-TWO

  S

  amuel suggested we start with Ann Hayes,” Madison told Joni after Joni showed her a few more ways to navigate the database.

  “Sounds sensible to me.” Joni pulled up the page for Ann Hayes. “Although we don’t have much on her. Samuel asked me to consult the database as soon as her name came up a few days ago. Seems she keeps herself under the radar.”

  The profile for Ann Hayes was pretty bare. There wasn’t even a photo of her, just a description and a note that she used to go by Annabelle Fogle. Even her downline was skimpy, with only Doug and Colin listed.

  “All we ever knew about Annabelle Fogle was that she turned Doug and Colin and branded new vampires,” explained Joni. “Just yesterday I updated this to add her new name. I’m hoping to get a photo of Ann before too long.”

  “May I?” Madison indicated to Joni that she wanted to use the mouse.

  “Better yet, why don’t you take the helm.” Joni got up from her chair and switched places with Madison. “It’s the best way to learn.”

  What Colin had said about his time with Ann came back to Madison. He’d been her companion for a long time before striking out on his own.

  “According to Colin,” Madison said, “Ann creates new companions as she needs them—changing out men every few decades like other women change hairstyles.”

  “Hopefully, we can expand the list while she’s around.”

  Returning to the search feature, Madison inserted the name Parker. Several names popped up, both a
s first names and last, and included both beaters and vampires. Using the advanced search feature, Madison narrowed the list down to only vampires with the United States as a geographical location. The editing left only a half-dozen possibilities.

  “You’re catching on fast,” Joni commented.

  “I like working with computers. Unlike people … or vampires … they make sense.”

  She clicked on the link for the first Parker on the pared-down list. His name was Jonathan Parker. Up popped a profile of a young-looking vampire with long red hair and steely blue eyes. Quickly, she closed the page and moved on to the next name.

  Madison stopped her search long enough to pull Doug’s sketch out of her file and hand it to Joni. “This is what we’re looking for.”

  The next two links also brought up misses, but the fourth held a lot of promise. The profile was that of a vampire named Parker Young. The photo wasn’t an exact match for the second dead vampire, but it was close enough to be a possibility. He was described as being tall, with rugged features, usually with long blond hair. It was noted there was a long scar across the left side of his rib cage. Madison read his bio, noting that Parker had been an officer in the Confederate Army when he was turned—a Southerner. He had no upline, and his downline contained only two names, both men, neither recognizable to either Madison or Joni.

  “Looks like we found the right guy,” said Madison. Still, she checked out the remaining two names, but neither came close.

  After returning to Parker Young’s profile, Madison tapped the computer screen. “We can mark this guy with a D. I’m almost positive this is the same guy who was found dead in Doug and Dodie’s pool. The scar and the Southern connection fit, too.”

  Joni looked from the sketch to the photo. “Certainly fits the description.”

  “The thing is, when asked, Ann Hayes claimed she didn’t know who he was. But she was still branding her new vampires at the time he became a vampire.” She turned to Joni. “Could there have been other vampires using the same brand? You know, like a secret or private club within the vampire community?”