Several minutes later her phone dinged with a new email, a reply from the production company that had a little paperclip attachment symbol on it. She eagerly opened it and sure enough, they sent her the guest list. She snapped her fingers with satisfaction and they ran upstairs to open it on her laptop so they could maneuver through it easier. Zachariah pulled his desk chair next to hers and looked on as she reopened the email on her computer. She opened the attachment and there it was; the full guest list for last week’s premiere.
They quickly scrolled through the names, looking for the first name “Kelly” and hoping she didn’t have a common last name. They stopped once they spotted “Kelly Warner” and they looked at each other with content grins. Emma copied and pasted the name into the search bar on Facebook to see if any profile came up—that would be the surest way to identify her as the right person. Several profiles came up under that name and they scrolled through until they saw the familiar redhead’s profile picture. She was in the middle of a Todd and Declan sandwich, obviously taken at the after party.
“Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner,” Zachariah said as he took a better look at the picture. You could see Emma, Zachariah, and Daniel talking to each other in the background.
Luckily, her profile wasn’t set to private, so they were able to scroll through her latest posts and pictures to see if there were any leads. They sped down to where she talked about the premiere, deciding it was best to start from the beginning and to go from there. She checked in at the Aragon Ballroom, her friends enviously commenting on her luck. She had uploaded some pictures of the venue and of the various celebrities that had no idea their pictures were being taken. There was one of Daniel and Brianna as they first entered the ballroom, several of Declan and Vivienne from various angles, a few of Zachariah, with and without Emma, and some of Todd as well.
They looked through her posts and saw one where she typed in all caps lock, JENNY AND I JUST GOT TO HANG OUT WITH DECLAN FITZGERALD AND TODD FOSTER! OMG!!!
Her friends replied with envy and excitement while she answered all of their questions, giving them the play-by-play of the evening. Emma and Zachariah continued to scroll up to see if she had posted any indication that she had remained with Todd after the premiere. They stopped at a post that was made shortly following the after party, assuming when she had arrived home.
Really connected with Todd Foster, should have given him my phone number or something.
“Does that mean she should have given him her phone number before he left the party…or before he left her bed?” Zachariah asked himself.
“Only one way to find out,” Emma replied to him as she started to dig deeper. They could see that she lived in the Chicago suburb of Mount Prospect, but worked in Lombard. They tried to search for her address in the White Pages, but she was unlisted. However, the name of the office where she worked was on Facebook, so they searched for the business address.
Emma looked at the grandfather clock along the wall, “It’s only 10:30, I’d be willing to bet she’s at work.”
“Let’s head over there and have a little chat with her, then!” Zachariah said as he stood up from his chair.
Their car pulled up in front of the small office that was within a corporate business park in the town of Lombard. They had decided to send Zachariah in to get her to come outside. He strolled in through the door confidently and was greeted by a surprised receptionist who wondered if he was the real deal or a look-alike.
“Good morning, may I help you?” She systematically said with a bright smile.
Zachariah leaned in and smoothly answered, “Good morning, is Kelly Warner here?”
Her eyes lit up and replied, “Yes, one moment.” She picked up her phone and called her desk, informing her to come to the front.
Kelly appeared from around the corner and was taken aback at the site of Zachariah Dancy standing at the reception desk. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.
“Hi…” she said, not knowing what else to say. She never spoke with Zachariah at the premiere, so she had no idea why he was here to see her.
“Hi there, Kelly,” he casually said as if they had known each other for years, instantly relaxing her. “Can you step outside with me for a few minutes to chat?”
“Sure, uh…let me grab my coat.” She went back to her desk and put on her coat, followed him out the door, and turned back for a quick glance at her coworker. They exchanged silent excitement to one another.
As they walked outside, Emma stepped out of the car and approached them, her hand already extended to introduce herself.
“Kelly? Hi, I’m Emma Davenport, Daniel’s sister,” she said as she firmly shook Kelly’s hand. “Listen, we’re kind of in a pickle here. I recall you talking extensively with Todd Foster the night of the premiere,” she started.
Kelly couldn’t help but instantly think that this was Todd’s way of reaching out to her from her missed opportunity.
“I know this is kind of a personal question, but I really need you to be honest with us. Did Todd go home with you that night?” Emma asked without beating around the bush.
Kelly shook her head, “No, but I kind of kicked myself for not giving him my phone number since we were really hitting it off.”
“When was the last time you saw him?” Zachariah asked.
Beginning to worry that something just didn’t feel right, Kelly replied, “Is there a…problem or something…” her voice trailing off.
“He never came home after that night,” Emma honestly answered. “He lives with us at Davenport Manor; has been for the past year. We’re really concerned because this isn’t like him and his cell phone is off, so we can’t get a hold of him. We were just under the impression he might have been with you this whole time. So, like Zachariah said, when was the last time you saw him?”
Kelly looked up, recalling the night’s events, “My friend, Jenny and I were outside with Declan and Todd; she and I wanted to have a cigarette, so they joined us. They didn’t smoke, though. After we came back inside, Declan started walking back over to Vivienne, Todd went his separate way, and Jenny and I went to the bathroom. We were talking while freshening up and I had decided to slip Todd my phone number, but by the time I came out, he was gone. I was going to give my number to Declan to give to Todd, but I felt awkward doing that, so I didn’t,” Kelly explained.
Emma and Zachariah looked at each other, both feeling defeated. They were so sure they would get some sort of lead from Kelly, but they had nothing to go on.
“If he didn’t turn up for work today, I think the police need to be called,” Kelly said with a pinch of urgency in her voice. While she only spent an hour with Todd, she still cared about his well-being.
Zachariah and Emma spoke to each other without saying a word. Emma walked in to the office to charm the receptionist to forget that they were ever there. Zachariah placed his hands on Kelly’s shoulders, locking eyes with her, “You will forget we came here, you will forget that Todd is missing. For all you remember is that he was a missed opportunity at the premiere.”
Emma exited the office and simply said, “Done.”
Kelly looked at her and asked, “Done what?” She turned back to Zachariah and quizzically added, “Why am I supposed to forget all that? If there is a way I can help, I’d like to, but I really think the police should be called.”
Emma stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide in alarm.
Zachariah muttered to himself, “You have got to be kidding me…”
The chances of a vampire coming face-to-face with a living weapon were one in a million. As their luck would have it, Emma and Zachariah had associated with three of them in the past few decades; Daniel’s father, John, Todd, and now Kelly. Living weapons could not be charmed, which is why vampires would always charm their victims first. If they couldn’t be charmed, that meant that their blood would be deadly.
Emma became pensive and said, “You know what, Zachariah? I think it would b
e better if we all kept in touch with each other, just in case any of us have new leads. Obviously, Todd and Kelly liked each other; perhaps he felt you were a missed opportunity, too.” Emma played on Kelly’s emotions, making her feel like they had a girlie connection. “Would you mind exchanging numbers with me, Kelly? You must promise that you won’t give mine out, I’m trusting you.”
Surprised and a little excited, Kelly replied, “Yes, I think that would be a good idea! No worries, I will guard it with my life.”
They swapped phones so they could punch in their numbers for each other, Emma changing her contact name to Alayna Arevalo to keep her identity hidden.
“Please let me know if you find out anything, okay?” Kelly said as she slipped her phone back in to her coat pocket. “Are you on Facebook? You can add me if you like…”
“I am under Alayna Arevalo. I’ll add you when I get home and likewise, keep in touch,” Emma added as she shook her hand. Zachariah shook Kelly’s hand as well, saying their goodbyes and nice-to-meet-yous.
Zachariah and Emma sat in the quiet car for a moment before turning on the engine, to think about everything that had just happened in that short amount of time. Emma had realized that she had charmed the receptionist to forget they were there, but of course Kelly would still remember. She thought about going back in to undo it, but figured it would be best if she didn’t. The fewer people who knew they were there, the better. Kelly could just go on thinking that her co-worker was either crazy or horribly forgetful.
“So, what are we going to do about this living weapon?” Zachariah asked while motioning his head toward the office.
“Nothing, we’re going to do nothing,” Emma bluntly answered while turning the ignition. She glanced at him when he didn’t reply to find that he was glaring at her in disbelief. “You and I are the only ones who know…” she explained. “The girl shouldn’t have to die. Don’t you dare say anything to anyone about her…that’s an order.” Emma transitioned from being Zachariah’s partner to being his Queen in that split moment. She rarely barked orders at him, but this time she felt it was appropriate.
Just then, Emma’s phone rang and the caller ID indicated that it was Aidan calling her back. She shot Zachariah a quick look of warning to keep his mouth shut before answering. Aidan explained that he stopped by Todd’s parents’ house and that he wasn’t there—he hadn’t been there at all, there was barely a trace of his scent there. Nothing that was fresh or recent.
“I’m calling a meeting at the Manor with all of the Kings and Queens, they need to be aware of the situation,” Aidan said over the phone. “Please prepare for our arrival within the next couple of days.”
Emma agreed to it before hanging up, closing her eyes for a moment before putting the car into reverse. During their drive home, Emma and Zachariah wracked their brains trying to figure out where Todd was. What had happened to him? A year ago Zachariah couldn’t have cared less, but since he and Todd had gotten to know each other and become friends, he had to admit to himself that he was concerned as well.
The ride home was silent; both of them thinking of different scenarios of what could have happened to Todd. Both had several scenarios of what came of him, but they were so grim that they pushed them out of their minds and never spoke them aloud.
Over the next couple of days they prepared for the arrival of the vampire Kings and Queens of the world. Daniel’s plan to move back home was thwarted when Emma told him to hold off due to the last-minute visitors. Daniel, who was always comfortable around vampires his entire life, was perfectly happy to stay away this time.
Vivienne and Declan had returned from Los Angeles when they learned that Todd did not spend a week in a sex-filled fling with Kelly, but was indeed missing. They arrived and helped with the preparation around the Manor.
“Declan, can you do me a favor and run to Barrington to purchase some cases of blood from Patricia Miller?” Emma requested as she tossed him the keys to the Escalade. Patricia was a fellow vampire that owned a funeral home in the town of Barrington, providing the local vampires their source of blood so they would not have to feed off humans directly. Emma was her biggest customer for decades and Patricia was more than happy to do business with the Queen of North America.
“Sure, love,” he replied as he caught the keys without a flinch. “How many cases do you want?”
“Let’s go for ten, I have no idea how long the others will be here,” she replied as she dusted the parlor. “Vivienne, can you please go through each of the guest rooms upstairs and make sure they’re all in tip-top shape?”
Zachariah scoured the computer in their bedroom, Facebook stalking Emma’s newly added friend, Kelly Warner. He flipped through her pictures, status updates, anything he could find. He went onto several gossip sites looking through photographers’ pictures from the premiere, examining the background of each one, looking for some sort of clue. He was coming up empty with nothing out of the ordinary. He Googled several different search words, looking for guest pictures that were posted on social media—nothing.
A private message popped up on Facebook from Kelly: “Hey Emma, thanks for the add! Any updates yet on Todd? I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him.”
Zachariah, posing as Emma, wrote back, “No, unfortunately we haven’t had any leads yet. We have some people coming by tonight who may be able to help. Will keep you posted.” He signed off, not wanting to continue having a conversation with her. He was always one to keep it short and sweet.
Declan returned with the cases of blood a short time later just as the first vampire royals arrived; Aidan and Mackenzie. They were comfortable enough to walk in without knocking and were greeted by Emma, Zachariah, Vivienne, and Declan in the foyer. Emma hugged Aidan and gave him a quick, yet sensual kiss. Zachariah and Mackenzie smiled slyly at each other, raising eyebrows and narrowing their eyes in quiet seduction. They always had a romp or two when they were together. Aidan, being the oldest “living” vampire on Earth, went upstairs with Mackenzie to put their belongings away in their appointed guest rooms.
There was a knock on the door and Emma proceeded to open it, revealing that the Queen of Australia had arrived. Cassandra Landry stood on the front landing flanked by her second-in-command, Michael, who had taken her last name even though they were not married. He was just that devoted to his maker and Queen. Cassandra, or Cassie as she liked to be called by her friends, had chocolate skin and a perfectly-shaped, medium-sized afro, pulled back in a headband. She was a no-holds-barred kind of girl, turned by Aidan when she was in her mid-thirties. She took no crap from anyone, had a quick wit, but a huge heart of gold for those she loved and cared about. Her second-in-command, Michael couldn’t have been more opposite. He was as pale as they came, with long, light brown hair pulled back in a low ponytail and brown eyes. He had stubble on his face when he was turned in the 1970’s and never shaved it off, knowing it would never grow back. He had a rugged, yet handsome look about him with a big, toothy, and impeccably straight smile.
“Good to see you again, Emma!” Cassie exclaimed as she threw her arms around her old friend. It had been a long time since they had seen each other and always enjoyed their time together. Cassie made Emma laugh with her snappy sense of humor during every conversation. They had an easy friendship that developed quickly and were much closer to one another than they were with the other remaining vampire Queen.
Emma and Zachariah pleasantly greeted Michael, who they met just a couple of times, mostly because he was still considered a young vampire. He was charming, yet genuine and it was easy to understand why Cassie had turned him and made him her second-in-command. Not overly affectionate, he shook their hands cordially while flashing his wide smile.
Vivienne took it upon herself to show them their rooms and helped carry one of Cassie’s bags up the stairs. The only royalty she had ever been around were Emma and Aidan, so the thought of being in the Manor with all of the world’s Kings and Queens was quite thrilling
for her.
The next knock on the door was Thomas Somers, the King of Africa. He hailed from Cape Town, South Africa, where he was born, lived, and eventually turned by Aidan in the late 1800’s. He wasn’t as tall as the other male vampires, standing at 5’10”. His hair was jet black; so dark that it almost had a blue tinge to it. His skin was porcelain white and his eyes were a piercing color of blue, framed by striking black, arched eyebrows. His chiseled face made every woman and gay man weak in the knees. His only flaw was his slightly-crooked front teeth, but most were willing to overlook that. He was accompanied by his second-in-command, Tiffany, who was still considered a young vampire after being turned in the early 1990’s.
Thomas was friendly, but much more conservative than the others. He shook Zachariah’s hand and then regally kissed Emma’s while bowing slightly. They had never met Tiffany before, so they introduced themselves and discovered that Tiffany had once been a high school tennis player, which explained her athletic physique. She was certainly fortunate to be stuck with her figure for the rest of eternity.
Following King Thomas was the Queen of Asia, Kumiko Mori. Oddly, it was as if she was named with the destiny of becoming a vampire. Her name had several meanings, yet each description fit her perfectly; long time, beautiful, child. She was indeed young when Aidan turned her; her tiny frame practically floated through the front door with her partner following behind her. Her second-in-command was a tall, blond vampire named James who was once a businessman in Tokyo when she decided to turn him. She was notorious throughout the vampire species as being one of the most lethal with a very short fuse. James was not her first second-in-command—in fact she had several throughout the years. Her temper often got in the way of her logic and she would banish them when they crossed her on the wrong day. Aidan had confided in Emma on several occasions about removing Kumiko’s title as Queen of Asia, but never followed through with it. She wasn’t friendly and barely greeted the others as she walked inside. Quite often, she seemed angry for no apparent reason.
The Living Weapon (Davenport Manor Book 2) Page 5