The Case of the Parisian Vendetta: A Mark Julian Vampire PI Mystery #10 (Mark Julian Vampire PI Mysteries)
Page 18
“I guess,” Dustin grumbled making it quite clear he was not as pleased as Raphael.
Raphael raised an eyebrow and looked at Dustin. “You do not agree?”
“Oh I will admit Quan overstepped and Tortego getting his fangs clipped is not something I will cry over but…” he paused then added, “the others are still in the game and we seem to be doing nothing to advance your plans.”
“The cobra knows the best strike comes by patience my young friend. Besides, thanks to Quan, we now have worms to use my lusty young shifter, “ he softly responded.
“Huh?” Dustin said as a look of confusion came to his face. “Worms?’
“Worms of doubt have been planted,” Raphael patiently told him. “Thanks to Quan and his minion Tortego, those worms are now inside the players left standing. Take that so-called hysterical story. My guess is that now every time Jean-Claude and Mark intimately interact they will be wary of feeling a mutual sexual attraction. In time this silly minor doubt will grow into phantom fears that they are in lust or love with each other. Their guilt over it will push them apart. Knowing those two young men, they will feel compelled to confide these doubts and worries to their respective spouses too. After that happens both Vinnie and Jaime, no matter what they now state, will never quite feel fully confident with their spouses. They will unconscious look to see any sign that Jean-Claude and Mark are falling in love with each other. The vampire and the werewolf will detect that worry in those they love and it will only feed their own inner doubts about their friendship with each other.
“Of course Mark and Jean-Claude will also grow to resent their spouses unspoken yet sensed distrust. In time those worms will drive a wedge between all four of them. Ah those lovely creature of doubt. If we lovingly tend them, they will gnaw away the foundations of their friendships and marriages. Alienate them all from each other and, then my lusty shifter, we step in to give the push to topple it all. What makes this all the more delicious is that all four of them really have no reasons to fear or doubt each other about anything they are feeling, right? Mark loves Vinnie and the same is true about Jean-Claude and Jaime relationship. Ah humans and supernatural beings and their inability to fully comprehend the vast mosaic of emotions they contain within their bodies for others. Deeply felt friendships are confused for another type of love simply because someone became aroused during a highly stressed and unusual situation.” He winked at Dustin before adding, “we also have a love that hides behind the façade of friendship rather than speak its true name. By the way, how is Dale?” He unexpectedly inquired.
A shocked Dustin said nothing at first. His face grew flushed. When he finally spoke the irritation in his voice was clear. “My friend is fine. I don’t know if you are implying anything but both of us are only friends. We are not gay!” He paused to calm down. “But to get to the point, how long until all this happens.”
The angel smiled, shook his head, and then spoke. “Patience. Now it is all simply applied pressure. Let me give you a visual example. See that object on the nearby table?” He said as he gazed at an exquisite white Ming vase. The angel went over to the table, picked up the vessel, and dropped it. The delicate vase shattered into pieces.
”What the fuck?” Dustin said.
Rafael waved his hand over the broken vase. Suddenly it reassembled and rose upward to again sit on the table. “Look at it,” he sharply told Dustin. “ Is it the same as it was before its destruction?” He asked.
”Well no it’s…” Dustin paused then answered. “It wasn’t broken before.”
Rafael nodded then added. “Now you understand. Before you had a beautiful object that was smooth and flawless. Now, even though the object has been reassembled back to its original form, it shows its cracks. That is what is happened in this war. Mark Julian and his friends have reassembled themselves but, as I just told you, their emotional cracks are still there. All we need to do is apply critical pressure to the right crack at precisely the correct time and they will shatter into pieces. Do not rush events. If you have too much nervous energy then why not simply expend it upon your friend, Dale.”
“I told you that we are simply friends,” an irritated Dustin snapped back.
Friends with benefits you mean my poor little self-deceiving shifter. Well no matter for once your purpose is completed you will be stricken from existence, Raphael silently thought before replying. “We’ve all the times of eternity so simply be patient. For now just enjoy the fun of watching the worms rip them into emotional shreds.” He grinned and added, “with both of us occasionally giving a push or two.”
The End
Postscript:
I hope this ending to this Roué family affair saga was all you expected. Please don’t think this work is a finale in any way for certain people. Never assume any character is dead or gone forever. Have no concerns, the world of Mark Julian has many more stories to be told. So enjoy the ride! By the way, I know this recent two-part saga was pretty dark but be of good cheer as the next book, assuming you are sticking around, will hopefully be a madcap screwball adventure. We finished Quan’s major role but I want to take a breather before Raphael gets into it with them.
Side note: I tried to walk a fine line describing sexual actions in some scenes without becoming too graphic. I hope I stayed true to my intent. Some encounters had either an overt or an undercurrent of danger or violence. Nothing gratuitous was written in my books. They all have the intent of influencing how you saw a certain character’s personality, helped solve a plot issue or explain why someone acted in the way they did. I did not want to stray in adult erotic in these books. I confess however, I like to push at the Jean-Claude & Mark boundaries and address the issues of temptations in relationships.
My sincere thanks are sent to one of my good friends. He pointed out that the aide should be more than a mere passing reference in the opening chapter. I trust he approves where I went with his comment.
I do like to take time to author other mystery stories involving characters that lay outside the world of my vampire PI {e.g. my ghostly investigator in my Maisie series}. They are not as dark and more lighthearted. When I’ve finished a Julian story I look forward to just kicking back and writing a good simple murder mystery with no arcs or drama. Well not too many of those items in the books. Feel free to look for those works and my short stories on the Internet’s bookstores too.
If you are enjoying the Julian series then look for the next one and please take a moment to give us a review on Amazon too:
The Case of the Flickering Star
A Mark Julian Vampire PI Mystery #11
In the early decades of Hollywood when, movies were still being referred to by some as The Flickers, no star had shone brighter on the silver screen than the luminously ethereal Amber Corrine Terry. In the supernatural world she was known as the Greek muse Thalia. Her romantic movies were always financial blockbusters and many a young man dreamt of making love to the ashen haired, wide-eyed beauty. By the mid 1920’s she was dubbed the Queen of the Love. One of her biggest hits was the controversially notorious film, Nights in Babylon. In its cast was a young foreign actor named Marcus Caesarea making his first, and last, foray into films. Daring even by today’s standards, the movie shocked audiences and caused preachers to rail against the degeneracy of movies. Naturally it was also the biggest moneymaker of that decade.
As the twenties came to a close while still at the very height of her fame, Amber retired from the screen. Many assumed it was the talkies that forced her, like so many other silent film stars, to bow out of acting. Yet others felt there was more behind her retirement. When her silent movies were lost in a studio warehouse fire all that was left of her artistic contributions were some grainy publicity still photos from a few of her films.
Recently, her great granddaughter has launched her own successful movie career. The very image of her famous ancestor, young Amber is rapidly rising to the heights her namesake once held in Tinsel Town. But now somet
hing threatens the young ingénue. A message was sent to her claiming that a pristine and unedited copy of Nights Of Babylon has been discovered. Its finder has threatened Amber that they will show it to the world unless she makes certain payments.
Amber knows that if that film if seen it will prove she has more than a mere resemblance to the original Amber. In desperation, she hires Mark Julian to find the film and destroy it. For Mark this is more than a job. Back in the day, as a favor to his movie star lover and his friend Amber, he too had appeared in that movie under the name Marcus Caesarea. If that film is publicly seen it will not only be Amber who has some tricky questions to answer concerning uncanny resemblances. He would also prefer that Vinnie and especially Vinnie’s mother and her friend did not view Mark’s rather revealing performance during a certain orgy segment of the film. The hunt is on for Mark but, with Jean-Claude and Jaime visiting Europe to celebrate their cousin Laurent’s crowning, he is forced to seek assistance from a delighted Viola. Together this odd couple soon discovers that the other eight Greek Muses and a few of the Greek Graces too may not be so eager that the pair succeeds. It’s a madcap adventure as Mark recalls how, during his early days in Hollywood, he was seduced not only by the thrill of acting in a movie but also by a certain sexy male actor into clearly showing an his family jewels in that film. Will Mark be able to help the Greek muse Thalia keep her secret as well as his own. More worrying is what price will Viola demand for both her assistance and, critically, her silence?