Dirk shook his head again. “People always say serial killers are nice people.”
“You really wanna pin something on this guy, don't you?” she said.
“Something doesn't feel right about him,” said Dirk. “He's almost too clean.”
Lin put a hand on his shoulder. “And if the evidence leads to him, we'll nail the son of a bitch, but right now, it points to the girl, and until it says otherwise, try to keep your own head, okay?”
“Yeah sure,” he said, leaning forward. He stared at the computer screen.
Lin's phone rang. “Detective Lin. Uh huh. Yeah, be right down.” She slammed the receiver in the cradle. “That was Davis. He's got something for us.”
~~~~~
“You had, what we call, a vampiric episode,” said Joshua.
“I'm sorry, what?” said Adelaide. “Did you say vampire?”
He smiled and nodded, leaning forward. “I said vampiric, to be more precise. It happens, sometimes, in undiscovered talent.”
“I don't follow,” she said.
His smile widened, flashing brilliantly white teeth. “You, my dear sweet girl, are a vampire, or will become one shortly, within the next decade or so. It's no wonder Mr. Madison took an interest in you. He most likely found you irresistable.”
“I was the only one who could put up with him,” she said, crossing her arms. “And I still don't know what you mean. I'm not a vampire. I don't drink blood. Sunlight doesn't hurt me. I went to church every Sunday until I was eight. Hell, I have human parents.”
“All vampires have human parents,” he said.
She blushed and felt a little sheepish. “Yeah, of course, but then how am I a vampire? Nobody bit me or anything.”
“It does not come from a bite,” he said, “not really, not anymore. It's too dangerous. We adapt and evolve. And not everyone can become a vampire. Think of it as a genetic pre-disposition. Just as some humans are more likely to get cancer or develop heart disease than others.”
“But everyone can get cancer,” she said, pointing a finger at him. “Expose them to a carcinogen like tobacco or radiation long enough. Same for heart disease. Eat enough fatty burgers and the inevitable will happen.
He sighed and shook his head. “Of course. Think of it more like green eyes or brown hair then. Either you have the gene for it, or you don't.”
She pushed up from her chair and started to pace, running her hands through her hair. “Okay, so say I do have this gene. I'm not craving blood or anything and there's still the sunlight and church. Is it because I'm not a vampire yet?”
He watched her as she walked, his hands clasped together. He looked so damn smug. “Oh, you're most definitely one of us. Our kind is older than the Christian church. As for bloof, be grateful you do not crave it. If you drink blood, you will develop a reaction to sunlight, along with some other less than appealing side effects.”
“So do you guys test for this?” she said. “I mean, what do you do with someone like me?”
“There is no test,” he said. “I say a gene, but we actually have no way to determine who can or cannot become a vampire. It simply happens.”
“And how did it happen to me?” she said, stopping to look at him again.
He smoothed back his thick, curly hair and gave her a meaningful look. “It could be as simple as an exchange of bodily fluids.”
“Like an STD?” she said.
He let out a stifled laugh. “Something like that. There has to be intent. Your maker could have been one of your clients, something slipped into your drink, a phlebotomist when you donated blood or plasma.”
Adelaide suddenly felt very heavy. She leaned against the wall behind her and slid to the floor, running through every social interaction she'd had in the past, well, however long. It could have been when she was a baby, or in elementary school, any time, any where. So why did she react now?
Joshua stood and rounded the table. He crouched in front of her and took her hands, which were resting on her knees. She could smell his cologne this close. It smelled of black pepper, anise, bergamot, and something musky, myrh maybe.
“It's a lot to take in, and I'm sorry,” he said. His eyes gazed into hers. “It shouldn't have happened this way. Once your vampirism fully manifested, properly, your maker would have found you.”
“Then what happened?” she said, surprised that her voice was shaking. Her face was hot and wet with tears.
“Sometimes, very rarely, when a young vampire's life is threatened, some of our more,” he paused, “animalistic instincts take over. We call them vampiric episodes. You tore Bruce Madison to shreds, drank his blood, and blacked out from the high.”
She let out a sob and the tears started to flow. Joshua wrapped his arms around her and held her until her crying subsided.
“If it makes you feel any better, I always hated Bruce,” said Joshua. “I thought he was repugnant and cruel.”
She looked at him for a moment, sniffling. “Why didn't you stop him? And if you're not my maker, or whatever, who is? Where are they?”
“I never imagined Bruce would go as far as he did,” said Joshua. “And as for your maker, I don't know. They should have been there or have come for you. But they haven't. Something I find most troubling.”
“So what do I do now?” she said.
“Rest,” he said. “Try and keep out of trouble.”
“And what will you do?” she said.
“Well, I'm going to try to find whoever made you,” he said. “Until I do, someone will be sent to monitor you.”
“Monitor me?” she said. Her stomach did a funny little flip and she pulled away. “Why do I need monitored?”
Joshua licked his lips. “It's for your own safety. If you have another episode, we need to know about it before things get bad or if any other abilities start to arise. The transition from human to vampire is a long one and it is not easy.”
The tears threatened again. She could feel her throat getting tighter and she shook it off. “I didn't ask for this,” she said through clenched teeth. “I just wanted to save my money, start my business and have a life.”
He put a finger under her chin. “You still can, Adelaide. Vampirism is not death. It is eternal life. A life which you cannot imagine. I will help you as much as I can.” He kissed her forehead.
“I don't know what to say,” she said, her voice shaking again.
“Say thank you,” he said. “And let me drive you home.”
She nodded slowly. He smiled at her again and stood, offering a well manicured hand.
She took it and he lifted her to her feet with ease. “Everything will be fine, Adelaide.”
“I killed a man,” she said.
“You defended yourself.”
“He's still dead,” she said, “and I was sleeping with him for money.”
Joshua shrugged. “One of the world's oldest professions and least respected, in my opinion. My third wife was a prostitute.”
She stared at him wide-eyed.
“A story for another time,” he said with a laugh. “Let's get you home.”
~~~~~
Dr. Edward Davis smiled as the detectives entered the autopsy room. He tugged at his lab coat and straightened his tie as if welcoming a guest into his home.
Which, as far as Dirk was concerned, it pretty much was.
The morgue was cold and smelled of cleansers, blood, and some undentifiable smell Dirk didn't want to know about. It made him gag a little every time, but Davis fit in there. He wasn't creepy or odd, it just seemed he should be there.
Dirk forced back another gag and smiled at Davis. Davis was a good man, thorough and patient and always polite and calm.
“Whatcha got?” Dirk said.
“Something and nothing at all,” said Davis. He turned and went to the body, not waiting for the detectives. He handed them a box of gloves as they approached and pulled ba
ck the sheet.
Dirk swallowed and Lin paled. They had both seen their fair share of violent deaths, but this one won the gold medal. Even with an autopsy, Madison's body didn't look right. Not that there was really much of a need for one. The murderer had pretty much done Davis' job for him.
“He's not much to look at,” said Davis with a frown, “but he's given me quite a bit to work with. Look here, at the throat.” He lifted a piece of torn flesh where the head was removed.
Dirk wrinkled his nose.
“This is where things get really interesting,” said Davis. “I know there's been some speculation. How do you supposed the head was removed?”
Lin and Dirk looked at each other. Dirk shook his head and Lin let out an exhasperated noise. “A saw blade is my guess,” she said.
“Ah, but there are no striations on the bones,” said Davis, lifting a bloody finger as if giving a lesson. He pointed back to the neck. “Look here, at these tears. Do you see the impression? The marks?”
“Teeth?” said Dirk, creasing his brow. “Someone chewed the head off?”
“Very good, Detective Gregory,” said Davis, as if speaking to one of his college interns. “These are, in fact, bite marks. But I don't know if I would say someone, so much as some thing. It bit into the victim's neck, snapping the bone clean in half. And see these scratches here?” He pointed to the shoulders and what was left of the chest.
“Fingernails?”
“More accurately, claws,” said Davis. “The attacker left traces of saliva and it appears they broke a nail, as it were.” He lifted a small evidence bottle that held what looked like a black claw.”
“An animal did this?” said Lin, her eyes wide.
“So it would seem,” said Davis, “but what type, I cannot say.”
“So an animal figured out the freight elevator, broke into the room, killed Madison, and left Ms. Hunter alive?” said Lin. She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “That's a little far-fetched.”
“Someone's pet,” said Dirk.
“Maybe it's your girlfriend's pet,” said Lin with a toothy smile.
“Right, she just smuggled a cougar under her dress and took it on a date,” said Dirk.
Lin glared at him and put her hands on her hips. “Then she's got an accomplice. Or,” she paused, “Ms. Hunter is innocent and this is some weird cult thing. I dunno.”
“You're speaking of the young woman the victim was with?” said Davis.
“Yeah,” said Dirk, nodding.
Davis thinned his lips and looked back at the body. “I've seen the photos of her bruising. She's very lucky to be alive. The amount of bruising, the force involved, it should have crushed her windpipe. Accomplice or no, someone saved her life.”
~~~~~
Adelaide stared in the mirror and took a deep shuddering breath. Joshua had dropped her off at her apartment an hour ago. He said some reassuring words and walked her to the door. Emma gawked at him when the door opened. He smiled and left.
Emma asked her about a dozen questions, but Adelaide never heard them. She went straight to her room, shut the door and sat on the bed.
She hadn't moved since.
She kept looking at herself. She never considered herself vain, though she was careful about her appearance. Clients liked their escort to be pretty.
But this? This was something else. She thought she took the news that she was a vampire pretty well. But as soon as she sat down in Joshua's fancy sports car, it started to sink in. She was becoming a monster and she had killed a man. Bruce Madison was a bastard, but he didn't deserve to die like that.
Assuming what Joshua told her was true.
But what reason did a man like Joshua Carpenter have to lie to her? He was wealthy, influential, good looking. He probably got his way without asking. Hell, the apartment alone was enough to sway Adelaide. So why make up some bullshit story about vampires?
Then, there was the sense of calm that came over her when he touched her. How did he do that? And what was it about his eyes that terrified her?
Something didn't make sense.
She touched her face, opened her mouth and ran her fingertips along her teeth, pulled at the skin below her eyes. There was nothing.
She looked at her hands, not that she would expect vampires to have different hands, but maybe there was something.
And there was.
On her left hand, her ring finger, the nail was broken.
She didn't recall breaking it, but, well, just add it to the list of strange, unfortunate things that had already happened to her today. She would fix it later. For now, she was exhausted.
She fell back onto the mattress in her clothes and fell into a fitful sleep full of odd dreams.
In one, she dreamed she was flying over the city at night. The lights of the high rises like stars in an asphalt sky. Then, she was falling. Before she struck the ground, the dream shifted and she was back in that strange room with Bruce Madison, his hands clasped around her throat and she was struggling, a silent scream on her lips, the scent of latex so strong it burned her eyes.
Sweat rolled down her face under the mask and her breath grew short. She didn't want to live through this again and she willed herself to wake up.
But something else happened.
She felt her hands jerk free from the restraints. She grabbed Bruce's arms and twisted. He cried out in pain and she twisted harder. Adelaide was in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was almost as if she was watching herself from outside her body, but inside at the same time. Those hands couldn't be hers.
They were bloody and clawed.
She twisted a third time and there was a wet snap of bone and the rip of flesh. He fell on top of her and she pushed him away. He slammed against the wall and she dove on top of him, her own teeth tearing through the rubber mask. Blood rushed into her mouth, lighting her veins on fire. It was almost electrical, better than the sense of euphoria Joshua gave her earlier. Like some deadly high-powered drug. She liked it.
At that thought, she bolted upright in bed, her hands clutched to her chest. She ran one hand over the other, feeling for claws, for blood, the strange shape of them, but they were fine.
“Of course they are,” she whispered to herself. “It was just a dream. That never happened.”
But she could still taste the blood in the back of her throat.
She reached for her phone just as she heard a knock on the apartment door.
~~~~~
Dirk paced the squad room and ran a hand through his hair. His partner insisted on picking up Adelaide herself. She said his judgment was clouded.
Maybe it was.
He couldn't stop thinking about Adelaide. The way her hair shone in the light, her smell, her vulnerability. He felt like he should protect her.
He'd never reacted that way to a female witness or perp before.
Sure, he felt sympathy for them. The woman who killed her abusive boyfriend in self-defense, the kid who watched his best friend gunned down as a result of gang violence. The guy who witnessed a convenience store robbery and murder. He understood that.
But he never felt the need to defend them. Not like this.
The door swung open and Detective Lin stormed in. She fell into her chair and threw her gun and her badge in her desk. Dirk half expected the gun to go off. Lin looked him in the eyes.
“She bolted.”
“What?” said Dirk.
“She bolted,” Lin said again. “I went to her shitty little apartment, knocked on the door, and her roommate answered. The girl went to get Hunter and came back, pale as a ghost. Said her roommate wasn't well. I pushed past her and went to Hunter's room. The window was open and her cellphone was gone. She went down the fire escape and made me look like a fool. She was gone by the time I made it back downstairs. Now tell me she isn't guilty.”
“Maybe someone kidnapped her,” h
e said.
His partner gave him a look that said she was seriously considering shooting him.
“I went back to the apartment after Hunter fled the scene,” said Lin. “I questioned the roommate. The girl said Hunter came home, escorted by a Middle Eastern looking gentleman, barely spoke a word and went to bed. That was three hours ago.”
“Carpenter?” Dirk said.
“Oh, he's involved,” she said. “I bet my badge on that. I sent a uniform to go pick him up. Too many damned coincidences. You and I are going to go pay a visit to Mrs. Devais, find out where this bitch went. Maybe she's got a safe house for when things like this happen.”
“Jennie,” he said, “I really don't think...”
Detective Lin slammed a hand on her desk and stood. “No Dirk, you're not thinking. You're letting your dick do that for you. I don't know what's going on, but you're out of line. This woman murdered someone.”
“It was self-defense,” he said, straightening his shoulders.
“Bullshit,” she said. “Even you don't believe that crap. The man was in pieces. That's not self-defense. That is cold and calculated.”
“Okay, fine,” he said, raising his voice. The other officers were starting to stare. “Let's say she did kill this asshole. From everything we can tell, he's a serial killer. He had no friends to speak of. His secretary says he was a real jerk and his driver won't even speak to police, says the world's a better place. From where I'm standing, Adelaide Hunter did us a favor.”
“No,” said Lin, rounding her desk. “No way. You don't get to make that decision.” She crossed the distance between them in three short strides. “You don't make the rules. That's dangerous, Dirk. This woman killed a man and it's our job to catch her and let the courts decide. If you can't do that, then I need to file a report with the chief.”
Dirk swallowed and stared at her. He could smell her body wash from this close and see her eyes were blood shot from loss of sleep and staring at a screen for too long. He softened a little. “Fine, let's go visit Mrs. Devais,” he said through gritted teeth. “Is there someone with the roommate? I think they work together. She would know of a safehouse, wouldn't she?”
“Now that's more like it,” said Lin. She retreated to her desk, yanked open the drawer and retrieved her gun. She all but sprinted to the door.
Dirk followed her, grudgingly. He didn't like the stink of this case. Something didn't add up. Adelaide probably had something to do with it, but he didn't think this was planned out. It was too messy, too hurried. Something went wrong in that room.