FRIDAY
May 9, 2008
6:08 a.m.
When Barbara Lopez' eyelids fluttered open at a little after six that Friday morning, she couldn't believe how great she felt. Immediately, she stopped and listened for the twins. Luckily, they were still asleep. In the distance, she could hear that Jerod was already awake, getting ready for school.
Barbara turned to her husband. He was lightly snoring and looked very comfortable lying there to her left. She watched his chest rise and fall and thought about how terribly hard he had been working lately on the recent wave of murders that had swept over Kingsburg. She didn't know much more about it other than the fact that they didn't have much in the way of leads. Since he had been getting home rather late each night, she hadn't had much of an opportunity to discuss things with him. And she wouldn't press him too much about it unless he brought it up, since he had probably been eating, sleeping and thinking about it ceaselessly for the last four days.
Quietly, Barbara pulled the covers back and got out of bed. She tip-toed out of the bedroom and looked in on the twins. They were fine. She watched them for a while and then headed back for the master bedroom.
“Good morning, sweetie,” Michael greeted her upon entering the room. He was still in bed but wide awake.
“I'm sorry, did I wake you?”
“No!” He quickly leaned up onto one elbow. “No, Barb, I was just snoozing anyway.”
She offered him a knowing smile as she went to the bed and sat down beside him. “How are you and Jacks doing?”
“The same.” He shook his head, dismissing the questions. “But let's not talk about that.”
“Okay,” she said.
“Let's talk about you,” he smiled warmly. “I mean, I haven't spoken to you much these last few days. What's goin' on? What have the kids been up to? What's new?”
“Well...” she began.
The telephone rang.
“Ah, hell,” Michael sighed and immediately reached over and picked up the phone.
Barbara sighed at the interruption and listened for the twins. She had looked forward to spending some quiet quality time with her husband, but now with the phone ringing, she knew she could almost kiss that dream goodbye.
“Lopez.” Poor, Michael! He can’t even answer the phone normally at home with a common, “hello?”
“Mike, it's me,” Barbara could hear Mark answer
“I hope you’re calling me to inform me that a Cub’s pitcher threw a no-hitter last night!”
“I want you to go to your front door and pick up the paper.”
“Jackson,” he sighed. “We don't get the paper.”
“You do today. I had the boys in blue swing by and leave one on your doorstep.”
“Alright,” he said. “What page?”
“We’re all over the front page today. And then you’d better get in here.”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah,” he said. “There was an accident last night. Something scared the shit out of one of Hanford’s finest. He slammed into a CHP, killing him.”
“Holy shit!” Michael muttered to himself, dropping his head into his left hand.
“Chief’s called everybody in. Now he’s got more mayors than one ripping into his ass! He wants us at the station ASAP. Before ASAP, even!”
“Damn! Where are you?”
“Still at home, but I’m on my way.”
“Alright!” And then he hung up the phone.
Michael moved past his wife as if she weren’t even there. “What is it?” she asked as he disappeared into the bathroom. He didn’t answer. “Dear?” she asked after him, following him to the door just as he closed it in front of her, nearly hitting her.
“They left me a paper by the door,” he said finally. “Can you get it for me?”
Without a word, she walked out of the room and headed down the hall for the front door. She peeked through the peephole. The newspaper was there alright. It lay flat and perfectly on her doormat, the top of the front page was upside down to her so she couldn't read anything from her vantage point. Cautiously, since she was still dressed in only her pajamas, she opened the door enough to peek. When she was sure that there was nobody watching her, she kneeled down, reached out and quickly grabbed the paper.
She nearly forgot to close the door behind her. The large bold headline jumped out at her, causing her to forget everything else.
VAMPIRE KILLER ON THE LOOSE
Beth Milligan
Kingsburg--A series of unexplained homicides has suddenly plagued this small suburban town leaving the police department dumbfounded. Yesterday, Kingsburg detectives spoke to a man who claims to have been attacked by a vampire. John Lancaster, reported to be in his late forties, was attacked early Thursday morning inside his residence. Mr. Lancaster spoke with his attacker during the struggle. He was rushed to Selma District Hospital where he is expected to make a complete recovery. Early indications are that this would be the first victim to have survived an attack. A source with the city reports that the chief of police himself admits that the incident is tied in with all of the others, and is the work of a serial murderer. Police have currently no clues as to the identity of the “vampire killer” and have no leads.
The killing spree began early Monday morning when two members of the Kingsburg Police Department were found...
Oh, God! Barbara gasped.
She suddenly pictured the events of two nights before with clarity she hadn't yet known. She brought her hand to her mouth. She could almost feel the cold steel fingers reaching once again into the nursery and wrenching her wrists together. She rubbed the places where sharp claw-like fingernails had nearly torn into her. And then she felt Nathaniel’s cold hand touching her face. A shudder went through her as she recalled what Nathaniel had said to her.
“It is true that I am acquainted with this one who attempted to harm your family, but it is no person. How I wish that neither you nor I were so acquainted. It is for this reason that I thought to call upon you. I worried for your safety.”
“Did you find it?” Michael’s voice came down the hall, making her jump. He did not attempt to hide his voice. There was no time for worrying about waking the kids. She immediately headed his direction as she continued to study the paper.
I can't keep this from Michael!
“Please, tell him nothing of this.”
But Nathaniel, she thought to herself as if he was in the room and she needed to convince him of her side of the argument. She began to pace in the kitchen as her thoughts bombarded her. I've got to tell him! I really can't keep this from him now!
“Please,” the voice kept repeating the same old line. “Tell him nothing.”
Michael was suddenly standing before her. She jumped again.
“Whoa!” Michael said, apologizing. “Sorry.”
Michael said nothing more to her. He simply took the paper and headed back down the hall. A few moments after he disappeared she heard him curse.
Barbara frowned at the sound of what this case had done to her husband. She knew she couldn't blame Michael for reacting in such a way, but she didn't have to like it. Maybe I'll wait just a little while longer, she suddenly thought. He doesn't need any more bad news like this.
Fifteen minutes later and Michael was kissing her goodbye just as plainly as before and was out the door. As she watched him go, her thoughts went to Nathaniel and of their last meeting. Why can't I get you off my mind, Nathaniel?
Barbara continued to analyze her relationship with the mysterious Nathaniel as she glanced at the clock in the kitchen to see how much time she had to shower before Jerod left to go to Judge Harris’ house. It wasn't much. I'll have to hurry, she realized and headed down the hallway. Before knocking on her son's door to tell him to watch his brother and sister while she took a quick shower, something stopped her and made her look in on them first. She quietly pushed open the door to the
nursery and peeked inside.
The babies were already awake. At the sight of their mother, Robbie and Rebekah began to kick their feet and wave their arms. They made happy little squeals. Barbara stood in the doorway, awestruck. Both smiled at her as she looked them over, and they continued to wriggle about in their cribs.
“What's up with you two?”
Barbara ran her fingers through her bed-head of shoulder-length light-brown hair and then sighed as the name came back across her lips. She didn’t say it, but it was there nonetheless, as always these days.
Nathaniel.
7:53 p.m.
Barbara watched as the twins studied the objects before them. They were lying on a blanket in the tall grass of their backyard beside a floodlight. It was several days past its mowing date, but Michael had become too preoccupied of late to even realize that there was a yard to maintain. She held two stuffed animals, one a bunny and the other a bear, and made them dance and fly in front of their faces to hold their attention. She used them to both entertain as well as to pass the time while she waited for the guest she was not entirely sure would come.
All she knew was that she had spent the better part of the day thinking about the stranger who had saved her and her children from certain peril only days ago. The man seemed to captivate her, to fill her curiosities and perhaps to liberate her somewhat from the doldrums of her daily life. He was exotic and gentle and friendly, and held no expectations of her. It was better than a sordid affair because it was far more exciting, filling her time with adventure, yet, hurting no one because there was no unfaithfulness of any kind involved. She shook her head to rid herself of the thought. A light wind played with her hair as she did so.
Barbara put the animals down for a second and readjusted the twins’ clothing. Anticipating that the evening would grow chilly, she had put light blankets around them and covered their heads and ears with warm caps. It was past their bedtime, but she had hoped to see Nathaniel. However, with the darkness swooping down around them, it was with a hint of disappointment that she stood to take her children back into the house.
She had put on a pretty long blue dress for nothing.
She had fixed up her hair and expertly applied her makeup for nothing.
“I fear the children are cold, Barbara.”
“Nathaniel?” she said, spinning around to find the face.
She turned her head from side to side but it was nowhere to be seen. She stood up on the tips of her blue pumps, trying to peer over the fence, but she still couldn't see anyone. Had she wanted to see him so badly that she was now hearing things as well?
“Nathaniel?”
“I am here.”
“Where?” she said, still looking for him. She stepped away from her babies. “I can't see you.”
“My apologies, Barbara,” he said. “You happen to be standing next to a bright light and I happen to have...sensitive eyes.”
“Oh!” she said, turning toward the light. It didn't appear particularly bright to her, but she started to head toward the house where she could turn the light out. “I’ll just turn it off.”
“Not at all,” he said, suddenly standing behind her.
Barbara spun at the proximity of the sound. Nathaniel was already standing behind her and near the babies.
“I will be fine.” Barbara noticed that he seemed to be standing beyond the outer reaches of the light’s reach and power. “Thank you.”
“How did you do that?” she asked.
“Do what?” he asked, innocently.
“Get in here so fast.”
“I apologize if you were frightened by my entrance,” he said softly. “But I was already climbing inside when you turned around.”
“Climbing?”
“Yes,” he answered. He turned and motioned toward the back gate. “You see, the door is locked, and I certainly could not climb over your refuse container and come through the secret gate.”
“Oh!” she put her hand to her mouth and giggled. “That's right! I'm sorry!”
“Please, there is nothing for you to be sorry about.” Nathaniel stepped before her and touched her shoulder gently, careful to only touch the material of her dress. “I do not mind.”
Barbara grinned as she listened to Nathaniel speaking to her. Although there wasn't any reason for her to feel anything but a frigid touch, she actually felt warmth upon the tops of her arms at her shoulders through her dress and swam in its comfort. Suddenly, she found herself drowning. She lowered her head.
“Please.”
He knew that he should not touch her flesh directly. He had already crossed that line the night before. Perhaps it was the fact that she had not recoiled at his touch that gave him the courage to attempt it now, as if he needed to touch her again. Nathaniel put his hand delicately beneath her chin and raised her head back up so that he could gaze into her eyes. Once there, he quickly removed his hand. She felt his longing, but he knew that he could not touch her. He pulled his eyes off of her and surveyed the children.
“Perhaps we should move inside.”
The thought of her children brought Barbara back from the daze. She turned and quickly went to the twins. They were cool, but neither made a fuss about it. As in the last few days, whether it was their feeding time or time to change a diaper, they were laying quietly, patiently awaiting her arrival. They smiled as she picked each of them up and placed them into the stroller that she had used to bring them out. When she was finished with picking up everything, she turned their stroller around and began to push them to the house. She went to ask Nathaniel if he would like to come inside, but she felt him next to her the entire way and somehow knew that he had already been invited.
When they reached the back door, Nathaniel walked passed her and opened it for her.
“There you are,” he said, and then followed her inside.
He opened one last door for her and eventually they were through the kitchen and dining area and into the living room.
Barbara turned to see whether she could offer her guest anything, but stopped with the words cued on her lips.
Nathaniel was gone.
“Nathaniel?”
“Barbara, could you please turn down the lights in here?” The voice came from around the corner inside the dark kitchen area.
“Sure,” she said.
She didn't have the living room lighting on any kind of dimmer, however, so she simply turned two of the three lamps out. There was a fourth lamp: a large floor model that had three heads on it that stretched out toward the middle of the living room like the heads on the spaceships from the original War of the Worlds. It was hideous, but a gift from Barbara’s father, which was the reason why it was still haunting the corner of the living room and not decorating some less fortunate family’s house today. They referred to it as the H.G.Wells lamp and never ever turned it on. In the end she left the lamp sitting beside her recliner on, but turned out the two lamps on either side of the couch. Then she turned around to call him out of the kitchen.
“Nath...!”
She jumped.
Nathaniel was already in the living room, sitting before her on the edge of the fireplace.
“I apologize,” he said softly. “I keep frightening you.” He started to get up.
“No.” She put out her hands. “Sit down. It's alright.”
Nathaniel sat down. Barbara reached out with her left hand and brought the stroller to her. The babies smiled and waved at her as she pulled some of their heavier clothing off since they were inside. She removed the clothes and neatly folded and set them at her feet. She took Robbie and Rebekah out of their stroller and set them down on the blanket that they had played and napped on all day. When she was finished, she sat down in her recliner and looked up to see Nathaniel watching her. The vampire had the slightest grin.
“What?” she smiled back.
Nathaniel looked away from her toward t
he children. “I apologize once again,” he said. “I was thinking about my mother. I wonder whether or not she had done much the same for me.”
“I'm sure she did.” Barbara held her smile. She had often thought the same thing herself on occasion. “Is she still alive?” she asked. Her mom wasn't.
“No.”
“I'm sorry. Were you very young?”
“When?” he asked, straightening up.
“When she passed away.”
“Yes, I was.”
Barbara noticed how very suddenly Nathaniel became stoic with the conversation, so she quickly changed the subject. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Thank you, no.”
“Something to eat, maybe?”
“No.” He shook his head and continued to watch the playful infants on the floor before him. “Thank you.” She noticed what color his pale cheeks wore seemed to drain suddenly as he looked toward the front of the house. He stood. Barbara jumped out of her chair and joined him there in order to see the front door. The children seemed to stop what they were doing as well.
A key turned inside the door and Michael stepped inside. All eyes met. Michael said nothing at first, as if measuring his words. Eventually he closed the door behind him and quietly walked into the room. Barbara watched his expression as he seemed to ignore her at first and study the strange long-haired man standing beside her. She saw him as he turned to her, at first taking in the sight of the blue dress. Only then did his eyes rise up to meet hers. In that moment she suddenly felt guilty of a great many things.
“Hello, dear,” he greeted her softly, but firmly. “Who’s your friend?”
“Michael,” she began, glancing up at Nathaniel. “This is a new friend of mine.” She motioned back to her husband. “Nathaniel, this is my husband Michael.”
Michael methodically turned back toward the man before him.
“How very nice to meet you, Michael,” Nathaniel said without extending his hand.
“And you,” Michael returned the greeting. “Nathaniel, is it?” he said, turning to his wife and then back to the man.
“Yes.”
“How interesting,” he shrugged. “That's the second time I've heard that name today.”
“Oh?” Barbara said, looking back at her husband. “Where did you hear it?”
Michael looked toward Barbara and then back toward the stranger before him. “I’m a police detective, Nathaniel. Last night a man was attacked in his living room and barely survived to tell the tale.” Michael stepped deeper into the room, careful not to step on his children at his feet. “You know what he told me his attacker’s name was? It was Nathaniel. Just like yours. He had long hair, too.”
Barbara frowned. She knew what Michael was doing and did not like it one bit. Nathaniel's a good man, Michael. He saved me and our children from the killer, not the other way around. How could you make such an insinuation!
Nathaniel gave no outward response as to what was taking place. Barbara glanced back at him. It appeared to her that Nathaniel also knew what her husband was doing, but he simply stood there and did not utter one word in his defense.
“That’s one hell of a coincidence, wouldn’t you say?” Michael asked.
The silence was powerful between the two.
“Why is it so dark in here?”
“Nathaniel has sensitive eyes!” Barbara snapped, unable to mask the anger with her husband. “I turned the lights off so he'd be more comfortable.”
She looked at Nathaniel and gave him a friendly smile. He nodded in return to her smile, but wisely did not acknowledge it with one of his own.
“I am afraid it is true,” Nathaniel agreed, returning Michael’s stare with one of his own.
“How do you manage to function during the day with a problem like that?”
“I am quite unable to do much of anything during the day. Now I just use the daylight hours for sleep and do much of my work at night.”
“Like a vampire!” Michael said, matter-of-factly.
Barbara spun, showing shock at such a remark, and gave her husband a dirty look; Nathaniel's eyes grew wide, never anticipating such a response.
Nathaniel quickly swallowed whatever surprise he felt initially and nodded. “I imagine so.”
“What kind of work do you do?” Michael changed the subject.
“Actually, I do not work any longer. I have the good fortune of being rather wealthy...”
“I see.” Michael cut him off, as if not really listening anyway.
Barbara was uneasy. Now she knew why it wasn't a good idea to tell Michael about the attack on her and the kids, and why Nathaniel was in so much of a hurry to leave that night. She started to speak, but Nathaniel beat her to it.
“I have worn out my welcome.” Nathaniel made a move to take his leave. “I should be going.” He glanced briefly at Barbara. “Goodnight.”
“I'm sorry to chase you away, Nathaniel,” Michael said.
“Nonsense,” he replied. Stepping around the children on the floor, who watched him the entire time, he paused in front of Michael before leaving. “Have a pleasant night,” he said. “Perhaps we shall meet again.”
Michael smiled. “I'm certain of it.”
Nathaniel paused momentarily at the remark, but continued to take his leave. He did not wait for anyone to escort him out; he just opened the front door, quickly closed it behind him and then disappeared into the night. Michael followed, locked the door behind him and glanced into the peephole to ensure that he was gone.
“I cannot believe you, Michael,” Barbara began, not waiting for him to return into the room before berating him for his conduct. Michael said nothing. Instead, he raised his right hand and held his open palm out as if to silence her. This infuriated her further than she already was. “What?” she said, her hands on her hips. “Don’t you silence me, Detective! I’m not one of your suspects!”
He pulled himself away from the peephole and approached her, stopping short near the hallway. He looked her over once before he spoke. “Oh? Are you sure?”
“What the hell does that mean?” she demanded to know.
“Nice dress!”
“So?”
“So,” he said, slow and calculating. “Have you been wearing that all day, taking care of the kids, or did you slip into that just in time for your guest?”
“Just what is it that you are insinuating, Detective?”
Michael appeared as if he wanted to say more, but seemed to stop himself. He held his hand out to her once again, but shook his head as he did so. “Nothing.”
“It isn’t ‘nothing’,” she responded. “I want to know. What exactly is it that you think you stumbled into here tonight?” Michael visibly sighed, turned and slowly walked into the kitchen. She was hot on his heels. “Don’t walk away, Michael! Tell me, what?”
“Stop it, dear,” he said, lightly slapping the counter with his open hands and turning back to face her. “Just stop it. I’m sorry! It’s just…”
“It’s just, what?” she asked. She felt herself calming slightly. They had not been in a fight in quite some time, thankfully. She was unsure if that was what this was.
“Who is this guy?” he asked her.
“A friend.”
“A friend? When did you meet him? How did you meet him? And how come I don’t know anything about this guy before tonight?” He approached her, but stopped short. “I need to know everything.”
Barbara paused. If she said anything about what had happened that first night, there would be some kind of fight for sure. “I just met him.” It was all that she could think to say.
“That’s it!” Michael asked, incredulous. “That’s all you’ve got?” He went to her and set his hands on her bare shoulders. “Listen, dear. I was jealous. I’ll admit that. My beautiful wife, sitting in the dark with another man! But I don’t have time for that right now. We’ve got bodies suddenly piled high around here. There have been three missing persons report
s filed in the past two days. Maybe there are more bodies we don’t even know about yet. Lying in a bed in Selma was very nearly another one! I can’t remember the last time I heard the name, Nathaniel, and suddenly there’s one with you in my house.”
“It’s not him, Michael!”
“How in the world do you know that, Barbara?” He held her steadfast by the shoulders, but leaned back a bit to look her in the eyes. She tried to look away but couldn’t avoid his gaze. “How, honey? How? Who is this guy? What do you know of him?”
Barbara stared at Michael. She realized that there was not much known about her Nathaniel. And what she did know, she would have to soon reveal. Whether she wanted to or not.
It was going to be a long night, she thought.
9:03 p.m.
High alert.
That was the last thing that was said to every incoming shift. We are on high alert. The week wasn’t yet over and there were five dead, three of which were Peace Officers. Three missing person reports had been filed. A fourth had been reported, but having not been twenty-four hours, it would not become official until the morning. Normally it wouldn’t, but every officer, detective and patrolman thought of it as such. They just did not have the means to do much about it other than pray the person would return home after too much drink, or with an armful of flowers and a mouthful of apologies. This was a war-zone and they just did not have time for a lot of anything else but keeping the peace. This was particularly true once the sun went down.
Which it was doing now.
On the north side of town, Selma Police Officer Daniel Perez kept an eye on a small group of high school kids playing basketball at the end of a cul-de-sac. There wasn’t much light, but they were not letting that stop them. There were two that should be playing in the gym, leading their school to a league title. They either were doing just exactly that or they would have agreed with the officer’s assessment because the other players kept getting out of their way while they basically played one on one. Teenager number one dribbled three times and then suddenly crossed over and took the ball to the basket. Teenager number two stuck onto teenager number one like glue for most of the way, but fell off in the middle of the key, side-stepped and swatted across the head of the other player as he rose for the lay-up. Just as the ball left his hand another hand came into view, reversing its direction and sending it into one of the neighboring yards. Laughter ensued as the other players began to tease the one that had been rejected. Inside the patrol unit, a half block away, Officer Perez clapped his hands together lightly, saluting the play.
East of his position a retired couple walked their white poodle. Reedley Police Officer Meredith Cooper absently played with her red hair as she watched from her parked car while the man nervously glanced behind them. Officer “Coop” to her friends nodded her head and said under her breath that he could escort his wife and the dog back home and then he wouldn’t have to worry about the dark or any possible doom at all. She wondered whether the wife was forcing him to reluctantly make this trip. Perhaps he usually kissed her off and then welcomed her back, but was being forced into the chaperone’s role because of the state of things in town. In any event, since “Coop” wasn’t doing anything else, she waited for them to leave her line of sight, drove until she caught up to them again, stopped, and then repeated the process until she watched them enter their home. Only then did she drive away.
In Memorial Park, just west and across the street from Kingsburg High School, a young boy and girl sat on the large fountain that sits facing both Conejo Avenue and the mouth of Draper Street. Their body language clearly gave the impression that these two were more than friends. They did not touch one another, though it appeared rather obvious that had they the necessary courage to do so, they would. Neither said much of any real significance. They spoke of shared music, mostly. They were freshmen this school year, soon to be sophomores since summer vacation was right around the corner.
The lanky stick-figure of a boy nowhere near becoming a man any time soon would have been thought to have a cute face by the equally skinny young girl, not yet a woman. Each had pretty good skin for teenagers, and long hair. Hers was dark and straight; his was blonde and curly.
Suddenly, a motorcycle came roaring up to them, stopping near. The two turned to watch as the rider shut off the ignition. The bike was lime green and looked fast. The man getting off of it removed his helmet, also lime green. He wore a dark blue t-shirt that read: Fresno Police in large bold white lettering across the front of it. The man approached.
“Hey, guys,” he began. “You planning on going home anytime soon?”
“I don’t know,” said the girl, glancing at her new boyfriend, although neither Pam nor Billy had confirmed the nature of their budding relationship aloud.
“Maybe,” Billy said. Neither one gave the man attitude; they simply spoke the truth. They hadn’t considered going home yet.
“Well, look. I’m not trying to be bossy or anything, but I highly recommend that you two pick a house.” He pointed to each of them. “I don’t care if it’s your house or his house. I do hope someone will be home to supervise.”
“Are you a Fresno cop?” Pam asked.
“Yes, I am,” the policeman nodded his head. “But I live here. I’m doing some volunteering until this thing is over. And I don’t want to read anymore headlines unless it reads: Suspect apprehended. Do you know what I’m saying?”
There was a small chorus of yes’s.
“Good,” he said, moving his helmet to the other hand. “But I was young once, too, so I understand you two trying to find some time to be alone.” He smiled. “I just want to make sure that you have many years’ worth of opportunities to do so. Do you understand?”
He was greeted by another chorus of yes’s.
“So you guys pick a house before it gets any later.” He started to walk back to the bike and looked back at them over his right shoulder. “If I come back and you two are still hanging out here, I’m going to call separate patrol cars and have you driven home. Okay?”
Officer Brian Hamlin smiled wide beneath his motorcycle helmet but neither kid could see it now. He started the bike up and quickly drove off without looking back. A few moments later he came back from the north to check up on their progress, but they had indeed left for home. Of course, he couldn’t know which house they had chosen, hers or his. Perhaps one day they will call one house theirs, he thought as he headed off to see whether any other kids were still out and about that he could save.
Kingsburg Police Officer Henry Rodriguez turned south onto Simpson Street, heading for Police Headquarters. He stopped only to use the restroom. They had all been advised to stay on the streets. They were not to hang out with one another, not to stop for meals, not to do anything other than remain present on the streets. However, all of that driving, for him, meant a lot of soda, so here he was.
As he slowed his patrol car, preparing to make the left turn onto Earl Street, something caught his attention down the street. It looked like a woman was walking in the middle of the road. He needed to use that restroom, but just knew that he would hate himself later if he didn’t at least drive by and make sure everything was alright.
He aborted the maneuver and continued south.
As he approached, he could tell that what he had seen was indeed a woman, but actually a young woman to be more specific. Her back was to him so he could not see much but long straight blonde hair, tight, low-rise jeans and a long white button down shirt. It looked to him as if some daughter was wearing her father’s dress shirt. She walked quite haphazardly down the exact center of the street, seemingly ignorant of his approach. He got as near as his high beams lighting her bare feet before he stopped.
She stopped, too.
The young woman turned and faced him. She wore a stupid grin that gave the indication that she might be stoned, so he studied her for a moment. The shirt was oversized o
n her and untucked, preventing him from seeing anything higher than mid-thigh. However, the shirt was only half buttoned. She made an attempt to approach but stumbled a bit, leaving very little to his adult male imagination. There apparently was no bra to be found on her.
Officer Rodriguez put his car in park. Just then the young woman turned on her bare heels and started back the way that she had been headed. Where that could be, who could know? Union Pacific Railroad tracks bordered on the east while small businesses bordered the west; ahead, the Aslan Cold Storage property. There appeared to be no automobiles and certainly no homes anywhere near here.
“Miss?” he called after her. She wasn’t walking all that quickly, but she continued on her way, oblivious to him and his authority. Stoned!
“Kingsburg, one-six-zero.” Officer Rodriguez said, keying the microphone clipped to his shirt just below his left ear. He could hear the girl giggling ahead of him.
“Kingsburg. Go ahead, one-six-zero.”
“I’m on Simpson and Earl. I’ve got an unknown female. Teen. Looks intoxicated. I’m going to make contact and issue field sobriety.”
“Copy that, one-six-zero. Will send back-up.”
“Ten-four.”
By this time, the girl had in fact gotten much farther than he would have hoped, so he went back to his car, quickly jumped back in and drove to her new position. He slowed and circled in front of her, cutting her off. She was still giggling; he could see as he jumped out of the car to make contact. In his left ear, he heard the traffic as the dispatcher requested that back up.
“Alright, dear,” he said to her. “I want you to come over here and lean against my car for a minute. Do you understand these instructions?”
“Yes.” And she approached him as if she were planning to do exactly as he had instructed. When she got to his car, however, instead of leaning against it, she missed the target and ended up leaning against him, causing the both of them to lean onto the car.
“One of us has had too much of something tonight, Miss,” he said, sarcastically.
She had fallen into his arms, still giggling, and did not seem the least interested in getting out of them. Officer Rodriguez did not hug her back. He held her by the shoulders as he tried to bring the both of them to balance. She brushed strongly against him, but he tried not to think about that too heavily. He did take one quick peek down the front of her shirt, but just one.
“What’s your name, Miss?” he asked her, carefully leading her to the side of his car. He let go of her when she appeared like she was not going to fall over.
“Tiffany,” she said, staring into his eyes. She had ceased giggling, finally.
“Hello, Tiffany,” he began. “I’m Officer Rodriguez. I’m going to ask you some questions. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” she smiled. It was more of a grin actually. She crossed her arms at her chest and gave her head a quick jerk, sending some of her hair back behind her where it belonged. He noticed that she seemed to be sobering up already, and it had only been a moment since she had appeared as stoned as one could be. “But I kind of doubt it.”
“I’m sorry,” he heard himself asking as there were suddenly hands at his face, coming from behind him. They were strong hands. It felt like he was suddenly in a vise. The world lurched to the left. He saw lights spin past and thought he heard an awful cracking noise like wood splitting. Now he was looking into cruel, hate-filled eyes. There was no smile, no victory, no laughter, and certainly no remorse.
“Come, my daughter. Drink quickly.”
It was the last thing that he would hear on this earth.
9:25 p.m.
Quietly, Barbara sat in her favorite chair and listened to her thoughts prattle around as she waited for her husband to come out of the bathroom. He had told her how he had to go back in tonight after a small break because of some massive effort to find the perpetrator in the city's worst killing spree ever. It had been right after Nathaniel had left, so she decided not to needle him about his attitude and detective insinuations concerning her new friend until after she had calmed down.
So there she sat, still upset, but not thinking of what she wanted to say to her husband at all. Instead, she thought of that new friend of hers, and wondered how that wedge had been driven between her and Michael. At first, she had been angry.
Michael was incredibly rude to Nathaniel! Why? Because he happened to share the same first name as someone the police were looking for? Probably the same man who tried to kill her and the twins? It's a crazy coincidence, but it certainly isn't the same man! It can't be! Damnit! Nathaniel, why didn't you let me tell Michael how you saved us? Certainly then he'd know that it couldn't possibly be you!
“Please, tell him nothing of this!”
Damnit! Nathaniel, why not? What could it hurt? You and I are friends! You saved us! You're a hero, for God's sake! What’s with all the secrecy?
“Please, tell...”
Yeah, yeah, I know… don't say a word! Well, I'm tired of it! The secrecy! The feeling I get like I'm cheating on Michael and the kids! Letting Jerod stay the night at his friend's house tonight because it'll give me time to spend alone with you and not have to worry about him catching us! Damnit! It’s killing me just as much as Jack the Ripper out there in the city's killing innocent people! And that's another thing—what I know, or what the inside of the nursery knows, somehow might be able to tell Michael who this murderer is or where he might be found. Certainly that's reason enough to tell Michael!
“Tell him nothing of this!”
Barbara sighed. “Why do I obey?” she whispered, barely moving her lips. “Why?”
“Excuse me, Barbara. I didn't quite catch that.” It was Michael. He was back in the room.
Barbara wasn't ready for him to be standing there; however, in the end, she merely turned her head in his direction and smiled. And by this time, her anger over the way he had treated Nathaniel was also gone.
And oddly enough, Michael never said another word about the strange man he had found in the darkness of the living room with his beautifully dressed wife.
“Nothing,” she smiled, getting up out of her chair.
“Wait,” he said softly, pushing her gently back down into the recliner. “You don't have to get up. It's late and you're probably tired. Why don't you just sit back and relax until you feel like going to bed? I'll take the twins to the nursery before I leave.”
The twins! Barbara hadn't given them much thought in a long while. She looked but they were fast asleep. She gave a silent sigh of relief as she looked over their still bodies, their tiny chests rising and falling.
“No,” she insisted, shaking her head, “I'll take them. You're right, though,” she lied. “I am tired! But you go on. I know what kind of a case you've got going on down there. You go ahead. I'll be fine!”
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” she smiled warmly. “Go on.”
“Okay, sweetie.” He leaned over and quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek. “But when this is all over, we're taking a vacation!”
“Sounds wonderful.”
“Great!” he stepped away. “I'll see you later, okay. Love you!”
Michael turned around and disappeared around the corner on his way toward the door. She heard it squeak as he quietly pulled it open and then a click as he closed it behind him.
“I love you, too!” she whispered as his footfalls slowly faded down the walk until he stepped onto the grass on his way to the car. She almost didn't realize she had said it.
Eventually, Barbara got out of her chair, picked up the twins, one by one, and put them to bed. When she was done, she quietly turned out the light and went to bed.
9:39 p.m.
The first police car to respond for back up was Reedley P.D. Meredith Cooper. She had been west of Henry Rodriguez’ position, checking Roosevelt Elementary S
chool for young stragglers. She caught some basketball players on their way home, but no one else. She would have thought that she had been extremely quick to respond to the call that had gone out, but had a bad feeling when she turned south on the old highway. From several blocks away, she just knew something had gone terribly wrong.
The police car sat in the middle of the road. Parked would not have been the right word. Left or perhaps abandoned looked more fitting. The driver’s side door stood open and the headlights were off. There appeared to be a large shape on the hood of the car.
She gunned the accelerator and made a screeching halt beside the car.
“Coop” jumped out of her cruiser and quickly surveyed her surroundings for danger. As she reached for the microphone at her shoulder, she could hear the sound of additional back up. A single headlight approached from the west from Frontage Street which bordered Freeway 99. Glancing back, she could see three sets of headlights coming her way in quite a hurry. One officer and two cadets came running since the Police Department was only a couple of blocks away. She ignored them and continued to move toward the Kingsburg police car. She knew before she saw it that it was another dead police officer. He was on his back, his boots facing her. She went around to the other side of the car to find the face of the dead man. It was looking in an unnatural direction. She ignored the face and went to his neck, and saw the blood stains there. There was no pulse.
“Damnit!” she shouted, following that with a string of other colorful profanities as the other police joined her.
The sound of screeching tires drowned most of it out.
9:40 p.m.
Nathaniel sighed as he watched the woman slumber. She looked so peaceful curled up beneath her bedspread and blankets, and warm. It had been a long time since he had considered what it was like to be warm. He glanced down at his hands, raised them and brought them close to his eyes. They suddenly looked so gray to him, so sickly. It had been centuries since he had been warm, whether wrapped in blankets, his mother’s arms, or simply standing out in the hot summer sun. He dropped his hands and quickly looked away. Too many haunting memories rushed toward his mind’s eye from long hidden quarters of his past, colliding into one another, making it hard to see any of them with any real clarity. Not that he would want to, which is why he now turned away.
His eyes found the place where the bedcovers rose and fell, which helped to distract him from memory. Unfortunately, it stirred him in another way, bringing up other haunting thoughts. He listened to her breaths go quietly in, then out. His breathing began to rise, too. The two rhythms mingled together somewhere in the dark like dancers. They held each other not like teenagers who know nothing and understand even less, clutching onto one another, stumbling lustily about. This was a waltz. There was lust, to be sure, but it was so far below that it could only be tasted like an herb, not as the flavor of the main dish. And he wondered why he was there. Wasn't it obvious? He had only danced with his mother. And as for the other things a male could have with a woman, he would take his place in Hell one day, undead and damned as he was, having experienced none of it.
I shouldn't be here, he reminded himself. Not so soon. I was here a short time ago.
Yet, he could not seem to get enough.
Why? What is it with this Barbara? Why does she plague my thoughts so? The woman’s breathing changed, but the vampire missed it. The music had stopped but he was still dancing.
“Can't sleep either?”
Nathaniel almost jumped.
Father would be proud! he thought and then hated himself for thinking it. It was Vincent he had been thinking of, not his own father.
He waited a moment before speaking, as if he had not really heard what he thought he had heard, even though he knew that he had. It was just that he shouldn't have heard anything. Barbara should have never been able to detect his presence there in the darkness of her master bedroom. No way, indeed.
“Nathaniel,” Barbara whispered, sitting up a little. “It's okay.” She paused. “I guess I just had a feeling you'd come.”
“My apologies,” Nathaniel whispered. “I should go.”
“Why?” she asked, sitting up fully and sweeping the hair from her face.
He could not answer her.
“It's okay, Nathaniel,” she added. “I've been rehearsing some things I wanted to ask you anyway.” There were a great many things for Barbara to be concerned about here; many questions to be answered. He could just imagine…
Was this a mere man? Someone who wanted love from her, to pursue an affair? Was this a monster? Someone who intended to steal, vandalize or rape?
Yet, all she said was simply: “Please, stay.”
Nathaniel glanced at the doorway to his right as he decided what he should do; looking for the courage to do what was right, or in the best interests of the two of them.
Barbara called out his name once more and he was done for. If there had been any doubt at all of what course of action he might take, there was none now. She was patting the side of her bed with her hand, beckoning Nathaniel.
“Come sit by me.”
Standing there in the dark, he closed his eyes and thought about what it would be like to sit next to Barbara. When he reopened them, he was.
“Nathaniel, why do I feel like you're some big brother of mine or something?” she asked in a whisper. “I mean, here you are, practically a stranger, standing in my bedroom in the middle of the night, and yet I feel completely safe. I feel almost...like I need you here.”
Nathaniel glanced away from Barbara's questioning eyes. He knew that he felt the same as she, wanting to spend time alone with her, knowing how wrong it was.
The answers to her questions were easy enough to explain, but what of his questions?
“Nathaniel?” she asked, reaching out and setting her hand upon his clothed shoulder. “Can you answer me?”
He closed his eyes at her touch. He could not feel much of it other than the light pressure because of his thick coat. It was warm and delicate. Her soft young skin and fingertips gently caressed the tension and apprehension away forever so easily. And although he had never felt the touch of a lover and should know nothing at all about it, he could somehow well imagine it. He swallowed hard.
What am I thinking? All I can give her are endless questions and nothing more! I'm dead to her! Damn Vincent to hell! I'm dead to her!
He opened his eyes and turned to face her.
“What do you want to know?” he asked in a whisper of his own.
Barbara waited a moment before answering, while he agonized over her questions.
“Let's start simply,” she began with a deep breath. Nathaniel saw it and felt it now—that she could see him in the dark, that she understood his feelings more than he wanted...
He was trying to listen to what she was saying only, but found he was powerless to stop himself from thinking other thoughts.
“Who are you?”
“I do not know how to answer that.”
Barbara stared at Nathaniel and allowed the words, such as they were, to soak in.
For a moment, Nathaniel glanced away. He had prepared himself in the few seconds for the many questions she would ask; however, he had not expected this. His black eyes rose up the length of the wall before him as he pondered his answer. Of course, he was not really looking at the wall.
“Nathaniel?”
“Does it matter who I am?” Nathaniel finally spoke, his eyes once again falling upon the soft, gentle features of Barbara's young face. “What I am?”
There, I said it. Nathaniel looked away. He could not bear to see her reaction. Then why did I say it? After everything, all we have been through, I ruin it now with but a single phrase. Why?
Nathaniel's body suddenly ached. His flesh, long dead, should have been immune to the powerful feelings that could plague humans, yet, he felt something.
Barbara thought a
moment and then spoke, “What do you mean, 'what you are'?” She spoke in a whisper, almost only mouthing the words. Something was choking them.
Nathaniel looked back at Barbara, curiously. She is not afraid? He probed the surface of her eyes. Those captivating eyes! She will be, he thought.
Then he reluctantly spoke. “Barbara, I am no man.”
There was a short pause between them.
Barbara lowered her head. “I…I don’t understand.”
For a few moments neither uttered a word. Barbara looked at him in confusion, clearly unable to guess what it was that Nathaniel attempted not very hard to explain. For his part, he felt trepidation.
“I’m sorry?” Barbara whispered at last.
Nathaniel opened his mouth and looked up toward the ceiling, silently laughing at the thought.
“You apologize to me!” he said, shaking his head. “It's no more your fault than my fate is my own. The creature you met that night is the vile thing responsible for everything! No, sweet Barbara, it's not your fault.”
Nathaniel paused one last time to enjoy what he determined to be the last peaceful moment that he would ever have with this woman who had so captivated him.
“The simple truth is, however, that beast and I are the same.”
“What?” Barbara asked, but did not recoil in terror.
He paused, allowing himself, for a brief moment, the unfathomable notion that she might accept him no matter what form he might be. She even leaned forward rather than back away. When she spoke next, he realized that it was not meant to be.
“You are nothing like him. How dare you place yourself in the same category, much less the same breath as that… that… I don’t even know what that was! I just know it could never be you.”
Nathaniel’s head sunk, yet Barbara continued. “You’re the man who saved me. I don’t even want to think about where I might be had it not been for you rescuing my babies from God knows what!”
“God?” Nathaniel repeated the name, interrupting her.
“Yes, God!” She didn’t miss a beat. “I’ve been having dreams about you.”
“Dreams?”
“Yes, dreams. Two different ones in fact.”
“It has been too long now,” Nathaniel said, and incredibly he felt detached from himself… drifting away just like that night in the yard. “I can no longer remember ever having had any.” The sound of the words even felt transparent.
“Please,” she attempted to continue. “An angel told me about you. He asked me what I thought of you.”
“And what did he say? Did he tell you to flee? To escape with your babies before it was too late? Did he tell you to have me destroyed? To hide while he did it? To run without looking back while he destroyed me like Sodom? I wish that he would hurry and do it!”
“What?” Barbara leaned back as if slapped hard across the face suddenly and without provocation. “Nathaniel, what is all of this?”
His voice trailed, seeing her reaction. He glanced away from her. “My life ended so long ago.”
Nathaniel closed his eyes and fought the anger that he felt now. He was being hunted by Vincent the devil on the left and God himself on the right. He felt backed into a corner, awaiting the first blow and wondering from which direction it might come. And like a martyr, resigned to his fate, he allowed his guard and his anger to fall. Would it be the one which brought his demise, figuratively speaking, of course? It was always easier after the first one, right?
Barbara listened while Nathaniel vented his long held frustration. Now she would have many more questions and understand nothing. She curled up into a ball.
Nathaniel looked at her panic and then away. “You see, it is I who should apologize to you.”
Nathaniel stood. He felt her fear, though he knew that she still did not understand the truth of it, and was ashamed. He was afraid now, too. Afraid her reaction to him would get worse than simply needing a moment to get her wits about her.
What if she never gets over her fear? What will I do then?
Nathaniel knew. He walked over to the doorway and waited while his invitation into any part of this beautiful woman’s life was about to expire.
“What is it that you are not telling me, Nathaniel?” she asked. He could hear it in her voice that she was preparing herself.
“My life was ended by the beast that attacked you, almost too many years ago to recall. He killed my mother and father and spared me. It turns out that they were the ones to get the better of it.”
“How could you say that? How can you just…?”
“My dear,” he began, cueing the words at the tip of his cold tongue, interrupting her. “I am a vampire. I live off of the blood of others to survive. Vincent did this to me. Unlike Vincent, however, I have never taken a human life to get it. No, I am far more pathetic, trolling about for stray animals that no one would miss.” He started to pause and then thought better of it. Far better to say what he could now while still having the chance. “You never need fear me, Barbara. It appears that I have great feelings for you which I had thought myself incapable of having. I shall cherish the time that I had in your presence.”
Barbara never said a word; she simply sat there in the dark, quivering. Nathaniel turned and faced the darkened hallway, speaking to her over his shoulder. He simply could not bear to remember her any other way than the way that she had used to greet him with the most wonderful smile.
“I have to destroy Vincent. You and I will never know peace until this is accomplished. There are rules against this, but I have no choice.” Nathaniel prepared himself to go. He was almost inaudible now. “Please do not hate me, Barbara.”
And then he was gone.