CHAPTER ELEVEN
Back in my office we were both quiet while we waited for Sheriff Anderson to come in. “John, thank you for sticking with me. Let Courtney and Mark know what’s going on please. Now, go home and get some rest. We both don’t need to be here”
“How can you sit there and think that after all these years, I’m just going to walk out and forget this? Damn, Shawn, I thought you knew me better than that. I’ll stay until you find out what they are going to do with you.”
I put my head down on my desk and almost screamed. What in the hell has happened? Who is this…this…ass? And then it hit me.
“John, we aren’t looking for someone on the outside. This is someone who works here.”
“Huh? How do you figure that?”
“Think about it. I asked Beth who had been in my office. Adams was the only one. Then I asked Adams to poke around and find out if anyone has seen a female that DIDN’T work here near his desk. Who’s to say no one saw a female that DOES work here around his desk? And remember I told you I smelled something at the crime scenes and my home that I couldn’t pin point? Well, I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve smelled it here. I just don’t know who it is.”
“Man, that sucks. What’s the plan?”
“I’m still going to fill my parents in on what I am. It’s time and it’s important. But, I have to let the Sheriff know this will bring us to the killer and hope that will get me out of this. Then, we find out who either leaves or starts to act funny.”
“I hope your plan works. Here comes the Sheriff.”
I jump up and head out of my office. “Dad, I need to talk to you.” This caused a few looks of confusion. Never before, in hearing range of anyone here, have I called him Dad.
With a befuddled look he leads me into his office. “What’s this all about Shawn?”
“I need you to get Mom here please. This is important and it can’t wait. It has to do with the killing spree that’s been going on.”
“What’s that have to do with Shannon?” He was asking as he picked up the phone and dialed the number.
“I’ll explain when Mom gets here”
Twenty minutes later, with my head down in my hands and a worried father staring at me from his desk, my mother walked in.
“What’s going on, honey?” Asking as she sat down next to me and puts her hand on my arm. I’ve always thought my mother was pretty. Not in a gross way, just that she….well, I’m not sure how to explain it. She’s about 5’7” and has a slender frame. Her brown hair hangs just past her shoulders and her blue eyes are brighter than a clear summer’s sky. I was really crushed I was about to possibly hurt her. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours I had to fight back tears.
“This isn’t going to be easy to tell you two but I have to. Do you remember three years ago when I was having health problems and wouldn’t go see a doctor?”
“Yes, you had your mother and me in a panic. What has that got to do with the murders?”
“The night before the first day you saw me looking so bad was when it happened. I did my morning jog that night because I woke up late. Out of nowhere this guy came out and jumped me.” I got up from my chair and walked over to the window that overlooked the parking lot.
“After beating the crap out of me and stabbing me he left me for dead in the woods. That’s when I learned the truth and my life was changed forever.”
“I still don’t see where this involves the murders. And why didn’t you report it?” Dad was getting impatient now.
“Dad, the man who saved me was a vampire. I had lost too much blood because he stabbed me in the liver and Iwould have died if I tried to get to the hospital. He told me he could save me by changing me into a vampire. I didn’t want to die and could feel myself losing the fight. I agreed. You saw me first before I was fully changed. That’s why I was in so much pain and looked so bad. He finished changing me after you and Mom left. He couldn’t do it with you there. And I think the reason I didn’t report it is obvious.” The looks on their faces scared me.
“That’s why this involves the murders. I’m a vampire. Whoever is doing the killing is doing so because of me. She wants everyone to know what I am. Here, look at these.” Seeing the non-believing looks on their faces, I gave Dad the notes that were left for me.
“Is this some kind of a joke?” My mother’s voice was two octaves higher than normal.
“Boy, I raised you better than to be taking drugs. Vampires aren’t real. Are you stoned? Or drunk?” The steam coming from my father’s ears had me wanting to run from the room. I knew he wouldn’t believe me but this was not the reaction I had expected.
In response to that, I opened my mouth to extend my fangs. Mom put her hands over her mouth and Dad just stared wide eyed. Neither one spoke.
“Is that enough for you to believe me or do I need to get Courtney and Mark here?”
“What would they prove? And how do I know those are even real? The stores carry those stupid fangs during Halloween. In fact, I remember you dressed as a vampire last year for your nieces.” I looked out the window into the office area. Dad’s angry tone had turned into yelling and was attracting the attention of everyone out there. I could see this wasn’t going to work out for me after all.
“Why on Earth would I make this up? Do you think I like having to drink blood from my best friends just to be able to function? Do you think I like seeing them laid out on my couch trying to stop the room from spinning before they head off to work? You and Mom raised me. You should know I wouldn’t put any of you through this if it wasn’t true.” I had to choke back on my anger to keep from yelling back at him.
“STOP IT!!! Both of you.” Mom’s shrill cry brought both Dad and me to a frozen standstill. She was the rock that was able to hold it together through anything. Now she was shaking like a leaf with tears in her eyes. Up until now, the only thing she had said was to ask if I was joking.
“Mom, please, you have to know I would never hurt either of you by lying about being a vampire. I thought they were just made up, too. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought one would save my life by changing me.”
“I know you believe you are a vampire, son. But I just can’t. I want you to see a doctor. Take some time off of work and get some help.” Dad had lowered his voice but the accusations he was implying stung in the worst way.
“How can you even insinuate I have lost my mind? I have never given you a reason to think that. Why start now? You trust me enough to be your second in command but you think I would pull some shit like this? For what? Attention? I think I get enough of that now as it is.” I was about to storm out of the office when an idea came to me. I snatched up the letter opener from Dad’s desk and cut a shallow gash into my arm.
“What are you doing?” Mom jumped up from her chair to rush over with some Kleenex she had gotten from her purse.
“I’m proving my point. No mental illness, or any type of illness, will do this.” Taking the Kleenex from her hand, I swiped it over the cut to show it had already scabbed over.
Before my eyes I could see reality coming to light on the faces of my parents. The fangs could have been faked but there was no way they could deny this.
“Most of what you know about us is not true. Our healing abilities have been exaggerated but we do heal faster than humans. The fact we need blood is also true. Mark and Courtney let me feed from them. This is hard for both of you to accept but I would not have told you if it wasn’t interfering with my job. I know this isn’t a vampire doing the killing for several different reasons, and if you will just let me finish, you’ll know all of them.”
Dad sat back in his chair without another word. Mom flopped back in the chair she was in, looking like she was on the verge of crying. I sat down next to her and hoped that when I put my arm around her, she didn’t pull away. To my relief, she fell into my arms and hugged me.
“Okay, Shawn, explain why this isn’t a vampire.” Dad was now recovering enough to
listen.
“Vampires don’t kill. We are too scared of the Dominant Vampires to kill anyone. Many of the missing cases are vampires that went rouge and violated the Dominate Vampires’ rules. They are very protective of humans. We have to follow their rules as well as human rules. If it were a vampire, then the Dominate Vampires would have already stepped in and stopped them. There are other telltale signs that show this isn’t the work of a vampire.”
“Wait, Dominant Vampires? Who are they?” Dad was still acting as my father but also as the Sheriff.
“Do you want to know their names or what it means to be the Dominant Vampires?”
“Both. I would like to talk with them and see if they can help us find this crazy goon.”
“Dad, we don’t need to involve them. I stumbled across something that will help us. And to answer your question, they are the vampire…well, I guess law enforcement would be the best way to explain them.”
“Oh, it’s good to know there is law enforcement to control vampires, I guess. So what did you find that will help.”
“Vampires have a great sense of smell. At all of the crime scenes, I noticed a scent that should not have been there but I know the smell. It was also at my home. I’ve smelled it here. I just can’t put my finger on who it is. I think I’ll know by lunch time if I can have a reason to be around everyone.”
“Hold on, wait a second. Are you saying this is someone that works here?”
“Adams brought me the second letter. It was left on his desk. I asked him if he would ask around and see if anyone noticed a female that didn’t work here around his desk. No one had. The first note was left on my desk. Beth said the only two people she had seen go into my office was Adams and myself. Adams was returning a pen I had loaned him so that explains why he was there. It’s my office and I wouldn’t be doing this to myself. So….”
“Son, I think you have pinpointed who it is. Beth called in today and said she was quitting. Will her scent still be at her desk?”
I jump up out of my chair and flew out the door. I was at Beth’s desk before my father was out of his chair.
“What’s wrong Shawn?” Davis came out of my office with a worried look on his face.
“I found her Davis. All this time it’s been Beth stabbing me in the back. SHIT! And she called in this morning and quit. And the smell, it’s here”
“Anderson, get her address and go get her. Take Davis with you. And remember, she isn’t working alone, there was male DNA on one of the victims.” This was the Sheriff speaking and not my father.
I stood there for a second and looked at the man that had helped raise me. “Dad, are we okay?”
“You are my son. Vampire or not you will always be my son and I love you.” For the first time ever, my father hugged me in front of everyone. “You and Davis go get Beth, I’ll explain things here. Don’t worry about it anymore. You aren’t going anywhere.”
After going back to my office to get the address we needed, Davis and I took off to find Beth. I knew getting to her as fast as we could was important, but there was something I had to do.
“Davis, I’m going to stop by Julie’s and see if I can catch Casey. I need to make it up to her if I can.”
“Sure thing.” There was that smart ass grin again.