Always the Vampire

“I see,” Jim said.

“No, you goddamn don’t. I’m saying I’ve been out here in my backyard all morning pruning and raking. Her boyfriend left around nine, then everything was quiet until that son-of-a-bitching siren went off. I can hear it in this one’s house.” He hitched a thumb at Maggie. “That’s when I saw the bodies, but not who put ’em there. I told Selma to call 911.”

Selma nodded.

“Perhaps you had turned away while you worked, Mr. Lister. That would be natural.”

Hugh snorted. “Son, it takes some muscle to move dead weight, pardon the expression. Takes time, too. I was pruning the jasmines right here in front of your face when the alarm went off. I would’ve heard or seen body movers, but I didn’t.”

I felt Jim’s interest spark. “What time did you start working in the yard, Mr. Lister?”

“Eight, eight fifteen.”

“Eight forty-five, dear,” Selma corrected. “Before that you were getting your gloves and all your tools out of the garage.”

“And the trash can and lawn bags,” Hugh added.

Selma nodded her agreement and turned to Jim. “That’s right. I brought Hugh some water, but he never came into the house until he banged in the back door yelling for me to call the police.”

“I’m telling you, I would’ve seen it if those bodies were dumped there in a normal way. This wasn’t normal.”

“Are you willing to put that in a signed statement?”

Hugh’s chest puffed a little. “Sure am. Marinelli here draws a hell of a lot of chaos, but she isn’t a killer.”

“I’ll have an officer make an appointment for you. Thank you, Mr. Lister. Mrs. Lister.”

As Jim strode away, Hugh squinted at me. “You might want to get some sleep, Marinelli. You look bad. Blotchy.”

Which meant my skin was beginning to sunburn, but I didn’t dash for a shady spot as I would have in the past. The cool tingle still streaming through my body dropped a degree. I’d heal.

“Come on, Cesca,” Maggie said. “You need some aloe vera.”

“Hold it,” Hugh called before we’d taken a step. “Is the big wedding shindig still on for next weekend?”

“It’s called a reception, dear,” Selma said, her expression embarrassed.

“Whatever, it better not be canceled. We can’t return your goddamn gift.”

“Bless His holy name,” Selma muttered as she turned toward her house.

“Who are you blessing?” Hugh demanded, trailing after her. “What did I say? Was the gift a secret?”

Maggie’s wide-eyed gaze met mine. “Did they RSVP?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t remember panicking.”

“Me, either, but I’m having a moment now.”

Though the crime-scene techs were packing their gear, we were careful to take the same path back to my cottage that Balch and I had taken out of it. Once inside, Maggie forged ahead to the bathroom.

“Is your aloe in here?”

“I don’t need it, Maggie. I’ll heal fast.”

“Tough. I need you to need it. Now sit on the toilet lid, and I’ll do the applying while you do the talking. What’s going on?”

“The short version is that there’s a power-mad wizard on the loose,” I said as she dabbed gel on my reddened cheeks. “He conjured up this thing we call the Void that’s infecting and killing vampires with some kind of illness.”

Maggie’s hand froze. “Are you infected?”

“No, but most of the vamps in Florida are.”

“What about the vampires we met in Fernandina?”

“They’re healthy, and the illness isn’t transmitted to humans as far as we can tell.”

“So you and Saber have been coming and going at all hours because you’re tracking the wizard?”

“Essentially, yes. We’re working with Triton.”

“Did the wizard kill those people who were dumped in the yard?”

“It looks that way. They were homeless, and I bought them a pizza last night. That’s my only connection with them, so killing them doesn’t make sense.”

She put a swipe of aloe on the bridge of my nose and clicked the bottle closed. “Are Neil and I in danger? We can cancel the wedding and elope.”

“Cancel when you’re nine days out?” I said, dodging the danger issue. “Hell, no. Absolutely not.”

I stood and took Maggie’s hands. “You are not eloping. On October eleventh at six in the evening, you have cordially invited guests to the most perfect Victorian wedding and reception in history. The festivities will be held in your own home, and in your own backyard, as planned. Are we clear?”

“You’re certain this mad wizard isn’t after us?”

I sidestepped again and instead steered her toward the living room. “If he were after you, we’d have a sign by now, but I’ll take more precautions. I know a sorceress who is going to spell you and Neil, and this property, and the entire neighborhood with enough protection to deflect a bomb.”

“Really?”