Always the Vampire

“An opening.”


“Children,” Cosmil called. “If you are finished viewing, come sit. The crystal will turn itself off.”

I pivoted from the counter a step ahead of Triton and Saber. “Lia, did you ever find out about Lynn’s—”

“Cesca,” Triton warned from my side.

“Origins,” I finished and danced away from the punch he aimed at my arm to plop on the sofa.

Saber sat on my left, and Triton squeezed in on my right to annoy me. Cosmil almost rolled his eyes at us but refrained.

“I haven’t heard back about Lynn, but I’ll inform you when I do. Now, what are your schedules for the week? Cesca, do you have tours?”

“I’m off the ghost-tour schedule unless there’s an emergency, but I have things to do for Maggie and Neil.”

“Will you be available to train in the evenings?”

“I will.”

“Same here,” Saber said. “Triton’s helping me investigate missing bottles of ouzo at some local liquor stores, but my appointments with the managers should be during the day.”

Cosmil lifted a bushy brow. “So Starrack has stolen ouzo? You did not mention this.”

“I’ve only met with two store managers, but both recognized Starrack. The Palatka store security video was a bust, so I’m hoping another store will have useful footage.”

“Excellent. Lia sketched a good likeness, but seeing an up-to-date photograph of Starrack could be invaluable.”

“Unless he disguises himself,” Triton put in.

“He’s too vain for that,” Lia said stoutly. “As I said before, if he makes changes to his appearance, they would be minor.”

“I’ll get copies of any tapes that show Starrack clearly and bring my computer so we can all view them.”

We all turned to Triton who threw his hands up. “Hey, I’m just minding my shop and making calls for Saber.”

“Very well, it sounds like each of you will be free to train in the evening. I will expect you here by eight. Time is short, so we must make it count.”

We murmured our agreement, and I had crowbarred myself from between Saber and Triton when Lia spoke up.

“Since the chances are higher that Starrack will attend the festival, have you three thought further about how to lure and attack him?”

“All due respect, Lia,” Triton began, “but we’ve been a little busy. And that was before you gave us your news flash tonight.”

“He’s right,” Saber said. “Cesca and I plan to do a walk-through between the field and the parking garage to scout the area.”

“Do it tonight,” Cosmil commanded.

I narrowed my eyes. “Why?”

“Call it a hunch, Francesca. Please don’t question it further.”

“We’ll go by on the way home,” Saber said.

“I’ll come, too,” Triton chimed in. “The more of us with firsthand knowledge of the layout, the better, especially when we get to the down-and-dirty planning stage.”

I cringed, and Triton took my hand. “Sorry, Cesca, but we can’t dance around the subject anymore.”

I sighed and nodded. “Let’s go scout.”





Triton followed us to town in his truck, and since it was well after ten o’clock on Sunday night, we parked in a restaurant lot on West Castillo Drive, right across the street from the four-acre specialevents area. A vision flashed in my mind’s eye, one of Maggie and Neil and the wedding party on the field, but I willed it away. Locked down my emotions. I had to scout with dispassionate eyes.

Situated due west of the parking garage, the rectangular space that stretched four football fields in length was dark now. So was the large children’s playground adjacent to the field on the southeast corner, and tennis courts in the southwest. The playground’s wooden fence connected with the chain-link fencing that surrounded the entire field and tennis courts.

I knew from having attended the Greek festival last year that large, portable lights would be set up around the perimeter, and large tents would house the food and beverage service. More tents would provide shelter for the bandstand, the dance floor, and the diners. The spaces up and down the rest of the area would be packed with rows of individual vendors selling everything from art to novelty items. Greek related or not.

To the east, across the sidewalk and a two-lane street, sat the more-or-less-square parking garage rising four levels high. All but the top level provided shelter from the weather. Triton, Saber, and I crossed to the west entrance, walking right through the traffic lanes. Large, square, regularly spaced lights were bright enough to easily see, even with human eyes. Not many cars were parked in the garage tonight, and I led my troop of two to the right.

“As I recall, there are staircases in each corner,” I said as I opened the southwest stairwell door, “and a fifth set of stairs over by the east elevators.”

“Is this the closest set?” Saber asked as we started to climb.