La Vida Vampire

“Send Zena over here to get Laurel. We’ll each release on three.”


Ike snapped his fingers at Zena. She rushed to help Laurel stand and positioned her near Ike. Cici and Claire carefully led Mick and Janie to the street. When Saber counted us off, Ike and his male minion broke the thrall on both Janie and Mick. I freed Laurel so abruptly the air crackled with energy.

As Saber holstered his gun, Mick and Janie blinked into awareness of the here and now. Mick shot Saber and me a surprised look, then grasped Janie’s hand, and hurried off. They’d be missing time, but better that than missing blood. Or an entire throat.

Which is what I might be missing if I’d let Laurel come back to herself at my feet.

“She insults you, my lord Ike,” Laurel growled, black eyes shooting hatred. “She insults our entire nest. Let me kill her now and be done with it.”

“Silence.” Ike’s voice cracked like a barbed whip. “Saber, tell me of your investigation.”

“Saber is not investigating,” Laurel pushed. “He is sniffing around this one. I smell them, each on the other.”

“You’re probably right, Laurel,” I said, sugary sweet. “Saber’s been living in my space for a few days. Protecting me.”

Ike’s posture stiffened. “From whom? Rachelle’s killer?”

Laurel’s jaw muscles tightened, and it hit me that she had something to hide from Ike. I filed that tidbit away.

“We don’t know yet who killed Rachelle,” Saber said, all business, “but a Frenchwoman named Yolette Fournier was killed here on Thursday. She knew Rachelle and probably visited your club in the last week or ten days.”

“Many people visit my club,” Ike sniffed. “How was this mortal acquainted with my Rachelle?”

I waited for Saber to drop the bomb.

“Rachelle was accused of killing Yolette’s first husband,” he said.

“In France.” It was a statement not a question.

“That’s right,” Saber said mildly. “Did you know about the incident, Ike?”

“I knew. However, if this Yolette is herself now dead by the same killer—” He spread his hands as if looking for answers.

“Surely you do not think I had anything to do with this.”

“No,” Saber said, “but you might be able to give us a new lead if you answer a few questions.”

Ike tapped his chin, then shifted his gaze from Saber to me. “Are you assisting Saber in this matter, Princess?”

I glanced at Saber, who nodded. “Unofficially, yes. I’m helping narrow the suspect list.”

“And are you privy to what Saber would ask me?”

I shrugged. “More or less.”

“Then you must ask this of me.”

“Why, so I’ll owe you one? No dice.” I’d exposed my only real vampire skill for Ike to see, might as well speak my mind.

“It’s your vampire who died, Ike. You can be a good citizen and answer questions here, or I’m betting Saber can talk to you in a more official capacity.”

He paused so long, I thought we were headed for a standoff. “Very well. What do you and Saber want to know?”

I glanced at Saber. “Gorman first?”

“Start with Cassidy.”

“Fine.” I met Ike’s black eyes again. “Did you hire a man named Eugene Cassidy to investigate Rachelle’s death?”

“Rachelle’s murder, and I did not hire him. Tower —” Ike waved at the tall vamp who’d frozen Mick. “—caught Mr. Cassidy lurking in our parking lot. I merely suggested it would benefit his health and the health of his loved ones should he look into the matter for me.”

“Did Cassidy,” Saber said, “say he’d been tracking anyone?”

“A Covenant man,” Ike admitted.

“Have you had trouble with the Covenant in Daytona?” I asked, partly out of curiosity.

“They never seem to bother us for long.”

I’ll bet. Could I be as ruthless as Ike? Naw. In spite of pulling Laurel’s aura, I couldn’t pull off ruthless.

“Ike,” Saber said, “Yolette probably visited your club, but she would’ve been with her new husband. Do you remember a French couple being there last week?”

“I am not in the club, only the office. Laurel?”

She jerked ever so slightly, but I noticed it, and so did Ike and Saber.

Laurel tossed her head. “They seemed to be groupies, Lord Ike. Only interested in sex with us.”

Watching Cici and Claire from the corner of my eye, I expected them to flinch. They didn’t, poor trapped souls.

“Yes, they were into sex with vampires,” Saber said to Laurel. “We need to know what they did at the club. Did Rachelle leave with them?”

Laurel shrugged. “If she did, I did not see her go.”

Liar, I thought, and knew I was right. Laurel had been jealous of Rachelle. That was plain in her eyes, never mind reading her thoughts.

“What about security cameras?” I asked. “Do you have those tapes?”