La Vida Vampire

“Miz Hayward said I can share any information with you, so where do you want to start?”


“With Etienne Fournier,” I said as I settled in the seat. “What do you have on him?”

“You suspect him of killin’ Yolette?”

“And maybe Rachelle, too,” I said.

Eugene’s gaze cut to Saber. “You were called in on Rachelle’s case, right?”

Saber nodded. “And we know Ike drafted you to investigate the murder.”

Eugene frowned. “How did you know?”

“Ike showed up for my tour tonight.”

Eugene gave me a slow blink. “He left his lair?”

“Yes, so the sooner we figure this out, the sooner Ike will be off our backs. Did you see the Fourniers with Rachelle in Daytona Beach?”

“Briefly, in the parkin’ lot at Ike’s club. A client can’t pay me enough to go into one of those places, so I ran surveillance from outside.”

“Did Rachelle and the Fourniers leave together?” Saber asked.

“No. Rachelle went back inside, Yolette followed her, and Etienne went to their car. He sat a while, messin’ with somethin’

that looked like a flask.”

“A flask? Like for liquor?” I asked.

“Yes, but I couldn’t see what he did with it. After ’bout fifteen minutes, he went back inside.”

“When you saw them outside the club,” Saber pressed, “were they agitated? Seem to be arguing?”

“Tense. It seemed like a tense encounter,” Eugene said slowly, his gaze going over Saber’s shoulder as if picturing the scene. “Rachelle was holdin’ herself stiffly. I didn’t have my eavesdroppin’ equipment set up, though now I wish I had.”

“What about later?” I asked. “Did you see them again?”

He frowned. “Come to think on it, that was odd.”

I waited with the proverbial baited breath, thinking I’d have to crawl down his throat to pull the words out.

“Rachelle and a whole group of ’em came out the second time. Most of ’em were actin’ drunk or high. One of the females—not Rachelle—had herself draped all over Etienne. Kissin’ on him, lickin’ his ears. Hell, I thought she was gonna either bite him or sexually attack him right there in the parking lot.”

I glanced at Saber. “Can vampires get drunk or high?”

“You don’t know, Miss Cesca?” Eugene said, startled.

“I haven’t hung around vampires for a long time, Eugene.”

“Oh, a’course.”

I raised a questioning brow at Saber. “Well?”

“On enough blood, yeah, vampires can get high. On booze and street drugs? I ’ve never seen those affect them.” Saber paused, then asked Eugene, “What was Rachelle doing in the parking lot the second time?”

“Talkin’ to another of the female vamps, and that was definitely an argument. The one kept pushin ’ Rachelle—like she didn’t want Rachelle back in the club.”

“Do you know which vampire it was?” Saber asked.

“Not by name, but she was black, hair in cornrows. I’d recognize her.”

I glanced at Saber, and we read each other loud and clear. Laurel.

“My wife called ’bout then,” Eugene continued. “The hot water heater broke, and I had to get home.”

“But the Fourniers were still at the club when you left?” Saber asked.

“They were. Even looked like they were headed back inside. Their car was empty when I passed it on the way out of the lot.”

I sat back, picturing one vampire shoving another one as if to keep her outside. Laurel had been little miss bossy, zealous where Ike was concerned, and jealous, too. Could she have had a hand in bumping Rachelle off? Why would Etienne drink booze from a flask when Ike sold liquor? I couldn’t see Etienne traveling with French brandy.

“…an engineer,” Eugene was saying when I focused on the conversation again. “Etienne had never been married before Yolette, but he’d known her for a while. They both were deep into the vampire club scene for several years.”

“You mean Yolette knew Etienne before she met James Peters?” Saber asked.

“Yep, and after.” Eugene rubbed the back of his neck. “They were rumored to be lovers, but that lifestyle lends itself to sleepin’ around.”

“Wait, you think Yolette and Etienne were lovers during her marriage to James?” I asked. “Like a threesome?”

Eugene shook his head. “That I don’t know. My Paris contact never got a consistent story about their activities.” He turned his hands up in a go-figure gesture.

“Was there any consistent information?” Saber asked.

Eugene made a rueful face and pulled at his ear. “Only that Etienne hung around Yolette and James during the time they were a couple. Etienne might have a date, or he might be alone, but they socialized.”

“Millie told us Yolette inherited some of James’s estate,” I said. “What about Etienne? Does he inherit from Yolette?”