Page 21 of The Mermaid's Bubble Lounge
I passed on Clive’s observation and Vlad stopped to think before nodding. “He’s right. My head was down when I was going over the spot where the first victim had been killed, looking for scents. Afterward, we moved away from the building to check the surroundings. I had my right side to the building. Cadmael, his left. When Clive arrived and investigated, Cadmael and I were still talking.”
“So, the next time he kills,” I began, “and we know there will be a next time, will he look like Vlad again or will it appear as though it’s Cadmael or Clive? He’s seen all three of you.” I texted Nerissa back, letting her know it wasn’t Vlad—key details were wrong—but it had to be someone who could glamour themselves to look like Vlad. I let her know we would keep investigating and asked for any information she might have on possible killers.
I had a news notification on my screen. I would have ignored it, but I saw the word vampire, so I clicked on it. “Uh-oh. The media has picked up the story and there’s an article in the Chronicle: Vampire Killer Strikes Again.” I turned to Vlad. “That can’t be good.”
Especially not when we have vampires from around the world ready to converge on us.
“We’re not going to be able to keep this quiet,” Vlad said. “Not with what’s left of the Guild arriving in two days.”
ELEVEN
Have You Met Me?
“I mean, technically, almost half of the Guild is already here investigating,” I reminded them. “You guys are on top of it.”
Vlad stayed on the floor with me but leaned back against the chair he’d been sitting in. “The problem is that it doesn’t make us look terribly competent. How is it there’s a vampire—or group of vampires—killing in this city but we have no clues?”
“Oh. You’re either dumb or in on it. Is that it?” I asked.
Vlad nodded.
Unfortunately, he’s right. We’ll need to discuss this with the rest of the Guild, but given what we know, we won’t come off well in the report.
“Okay, but Vlad said the same thing has been happening in a bunch of major cities and that other Counselors were involved in those investigations. They didn’t figure it out either. How does this make you guys look bad?”
“They did, though,” Vlad replied. “Remember? They said a contingent of vampires who want to come out to the world are staging these killings as a first step. So either this is a completely isolated incident that coincidentally bears a striking resemblance to other murders, or those other Counselors were wrong.”
“Geez, you guys aren’t infallible. Are they really going to get their knickers in a twist that their theory proved to be incorrect?” Vampires were ridiculous.
“Have you met us?” Vlad asked, his eyebrows raised. “My question is this: has the killer glamoured himself to look like me for all the killings or did he change his look tonight after we visited the first crime scene?”
“Oh.” I grimaced. “Have you pissed someone off recently?”
He gave me a long look. “Again, have you met me?”
“Okay, well, I have to go get ready for work. I think you guys need to stake out the Bubble Lounge tonight, though.” I paused. “Wait. Those killings in Romania that you investigated—did they all take place in the same spot?”
Vlad considered. “No. They were in the same neighborhood, though. There probably wasn’t more than a few blocks between them all.”
I nodded. “Like Jack the Ripper.” I got up and moved across the room. “They never identified that guy either. Maybe he’s still out there, killing people.”
“He was named the Ripper for a reason. He didn’t drain them of blood; he sliced them up and removed organs,” Vlad reminded me.
“Yeah, but the bodies were still drained of their blood. It ran out on the streets instead of being consumed. Maybe he’s got some kind of blood fetish,” I suggested.
“Now that does sound like us.” Vlad took my laptop and moved back to the chair.
I shrugged. “It’d just be cool to solve that one.”
“Clive knows. You should ask him.”
“What!” I ran across the house and up the stairs, Fergus on my heels. Bursting through the bedroom door, I dove on the bed and rolled into Clive.
Do you really know who Jack the Ripper was?
If I tell you, what will we have to talk about in twenty years?
I kissed his cheek. Come on. Please!
