"Might not be," Brucie said. "Some kind of witch, perhaps. Or someone with an enchanted object of some kind. I don't know. When you're dealing with supernatural shit, there's pretty much, like, no limit to what something might be."
"Do you think you could help me figure it out? Here's the thing. If I'm wrong, I don't want to accuse the man. Especially since I pinky swore to Malinda I'd be cool if I talked to him."
Brucie took another swig from his bottle and chased it with a puff from his cigar. "If he's not human. I can figure that out easily. I can become mist, let him breathe me in a bit. I can check out his insides."
I nodded. "That could work."
"What about your other suspect?" Brucie asked.
I smiled. "If it comes down to it, I'll have you do the same. Just try to be inconspicuous, alright? If people see a drunken Cupid flying around here..."
"Cupid? C'mon Nyxie! Cupid's a pussy! All about that lovey-dovey shit. I'm like the heavy metal Cupid. All the girls love me. And they can't wait to take a ride on my crazy train."
"Your crazy train?" I asked.
"It's what I nicknamed my penis!"
I snorted. "You have a penis?"
"I'm made of water. I take whatever shape I want, Nyxie. And mine, well, have you ever seen a fire hose?"
"I have. I'm not sure I want to know more."
"Want a shower, Nyxie?"
"No! And don't you dare pull that thing out!"
Brucie chuckled. "I don't have to pull it out. I just have to... you know... envision it. What is it that other angel said in that baseball movie."
"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't really watch a lot of movies these days."
"With Kevin Costner. Come on. If you play with it, it will come. That's the story of my..."
"I don't think that's what the angel in that movie said, Brucie."
Brucie took a long draw from his cigar. "I know it was something like that. Old movies. Nothing better for getting chicks than old movies."
"I wouldn't know. I don't do chicks, Brucie."
"You're missing out! Anyway. Old movies are the best because they're so boring. Plus, with baseball movies, it's easy to make the transition to other games, if you know what I mean."
I sighed. "I'm not sure I do."
Brucie gulped down another quarter of his bottle. "It's like this. I look at the girl. She's taken with me right away because, you know, I'm so damn cute. I stroke her cheek gently. And then I lean into her ear, and I whisper. Wanna play with my bat and balls?"
"You don't actually say that!"
"I do! And I'm telling you, it leads to a grand slam every time. If you know what I mean. Wink. Wink. Nudge. Nudge."
I shook my head. "I don't know how you go about picking up girls or where you find girls who go for things like that. Not to mention girls who are willing to hook up with a creepy little sprite. But please, remind me to never go there."
Brucie smiled. "It's really your kind of place, Nyxie. You've been to one."
"I don't know about..."
"The looney bin!" Brucie said. "That place has all the freakiest chicks!
"All this time, you've been picking up girls at the psych ward?"
"Hell yes!" Brucie said. "Lots of hot chicks. And the thing is if they tell anyone about me, people think they're crazy anyway! Then, they have to stay there longer. More fun for me!"
I laughed. "That's so wrong. But why am I not surprised?"
"It's not the only place I go. I get around the convents, too."
I scratched my head. "I'm not even going to ask. Look, can you just check out this Connor guy for me? He'll be here tonight looking for Malinda. She's not coming."
"Yeah. But I can't read minds, Nyxie. Other than yours, of course. I don't know how to pick the guy out."
I scrolled around on my computer. I'd taken some screenshots of the video before. I found one of Connor with Malinda and showed it to Brucie.
"That guy?" Brucie asked. "Why is Malinda into him? She's way too hot for that guy."
I bit my lip. "I don't know. He gives her smokes and drinks. And he flatters her. She's not used to the attention."
"My kind of girl!"
"Stay away from Mal, Brucie."
"Oh, come on, Nyxie. You're no fun! I promise I'll treat her real nice."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of. Look, just check out Connor, like I said. Make sure he's human. Look for anything that might suggest he's up to something. Follow him around. Stay hidden in the mist. Don't want to freak anyone out. This is all about reconnaissance."
"Got it, Nyxie! No one will even know I was here."
I nodded. "Thanks, Brucie."
"No problem. But you'll owe me one."
"What do you want?" I asked. "More cigars? Booze? I have a bunch of bottles I need to throw out."
"Don't throw them out! I'll take them."
"Anything behind the bar right now is yours. Take it wherever you keep your stash."
"Appreciated! But I was hoping you could help me get something else, too."
"A whole bar's supply of liquor isn't enough for you?"
"Get me a stack of romance novels. And by a stack, I mean, like twenty of them. Look for the ones with shirtless dudes on the cover."
I snorted. "What? Seriously, Brucie?"
"What can I say? I'm all about the steam. It's my favorite phase!"
Chapter Twelve
It took Brucie about three minutes to clear out the bar. He took a gulp out of every bottle before pushing it through whatever kind of portal he made to where he was storing it. I wasn't sure how he could fly, much less exist, after consuming so much booze. But it clearly didn't affect him like it did most people. Hell, I couldn't drink much at all. When all your blood is water, well, the dehydrating effects of booze never set well with me. Brucie was somehow different, despite being totally made of water like me. It was a mystery, I suppose. But certainly not on the top of my list of things to investigate.
He got it cleared out just in time for the new stock that arrived, as Geraldo had told me, at noon. I spent most of the afternoon reviewing more video footage. This time, from two nights before. The night Geraldo's mom died.
I was looking for any contact she might have had with any of the possible suspects. I couldn't confirm any physical contact. But she did brush shoulders with Connor briefly as he made his way over to Malinda in the back row. Rose and Katie were together the whole time. That must've been the second ticket Katie had purchased. For Rose. I had assumed they didn't know each other. Apparently, I was wrong. They came together. They left together. They must've been friends. They certainly fooled me. The two girls couldn't be more different. Especially when it came to their singing styles. Whatever. Stranger things had happened, I supposed. Especially in my world. Ultimately, I didn't see anything definitive. The club was small, considering the numbers we usually drew. A lot of people bumped shoulders. I closed my laptop. I wasn't really any closer to identifying the killer than I was before.
Joey showed up a little earlier than usual. Probably because he expected the new stock to arrive and needed to organize it all. He had his own key, so, really, it wasn't surprising he came in on his own.
"Hey Joey," I said, stepping up to the bar.
"Hi, Nicky. You're here early tonight. What happened to all the other booze?"
"After what happened last night, I wanted to eliminate any possibilities."
"What do you mean?" Joey asked. "You think the alcohol had something to do with what happened to that girl? What as her name, Emelia?"
"Amelia," I said, correcting Joey's subtle mispronunciation of the girl's name. "They couldn't figure out what happened. One theory was poisoning."
Joey looked at me in wide-eyed shock. "Someone might have snuck poison in one of my bottles?"
"I'm not saying that's what happened. I highly doubt it. But you know, even if there was the slightest chance, I couldn't take any risks."
Joey shook his head.
"You could have asked me what she drank. We didn't have to get rid of everything."
I bit my lip. "Yeah, sorry about that. I got a little overzealous. I'm a little on edge about it all."
Joey nodded. "It's okay. Your booze, your dollar."
"Speaking of Amelia. I was reviewing the video from last night. It looked like she said something to you. Just before she want outside."
Joey nodded. "I congratulated her on her performance. Asked if she wanted a drink on the house. Figured you'd be cool with that."
"Yeah, of course. But what did she say to you?"
"She took me up on the offer. Long Island Iced Tea. But said she was having a hard time breathing. Said she was going to get something from her car and would be right back. But she never came back. Ended up giving her drink away."
I nodded. "That tracks. She went to her car and used her inhaler. Then she collapsed."
"Asthma attack, maybe?" Joey asked.
I nodded. "That's probably what it was. Much more likely than poisoning. But you know, the possibility was on the table so..."
"I get it," Joey said. "Glad I got here early. Hopefully, the stock will be enough to get us through the night."
"Yeah, hopefully. Anyway, I'll leave you to it."
Joey nodded. "Since it's a Friday, do you still want to close the bar at the usual time?"
I nodded. "I might add a few songs to my set, so you can probably keep the bar open another fifteen minutes or so."
Joey nodded. "Will do."
I heard a knock on the front door. Rose and Katie were standing there, ready to come in. I was glad they came early. Tonight was Katie's turn to open. It meant she'd have a chance to rehearse. I wanted to hear what she'd come up with, anyway, since her mashup during the auditions wasn't exactly on point.
I unlocked the door. "You two come together?"
"Sure did," Katie said. "We go everywhere together these days."
I smiled. "I didn't realize you two were friends."
"Yup! New besties!"
Rose rolled her eyes. "We met a few weeks ago, actually. We're close. I'm not sure besties is the right word."
"A few weeks ago? I saw you two were both here the night before the auditions."
"We were doing research!" Katie said. "Rose hadn't heard you sing before. I thought it would be good, you know, to get a handle on the vibe so she could ace her audition."
"So both of us could do well," Rose said.
"Right," Katie said. "But you know, I knew I was going to kill it."
I snorted. "Well, I hired all of you. So, I guess it worked out."
"I can't wait for you to hear what I planned! But after what happened, I really wasn't sure we were still on track."
I nodded. "The show must go on. Speaking of all that. Did Amelia say anything else to you guys? I know you said she told you she wasn't feeling well. But did she say anything about, you know, maybe someone doing something to her? Anything out of the ordinary?"
"Wait," Rose said. "Do you think someone killed Amelia?"
By the tone in her voice, I could tell the whole notion made her understandably uneasy. "I don't know. I'm only trying to figure out what happened. There was another lady the night before when you both were here. She died, too, after the show. I found out about it earlier today."
"Seriously?" Katie asked. "How strange is that!"
"How didn't you know about it until today?" Rose asked.
"Apparently, it happened after she left on the way home. It's probably just a horrible coincidence but, you know, two dead in two nights. It's unusual."
"Totally weird," Katie said. "I feel bad for her. I mean, I totally didn't expect it. She was so inexperienced. But when Amelia sang. Hell, even I was a little jealous!"
I bit my lip. "Yeah, she did great."
"She killed it!" Katie said.
"Katie!" Rose said. "Word choice!"
Katie winced. "Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean..."
I smiled. "I know what you meant. And you're right. It's such a shame. So much talent, so much life ahead of her."
"Yeah. I'm a little freaked out about it. It makes you think, you know, life is short."
"I agree, Katie. Make the most of every moment."
Rose nodded. "Live each day like it's your last. Because it just might be."
I bit my lip. "On that note. How do you feel about performing tonight, too, Rose?"
Rose raised her eyebrows. "I could! I didn't expect it. But I guess, you know, if Amelia could do it on such short notice, I'm sure I can pull it off."
I smiled. "I think that would be nice. Sorry for springing it on you. After last night, I guess I want something to celebrate. So why not you two?"
"We could sing together!" Katie said. "Like when we practiced."
Rose sighed. "I don't know. Our styles are so different. I don't want to be a distraction to you."
"Why don't we do it all. It's a Friday night. I usually extend the show a bit on Fridays and Saturdays. You can each sing a solo and a duet."
"Deal!" Katie said. "Want to hear what we've got?"
I nodded. "Go ahead and take the stage. We have an hour or so before the band arrives. Let's make the most of it."
Chapter Thirteen
The girls rehearsed their numbers. They both showed a marked improvement over their auditions. After seeing what Amelia did, I suppose they knew they had to take it to the next level. My mind wasn't in it. Between two deaths at my club and the grimoire episode, not to mention the dream I had about it, my thoughts were all over the place.
I still had a good hour before dark which, since New Orleans is in the same time zone as Kansas City, was the soonest Hailey could get to Cain to let him know to give me a call. Why not call Cain directly? The Vilokan Asylum was in an underground Voodoo world, beneath a city already below sea level and protected by a magical firmament that kept the place from flooding. They didn't have cell service.
Still, I figured there had to be a more efficient way to get in touch than having to depend on a vampire to reach out. We'd have to come up with something.
There was some natural chemistry in Rose's and Katie's duet. Not the romantic kind. But I was pleasantly surprised how well their styles blended. They'd clearly practiced. I didn't think the girls would rock the crowd so well as Amelia did—she was a unicorn, a one of a kind—but they'd do well. They continued singing even as my mind drifted.
I took a deep breath. There was tension in my chest, anxiety. I didn't get nervous hunting vampires. Why now? It was the unknown of it all that haunted me. Vampire hunting always had an element of mystery to it. But at least when it came to hunting vampires, the "why done it" was obvious, the "who done it" was usually evident, and the only real question to investigate was "where the hell did the bloodsucker go?"
This mystery hadn't revealed any of the above questions yet. I didn't know who killed these people. I had a suspicion it was this Connor joker. I hoped Brucie could prove it by the end of the night. I certainly didn't know why. What did an older lady and a young, aspiring singer have in common? Of all the people in my club, why these two? Presuming there really was an answer to the question. Maybe the killer chose victims randomly.
Perhaps the question that perplexed me the most, though, was the how question. Namely, how in the world were these killings connected to the missing Grimoire of the Nazarene? Presuming, of course, that my dream wasn't total bull crap. Could have been. Maybe the connection was a manifestation of my worries and fears rather than a revelation from the divine.
I stood and applauded when Katie and Rose finished rehearsing their duet. I didn't have much feedback. My mind had wandered, and shame on me, I wasn't focused. But for the most part, it sounded great.
"Good job, girls," I said.
"Thanks!" Katie said.
Rose nodded. "Appreciate it."
"Alright, well, the band will be here shortly. Let them know what you'd like instrumentally and practice a couple times to be sure you're on the
same page. I have a few things to take care of."
"Got it, Nicky! Thank you so much for this opportunity!" Katie exclaimed.
I nodded and smiled. I wasn't sure how much of an opportunity it was, honestly. My shows had a pretty good following online. That was the best chance any of us would ever be discovered. But even I didn't have a record deal or anything like that. Not like I'd have the time for it if I did. For me, it was all about performing. I never felt more like myself than when I was on stage. Sure, a record deal would come with money, maybe a tour, and things like that. But I was satisfied with what Nicky's gave me. I could sing almost every night. I was free to hunt vampires and whatever other supernatural baddies might be on the horizon during late-night.
I snuck back into the greenroom. I had to get ready. It was probably going to get dark right around the time the show began. That meant, more than likely, Cain would call in the middle of the show. I'd need to take it. I put on my face. I zipped up my stiletto boots. I brushed out my hair. I looked fabulous—even if only on the outside.
"Brucie!" I called.
The sprite appeared, sitting on my vanity. I could only hope he wouldn't puddle all over it. "Hey, Nyxie! You ready?"
I nodded. "Need to see the photo again?"
Brucie ashed his cigar right on my vanity. And I was hoping to avoid a puddle. "I've got this. I'm a professional. Photographic memory."
I nodded. "Hey, Brucie. How far back does that memory of yours go?"
Brucie shrugged. "All the way. Though, like anyone else, I mostly remember only the big things. It's not like I remember every fish we ever passed in the streams or things like that."
"But big things, you don't forget, right?"
Brucie nodded. "So long as I wasn't drinking at the time! "
"Is that why you drink so much?" I asked. "To stop remembering?"
"That's a part of it, Nyxie. After a while, there's so much in my mind it's overwhelming."
I sighed. "Sometimes, I wonder if it's a blessing I can't remember everything. You know, from back then."
Brucie nodded. "You probably wouldn't want to remember all of it. Trust me."
No Shift, Sherlock: A Vampire Hunter Urban Fantasy Mystery (The Legend of Nyx Book 3) Page 8
