“Do you know where we’re going?” I was beginning to question Tatum’s sanity.
“Checking in on Facebook gives us a general location for where she is. All we have to do is scour the campus looking for her.” She acted as though this was the simplest most normal thing we could do. I highly doubted it would be that easy.
“Okay, and how…oh hell, never mind. Just do what you gotta do.” I was giving up. I was stuck in this shit town with Tatum-off-her-rocker Price.
Roll with it.
We drove for quite a while before Tatum pulled into a parking lot with a big blue letter perched atop a thick pole, signifying which lot we were in. The campus looked old, clad in red brick with ivy and greenery surrounding a few newer styled buildings. All in all, it was a very nice looking campus. I followed Tatum through the maze of buildings, winding around pedestrians and avoiding being run over by bicyclists. I was watching a group of young adults standing in a circle. I’m not sure why they caught my attention initially, but I was watching them now all facing each other in the circle. No one appeared to be speaking. I thought perhaps it was a prayer group, but they weren’t dressed the part of churchies. All at once, every one of the five students in the circle turned their heads to me. Every eye pointed at me. I looked away just in time to see Tatum stopped in front of me. Nearly slamming into the back of her, I forced my feet to stop just in time. Since I can’t really see over her shoulder, I stepped around to her side to see Shantressa exiting a nearby classroom. She looked very different from the previous evening. Wearing long slim jeans and an oversized hooded sweater, I couldn’t believe she wasn’t sweltering in this heat. With ultimate determination, Tatum headed straight for the little pixie.
“Oh hey, Shantressa.” Tatum had her bitch voice out, she wasn’t fucking around.
The girl stopped in her tracks staring up at Tatum with the deer in the headlights look.
“Umm, hi.” The high pitched voice finally squeaked out.
“Funny seeing you here. Where’s your girlfriend?” Tatum asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The tiny girl attempted squeezing around the two of us. She failed.
“I don’t think so little one. We have some questions. Mainly, who is Regina and why did she leave town? Also, just for shits and giggles, why are there dead girls from here to L.A. without any blood left in their skinny little bodies?” I took over this time. Maybe I was getting my groove back. Wishy-washy Dylan can’t make up her mind whether or not she’s a badass or a scaredy-cat.
What’s new?
“Ugh. Please just leave me alone. I don’t know anything.” Almost a whining tone peeped from the little blonde pixie girl.
“You seemed to know plenty last night. Talk. Or we’ll make you talk.” Decided: bad-ass.
Tatum stood behind me like the enforcer. I fought the urge to look back and see if she smashed her fist into the palm of her hand like a bad-movie bodyguard would.
“Regina was with us until a few months ago, then she moved. That’s all I know.”
“Yeah, right, okay. Why did the police have your information? They must have questioned you at some point.” I pressed on.
“One of the bodies was dumped by the garbage bin in my apartment complex. They questioned everyone. I didn’t tell them anything because I didn’t know anything.” She was shooting glances over my shoulder in the direction of the circle of students I had been looking at.
Interesting.
“Very strange a dead girl pops-up outside the home of a lifestyle vampire, drained of all her blood. Hmmm, interesting. Who is Regina?” I asked again.
“She was a student here. She was a part of our coven until bigger and better things came along. She left, we stayed. Sandora and me. Sandora was against Regina leaving to join the other coven, but Regina thought she’d go places if she was closer to a Primus. I wanted to go too, but Sandora wouldn’t have it. So I’m here.” She seemed somewhat disappointed at that.
“Where is Sandora today?” We were starting to get somewhere.
“She…is at home, I guess.” Her eyes darted over my shoulder again. I turned my head to see what she was looking at. Sure enough it was that group of students. I made eye contact with one of them and they all turned and walked away in unison.
Creepy.
“Who are they?” I nodded my head in their general direction.
“They don’t like us. Wiccans supposedly. I think they’re a bit darker than worshipping mother earth and goddesses and shit if you ask me. Just a hunch.” She shrugged her miniature shoulders.
“I see. Does anyone do any learning here? Or are you all cult fanatics?”
“Funny. What is it that you’re after? Why are you harassing me?” Her tiny arms folded across her chest. She looked like a kindergartner.
“What came up for Regina that was so important? Why did she leave?”
“A guy. What else? She had just gotten into the nursing program here and was doing really well then he came and promised her a contract and she bounced. She was Sandora’s second before she left. Diego would have been able to stop her if he hadn’t gotten so fucked up. I’m glad she left. It opened up more for me.”
Whoa, slow down. This girl needs to learn to categorize thoughts before they leave her face.
“While I’m super happy you’re opening up here, I am totally lost. Who is Diego? And what guy with a contract?”
“I’m really hungry. Feed me.” She looked very eerie peering up at us under her eyebrows.
“Will talk for food, huh?” I was hoping that’s what she meant.
“Will talk, some. I have an allegiance to my coven; however, I’m also a starving student.” Priorities.
“Deal. You can ride with us.” I fought the urge to ask if blood wasn’t enough sustenance.
We drove not too far to a nearby Carl’s Jr. The tiny little thing ordered a Six Dollar burger with large fries. She’s a freak. Once we were seated, I started my line of questioning.
“So, who came for Regina?” I asked.
“Some guy from L.A. said he worked for a vamp magazine looking for new talent. He said she had potential and swooped her up back to the City of Angels.” She shoved a good portion of the burger into her tiny mouth.
“Did he have a name?” There was only one vamp magazine I knew of and it was too coincidental.
“Umm…he was a model, I know that. He was working for some guy who owns a bunch of clubs and stuff too.” She was talking through a mouth full of food.
Oh, great. Cyrus again. Possibly.
“His name wasn’t Cyrus was it? Tall and gorgeous?” Son of a bitch.
“Oh yeah, that’s it. You know him? He was very tasty.” She smiled.
“I know him. Why was he here in Fresno? I mean no offence, but why come here to find prospects when you live in L.A.? I have to be honest, I’m pretty confused here.” I glanced to Tatum she hadn’t said much in the last hour almost. She just sat there staring a hole into our tiny little friend.
Yep, my enforcer.
“Sandora started a Facebook page for our coven and supposedly that’s where his boss had seen Regina.” I recalled then why the name Sandora didn’t sit well with me the night before.
“No one but Regina has been down South? Not you? Or, maybe, Sandora?” She shook her head, eyes questioning. “And you’ve never met the owner of the magazine?”
“No. Why is this important?” she asked, face full of concern.
“Just wondering why a man who’s never met any of you would name his magazine Sandora. Seems a bit odd to me.” I sat back against the hard metal chair.
“I’ve no clue. I never even knew the name of the magazine, honestly. Sandora is kind of a popular name among us. It could’ve just been coincidence. All I know is, some head guy sent Cyrus to offer her a contract, and voila, bye-bye, Reggie. Last I heard, she was working in a bar. Is that true?” She swallowed the last bite of burger and moved on to her fries. I hate it when people ea
t burger first then fries or vice-versa; you have to mix it up with a burger/fry combo.
“Yes. Who’s Diego?” I wanted to move through my questions before she finished shoving the rest of my bribe down her gullet.
“He was part of our coven too until right before Regina left,” she said.
“You said he got fucked up. What happened?”
“He went a little bat shit. He wanted to take over the coven and get rid of Sandora. He took the whole vampire thing to a new level. I mean, worse than Sandora.”
“How so?” I was imagining Dominika with a penis.
“He was bloodletting every day, taking from more and more donors, and we even suspected he was assuming the role all the time; sleeping in his basement even. Regina told him he was taking it too far and he hit her a few times. She left a few weeks later. We haven’t seen him since either. I heard from Dante that Diego was telling people he was an immortal now and no one could touch him. But those are just rumors, you know?” She crumpled her garbage together and sat it in a neat ball on the plastic tray.
“This Diego, where did he go? Regina was into bloodletting too? She seemed to be a little against the vamp stuff when I met her.”
“She was Sandora’s second. She was very much into the scene. I don’t know where Diego is now. He hooked up with some other dude a month or so before him and Regina split. I assume he’s with him somewhere.” She shrugged it off, no big deal. Right.
“Hooked up? He was into guys too?” I asked casually.
“No, not gay like. He met this guy online who got him into some darker shit and I think that’s why he went a little nuts. Either way, he’s gone now; no tears here. Regina took bloodletting really serious. She was Sandora’s companion. They started the coven. Regina taught us how to stay sanitary when bloodletting, dress our wounds, and all that. She even started tapping veins with a syringe toward the end. It was great no healing or scars, just a little pin prick.” She smiled happily at the thought.
“Reggie was a nurse, or going to be. That’s right.” My mind was turning this information over and over, processing slowly.
“Yeah, her and Diego both. That’s how they met. They both entered nursing school with dreams of working at the morgue or funeral home. Freaks to the core, I guess.”
“So Diego knew how to do the needle stuff too?” Now I was getting somewhere.
“Somewhat. Regina’s mom was a nurse so she learned all that stuff before she started school.” She glanced at her phone. “Are we about done? I have a class in fifteen minutes.”
“I have to ask, Shantressa, that can’t be your real name. Is it? And Sandora and Diego…those have to be assumed names. No one’s parents are that cruel,” I said with all seriousness.
“Well, no. My name is Angela. Sandora would kill me if she knew I told you, but her name is Alyssa. And Diego? I don’t know his real name. Diego might be his name. Lord knows with that guy.” She shrugged.
“What does Diego look like? I might have seen him at Reggie’s club.” Or not, but I wanted a description just in case.
“Tall, thin, not too attractive. Dark hair, but I don’t think it’s natural. In fact, I don’t think anything about him is natural. I have to go. I hope you figure out what’s going on. I like my lifestyle and I would hate to have a witch hunt, or vamp hunt on our hands for fear of a rogue vampire. Bye.” She stood and grabbed her bag. With an impish wave, she turned and walked out the glass doors.
“Well, then.” Tatum spoke so suddenly after her long silence I was startled. I had forgotten she was with me.
“Yeah. Interesting, eh? Nurses drinking blood? I think I’ll skip my check up next year.”
“So, Cyrus comes all the way to Fresno to recruit Reggie for a photo shoot? Then drags her to L.A. where dead bodies follow her. Then, her crazy blood-drunk boyfriend disappears at the same time. I don’t know about you, but I think we have our villains.” She wiggled her eyebrows at me.
“I’m not sure. Reggie didn’t fit the bill, well maybe, but I doubt she’d be capable of hefting those girls alone. Shit, she could hardly open a twist off cap. I don’t understand why Cyrus would come all the way here for her. She’s not that hot. In fact Sandora, or Alyssa, whatever, was way hotter if you ask me. Although, from what Shantressa says, she was against the whole thing from the get-go. Oh, she did say something about a Primer, Primus. Primus? What the fuck is a Primus? This Diego character would be an interesting contact. Too bad we don’t know where he is. We could ask Regina.” I hadn’t really been speaking directly to anyone, mostly to myself. Inner monologue usually helps me clear my thoughts. But saying it aloud gave Tatum the chance to give feedback.
“Cyrus being here is a strange coincidence. I don’t know what a Primus is but we can find out. And yes, we need to talk to Regina. Let’s go home.” She grabbed her shit and we booked it back to the hotel.
We packed our bags in record time. Tatum did a quick sweep of the room while I threw our bags in the car.
“You ready?” I called from the door.
“Yeah.” Tatum was in the door frame and nearly ran right into my face as soon as I spoke.
We buckled up and headed for the freeway and home.
“What are you thinking?” Tatum asked as she merged onto the 99 South.
“Not sure yet. We need to collaborate with Mike and see his cop stand point. I’m sure he’ll find something we missed. A plot-twist perhaps.”
“Ooh, a plot twist now would be intriguing. What could it be? That Mike is the killer?” Why is she always blaming Mike?
“Or you are.” I said spitefully.
“Or you.” She looked at me from the corner of her eye. “Or maybe it is just the freaks like we thought all along. Regina and the lot of them. All dumb-shit-freaks.”
Looking out the window at the quick passing buildings merging into vast acres of farmland, I blurted out, “Or it’s a vampire.”
“Yeah, or that.” She agreed with the statement too quickly. It was a little unnerving.
Or it’s a vampire? At this point, I’m really not sure.
CHAPTER 19
I dialed Mike once we were safely on the freeway.
“Dylan.” He made answering the phone into a statement.
“Yeah. Mike--” He cut me off.
“Dylan, we have a problem.” His voice sounded grave.
“Okay. What is it?”
“Another body.”
“Oh. Shit. We have a few people we can talk to about that,” I said it matter-of-factly.
“We have shit, Dylan. I have a job to do and you have to get your ass back here pronto. Your fishing expedition is over.” He was throwing demands around; shit had hit the fan.
“Dammit, Mike, Tatum and I have been busting our asses trying to drudge up information for you. Don’t you dare blow us off like that.” Who does he think he is?
“You’re not safe! Do you hear me?! It’s not a stripper this time, Dylan. It’s somebody, not a nobody. A girl, a real girl.” I shuddered; the sound of his voice shook me.
“Who? Who was it? You’re sure it’s them?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. Some poor girl who decided to check out a vamp club last night. Her parents ID’d her an hour ago. College girl, just turned twenty-one last month. Just a kid, Dylan. She was just a kid.”
“Which club? Macabre? Where did they leave her? Wait, when did this happen? I talked to you at eleven this morning and there was no body. Most of these girls are found first thing the next morning. You’re sure?” I was feeling very uneasy about this.
“Yeah, Dylan, I’m sure. Yes, that club. I haven’t heard from the ME yet, but I’m pretty certain it happened last night. She was found late this morning. Dylan…” He took an inappropriate pause.
“What? What is it?” My voice held an urgency that disturbed even me.
“Dylan…” Mike let out a sigh. “She was found in the alley behind your apartment.”
“What?” Moment of disbelief number one.
“Bitten? Hard?” I felt like a confused parrot.
“Someone tore into her flesh with teeth. I have to wait for the ME report, but if I had to guess, this sick fuck has moved on from the ol’ ‘slice and stab’ to get his blood. He’s tapping directly into the source. More than once. She had multiple bite wounds and some blood dried to the skin but none at the scene otherwise.”
“Like we thought, they were most likely killed elsewhere and dumped,” I said.
“Not the most pertinent point here, Dylan. I don’t want you going home. I have a bad feeling she was left there for a reason.” He sounded scared. I think he and I had finally agreed on an emotion.
“Who was she? What was her name?” I sounded scared too.
“Amanda Simmons. You know her?”
“No.” Thank God.
“Dylan, she looked like you; down to the crazy head of hair. It’s just too coincidental.”
“Like me? What? Short, fat, and frizzy?” I half-smiled at that.
“Not funny. She looked like you, like the last girl looked like Tatum. One was left at the club you visited, the last left at your home. You still wanna crack jokes?” Well, since he put it that way.
“What do you suppose we do?” I cringed the second I said it.
“Stay with me. Both of you.” I knew that’s what he was going to suggest before he said it.
“Mike, ugh, you know that’s not a good idea.”
“Why?” he asked impatiently.
Let me count the ways.
“Don’t you think if they know where I live, they know where you live?” Touché.
“But, I’ll be here, with you. I think you’re getting very close to something. I don’t know who’s doing this, but I have a feeling they’re involved with these people you’ve been talking to. Someone has to know who you are and what you’re doing. Hurry home. Make a list of everyone you two have spoken with the last few days, the places you’ve been, and anyone you think needs a police visit.”
The Scene (Dylan Hart Odyssey of the Occult Series) Page 16
