When the Dedhams returned home from their surveillance job, they had nothing to report from their evening. Kyle Patterson went straight home after leaving the diner and stayed there all night. He and his wife had a mild fight, watched some TV, and went to bed shortly before eleven. He never left the house again until about daybreak, when they followed him back to the diner. Gordon took over the shadowing from there.
"But," said Dodie, "I did get an interesting call from Stacie while we were watching Mr. Patterson. She said one of her homeless clients was babbling about seeing people getting killed. He was telling everyone that vampires were running wild in Los Angeles."
The news got everyone's attention except for Doug, who'd heard the call in the car.
"Did Stacie find out anything more?" asked Samuel.
"She couldn't. She said there were too many people around. She said no one believed him, of course, and thought he was drunk. Before she could spend any time alone with him, he'd run off."
"We need to find that man," said Samuel, his voice thick with authority.
"Stacie thinks she knows where he stays," Dodie continued. "It's some alley not far from where they hold the legal clinic. She's going back there tonight when there are fewer people around."
"Good," Samuel said, his voice a little more relaxed. "I'll give her a call tonight and check in on it."
Samuel lifted the glass of blood Dodie served him and drained it. Dodie and Doug were still working on theirs. Madison was slowly munching her way through a bowl of cereal and milk. She was getting used to seeing glasses of dark red liquid. The four of them were seated at the Dedham kitchen table, going over the various events of the evening.
"Colin and Madison are going back to Bloodlust tonight," Samuel told them.
This was news to Madison. She dropped the spoon she was holding into the bowl. It hit the side of the stoneware with a clang. "Are you kidding?"
Samuel turned to her. "Pretend that you know nothing about their plans-that you left the club angry because you found Colin with Miriam."
Madison wasn't convinced it was a sound plan. "If we had a fight, won't they find it odd that we're there together again?"
Samuel shrugged. "You patched it up. Couples do that. Just don't seem overly lovey-dovey. Give Ethan the impression that you really returned to see him again."
"Colin and I were never very lovey-dovey."
Without comment, Samuel continued. "Colin will be watching you every second"
Madison started to say something snotty, but Samuel saw it coming and cut her off.
"Don't worry," Samuel assured her with a half grin. "He'll be covering you even if half the club slits their wrists in front of him." He turned to Doug. "You're to go to Bloodlust tonight, too, but separate from them. I want you to observe everything. Be a second set of eyes on Madison."
"Won't someone of my age seem out of place?"
Madison shook her head. "There were several old-I mean mature-guys there last night. Most of them hung out at the bar."
"Considering I'm over two hundred years old," Doug said with a wide smile, "you can say old."
"Isabella is back in town," Samuel continued. "She'll be covering Lilith at Fang Me."
"What about me?" asked Dodie, eager to get into the action.
"You're heading to Dark Tidings tonight," Samuel instructed Dodie. "Colin said that Tuesdays and Thursdays are when Lady Harriet conducts her coven meetings and poetry readings. I want to see if that Ben character shows up there again. Madison will give you a full description of him. Tell Lady Harriet that Colin referred you to the coven; that should get you in. Also keep an eye on Lady Harriet. Since she has a bloodline, she might be in danger, though I keep thinking they would have grabbed her by now, since she's so accessible to them"
Dodie nodded, her face set in determination.
Samuel leaned back in his chair. "By this time tomorrow, I want Ben, Ethan, and Lilith in our custody and answering questions."
"Why don't we just call Mike Notchey' Madison suggested, and tell him what I heard?"
Samuel shook his head. "From this point on, Mike's out of this."
"But it's his job," Madison persisted.
Samuel leaned forward. "There are some things, Madison, that we can't involve Mike in. He already goes far out on a limb for us."
Madison still did not see his point. "But he can take them into custody and interrogate them."
"That's right," Doug said. "And maybe they will be brought to justice, but probably not. And if Ethan and Ben are not the ones pulling the strings, we might never find out who is. Remember the suspect the police already have in jail now? He's not talking. Ethan and Ben, even Lilith, might give the police the silent treatment, and then we'll learn nothing."
Samuel placed a hand on Madison's arm. "Remember what we talked about in the car, about the council's decision?" When a light of remembrance shone in Madison's eyes, Samuel knew she understood. "Mike can't be involved in that. He can't even know about it, at least not directly. He's not a stupid man. He'll know, I'm sure, but he cannot be involved."
Finally, Madison saw the situation through their eyes.
Doug lifted his head as if sniffing the air. "Do you hear that?" he asked Dodie. The Dedhams cocked their heads like dogs hearing a silent whistle. "I've heard it a couple of times now."
"It sounds like a cell phone ring," said Dodie. "It's coming from upstairs."
"That must be my phone," said Madison without concern. "Bet it's Kyle, asking me to come back to work before Monday."
Dodie asked, "Aren't you going to answer it?"
Madison shrugged. "Why? I'm not going back yet, and if I don't answer he'll find someone else to fill in. I'm really not in the mood to hear him beg this morning."
Doug was still listening for the phone. "It stopped, then started again. Someone is really trying to reach you, Madison."
"It might be Mike," suggested Dodie. "If he thinks we've gone to bed, he may be calling you with some news."
Realizing that might be true, Madison trotted upstairs to find her phone. Several minutes later she returned holding it, her face white.
"It wasn't Mike or Kyle," she told them. "It was my landlord. Someone has broken into my apartment and trashed it."
TWENTY-SEVEN
verything in Madison's tiny apartment had been smashed and destroyed. Madison walked through the debris too stunned to speak. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"It was all I had," she said to the Dedhams, who had insisted on accompanying her to see what had happened.
Dodie put her arm around Madison. "They were just things, dear. What's important is that you weren't here when it happened."
"You're right, Dodie, just things." Madison's voice was dull and lifeless. They were just things and not very elegant, but they were still her things, and the small, cramped apartment had been the first real home she'd made for herself. Before coming to Los Angeles, she'd only rented rooms after leaving foster care. Madison felt like she'd lost more than material items.
Almost as soon as she'd received the news about her apartment, Madison's mind had jumped to the tampon boxes. She had sighed in relief, remembering that they were upstairs in the Dedhams' guest room.
Madison's landlord, an old man bent like a shepherd's crook, hovered nearby. "Damn kids," he growled. "Like I told the police, I spotted your door open when I took Trixie out for a walk this morning. Had to be about 5 AM."
Doug approached the old man. "And no one heard anything?" He waved a hand in the direction of the damage. "All this and no one heard or saw anything?"
The landlord shook his head. "I'm deaf as a post without my hearing aid. The apartment below is vacant, and the other tenants keep to themselves. Everyone's afraid to get involved." He handed Doug a card. It was from the Culver City Police. "The police took my statement and left. They want Madison to call as soon as she can. Meanwhile, I'm having a new lock installed later today, though I doubt it will do any good."
&n
bsp; The landlord started for the door. He stopped and looked back at Madison. "Come by this afternoon and get the new key." He took another step, then looked back again. "Almost seems like whoever did this knew you were off visiting your grandparents."
That theory was the opposite of the opinion that had gone around the Dedham table after Madison had received the call.
"Someone went looking for you," Samuel had decided. "Did you let your last name slip while at Bloodlust?"
"No" she'd answered, still in shock. "I'm sure of it. And Colin wouldn't let me take any ID."
"Then someone there knew you," Doug said. "Probably that Ben fellow you can't place."
Madison slumped into a kitchen chair, her closed cell phone still in her hand. "But that doesn't mean he'd know where I live."
Doug looked at everyone around the table. "It only takes a few clicks on a computer to find most addresses these days, especially if he knew her last name and the general area." The rest agreed.
Based on the new development, Samuel announced a change of plans. "Madison, you are not to go to Bloodlust tonight. You're to stick close to the Dedhams today. You're not to go out without one of them by your side. Understand?"
Madison nodded, eager to agree to anything that might save her neck.
"Doug," Samuel started, "I still want you and Colin at Bloodlust tonight. I want you both to keep an eye on Ethan Young. Don't let him out of your sight. One of you cover the front, one the back. If he leaves, follow him. If he makes a phone call, Doug, I want you to listen to it. If he goes to his office, eavesdrop. We want to know everything he does."
"You don't want him apprehended?" asked Doug.
"Yes, but use your judgment on the timing. I want to see if he can lead us to the others involved, but if an opportunity arises to grab him without being seen, do it. You know where to bring him when you do." Samuel paused and looked away, lost in his thoughts. "Even if he's afraid of someone higher up, believe me, he'll be more afraid of us when he's questioned."
"What about Ben?" Dodie asked.
"If Ben is at Bloodlust, we'll take him there. But just in case, stick with your plans to go to Dark Tidings." Samuel looked at Madison. "You'll be with me for the evening. Pack your toothbrush. It's going to be a very long night."
Their meeting was breaking up just as Pauline came in through the kitchen door. She was mildly surprised to see the vampires still up and very surprised to see Samuel La Croix at the table.
Samuel got up and went to her. "Mrs. Speakes, I have a favor to ask."
Pauline put her bag down on the kitchen counter. "Of course, Mr. La Croix, whatever I can do to help."
Noting the way the crusty Pauline was melting in the hands of Samuel's charm, Madison smiled to herself. He was charming when he wanted to be. Charming and deadly.
"We'll need you to stay a bit longer tonight," Samuel told her. "Will that be possible?"
Pauline gave him a sappy smile. "I think that can be arranged."
"We believe Madison here is in grave danger." Samuel took Pauline's hand and held it. "I've asked the Dedhams to do something for me tonight, and I don't want Madison left alone while they're gone. I'll be by to pick her up a little later, but until I do, could you stay with her?"
"Yes, I believe I can stay as long as it takes, Mr. La Croix."
"Wonderful" Samuel bent over Pauline's hand and kissed it. She nearly swooned.
After leaving Madison's apartment, Madison and the Dedhams went by the Culver City Police Department, where Madison checked in and gave her statement, which wasn't much. Nor did the police have much to tell her about the break-in, except to ask if she had any enemies who might have committed the vandalism. She told them not that she knew of, carefully editing out the part about vampire-crazed killers.
From there, the three of them stopped by Auntie Em's. Madison wanted to tell Kyle about her apartment and let him know she might not be returning until she could get resettled. She hoped he'd keep her job open a few more days. When the three of them entered the restaurant, it was just past noon and the place was already busy. At the counter sat Gordon, a plate of food in front of him, a newspaper folded next to him. Madison and the Dedhams exchanged looks as they spotted him. From the other end of the counter, Sandra waved to Madison.
Madison walked up to the counter. As she passed Gordon, she tried not to let recognition show. "I need to talk to Kyle," she told Sandra.
"He's in the back, on the phone," she told her. "Would you believe we were broken into last night?" Sandra made no attempt to keep her voice low.
Madison's mouth dropped. "What?" She glanced at the Dedhams and could tell they had their super hearing tuned in to the conversation. No doubt Gordon had his regular hearing plastered on it, too.
"Someone cut the alarm and broke in," Sandra continued, her eyes wide with excitement. "They didn't take much, just vandalized the office. Broke into the filing cabinets, messed up our records. Got a few dollars. But that's all."
"Wow," was all Madison could come up with.
"Why don't you take a seat at the counter and wait," Sandra suggested. "The special today is chicken pot pie. I know how you love it. I'll bring one out for you."
Madison indicated the Dedhams. "I'm here with my grandparents."
"Then grab a booth while one's available," Sandra instructed her. "You might as well have lunch while you wait."
Madison took a nearby booth and waved the Dedhams over. The three of them sat down-the Dedhams on one side, Madison on the other. When a waiter approached, Sandra intervened. "I've got this, Jack," she told him. The waiter gave Madison a quick wave hello and moved on to another table.
After introductions, Sandra asked what she could get them.
"My husband and I are on such restrictive diets," Dodie told Sandra with a smile. "So just a cup of coffee will do for us."
"You sure?" Sandra asked. "We make the best split pea soup in the city."
Doug brightened. "I'd like a cup of that, but just a small one, if you please."
Sandra beamed at him and turned to Madison. "Chicken pot pie? Ranch on the salad?" Madison nodded. Sandra looked at the Dedhams and winked. "I know all your girl's favorite dishes."
When Sandra left, Madison leaned toward Doug and whispered, "What are you going to do with that soup, Gramps?"
He smirked. "Stir it around and pretend I'm enjoying it like a normal person. Split pea used to be one of my favorites"
"Then it's too bad you can't taste it," Madison told him. "It's very good, just like she said."
Sandra came with two mugs of coffee and placed them in front of the Dedhams. She put a tall glass of soda and a straw in front of Madison. When she left, Dodie whispered, "Did we hear right? Was there a break-in here last night?"
"Yes," Madison confirmed as she took the wrapper from her straw and stuck it into the soft drink. "Sounds like they trashed the back office." She took a big thirsty drink.
"That's it," Doug exclaimed. "That's how they knew where you lived. I'll bet they rifled through the employee records, found yours, and went straight to your apartment."
"Makes sense," Dodie agreed, pretending to sip her coffee.
Madison wasn't happy with the conclusion they were reaching. "That means they knew I worked here. Ben has to be someone who comes in here, but for the life of me I can't place him."
A moment later, Jack delivered their food to the table. When he placed the chicken pot pie in front of Madison, he asked, "You coming back to work soon, Madison? We sure miss you around here."
"Probably next week," she told him.
"Good. The customers miss you, too. Especially that jerk with the Cobb salad fetish." He grinned and took off.
The three of them stared at each other, thinking the same thing. Madison looked over the crowd in the restaurant but didn't see the studio suit who always ordered the Cobb salad. She caught Jack's eye and called him over.
"Has that Cobb salad guy been in here today?" she asked him.
"Not yet, but maybe he's not coming. His usual group is here, but he's not with them." Jack indicated a large group in the back circular booth. Madison recognized them as the guy's regular lunch pals. She thanked Jack.
"Does that salad guy look like Ben?" Dodie asked Madison.
"Not at all," she answered. "But remember, Evie worked here, too, and I was grabbed by Bobby Piper from the parking lot in back of the restaurant."
Madison took a bite of her salad, followed by two bites of her chicken pot pie. While her jaw worked, so did her mind. The Dedhams toyed with their coffee, and Doug did a bang-up job pretending to eat his soup, raising the spoon to his nose more often than his lips and sniffing appreciatively.
"Can't you just take a taste?" Madison asked as she stuffed more chicken and gravy into her mouth.
Doug shook his head sadly. "I tried that when I first turned, but while the smell is still the same to us, our tongues don't have the same taste buds. No matter how good this smells to me, it would taste nasty to my palate."
"You might say," Dodie added with a slight smile, "that we can now only eat with our noses."
Madison took a drink of soda, glad she could taste everything on her plate. "Colin keeps oranges and lemons in his apartment for the same reason."
After a few quiet moments, Madison looked from one Dedham to the other. "Are you guys okay? You seem a bit paler than usual-and droopy."
"It's the sun, dear," Dodie explained. "It saps our strength."
Madison became alarmed. "Then we should go right now and get you home."
"We're fine, Madison," Doug assured her. "Really. Once we're home, we'll recharge good as new. It's actually quite nice being out in the day for a change."
While she ate, Madison kept one eye on the Dedhams and one eye on the group in the corner. The latter had finished eating and were relaxing before paying their tab and going back to the office. The obnoxious salad guy had not shown. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and scooted out of the booth.
Murder in Vein Page 19
