Vigilante Vampire (Bo Blackman Book 5)

by Helen Harper

  ‘Enough of that. You need me.’ His tone of voice hasn’t altered but I’m pretty certain I’m not imagining the tightness around his mouth.

  Actually, I think, it seems like you need me more. X’s mouth thins further. Now it’s my turn to laugh. ‘Chillax,’ I tell him. ‘You know I’m going to do what you’ve suggested.’

  ‘Chillax? What kind of language is that?’

  I smirk. ‘Sometimes you remind me of my grandfather.’ A cold smile spreads across his face, making me instantly regret my words. I hold up a single finger. ‘Don’t. He is off limits.’

  X gives me a tiny bow but he still looks amused. I grit my teeth. Unwilling to continue this conversation, I spin on my heel and return to the filing cabinets.

  Although I’m not in the slightest bit afraid of what a two-bit loser like Barry Moran might do if I overstay my so-called welcome, I did promise I wouldn’t be any longer than an hour – and I’m a woman of my word. I scan several files and jot down details of the worst offenders, stuffing the notes into my back pocket. With less than five minutes left on the clock, I return to Kimchi. The dog is now alone, staring mournfully at the lift as if he misses X’s presence. There’s also a rather sizeable splodge of drool on D’Argneau’s expensive carpet. I grin.

  ‘Good work, Kimchi.’ His tail thumps and he gets up to his feet, eyeing me hopefully. I nod. ‘Yup. We are out of here.’

  ***

  Foxworthy is standing with his shoulders hunched, gazing out over the glittering expanse of the Thames. There are several other police officers nearby, all busying themselves with sifting through the area. A van with ominous lettering on the side advertising the city coroner sits several metres back with its doors flung open.

  I peer inside as I wander past. Kimchi gets overly excited and tries to clamber in but the stench of old blood and bleach makes me yank him back. There’s no body yet; maybe this is just a false alarm.

  I pick my way down to the water’s edge. Once or twice, uniformed officers step towards me to halt my progress but every time I turn my face in their direction, recognition of both who and what I am stops them in their tracks.

  Foxworthy doesn’t turn. ‘I might have known you’d show up sooner or later,’ he grunts.

  ‘Like a bad penny,’ I tell him cheerfully. I give him the once over. ‘Trench coat? Really? Are you angling for a part on a cop show?’

  His shoulders tighten and his brows snap together into a glower. He’s obviously not very happy to see me. That’s a shame. We worked together to bring down a pair of serial killers stalking the city and, throughout the course of the investigation, his natural mistrust of me melted into a grudging respect. Any ground I may have made appears to have disappeared now I have my new role as X’s stooge. I shouldn’t be surprised but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t rankle.

  I step round until I’m facing Foxworthy and stretch out my arms. Then I envelop him in a tight, enthusiastic embrace, burying my face in his chest. ‘It’s so good to see you!’ I burble. ‘I’ve missed you!’

  Kimchi is thrilled by the display of positive energy and gets in on the action, leaping up and placing his paws on Foxworthy’s back. Other than a faint stiffening, the good inspector doesn’t move.

  ‘We should meet more often, you know. Take in a film. Discuss procedure over cupcakes. That kind of thing.’

  ‘Bo,’ he says, sounding strained, ‘get off me.’

  I take pity on him and let go. He folds his arms across his chest. It doesn’t stop Kimchi.

  ‘And the dog?’

  I whistle. Kimchi ignores me. A line of spittle has dropped from his mouth and is now smearing Foxworthy’s coat. It’s for the best. Unless you’re the kind of person who enjoys exposing their genitals in public, a trench coat is never a good idea. I arch an eyebrow in Foxworthy’s direction and shrug. ‘I guess he really likes you.’

  He scowls. ‘What do you want?’

  I give up on the melodramatics and get down to business. I tell him the name of the officer in charge of Lisa’s case. He squints at me.

  ‘Do you know him?’ I ask.

  ‘He’s a stickler for the rules.’ His eyes flicker to me. ‘And he doesn’t like bloodguzzlers.’

  ‘Not many people do. The trouble is, he has a few things I want. He’s in charge of a missing person’s case. Lisa Johnson. I want everything he took from her house and all the file notes.’

  ‘And you think he’ll just hand it over?’

  I bestow my most patient smile on Foxworthy. ‘I think you’ll encourage him to do so.’

  ‘Why would I do that?’

  ‘Because we’re buddies. Partners. Comrades in arms. Team mates. Associates.’ I lean in a bit closer and whisper, ‘Friends.’

  He inhales deeply, drawing air into his lungs. ‘Bo, I like you. You have a good heart for a triber, and we have a history together. But I can’t condone what you do. And neither does anyone else in the police. The laws exist for a reason.’

  ‘I’m a vampire. I’m above the law.’

  ‘You know fine well what I mean,’ he snaps. He’s much angrier than he’s letting on.

  I study him for a moment, vaguely curious. ‘Your knickers really are in a twist,’ I comment. ‘Why do my activities bother you so much?’

  He shoves his hands into his pockets. Kimchi eventually gives up on licking his coat and drops down to examine a leaf, pawing and sniffing it with extraordinary dedication. ‘You’re not a hero, Bo. You think you’re helping by running down perps? All you’re really doing is driving the real criminals deeper underground. You’re making people more afraid, not less afraid. And what happens when you make a mistake? When you slit the throat of someone who you think deserves it but who simply happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?’

  I raise my eyebrows, choosing to ignore the fact that I used to believe all that bumph myself. ‘Like the police never make mistakes,’ I scoff.

  He turns away. ‘That’s why we have due process. What you’re doing is wrong. It makes you as much of a criminal as everyone else.’

  ‘There are at least four humans who are alive tonight because of my actions over the last month. I saved their lives. I didn’t see any boys in blue on any of those occasions.’ A muscle jerks in his cheek. He doesn’t answer. ‘I don’t see you or any of your mates rushing to arrest me either.’

  ‘You know we can’t.’ He glances back at me. ‘That might change though. Even those idiots in power aren’t going to let you run amok on the streets doing whatever you want forever.’

  I push back my hair. ‘Don’t you see that’s what I want? Vampires shouldn’t be above the law. If they weren’t, someone would have done something about Medici by now.’

  ‘The way I see it,’ he says heavily, ‘between Lord Medici and you, you are by far the more dangerous.’

  I pat him on the arm. ‘Thank you.’

  If anything, Foxworthy’s demeanour grows even colder. ‘You think this is all just a game.’

  ‘No, I don’t.’ I roll my tongue over my teeth. ‘Anyway, you were going to help me get the files on Lisa Johnson.’

  ‘I’m not.’

  I smile and pull out the crumpled paper from my back pocket, smoothing it out. I read the first of my hastily made notes. ‘How long exactly have the police been looking for David Hellstrom?’ I ask.

  Foxworthy freezes. ‘The Baudelaire Butcher?’

  My smile grows. ‘I think that’s what he’s called. How many murders is he responsible for? Eleven?’

  ‘That we know of,’ Foxworthy growls.

  ‘What if I could tell you where he is right now?’

  ‘If you knew where he was, you’d go after him yourself. You wouldn’t be able to resist.’

  I have to admit it’s tempting. But I need information and I have to barter for it with something. Besides, what little I know about Hellstrom suggests that he’ll never let himself get caught. He’d rather go down in a blaze of bullets than end up inside. Whether
I go after him or the police do, the end result will be the same.

  ‘I have every faith that you’ll be able to deal with him yourselves. Get me what I need on Lisa Johnson and I’ll give you Hellstrom’s address.’

  Foxworthy desperately wants to tell me to go to hell but he wants Hellstrom more. I’m sure there’s a pun in there somewhere. ‘Fine,’ he snaps, holding out his hand.

  I shake my head and laugh. ‘Nuh uh. I wasn’t born yesterday,’ I chide. ‘Get me what I need first. Then you get Hellstrom.’ My eyes twinkle. ‘There’s more where he came from too, if you play your cards right.’

  Foxworthy balls up his fists for a brief moment before relaxing with what appears to be considerable effort. ‘Where can I find you?’

  ‘I’ll drop by tomorrow night. I trust twenty-four hours will be long enough for you to get what I need. I assume you won’t be hanging around here by then, though.’ I look out across the river. The water breaks and a diver’s head bobs up, gesturing at something. ‘Anyway, why are you here in the middle of the night?’

  ‘A witness saw a body being dumped over the bridge a few hours ago. CCTV confirmed it.’

  I frown. ‘If it’s true, then they’re already dead. Why the rush? It’d be much easier to conduct your search in daytime.’

  Foxworthy’s expression turns to granite. ‘Because the description matches Alan Campbell.’

  I sift through my memory. That name rings a bell; I snap my fingers as it comes to me. ‘The police commissioner’s kid? The one who went missing last year?’

  ‘That’s right,’ Foxworthy says shortly.

  ‘Shit. I’m sorry. I can help…’

  ‘No.’

  I can understand that; this is about looking after one of their own. Unless Foxworthy – or the police commissioner himself – asks for my help, I’ll keep out of it. ‘At least his family will finally get some peace,’ I say. Not knowing can be the hardest thing.

  Foxworthy throws me a doleful look. ‘You don’t get it,’ he says finally. ‘I’d keep it secret, especially from you, but someone’s already leaked it to the press so by tomorrow morning the whole world will know.’

  ‘Know what?’

  ‘Alan Campbell doesn’t match the victim’s description. He matches the perp’s.’

  My eyes widen. ‘Shit.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  Another diver appears. From the far bank a motorised boat starts up, searchlights flickering across the river in their direction. ‘I guess they’ve found the body.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Foxworthy replies, his mouth set in a grim line. ‘I guess so.’

  ***

  I round off my night as I always do, sitting in plain sight right across from the Medici stronghold. For once, I’m less concerned about what Medici is doing than about crossing my fingers that Michael will show up again so I can ask him about recruitment. Unfortunately for me, the street remains silent. I’m not even offered any drinks or nibbles. Poor showing.

  Kimchi is beginning to show signs of fatigue, flopping down at my feet and sighing heavily as if he has the weight of the world on his broad doggy shoulders. Feeling sorry for him, I reach down to ruffle his fur. ‘It’s you and me against the world, buster.’ I smile. ‘It helps that we both have super powers, though. I’m a vampire with speed, strength and my own natural cunning and you’re a world leader in drooling. With that combination, we can’t fail.’

  He licks my hand. The wind picks up, causing several leaves and a discarded leaflet to skitter past me; the paper has a toothsome, smarmy human politician gazing out from the front page. I recognise his mug from Jonesy’s newspaper: Hale something.

  I shrug and cast a trained eye across the long shadows where Medici is hiding himself. There’s not even a glimmer of light from inside but I know the place is jam-packed with newbie vampires. I stretch out a hand and point towards it, unblinkingly. It’s like I’m Babe Ruth. And if anyone inside is watching, it might just make them feel ever so slightly nervous. Right now, I can’t ask for much more.

  Chapter Seven: Blazing Saddles

  I know something is wrong before my eyes open. Kimchi’s heavy lump of a body, which had been draped across most of my huge bed while I was squeezed into a tiny corner, has vanished. I can hear him pawing and scraping at the bedroom door, every so often emitting a tiny whine. Even if it weren’t for his actions, there’s a change to the atmosphere. I can’t exactly put my finger on it but it’s clear that something is different. It can only be because of Maria.

  I rub my eyes and get out of bed, worried that she might have harmed herself. When I catch the low murmur of voices, I stop in my tracks and my eyes narrow. That’s not the television. Someone else is here.

  My mind whirrs through the possibilities. I know next to nothing about her. She may well have invited someone round. It can’t be one of her fellow strippers or prostitutes. The police aren’t entirely incompetent; they’ll have ensured that all those girls are being well looked after. If there was shouting, I’d assume it was her former boss, the one more evil than Malpeter, who is now after her in revenge. Despite the tingle in the air, there’s not enough sense of danger for that.

  It could, I suppose, be X. It wouldn’t surprise me considering how often he’s popping up these days. But I doubt X would take the time to chat to her. As far as I’m aware, he doesn’t chat to anyone who’s not a fellow Kakos daemon – apart from yours truly – and he was unhappy that I’d brought her back in the first place.

  The only other person I can think of who would show up here unannounced is Michael. The thought that he might have tracked me down fills me with wariness. As much as I want to talk to him, I need this safe sanctuary. I don’t need him tempting me back round to his side.

  I pad silently towards the door, nudging Kimchi out of the way. I press my ear against the wood and listen. I have particularly good hearing – all vampires do – but whoever is out there is well aware of that fact. Both the intruder and Maria are speaking in hushed whispers so I can’t tell who it is.

  I glance down. Kimchi’s ears are pricked and alert and his tail is wagging. I raise my eyebrows at him. ‘Can I trust you?’ I ask softly. ‘Is this really a friend?’

  His eagerness doesn’t dissipate.

  ‘Michael is not a friend, you know.’ I ignore the faint wrench I feel at those words. ‘And you should stay away from X.’

  Kimchi whines again.

  ‘Fat lot of good you are,’ I tell him. I place my hand on the doorknob and carefully ease it open half an inch.

  ‘I like it with the fruit,’ Maria says. ‘The … what do you call it? Pie Apple?’

  ‘Ewww! No! Pizza should not have pineapple on it. No way. It’s wrong.’

  I clench my teeth together so tightly it almost hurts. Unbelievable. Of all the people who should stay away… I fling the door wide open and march out.

  Maria scrambles to her feet and backs away, her eyes wide and her face suddenly pale. Kimchi rushes out from behind me, bowling into Rogu3 and smothering him in an exuberant display of licking. I put my hands on my hips.

  ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

  Pinned down as he is, all I can hear is Rogu3’s muffled protests. ‘Kimchi!’ I yell. ‘Leave him alone and get back over here!’

  Naturally Kimchi completely ignores me. I can only presume it’s because the teen hacker tastes good; it’s certainly not because any of us should be pleased to see him. I spin round, heading to the kitchen to find some kibble to distract the dog with, just as Maria flees back to the sanctuary of her own room. I curse under my breath.

  It only takes the opening of one cupboard for Kimchi to abandon Rogu3 and bound back to me. Before I can also be assaulted by his tongue, I throw the food into a bowl and stalk back out again.

  ‘Let’s start that again,’ I say, anger rippling down my spine. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

  Rogu3 grins and stretches his arms behind his head, propping up his feet on the coffee table. Just
because it’s the same position I adopted when I was waiting for Jonesy doesn’t make it any less irritating. ‘Duh. You invited me.’

  ‘No.’ I enunciate every word very clearly. ‘I did not.’

  ‘You asked me to find out who Maria was. I didn’t find anything by the way. You should just ask her.’

  Irritation boils through me. ‘You were only to contact me through email or text. You cannot be here!’

  ‘Why not?’

  I count slowly to ten in my head. ‘For one thing it’s not safe. For another your parents will go crazy. You’re also supposed to be in school.’ I throw my hands up in the air. ‘You’re complicating everything!’

  ‘If you were going to eat me, Bo, you would have done so already. And I don’t think Maria is going to hurt me.’

  Somehow I think that once she recovers, she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. ‘Don’t underestimate her,’ I say. ‘Besides, my landlord is the touchy kind.’

  ‘What’s he going to do?’ Rogu3 asks. ‘Chop off my head for popping round to say hello?’

  And eat your heart, I think. ‘Rogu3…’

  ‘Hey,’ he says, holding up his palms. ‘Don’t worry about it, Bo. I know you’ve gone all Grizzly Adams but I’m one of the good guys. I’m your friend.’

  I cross my arms. ‘You shouldn’t be here,’ I repeat. ‘Working for me almost got you killed.’

  ‘My parents know where I am,’ he says quietly.

  ‘Bullshit.’

  Rogu3 stands up, his expression earnest. ‘It’s true.’

  ‘They would as soon drive a wooden stake dipped in holy water through my heart and then serve me up on a bed of roasted garlic as let you come here.’

  He frowns. ‘Garlic and holy water don’t hurt bloodguzzlers.’

  ‘I was making a point,’ I mutter.

  He meets my eyes. ‘You don’t have to worry about them.’

  ‘It’s not them I’m worried about. It’s you.’

  Rogu3 steps closer until I’m forced to crane my neck to look at him properly. It’s galling that he’s so damn tall when he’s not even reached the age of consent yet. ‘After what happened, there was something inside me.’ His hand reaches up to his chest in what I’m almost certain is an unconscious movement. ‘I knew it, you knew it and my parents knew it. It was like a darkness.’