It looked well appointed, neat and tidy but to Deb it had a creepy feel and the fact that the only other person there was Meeks sent a shiver down her spine.
She spotted a coffee machine in one corner and was about to partake when a door in the back wall opened. Meeks towered above her as he walked over. He had a frame as lean as a sprinter, receding black hair and hawk eyes that followed her like a hunter on a rabbit.
“I’m Dr. Meeks. Why don’t you come into my office?” he said offering her his hand.
Deb smiled and shook. It felt warm, limp and sticky and she let go as soon as she could. So he wasn’t above lying. Nova had checked his credentials and he had no qualifications that would allow him to use the title Doctor.
Standing back, he indicated the door to his office and Deb had the distinct feeling that she was entering his lair, his web and if she wasn’t careful, she would not be leaving. Shaking the feeling off she turned the chair, but had forgotten she was on the carpet and the wheels dug in nearly pitching herself forward and onto the floor. Twisting backward, she righted herself and with her cheeks flaming she looked across to see Meeks staring at her. “This damn stupid chair, every time I think I’m used to it something like this happens. Honestly I can’t cope for much longer. Would you mind?” Deb indicated behind her and Meeks nodded and pushed her into his office.
It was a plush room with polished wooden floors and a huge mahogany desk surrounded by bookcases that went from floor to ceiling. The books looked like heavy volumes but with her keen eyesight, Deb scanned them and could tell they had never been read. They were just for show. On Meeks’ desk was a notebook and that seemed odd to Deb. Next to it was a stop-watch on a chain. He was going to try and hypnotize her; that would be funny.
Moving the chair, he pushed her to the desk and closed the door.
Sitting down in a leather executive chair, he leaned back and put his arms behind his head. It was a threatening gesture and one that no real therapist would have used, at least not under these circumstances. The man was a complete charlatan, but when she had checked up on him, he had good results. Until, of course, the bodies started falling around three years ago.
“You are a reporter, I believe?” he asked.
“Yes,” Deb said. “Of course, since this has happened my career has not been the same.” She had allowed a few tendrils of brown hair to escape from her ponytail and she pushed them back from her face, making sure she portrayed herself as vulnerable and weak.
“Don’t worry; we can soon have you back on track. Your injury when was it and how are you coping?”
Strangely, Deb found she wanted to talk to him. So far she had never had any counseling and maybe it was good to just talk. As she explained about her accident, about her frustrations and about how useless she sometimes felt, a calm came over her and she realized that she needed this. Needed to get it all out, to let go of things and to put the past behind her. Meeks would nod and occasionally ask questions or give directives. His voice was hypnotic and she could understand why he was good. She had relaxed around him and was spilling her guts in a way no one had been able to get her to do. The guilt she felt about surviving came out. How had she survived when her parents had died?
Gently he explained about survivor's guilt and it was as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders. The urge to keep talking was strong, but that was not why she came. There were women in danger and if she was to understand why, to find out how and to stop them, she needed to control the conversation.
As if on cue he lifted the watch. Alix had explained that she could not be hypnotized, none of them could. It had seemed to upset Alix though when she told him she was impervious to compulsion, apparently she was the only vampire who had that skill.
Deb let Meeks go through the routine. He started to spin the watch in a circle. “Keep your eyes on the watch, Deborah,” Meeks said as he spun it from the chain. “You are feeling sleepy and as each circle is complete, you find yourself slipping deeper and deeper into a state of total relaxation.”
Deb kept her face calm, let her muscles go slack, but she was bored and starting to get angry thinking about this sociopath. How many women had this creep killed and how many more would die if she did not stop it? On and on he drowned in that relaxing, mesmeric voice as the watch spun and twinkled in the light. At last, he put it down. Deb kept very still, kept her eyes looking in the same spot and waited. One thing she had learned was that she didn’t need to change to compel someone and if he came at her, she could be a vampire before he had taken a step.
“How did you contact me?” Meeks asked.
That question threw Deb and it took all her control to remain calm, to look as if she were hypnotized. Why was he asking and then she realized he must have a different phone, one that was not registered to him that he used for his special girls. Deb and Nova had not wondered about this question but about who should have told her of him. They had decided to use Lorraine. Her death was long enough ago to not be raw and she could not tell anyone that she had recommended Deb. Keeping her face as neutral as she could, she answered. “My friend Lorraine gave my your private mobile number.”
“That is excellent,” he said. “Do you live alone?”
Now of course he was checking to see if she there would be any loose ends. “Yes.”
“Did you tell anyone about this meeting?”
Deb was getting angrier and angrier. As the ass continued to ask questions, a plan formed in her mind. She stood up and leaned across the desk changing as she did so. Black hair replaced the brown. Black eyes replaced the gray and fangs protruded over her lip. Blood coursed through the veins in her neck, filling them and her forehead had thickened. It was a terrifying sight, she knew because it still shocked her whenever she saw herself in this form.
Meeks sank back in his chair, his mouth opened as if to say something but then it closed. Deb focused on his eyes, focused on controlling him by dominating his thoughts. At last, his face relaxed and his pupils dilated. She had him.
“Who is your next victim?” she asked.
“Sally Markham,” he replied.
Deb felt a surge of power, now all she had to do was save the girl and get this asshole to confess. Could she do it? Compelling was relatively easy for her but it also took a lot of strain and as she leaned across the desk, she felt her legs start to give. She needed to hurry in order to get as much information as she could and then plant some memories in his head. She grabbed the notebook and flicked through it. The last page had details of Sally: her address, phone number and what he had hypnotized her to do. As Deb read the words, she felt a surge of bile up her throat and had to swallow hard to keep it down.
Meeks broke her hold on him and took advantage. He slammed his hand into her chin. Deb was pushed back into the chair and reverted back to her human form. Meeks was around the desk and had his hands on her throat. As she tried to change back, he squeezed with all his might and she found it impossible to breathe. The pain in her neck and in her lungs was like a fire. They burned for air as he crushed her windpipe. It was over, she was useless and soon she would be dead. Where was Alix or Vincent? Surely, they would save her.
That thought made Deb angry. Never in her life had she wanted to be saved and just as her lungs gave up the fight for air, she changed. Now she no longer needed to breathe. Power surged through her muscles and she pushed the chair back with so much force that it lifted Meeks off his feet.
Deb could feel them flying back and they hit the wall. Books fell from the cases and clattered down around her head. As soon as Meeks let go, she stood and threw the chair across the room. She remembered all the times she had wanted to do that and took a moment to watch it fly over his desk and land in a heap on the other side. Grabbing hold of Meeks she held him above her and the urge to crush his windpipe was overwhelming. His face was turning red and he spluttered beneath her hand. The veins in his neck seemed to pulse with effort and her eyes were drawn to them, to the sweet blood that
pulsed through them. For a second the urge to rip open his jugular was all she could think of.
Gradually she pulled herself back under control and dumped him in his chair. Now all she needed to do was plant a few suggestions and then see if she could save Sally.
***
Outside Meeks office Alix sat in his car. It had been difficult to sit this out, to watch the girl suffer, but he could not interfere. After she had left the grill earlier, he had done a bit of research. All of it had lead to one thing; Jonathan Meeks was a pawn in Dagmar’s war against the humans. The deaths were not on his head, in fact, he was just as much a victim as the women were but he could not tell that to Deb. If he let on that he knew that much about Dagmar then she would know that he had betrayed her.
Deb was struggling. Through the walls, he could make out Meeks squeezing the life from Deb. Why didn’t she change? Should he help her? Could she die? Things had gone too far and he jumped from the car and raced towards the building. Through the walls, he saw the balance of power shift; she was back in control. Now he wondered if he should go in and tell her it was too dangerous and get her to forget the whole thing. But he knew she wouldn’t. There was no way she would give this up and so instead, he turned back to his car and his thoughts. What should he do? Making the decision, he turned the car away from Meek’s office. She was safe for now and he would be back soon.
Chapter Seventeen
Deb wheeled herself out of the therapist’s office and got into her car. The feeling of being watched creeped her out but, of course, it could be Alix or Vincent. Yet, if they were watching, why hadn’t they helped? She wound down the window and tested the air. The faint smell of Alix was there. It was potent close to the office door and even stronger across the road. He had been watching her. In fact, it looked as if he came to help and probably changed his mind when he saw she was able to handle it herself.
It felt good to have him looking out for her, to know that he did it because he cared. Yet, when she sniffed the air she could not find him. Had he left? And if so, why? Could he possibly know where she was going? Slowly she turned in her chair, her eyes closed as she tasted the air, seeking out Alix’s hiding place. Maybe he had just moved to make it harder for her or anyone else to detect him. But no matter how hard she searched, she could not find him. As she turned back, she smelled something else; someone else was watching her. With her eyes closed, she stuck her head out the window and took a great big sniff. It was elusive, but someone else was there.
A hand touched her arm and Deb screamed pulling her head back into the Charger. Eyes open, fangs pressing at her gum line she looked down at Brett. “What the hell?”
“Sorry sis. What were you doing? It looked like you were sniffing the air and it was really weird.”
What the hell. How much had he seen and what should she tell him? “First of all, it’s not cool to sneak up on someone. And what I was doing… I was… well, my Physio gave me this exercise. It grounds me when things get too much. I don’t like to do it with people around as I look a little daft, so promise you won’t tell anyone.” She let out a sigh of relief. That had been quick thinking and she was rewarded with the color rising up Brett’s cheeks and into his ears.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to talk to you about Ange.”
“Damn it, Brett. Did you follow me?” This was bad if he started to follow her. What had he seen?
“I was skipping school. Was gonna go to the grill and shoot pool when I saw you pulling out? It was just… I don’t know, but I still think Ange was murdered and I need your help.”
Deb looked across into deep brown eyes that were filled with sorrow and she knew that she just had to help him. She would help him, but she needed him to back off. “Alright, I understand and I was already looking into Angela’s death. There are some things that aren’t right, but I’m not supposed to be here.” She spread her hands to indicate. “If Mace finds out I’m investigating again then it will be bad for both of us. So I need you to do me a favor. Give me time to look into this. Don’t follow me, ask questions or bug me at all and I will find out what happened. Do we have a deal?”
Brett suddenly looked five years younger. He was unsure and insecure, but he nodded his head. “The thing is though; I think people at the morgue are in on this.”
Deb groaned.
“No, let me talk,” Brett said. “I spoke to Martin, the security guard there, and he said this has happened before. He never told me anything, but he warned me to be careful, so Deb, don’t put yourself in danger. I want to find out, but your safety is more important.”
Deb smiled as the words dried up from her awkward but wonderful brother. “Don’t worry about me. I have friends who will help and I’ve been doing this long enough to know how to stay out of trouble. Now clear off, I have another errand to run. Go on, go.”
Brett squeezed her hand and then ran across the car park and was gone. Deb waited a few seconds and then focused again, but she could not catch the scent she had noticed earlier. Were they gone or did they just find a better hiding spot?
There was no point staying so Deb started the car. She had Sally’s address and maybe she could save her. The address was on the opposite side of town and it took a while to get there. Deb had an idea; the chair was too cumbersome and it took too much time. Besides, who knew if this woman’s house would be wheelchair friendly. So she parked a block away and got out a head scarf. Covering her hair she left the wheelchair, stepped onto the pavement and walked to the address. The feel of the tarmac beneath her feet was magnificent. With each step, it was hard to fight back the tears. Walking was such a simple pleasure. It was something everyone took for granted but she had missed it so much that to just walk down the street was like winning the lottery. It filled her with pleasure, with exuberance and joy. If only she could walk in front of her friends.
As she strolled up to the door and knocked, she caught that same scent on the wind. Could she be imagining it or was someone following her?
***
Alix waited for Dagmar in a back room of the morgue. It was a strange request for them to meet here and he wondered if it was for convenience. Would he be staying here and did Dagmar have the morgue staff under his control?
The cold did not bother him, but he had an empty feeling inside. How could he do this to Deb? Maybe he should just leave here. Grab her and run. It would surely be better than betraying her. Yet, here he was a coward till the end. There was no wonder why Vincent detested him.
The door opened and in walked the chief of police, two detectives, the coroner and Dagmar. Alix melted into the corners hoping he would not be seen, but it did not matter.
“Come out Alix, you are among friends,” Dagmar said.
They were all looking at him with that blank expression that told him they were compelled. He stood and walked up to Dagmar. Now all he had to do was decide what to say. Could he make it look as if it was his fault? That he had compelled Jonathan Meeks and that he had done it to save Deb. Yes, he would do that. Even if it meant his death, he would try and save the girl. He could make it out that as far as he was aware, she was just a normal girl. What he had seen through the walls was confusing; in fact, he might not have seen anything.
“Did you come here to report?” Dagmar asked.
Alix looked over at the smaller man. He always looked so weak. With his thin frame, translucent white skin and shoulder length thin hair that to Alix made him look like a girl. “I did, but things did not go well. Was Jonathan Meeks one of yours?” Did I just do that? No one asked questions of Dagmar Van Patten you simply did as he said.
“Yes, he was. Do not look so worried. I have another following the girl and he has already told me what happened. I am pleased that you are being honest. From what I have been told, you had no choice but to compel the man. It looks like he was about to kill the girl and that is my decision to make, no one will take it from me.”
Alix felt a weight lift from his shoulders. So there was anoth
er watching Deb. That was interesting because they were obviously playing games. Why hadn’t they told Dagmar had Deb changed? “I am loyal to you. I owe you a debt and I will be loyal to you because of that.” As he finished the sentence he realized that it didn’t sound that good but Dagmar nodded so it appeared to work. “May I ask what is going on here?”
Dagmar laughed and it sounded like a snake sliding across plastic. “Do you think this town is so peaceful because all of us are so well behaved?”
A sick feeling settled in Alix’s gut. Of course, the town left them alone because Dagmar had them under his spell. The downside to that was his compulsion would wear off and if he were to disappear, the town would know that vampires existed. For now, at least, he was safe which meant so was Deb. The question was whether he should tell Vincent. Of course he had to, the only problem with that was how to do it without revealing that he had betrayed them.
Chapter Eighteen
As she turned the corner onto Sally Markham’s street, Deb caught a whiff of that same scent. Whoever was following her was close. With her heart in her throat, she turned and was looking straight into the cold, heartless eyes of Isaac. He smiled as if he had only just recognized her and stepped around in front of her.
“Deb, isn’t it?” Isaac said. “It’s good to see you. I never knew you could walk.”
Deb felt heat hit her cheeks. It seemed as if he had just bumped into her, as if this was just an accident, but when she took a breath in, she could smell that same scent that had been following her around. “Why are you following me?” was all she could manage.
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