I shook my head. “I haven’t seen her this morning. She might still be in her room.”
“Can you show me which room is hers?”
I nodded, leading him up the stairs, trying to not consider the possibility that he might be checking out my butt.
When we reached the second floor, I led him to Christina’s room. As we approached her door, my nostrils flared. Damn it!
I looked at Alec, trying to keep my expression neutral. I knew that smell. I didn’t know how it happened but a vampire’s nose never lied. The faint taint of death was in the air.
I turned the handle and pushed the door open, calling Christina’s name, even though I knew there’d be no answer.
She was lying on the bed, her Emmy held in her hands, which had been folded across her chest. Alec pulled his gun, moving across the room quickly, his eyes scanning every inch of space in case the killer was still here.
While the sheriff called it in, I casually examined the room. Everything looked the way it did the night before, except the photo of Regina was lying face-down on the nightstand.
I pointed to the picture frame. “I talked to Christina last night. That frame was standing up.”
Alec pulled a latex glove from a pouch on his gun belt and put it on. Using two fingers, he gently grabbed the corner of the frame and turned it over. “Was the glass cracked the last time you saw it?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He studied the picture. “It’s Regina.”
I heard a gasp from the doorway and turned towards the sound. Jerry, the adventurous outdoor cameraman, stood there, eyes wide.
Alec held up a hand. “Please don’t come any closer, sir. This room is a crime scene now.”
“Jerry,” I said, “we need you to keep everyone downstairs.”
“And don’t tell anyone about this,” Alec added.
“That last part might be hard,” Jerry said. “I was coming to get her so she could explain the group dating to the Rosettes. They’ll know something is wrong when she doesn’t show.”
“Do the best you can,” I offered. “The secret will be out anyway when the medical examiner shows up.”
Jerry nodded and headed towards the stairs. Keeping a mini-army of nosy gossipy Bimbettes from venturing upstairs was going to be loads of fun.
“What did you talk to Christina about last night,” Alec asked.
I shrugged. “Nothing in particular. Just stuff.”
Uh-oh. He was wearing his Serious Sheriff face. And he didn’t look happy.
“Penny, this is the second dead body on your property in less than forty-eight hours, and you appear to be the last person who saw her alive. ‘Just stuff’ isn’t going to be good enough.”
I stared at Alec, shocked - and to be perfectly honest - upset, too. “You think I had something to do with this?” I hated the scared tremble in my voice. Hated that he might think I was a murderer.
Alec winced, realizing he had hurt me. “Of course not... but that doesn’t mean others won’t think that.” He stepped forward, reaching towards me, as if to pull me close. I was all for that idea and stepped towards him, helping him close the distance.
And then a voice from the door ruined the moment.
“The only way someone would think Ms. Dreadful had anything to do with this would be if they didn’t appreciate the finer aspects of biochemistry and the complicated process of creating a chemically-induced death that appeared to be one-hundred-percent natural. At least in regards to the first body.”
Dr. K. Daver stared at us and shrugged, a small grin the only indication that he might have seen what almost happened. “Thought you’d want to know.”
“How do you know it was a chemical if the death appeared natural?” Alec asked.
Dr. Daver approached the body on the bed, examining everything with a critical eye. He pointed to the statue with a long bony finger.
“Melodramatics,” the medical examiner said. “The poison was undetectable in the body but it had leached into the flower through skin contact.” He leaned over the body and stared intently at the statue. “Unfortunately, the same type of test won’t work in this instance but there are several fingerprints on the statue. It’s possible that at least one of them belongs to the killer.”
He straightened back up and looked at us. “Killers really should just stick to killing and skip the melodrama.”
“Let’s hope they don’t since it helps us catch them,” Alec said. “So who are we looking for?”
“Someone with an advanced degree in chemistry.”
Alec nodded, looking around the room. “And someone Christina would trust since there’s no sign of struggle.” He glanced at me. “Know anybody like that?”
I shook my head. “No, but I haven’t exactly been trying to become BFFs with anyone, either.”
Alec gave me an apologetic look. “You might have to change that.”
“Fan-fanging-tastic,” I grumbled.
Despite the body laying just a few feet away, a soft chuckle slipped past his oh-so-kissable lips. “You’re really into the whole Transylvania thing, aren’t you?”
I smiled wryly. “Maybe just a little bit.” I sighed, already dreading what I had to do. “Okay, I’m going to go make nice with the Bimbettes. Wish me luck.”
“Penny,” Alec said, and for a second, I thought he was going to actually wish me luck, which would have been all kinds of cute. “Be careful down there. Someone has already killed two people. They probably wouldn’t have a problem adding one more to the list.”
Okay, not cute, especially since Paige had predicted one more death. I nodded. “I’ll be careful.”
“Ms. Dreadful,” Dr. Daver called out as I headed to the door. I glanced back at him.
He grinned. “Just remember that if you let your guard down and end up dead, there’s an excellent chance that I’ll see you naked.”
I frowned at him. “You’re seriously weird. You know that, right?”
His smile widened. “It’s all about providing the proper motivation, Ms. Dreadful. Our sheriff really likes you so it would be a shame to have something happen to you.”
“Yeah. Still weird.” I retreated out into the hallway before this odd conversation could keep going.
As I was looking down the stairs, preparing for actually interacting with the Bimbettes, Peter Vincent went flying by. He happened to glance up as he went by, saw me, and immediately changed course. He gave a tiny salute as he landed on my shoulder.
“Peter Vincent reporting for duty,” the little bat said. “As instructed, I have crossed enemy lines and gained vital, important information.”
“Awesome. What did you learn?”
The bat shifted his weight back and forth from one foot to the other. “I cannot emphasize the great risk I took in obtaining this information, often placing myself in situations that could have resulted in great bodily harm.”
I rolled my eyes. “Your bravery is noted and will be rewarded with extra mango at dinner... but no more war movies on Netflix.”
The little bat grinned. “Okay, Elizabeth thinks the house is creepy and constantly wonders why she agreed to do a Halloween special, Melanie thinks she wasted money getting a boob job because hers were already way better than everyone else’s.” He shrugged. “According to her, anyway.”
“Gladys hates her mom for naming her Gladys and thinks everyone else has a cuter name, including - and I’m quoting here - the weird chick named after bread.”
I was sure Pita would love to hear that.
“Sandi hopes she doesn’t get chosen for the final rose because, after getting a good look at Melanie’s boobs, she thinks she might start playing for the other team, Denise is worried she won’t be able to sneak away and ditch the ring with the cops around, and Rosalie -”
“Wait,” I interrupted. “Which Denise? What ring?”
“There’s only one Denise; the assistant lady. She has a ring she wants to get rid of but doesn’t think th
e police will let her.” He shrugged. “Personally, I don’t understand why she wants to get rid of it. It’s a very nice looking scorpion.”
“How do you know she wants to get rid of it? Did she say tell anyone?”
Peter Vincent rolled his eyes. “Pfft. Who would she tell? Nobody likes her. I just heard her say ‘How am I going to lose this stupid ring with that cop there’ as I was flying by.”
Forcing myself to act casual, I walked slowly down the stairs, my eyes scanning the room, searching for Denise. My attempt at not spooking her might have been in vain, though, because I didn’t see her around.
Deputy Jack Pierce was standing near the front door. His stance was casual, as if he just happened to stop at that spot, but his eyes were alert, and his hand never strayed too far from the gun at his side. He knew things were bad and had probably been told by Alec to not let anyone leave.
I inhaled deeply, my eyes glowing slightly red as I tapped into my abilities. There it was. The scent of the wilderness, nature personified. Deputy Roxie Wulf was here, probably guarding the back door.
A few of the Bimbettes crowded around, wanting to know when they’d be able to go on their group date with Jet.
Pretty Boy wasn’t around so he was probably still relaxing in the guest house, oblivious to what was going on around him. I couldn’t help thinking being oblivious to everything was probably normal for Jet Carson.
Pita and Paige made their way through the crowd. I could feel their power as they Compelled the girls to relax and give me a little space.
“Thanks,” I said as the last of the Bimbettes wandered off.
Paige glared at me. “Why didn’t you mention that we had a werewolf deputy?”
I shrugged. “It never came up.”
“A blood bath almost came up,” Pita said. “Some surprises aren’t pleasant ones.”
An unpleasant feeling made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “You left her alone in the kitchen?”
Paige tilted her head back, looking down her nose at me. “You know werewolves and vampires don’t mix,” she said haughtily.
The unpleasant feeling grew stronger. “Yeah but she doesn’t know who to look for, who to be cautious of, and you said there’d be one more death.”
I glanced at the little bat on my shoulder. “Go.”
Hearing the urgency in my voice, Peter Vincent took off without asking questions or making any cute remarks. I rushed to the kitchen, my fears confirmed when I saw the deputy on the floor by the door.
“Fan-fanging-tastic,” I muttered, rushing to her side. I turned her head and saw the tiny pinprick. Crap.
Roxie moaned. I couldn’t believe it. She was alive. Her normally tan skin was pale, making the white streak through her dark hair seem brighter.
“Girl with brown hair got the jump on me,” she said, eyes still closed, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I know,” I said. “It’s the production assistant. She poisoned you.”
“Get her.”
“You need medical attention, Roxie.”
She opened her eyes. They glowed with primal power. “Werewolf, remember? As long as the stuff doesn’t have silver in it, I’ll be fine.”
I nodded and rushed out the door, squinting in the morning sun, my ring glowing slightly as it protected me from the harmful rays. Paige had predicted one more death and her predictions were never wrong. With Roxie still breathing, I could only think of one other person who could up the body count.
I ran towards the guest house where Jet was staying.
Chapter 12
The door to the guesthouse was open and I could hear Jet talking to someone. Being as quiet as possible – which is pretty darn quiet for a vampire – I stepped through the open front door into the living room.
Jet was standing in the little kitchenette, holding a plate in front of him as if it were a shield. “Just stay away from me,” he said.
Denise stood at the edge of the kitchen area, her back to me. “What’s wrong, Jet? I just want to give you a hug.”
Jet shook his head frantically. “You’re not one of the Rosettes. You’re just the hired help. I don’t hug the help.”
Denise took a step towards him, reaching her hand out for him. Light reflected off the dark metal of her ring. “Oh, come on, handsome. Just one tiny hug.”
Jet extended his arms, as if intending to push Denise back with the plate he was holding. “Stay back,” he stammered. “All you girls are acting weird all of a sudden. I actually had one slap me.” His eyes grew wide with shock at the memory. “She slapped me and asked if I wanted another, saying she knew I liked the rough stuff.”
Denise pouted. “Poor baby. I promise I won’t slap you.”
“No,” I said. “She’ll just kill you. Like she killed Regina and Christina.”
Jet gasped, looking at Denise with fresh fear. “Christina is dead?”
Denise turned and looked at me, frowning. “Aw! I thought I recognized that voice. Why did it have to be you? You were nice to me.”
I held my hands up, letting her see that I was unarmed. “And there’s no reason to stop being nice, Denise. We can work this out.”
She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. “No. I’m not stupid. I’m going to prison.” She wiped the tears from her face. “But at least this stupid show will be over. Christina always said the show must go on, but if enough people die in one season then the network won’t have any choice but to cancel it.”
I took a small step forward. “You don’t like the show?”
Denise laughed. “Like the show? I love the show. At least I used to.”
Another step closer. “So what happened? What made you change your mind?”
She barked a bitter laugh. “What happened? She gestured towards Jet. “He happened.” She looked at me. “Look at him, cowering behind a plate. A plate! A group of women are supposed to fight for the honor of being with him? Would you fight to be with him?”
I wouldn’t fight for the honor of peeing on him, but that probably wasn’t the right thing to say. I shrugged. “I’m sure Jet has his nice qualities.”
Denise snorted. “Yeah, like greed. He’s doing it for the money. Nobody comes on these stupid shows to find true love anymore. It’s all about becoming the next prince or princess.” She shook her head, frustration on her face, her eyes wild. “And then I found out Christina had already selected Regina to be the next Princess of Roses.” She laughed. “The show hadn’t even started yet and the decision was already made. I don’t know why. Maybe Regina paid her off. It’s happened before.” She shook her head again, tiring herself out with her wild tirade. “Nobody does it for love anymore.”
I nodded my head. “I get that. I really do. Someone took something you loved and twisted it, perverted it into something cheap. But why the rose? The Emmy? Why pose them like that?”
Denise shrugged. “They deserved respect. They had lost their way but they weren’t bad people and I wanted them to have a little respect. Regina seemed to like that rose so I used it, and of course Christina loved her Emmy. That was a no-brainer.”
I took a slow cautious step forward. “I can understand that, too. I didn’t even know her very well but I knew she loved that Emmy, but I also knew she loved something else more.”
Denise laughed bitterly. “She loved ratings. She loved being famous.”
I nodded. “Yeah, but she loved her daughter, too. That’s why Regina was here.” I said. “Christina wanted to do something nice for her daughter.”
Denise looked at me, stunned. “What?”
Of course. She didn’t know.
“Yeah,” I said. “Regina was her daughter.”
And then I rushed her.
I had the element of surprise on my side. I had vampire speed on my side. I also had incredibly bad luck.
I grabbed Denise’s forearm, preparing to toss her across the room. She grabbed back, wrapping her fingers around my arm. The pinprick was almost unnotic
eable.
Almost.
Denise gasped, her fingers releasing me. “Oh no,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m so sorry.”
I had forgotten about the ring and grabbed the wrong arm. It was a stupid mistake. A deadly mistake. I could already feel the poison working its way through my system, chilling my blood like ice, turning my muscles to lead. I felt cold and tired. All I wanted to do was lie down and let the world slip away. My fingers relaxed their grip on Denise’s arm. The stuff worked fast. Within the next few seconds, I’d fall to the ground. And then I’d die. Denise would probably disappear. An autopsy would have to be done since I was a murder victim. Dr. K. Daver would see me naked.
My fingers tightened on Denise’s arm as I shook my head, trying to clear it. There was no fangin’ way that freakazoid medical examiner was going to see me naked. “I’m sorry, too,” I told Denise, using the last of my strength to pull her close and sink my fangs into her neck.
She didn’t struggle as I drained her dry, using her fresh blood to rid my body of the deadly toxins coursing through my veins. Afterwards, I gently lay her down. I looked towards the kitchenette. Jet was on the floor, unconscious. Since he had fainted, chances were pretty good that he’d chalk up what he had seen as his imagination running wild. I rose to my feet and turned towards the door, wiping blood from my lips.
And then I froze.
Alec stood in the doorway, his eyes wide, his hand resting on his gun, which was thankfully still holstered.
“Alec,” I said, stepping forward, “I can explain.”
He took a hasty step back, bumping into someone behind him. He turned, revealing Deputy Wulf. He looked back at me, his eyes wild. I could almost see his sanity packing up and getting ready to take a long vacation.
Roxie followed his gaze. Her eyes grew wide momentarily but she regained her composure quickly. She grabbed Alec by the shoulders and shook him gently until he focused back on her. “Sheriff, go back to the office. I’ve got this.”
He pointed at me. “She’s a… she’s a…”
“She’s your friend, Sheriff,” Roxie said. “A close friend. She’s still the same person she was yesterday.”
The Vampire and the Prince of Roses (Dreadful Vampire Mysteries Book 2) Page 7
