Black Heart: Coeur de Sade (Black Heart Series) (24 page)

            Now he was suspicious.  His eyes narrowed and then wandered up and down my body.  They of course returned to my boobs four times, but he wasn’t obnoxious about staring at them like some men.  I really don’t think men are physically or emotionally capable of not looking at a woman’s chest.  It’s genetic, I think.  I could be wrong.

            “Why do you ask?”

            Cesar had a wedding ring, so seduction was out of the question.  I did my best to suppress my pheromones, though it was impossible to shut them completely down.  But I didn’t have the patience to banter with Cesar, just to wheedle the information I needed.  There was an easier, surer way.

            I looked him dead in the eyes and turned it on.  One second later I owned Cesar body and soul.  He was mesmerized and willing to do anything I asked.  Just like that.  I felt powerful and guilty at the same time.

            “I’ll ask again.  Do you have security cameras in the parking lot?”

            “Yes.”

            “Are there tapes from last night available?”

            “Yes.”

            “Take me to them,” I said.

            Cesar led me into the back, then upstairs.  I’d never worked in such a large store, so didn’t know they had an upstairs.  He took me to the security room, and introduced me to Wanda.  She was monitoring the security cameras.  While shaking her hand, I mesmerized her as well.  No use in having to explain anything to anyone.

            “I want to review the tape from last night.”

            “There are twenty of them,” Wanda said.  “Five cameras, each tape lasting two hours.”

            “You don’t record in long play?”

            “Fast play gives a better picture.”

            I sighed.  That was going to take longer than I anticipated.  But I really didn’t have anywhere better to be.  I had zero clues, and no idea what to check next.  I told that damn council I wasn’t a detective.

            “Fine.  I really just want to see the big fight last night, and just before the fight,” I said.

            Wanda picked them out first.  There was a playback VCR, and she fast-forwarded to the fight.

            “Stop there,” I said, seeing Fritz fighting with Lolita.

            I watched as Lolita tried to run him down with my Mustang, and she almost pulled it off.  Really, I think he was just lucky to have turned around when he did.  He ducked between the parked cars and quickly transformed into a wolfman.  Lolita kept going, and came back up the next row over, Fritz rushed the side of the car and flipped it over.

The enraged vampire burst out of the car and charged the werewolf.  Fritz was easily as strong and fast as Lolita, and then he pulled out the talisman.  The Coeur de Sade captured her instantly and she froze.

            That’s when Lorelei struck with her magic.  He was lifted up in the air twenty feet and then slammed to the ground.  I thought it would be over, but when Lorelei strode over with that so smug look on her face Fritz leapt up and slammed a fist into her stomach.  A second later he roared and backhanded Lolita, sending her flying.

            Fritz quickly morphed back to human.  The wolfman form was when he was his strongest, but he couldn't speak very clearly with a wolf's snout and vocal apparatus.

            Roger charged in at that time.  Ah, the white knight.  His wings sprung out, ripping through his button down shirt.  He was trying to scare Fritz away.  I don’t think he knew what he was dealing with.  They surprised me, and the two of them spent a few minutes
speaking
to each other.

            Neither seemed to like what the other was saying, and they got belligerent.  Fritz pulled out the talisman and fight was over.  And I arrived shortly thereafter.

            I watched it just long enough to see Lolita and Lorelei jump in their Mercedes SUV and leave.  After jotting down their license number, I had Wanda rewind past where the fighting started.

            “A Jeep,” I said, seeing Fritz arriving in the parking lot in a late model Jeep Wrangler, top off.  I jotted down his license number, too.  Unfortunately, the video was black and white, so I couldn't discern the color of the Jeep.  "Thanks.  That's all I need.  Wait in here five minutes, then forget all of this happened and go about your normal lives."

            Truth be told, I didn't know if such a command would stick.  I gave commands like that, but I never followed up to see if they obeyed.  No one ever said I couldn't give a command to forget.  I didn't care.  I just wanted time to make good my escape.

            I cranked up my bike and started to leave.  With those two license plate numbers, I might be able to trace Fritz, Lolita, and Lorelei to their homes.  Might.  Vampires were sneaky creatures, and I suspected werewolves were also.  Worth a try, anyway.

            A familiar form and face caught my attention.  Roger was sneaking back into the parking lot.  Glancing over my shoulder I quickly located his silver Mustang.  A pang of jealously hit me.  His car was fine.  My beloved Mustang was stolen, trashed, and impounded.

            “Sounds like a description of what the Giorgi Girls did to my entire life,” I muttered.

I wanted them more than Fritz at that point, but knew I had to find him first.  Getting to him before the Giorgi Girl’s would foul their plans splendidly.  Then I recalled how Roger stopped to speak to Fritz before they fought.  Like they knew each other.  Didn’t Roger say he didn’t know any werewolves?  I might be confused.

I frowned at him as he stealthily moved between the few cars, fearfully looking all around for an ambush.  Fritz must’ve really freaked him out.  He was acting very un-vampirish.  We had reps for being fearless and bold.  He was acting like a fraidy cat.  It was kinda of embarrassing.

As much as I wanted to speak to Roger about Fritz, indeed, I
needed
to speak to him, he scared me.  Roger had powers I didn’t understand or know how to fight.  The man might be afraid of his own shadow, but he could lay me low mucho pronto.  Literally.  Like lay me out on the bed and screw my brains out.  I had no defense against his or Antoinette’s seductive powers, if anyone did.

“Boney could have a thousand girls working for him with that ability,” I thought, thankful Roger didn’t think like a pimp.  “I need to get his phone number so I don’t have to meet with him face-to-face.”

So I turned the Ninja back into the parking lot and did a big loop around Roger.  He was too intent on his car and looking for Fritz.  I barely rated a glance.  Guess he didn’t recognize me right off.

Roger squatted between two cars as I approached.  He didn’t even look to see who it was coming towards him.  I grinned.  Won’t he be surprised?

“Hey, big boy, shouldn’t you be at work?” I said, braking suddenly behind him.  He jumped up and spun around, eyes like saucers.  I couldn’t help but grin with delight.

“Sable!  Don’t do that!” he said.  “You scared the shit out of me.”

“Well, we all have our talents,” I said, grinning roguishly.  “So, tell me, where do you know Fritz from?  Old running buddy?”

“Fritz?” he said, suddenly wary.  “I don’t...”

“Can it, boy,” I said.  I leaned forward and gave him my best steeling gaze.  “I watched the security tapes, and you know Fritz from somewhere.”

Roger took a step back.  I never intimidated a vampire so thoroughly before Roger.  Why couldn’t they all react that way towards me?  It would make my life less complicated.

“You’re going to tell me,” I said.  “Might as well just do it and give me what I want.”

“It’s complicated,” he said, looking around.  People were watching us curiously.  Probably because Roger was acting like I was mugging him, and they’d heard about the previous night’s big fight.  Considering how I was dressed, they might’ve figured out I am a vampire.  “Can’t we do it in a more private place?”

“Like?”

“My place.”

“I’ll follow you,” I said.  He looked around warily.  “Get in the car.  I have your back.”

He started to protest my assumption he was afraid, but stopped himself, scowled and headed for his car.  A minute later we were rolling down the street towards his house.  The lights favored us, and we were there in no time flat.

I parked my Ninja in his garage.  Roger frowned but said nothing.  But he did offer me something to eat, probably to ensure I didn’t forget myself and feed off him.  It could happen, especially if we ended up in bed.  It took effort to
not
bite my lovers.  A lot of effort.

The living room was messier than before.  There was a TV tray beside the couch, with a plate of half-eaten pizza, an open laptop, and a stack of comic books.  I picked up the comic books and looked through them, seeing what he liked to read.  Vampirella?  Purgatori?  Lady Death?  Spawn?  Most were comics about sexy female vampires and other supernatural babes, or demons.  Oh, and Wonder Woman.  Don’t all men lust after her?

“So, tell me all about Fritz and how you know him,” I said, sitting in the middle of his ratty couch, legs crossed.  Roger just stood there looking at me, looking unsure.  He looked at my boobs a long moment, then at my crossed legs and bouncing foot.  I expected the air to fill with vamp pheromones, but I smelled fear instead.  “Why are you afraid of a werewolf?”

“I’m not...I mean, he wasn’t a werewolf when I knew him,” Roger said.  “I’m not afraid of werewolves, per sa, but Fritz is very strong and fast.  He surprised me last night.”  Roger shivered.  “W-What was that thing he had?”

            “The Coeur de Sade?  It's a talisman created to capture vampires.  Scary, isn’t it?”

            “Oh yeah,” he said.

            “Fritz?” I reminded him.  “Tell me his last name.”

            “Rotmensen,” he said.  He grinned.  “It means ‘Rotten People’ in Dutch, or something like that.”

            “That’s his real name?”

            “Yes,” he said.  “My Sire, the vampire that Changed me, also Changed Fritz’s younger brother and both of his sisters.  Fritz was the only one he didn’t Change, because he didn’t like Fritz and knew Fritz really wanted to be a vampire.”

            “So he is bitter towards vampires,” I said.  “And envious.”

            “Very much so.  I’m not surprised he is killing vampires.  He staked my Sire.”

            “Is that how you escaped the family?”

            He was much too young to have escaped due to age, and he definitely didn't possess the sheer power to break free.  Not Roger.  I doubted he would've had the guts to even try.

            “No,” he said.  It was a sharp, cold, bitter word.  “My Sire found me...
lacking
as a vampire.  A supreme disappointment.  He put me out after five years.”

            I cringed at seeing the pain in his eyes.  Roger might not have wanted to be a vampire, but being put out had been painful.

            “You’re aversion to blood?”

            “That was part of it,” he said.  “The Compulsions he placed upon me couldn’t override my queasiness at the sight of...
it
.”

            “I’m sorry.”

            “Don’t be.  I didn’t want to be a vampire anyway.  I hate being a vampire, and I hate vampires,” Roger said.  “I was glad when I was put out.  I didn’t have to deal with my fellow family members constant barrage of cutting comments and taunting.”

            “Why didn’t you just use your powers of seduction on them?”

            “I didn’t have them at the time.  I developed those just in the last couple of years,” he said, then shrugged shyly.  “You’re the first vampire I tried them on.”

            “Really?  Well your power worked pretty good on me,” I said, a bit chagrin.

            “Well, aside from that talent, I am a pathetic excuse for a vampire,” he said.  “My Sire told me so every day.  I didn’t care then, and I don’t care now.”

            The pain in his eyes said different.  It made me want to go out and stake his former Sire.  I wondered if any other member of that family was still up and about, undead to the world.  Fritz’s blood family.

            “Do you know where Fritz lives or hangs out?”

            “No.”

            “What about his undead siblings, your former Family members?” I said.  “Do you know where they live?”

            “No.  I don’t ever want to see them again,” he said.

            “It would really help me if you could find out,” I said.  I glanced at the laptop on the TV tray.  The laptop was on a Google results page.  “Google them.”

            “Google them?  Why?” he said.  “I don’t want to find them.”

            “I do.  I have to find Fritz.  Fast,” I said.  “All I have is his license plate number.”

            “I can run a trace on that,” he said.  “Vampires hide their tracks too well to find them with Google.  Werewolf probably don't worry about it.”

            “Would you can get me Fritz’s address?”

            “Yes.”

            “Do it.”

            Roger sat down beside me and pulled the laptop onto his lap.  Yeah, a real
lap
top.  He minimized the Google window, and went to one of his favorites.  Seconds later a website came up, and he typed in the state and license number I gave him.  Fritz Rotmensen's name came up, complete with address and phone number.  I jotted them down.  I was rather pleased to see he didn’t live that far away, just west of Roger’s place.  Farmers Branch was the next suburban town over.

            “Try this one,” I said, giving him the Giorgi Sisters license number.

            He did his computer magic.  Okay, he just entered the license number.  But it worked.  Seconds later a name and address appeared.

            “That belongs to Amanda Sanchez,” he said.

            My jaw dropped.  All my hopes were dashed.  At first I thought Amanda would be Lolita’s fang whore, but it wasn’t to be.  The screen said the license was on a Blue Chevy Impala.  So they were using stolen plates on their Mercedes SUV.  Vampire sneakiness.  My car’s registration had my mail drop address, using an alias.  Didn’t want anyone tracing my plates back to my home.