Baited Blood (19 page)

“You mean, they were executed.” Madison’s voice was flat, as if reading a grocery list. She didn’t relish how often the word
execute
or some variation of it was popping up in her vocabulary lately.

“Some were. Some were not. Some were banished from California. A few were given the choice to stay and change their ways or leave. Punishment was determined on the extent of their crimes.”

Madison pushed the information around in her head, trying to store and organize it. “How long ago was this?”

Joni leaned back in her chair and gave it some thought. “Forty-five years ago, maybe a few years less.”

“Last night, Stacie said she’d been a vampire forty-three years. Any correlation?”

“Yes. Stacie turned vampire to assist Samuel in bringing about the change. Before that, she worked with some of them on legal matters.”

Joni scrutinized Madison. It gave Madison the willies. The more she was around Joni, the more wary she became. She wondered if Joni had the same gift as Samuel, but a look of disappointment in Joni’s eyes told Madison her thoughts were safe.

“Samuel said,” Joni continued, “that I’m to explain anything you ask about. That’s pretty high clearance for a beater. In fact, it’s unprecedented. But I trust Samuel implicitly, so I trust his judgment about you.”

Madison scoffed. “Truthfully, I’m not sure I want to know all this stuff. What I know now is enough to make me think I’m going crazy.”

Joni turned back to the computer screen. A small smile, no more than a fine line of lip, crossed her face. “Well, buckle up, because you’re about to learn a hell of a lot more.”

As Joni’s fingers flew over the keyboard, several different screens flew by. “I’ll be giving you access to this information after I show you how to use it. It’s stored on a secured site and uses a special rotating password. Before we’re done, I’ll give you a fob like mine.”

Boo wandered into the computer room. He nudged Madison’s hand. After she petted him a few times, he curled up on the floor like a big ball of variegated black, silver, and white yarn. Madison glanced at the bracelet on her wrist. She knew it would protect her from Joni, but would it protect her if Joni gave Boo a command to attack? When she returned to LA, she was going to ask Samuel the extent of the protection. She wouldn’t be able to protect herself if she didn’t know the bracelet’s limits, and she doubted if the bloodroot would work on a dog.

“This,” Joni explained to Madison, “is a database of information I’ve been gathering for years, even before I was a vampire. At first I kept it in a journal all by hand. Now I just input it here. I’ve also transferred all the old information to this database.”

Madison squinted at the screen. It looked like nothing more than a long list of names displayed on a plain background in a ho-hum font. “What is it?”

“It’s a vampire database.”

“You track the world’s vampires?” Madison couldn’t keep the wonder out of her voice.

“Only those the council knows or learns about, so the list is far from complete.” Joni glanced over at Madison. “There are far fewer vampires in the world than you might think. Only about a hundred thousand to one hundred fifty thousand, tops. And those numbers include a generous allowance for those vampires we don’t know about. There are just shy of fifty thousand names on this list, and some of those we know have died.”

Madison felt her eyebrows arch in surprise at the number but wasn’t sure if it was because she expected the number of vampires in the world to be less or more. “Fifty thousand names is very impressive,” she said instead, and meant it.

Joni laughed. “Not if you consider we’ve been working on this list for nearly two hundred years. Samuel got an idea in his head to track vampires.” She glanced at Madison, one corner of her mouth tilted upward. “And I’m sure you know how he can be when he’s determined to do something.”

Madison gave Joni a small, knowing smile. “How do you gather the names?”

With a shrug of her shoulders, Joni answered, “They come in from here and there. Isabella provides a lot from her travels. This database isn’t public, by the way.” She shot Madison a pointed look. “Samuel and I started it before he came to California, and we kept it a secret. Except for myself, I’m not sure anyone outside of the present council even knows about it. And you’re the only mortal I know of who knows of its existence.”

“Don’t worry, I know how to keep my mouth shut.”

Joni gave her a tight smile. “If you didn’t, Samuel would never have sent you here.”

Joni pointed at the screen. “See this? That’s Doug Dedham’s name.” She clicked on Doug’s name and a new page popped open, complete with a small photo and a list of personal information. Joni stabbed at the screen with an index finger. “This tells me everything we know about Doug Dedham—information such as where he lives, what names he’s used, who turned him and when.”

“He was turned by Ann Hayes.”

“That’s right.” Joni highlighted a name on Doug’s page next to the term
Upline—
Annabelle Fogle aka Ann Hayes
. “This link will take us to Ann’s information. I just updated her name this week.”

Under the line with Ann’s name was the heading
Downline
. Under that were listed three names: Sebastian Worth, Mary Ellen Cox, and Dodie Dedham. Only Dodie’s name was known to Madison.

“The downline,” Madison asked. “Are those vampires Doug has personally turned?”

“Yes.”

“There aren’t many names there.”

“Contrary to some popular beliefs, vampires don’t roam the world creating other vampires willy-nilly.” Joni swiveled to face Madison. “Most of us only make a few. Some go through eternity turning no one. Most vampires only turn someone when there’s a need or purpose to it.”

“Why is that?”

The corner of Joni’s mouth turned up. “It’s about power, Madison. Generally, a vampire can control a mortal easily, but it’s much more difficult to control another vampire. Turning someone doesn’t mean they become your servant. It’s like children. Eventually, they want to leave the nest and create their own home and life. A smart vampire thirsting for both blood and power will keep a group of dedicated beaters around him—controlling them through money, excitement, and even sex—not a pack of unruly vampires.”

The comment turned Madison’s thoughts to Lady. Was she creating new vampires only to kill them if she couldn’t control them? She hadn’t been able to control Duff, but Madison couldn’t imagine Keleta being difficult. And was Parker killed because he was stepping out of line? Keleta had said there were about seven or eight vampires at the castle. With Keleta, Duff, and Parker gone, that would leave four to five, unless Lady already had their replacements lined up. Try as she might, Madison couldn’t fathom what Lady was doing with so many male vampires, especially newbies. Was it just for the sex?

Madison screwed up her face in contemplation. “I get the blood thing. That’s food to you. But what’s all the sex about? Seems every vampire I’ve met is sex crazy.”

Joni laughed out loud before answering. “That’s actually a very good question. I’m surprised you haven’t asked Samuel that, considering his penchant for small harems.” She shot Madison a sly look and received a scowl in return.

“Sex,” Joni continued, “is one of the few human pleasures we are allowed. What’s more, for us the enjoyment is intensified. In return, we can give our partners a more satisfying experience. Some even call it intoxicating.”

Madison thought of Miriam and the other women who flocked around vampires. She thought of Chuck, Joni’s lover, bouncing down the stairs with hyped-up energy. Then she remembered how Colin had made her feel, even though their lovemaking had not been consummated. She shivered but not with cold. She gripped the arms of her chair and looked down at the floor, trying to clear her mind. When she looked up, Joni was watching her like a hungry hawk eyeing a sparrow.

“If it wasn’t Samuel who popped your vampire cherry, I’m guessing it was the delicious Colin Reddy. Or is there some new vampire hunk on the scene I’m not aware of? You’re far too appealing not to be claimed by someone.”

Madison tossed her hair back over her left shoulder, careful not to expose her right ear. The cut had been small and was already nearly healed, but she didn’t want to give Joni’s speculation any satisfaction. “I belong to no one, vampire or otherwise.”

Returning her attention to the computer, Madison was surprised to see her own name under a column on Doug’s page marked
Associates
. It was just below the name
Pauline Speakes
. She pointed to it. “Why am I listed there?”

Joni clicked on the link and brought up a page featuring Madison, including a photo of her taken during her welcome reception at Samuel’s villa. “To the extent possible, we also keep information on everyone working closely with vampires. You are listed as living with the Dedhams and working with the council.”

The detail of the information was impressive and took Madison’s mind away from Colin and Joni’s prying.

“Are V-girls or consorts listed?”

“Sometimes they are, especially if they’ve been with a vampire for a long time. The consorts that move around frequently are difficult to track.”

With a few keystrokes, Joni brought the screen back to the list of names. “This is how you conduct a search.” A small search menu popped up, and Joni inserted
Samuel La Croix
in the box. “You can put in a whole name or a partial, depending on what you’re searching for. You can also put in a geographical location.”

In a flash, up popped Samuel’s page. Joni pointed to the column listing
Associates
. “I believe these are Samuel’s three current ladies.” She glanced at Madison. “Am I correct?”

“Yes.”

Several names below the women, Madison spotted her own name, Michael Notchey’s, and Hyun’s. Just above Hyun’s name was Gordon, Samuel’s former driver and bodyguard. Next to his name was AD.

“What does
ad
mean?”

“It’s not
ad
but
AD
. Whenever you see that, it means that associate is deceased. A lone
D
signifies a deceased vampire. If you see a
BL
next to a name, that means a human with a bloodline. We like to track those as best we can, but it’s difficult unless they are associates.”

Joni switched to another screen. “This is a listing of only the names and jobs of humans in the service industry,” Joni explained. “It’s almost like an online Yellow Pages. You’re also listed there as the council’s assistant.”

“How do you get photos of the vampires?” Madison asked. “They don’t come through very well in pictures. I know Samuel doesn’t come out at all.”

Joni returned to Samuel’s page. “Newer vampires do come out. For the others, we take what photos we can, then enhance them using descriptions or drawings like those you brought with you. For the very old vampires like Samuel, we take a photo of someone who looks like him, then Photoshop it to resemble him better.”

Madison studied Samuel’s profile photo. It looked like him, but then again it didn’t. “Is that how vampires get driver’s licenses and passports? Do you fake those, too?”

Joni turned and smiled at Madison. “Yes, you are quite the smart cookie.” Her tone was one of appreciation edged with suspicion. She turned back to the computer. “We can generate fairly good photos to submit for things like passport applications. The driver’s license is tricky because the DMV wants to take their own photos. Younger vampires can do that, but when it comes to the older ones, we simply buy them very good fake licenses using our enhanced photos.”

“You guys have thought of everything.” Madison shook her head in wonder.

“Our survival depends on it.”

TWENTY-TWO

S
amuel suggested we start with Ann Hayes,” Madison told Joni after Joni showed her a few more ways to navigate the database.

“Sounds sensible to me.” Joni pulled up the page for Ann Hayes. “Although we don’t have much on her. Samuel asked me to consult the database as soon as her name came up a few days ago. Seems she keeps herself under the radar.”

The profile for Ann Hayes was pretty bare. There wasn’t even a photo of her, just a description and a note that she used to go by Annabelle Fogle. Even her downline was skimpy, with only Doug and Colin listed.

“All we ever knew about Annabelle Fogle was that she turned Doug and Colin and branded new vampires,” explained Joni. “Just yesterday I updated this to add her new name. I’m hoping to get a photo of Ann before too long.”

“May I?” Madison indicated to Joni that she wanted to use the mouse.

“Better yet, why don’t you take the helm.” Joni got up from her chair and switched places with Madison. “It’s the best way to learn.”

What Colin had said about his time with Ann came back to Madison. He’d been her companion for a long time before striking out on his own.

“According to Colin,” Madison said, “Ann creates new companions as she needs them—changing out men every few decades like other women change hairstyles.”

“Hopefully, we can expand the list while she’s around.”

Returning to the search feature, Madison inserted the name Parker. Several names popped up, both as first names and last, and included both beaters and vampires. Using the advanced search feature, Madison narrowed the list down to only vampires with the United States as a geographical location. The editing left only a half-dozen possibilities.

“You’re catching on fast,” Joni commented.

“I like working with computers. Unlike people … or vampires … they make sense.”

She clicked on the link for the first Parker on the pared-down list. His name was Jonathan Parker. Up popped a profile of a young-looking vampire with long red hair and steely blue eyes. Quickly, she closed the page and moved on to the next name.

Madison stopped her search long enough to pull Doug’s sketch out of her file and hand it to Joni. “This is what we’re looking for.”

The next two links also brought up misses, but the fourth held a lot of promise. The profile was that of a vampire named Parker Young. The photo wasn’t an exact match for the second dead vampire, but it was close enough to be a possibility. He was described as being tall, with rugged features, usually with long blond hair. It was noted there was a long scar across the left side of his rib cage. Madison read his bio, noting that Parker had been an officer in the Confederate Army when he was turned—a Southerner. He had no upline, and his downline contained only two names, both men, neither recognizable to either Madison or Joni.

“Looks like we found the right guy,” said Madison. Still, she checked out the remaining two names, but neither came close.

After returning to Parker Young’s profile, Madison tapped the computer screen. “We can mark this guy with a D. I’m almost positive this is the same guy who was found dead in Doug and Dodie’s pool. The scar and the Southern connection fit, too.”

Joni looked from the sketch to the photo. “Certainly fits the description.”

“The thing is, when asked, Ann Hayes claimed she didn’t know who he was. But she was still branding her new vampires at the time he became a vampire.” She turned to Joni. “Could there have been other vampires using the same brand? You know, like a secret or private club within the vampire community?”

“Highly doubtful. One of us would have heard something about it unless it was way, way, way underground. And that’s the sort of stuff Isabella is very good at finding and reporting back about.”

Madison clicked back to the short bio of Ann Hayes and scrutinized it as if the meager words might come together to reveal a clue not yet seen. “If Parker Young was one of Ann’s, it makes you wonder what she’s hiding.”

“Certainly would make her a suspect in the killings, wouldn’t it?” Joni got to her feet. “You dig around and get comfortable with the database. I’m going to check on the stew.”

After Joni left, Madison went back to Samuel’s profile, more out of curiosity. For a vampire who’d been around since the Roman Empire, he’d created surprisingly few vampires. Mostly they were women, but there were several men in the mix. Three names on his list caught her eye—Isabella Claussen, Stacie Neroni, and Joni Langevoort. It looked to Madison like Samuel had built his council from scratch, with his own fangs.

Next she moved on to Colin. He had under a dozen vampires in his downline, so it was quick and easy to check them out. Madison only recognized one name on the list—Julie Argudo. According to Pauline, Julie had been the cause of the friction between Colin and Stacie. Whenever Julie’s name was mentioned, everyone on the council stiffened and the air took on an awkward chill.

Madison clicked on Julie’s link. Her profile brought up a very pretty woman in her twenties with short, dark blond hair. Large blue eyes looked at the camera with frank defiance and a hint of familiarity. She read the physical description—tall and slender, an appendectomy scar, and a large birthmark just above her waist on her left side.

“That’s odd,” Madison said out loud.

“What’s odd?”

Madison jumped in her seat. She hadn’t heard Joni return. After catching her breath, she pointed at the screen. “There isn’t a D by Julie Argudo’s name. Isn’t she dead?”

“Not that I know of.” Joni took her seat again. “Dinner will be ready in about twenty to thirty minutes.”

Madison stabbed a finger at the computer screen again, this time with emphasis. “I was told by Pauline Speakes that this vampire was dead.”

For the first time since they’d met, Joni seemed uncomfortable.

“You knew Julie, didn’t you?” asked Madison.

Joni nodded. “Yes, I knew her. She used to live in Southern California when I was on the council.”

“And she was good friends with Colin and Stacie, wasn’t she? It says here Colin even turned her.”

“The three of them were inseparable.” Joni looked at the photo on the screen, then back at Madison.

Madison leaned toward Joni. “What’s the big deal with Julie? Why are Colin and Stacie at each other’s throats whenever her name is mentioned?”

“Julie Argudo isn’t dead, Madison.” Joni’s voice was stiff and harsh like a boar bristle brush. “She was banished, though some thought she should have been executed for what she did. I was one who voted for execution. Both Stacie and Colin campaigned hard for the banishment.”

“What in the hell did she do?”

“She betrayed the council.” Joni spit out the words like sour milk. “It was a few years after Samuel and the newly formed council had brought peace to California.”

“But if Colin and Stacie were both arguing for Julie’s life, why do they hate each other now?”

“Julie was a bloodline holder and close friend of Stacie’s, who she introduced to Colin. They became lovers, and eventually Colin, at her request, turned her. Soon after she became a vampire, Julie started sowing some wild oats and fell in with a bunch of bad news vampires. Colin and Stacie tried to intervene, but Julie was hard-headed and wouldn’t listen. In time it was discovered that the crew she’d become a part of was plotting to overturn Samuel and the council. They’d even murdered one early council member who’d discovered their plans and tried to warn Samuel. Four vampires were put on trial, including Julie. All were found guilty of murder and conspiracy. Three were executed. Stacie and Colin begged the council to spare Julie, saying that while she was associated with the murderers, she didn’t actually commit the crime. In the end, she was banished rather than put to death. The council didn’t want to appear soft on traitors, so the banishment was done quietly. Most everyone thinks Julie was executed with the others.” Joni paused to take a deep breath.

“But that doesn’t explain why Colin and Stacie hate each other.”

“Colin introduced Julie to the gang she hooked up with—not intentionally, but she was with him when he attended one of their parties. Stacie blames him for Julie’s defection and ultimate banishment.”

“Do you think Colin is to blame?”

Joni shook her head. “Julie would have found trouble on her own. She loved the dark side of being a vampire.” She looked at the photo on the computer. “There was something in her eyes, a wildness just waiting for the cage door to open. Samuel saw it, too. He wasn’t pleased when Colin turned her, but if Colin hadn’t, Stacie would have, I’m sure. Julie was very persuasive.”

Madison looked at the computer screen for Julie’s address. “It says here she’s in Bulgaria.”

“Probably hanging out at or near King Leopold’s court. That’s the vampire orgy and entertainment center of the world. A lot of vampires banished from more orderly communities end up there. And good riddance.”

“King Leopold?” Madison didn’t let on that she’d heard the name before.

“He’s not a real king. Vampires don’t have that kind of structure. Basically, a powerful vampire can stake out a territory and call himself a king or lord or pretty much any damn thing he or she wants. Leopold is a very old Bacchanalian-style vampire who believes vampires should not be reined in by conventional ethics or morals. He thinks vampires like Samuel, who try to bring order and peace, are fools.”

Madison folded this new information into what she already knew, mixing it carefully like delicate egg whites. Hyun and Libby had been employed at Leopold’s court. Ann had been a guest there. Madison didn’t know if or how Julie Argudo fit in, but the Leopold connection with the others jarred her senses and put her on alert.

She studied the photo of Julie Argudo again. There was something disquieting about it, making her wonder if Julie was back and looking for revenge.

She scanned Julie Argudo’s list of associates. There weren’t many, and all were women. One name on the list grabbed her attention—Olivia Himmel. She switched back to Parker Young’s profile. Under the associates heading was listed Olivia Himmel. Madison clicked on the link. In a flash, she was staring into the face of Notchey’s sister. Somewhere along her journey, Libby had taken Gus Himmel’s last name.

The brief description on the profile listed Libby as a consort. Prior employers noted were King Leopold and Gus Himmel. Her address was listed simply as Bulgaria.

Madison pointed out the name connection. “Why would someone hire a family member as a consort?” she asked Joni. “Seems incestuous, or would they have been married?”

“Consorts sometimes take the last names of their employer, especially if they are breaking off all contact with their families.”

Madison had wondered if Hyun knew Libby was Notchey’s sister. Now she realized he probably didn’t know. The connection between Julie Argudo and Libby pointed to Julie as being Lady, unless Libby had moved on to another employer after Julie. Also, Parker might have hired her away from Julie to work for Lady. The database gave no indication of when she worked for either of them or if she did currently.

Madison leaned back away from the computer screen for a moment. She hadn’t realized she’d been hunched over, staring with rapt attention at the screen, until her shoulders began to ache. She rolled her shoulders to loosen them, feeling Joni’s eyes on her every moment, watching and waiting for her to drop a hint or piece of information like a scrap of food tossed to Boo. But Madison didn’t say anything to Joni about her suspicions. If Joni pieced together anything from Madison’s search patterns, fine, but if Madison was going to chat with anyone about this, it was going to be Samuel.

Madison wanted to take the mouse back in hand and click on Hyun’s name to search for more dots to connect, but with Joni watching her so closely, she decided against it. She wasn’t sure how much to trust Joni and didn’t want any of her search trails leading back to Samuel. Instead, she turned to her hostess.

“What’s a runner?”

Joni nearly choked with surprise. “Where in the hell did you hear that term? Certainly not from anyone on the council.”

“Why not?” Madison showed Joni a mask of innocence. “It’s just another beater job title, isn’t it?”

Joni got out of her chair and walked to the end of the small room, her arms crossed in front of her. The question had shocked her, alerting Madison that the simple term had an important meaning. Joni turned, leaned her behind against a small table, and stared at Madison several moments before throwing her hands up in the air.

“Samuel did say to explain anything you asked about.”

Boo had wandered over to Madison’s side and begged for attention. Madison petted the animal and waited on Joni.