Playing With Vampires - An Izzy Cooper Novel (7 page)

I felt strange, like my legs were made of stone. It took an immense amount of effort just to put one foot in front of the other.

Maybe I was wrong? Maybe Uncle Aaron really wasn’t clean and he’d somehow managed to slip me some kind of weird drug.

Since I hadn’t ingested anything while at the lighthouse, I had no idea exactly how he could have tricked me into taking drugs, but something was up.

It wasn’t all that unusual to feel a little loopy after a long day, but this was nuts. If I happened to come across a crack in the sidewalk, I’d probably fall on my face.

I could just imagine Ayden and Tim’s smirks if I came into work with a black eye and had to confess to tripping over a crack in the sidewalk.

No thank you. I’d just as soon avoid the need to explain my involvement in anything that stupid.

I was so focused on making my legs move, at first I didn’t see her. It was her voice that drew my attention. The woman was singing as she made her way down Anchor Avenue. At first she was just a shadow in the fog, but when I focused on her, I could make out more detail. The singing woman was petite, with waves of dark auburn hair cascading around her shoulders. Her tight red dress and spiked heels gave away the fact that this woman was a lady of the night, at least she sure did dress like one.

I knew the local prostitutes spent a lot of time hanging around Anchor, which made it convenient for the fishermen coming in off the sea. With it being such a short walk from the docks to Anchor, they could easily spend their earnings on both, whiskey and women, all in one location.

I opened my mouth to warn her about the dangers of walking the streets after dark, but nothing would come out. My tongue simply wouldn’t work.

Damn! Whatever Aaron gave me was sure doing a number on me. I couldn’t utter a word.

Now I was pissed!

Uncle Aaron was so going to get it. In fact, I just might go so far as to have him arrested for pulling such a dirty trick on me.

It was one thing not to be able to walk right. That happened all the time whenever I had a few too many margaritas, but I couldn’t even talk, and that was something I wasn’t used to.

This woman was in danger! I was sure of it.

Sure enough, she turned down one of the alleys that would cut through to the pier. A moment later, I saw a dark figure follow her.

I willed my legs to move faster, but still felt as if I were walking through two feet of mud.

Her screams ripped through the night, which managed to send my heart into overdrive.

If I could just get to her, maybe I could save this one.

I did make it to the alley, but a little too late. Her screams had already died away.

He was leaning over her, slashing and ripping.

Strangely, I could see what he was doing, but I couldn’t see who he was. The thick - churning fog seemed to conceal him, as if by design.

And then he turned toward me. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he was facing me.

He’d sensed me watching him.

Suddenly everything went black, and there was a crazy ringing in my ears.

Was this it?

Was my time up like Julius had hinted?

The darkness was gone and I was completely enshrouded in some kind of strange purple light. That’s when I realized I wasn’t dead at all, just half asleep. The light I was seeing was the light of predawn.

My first thought, aside from smashing my annoying phone, was that I had to apologize to Uncle Aaron.

I’d been so judgmental, though no one would ever know it but me. Still, I felt bad.

With my eyes still not working correctly, I leaned over to grab my phone. At this time of the morning, I wasn’t even going to bother with a polite, hello.

“If this isn’t a call to warn me of some kind of impending apocalypse, I’m hanging up.” I croaked into the phone.

“Sorry Izzy, but work calls.” Tim was contrite. “They found another victim. Ayden wants us at the scene as soon as possible.”

The haze of sleep lifted abruptly and my nightmare came back to me with such clarity, I was sure I’d somehow witnessed the latest murder while I slept.

“She’s a prostitute … and she has long auburn hair. It happened in another alley off Anchor, right?”

“I don’t know what color of hair the victim has, but she was discovered in one of the Anchor Avenue alleys,” he informed me.

“Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I told him before ending the call.

Sighing, I crawled out from beneath the blankets, cringing as soon as the chilly morning air hit my skin.

People had a tendency to get murdered at the most inconvenient times. It couldn’t have happened in the afternoon, when I was already dressed and it was warm. Nope, that would make life too easy for Izzy Cooper, and anyone who was living on borrowed time, shouldn’t have things that easy.

I was half tempted to throw on my robe and slippers and just go to work in my pajamas, but when I imagined Ayden’s reaction to such unprofessional conduct, and Sheriff Bourne shaking his head, wearing that amused but not surprised, expression on his face, I changed my mind.

It was already tough enough getting the townspeople to take my position as an FBI agent seriously, showing up in my pajamas was very likely to make that situation even worse, plus I might even get fired.

So it was off to my closet for some clothes, and then a quick pit stop to pick up a cup of coffee.

I really needed one of those quick brew coffee pots, the kind that brewed one cup at a time.

That was something to put on my shopping list.

To compensate for having such a terrible memory, I’d recently decided that throughout the week, I’d start putting items down on a list. It was a good idea, and the list might really be helpful, if people would quit killing each other, so I could actually get around to going shopping.

* * *

Almost as soon as I crossed into the city limits, I saw the glow of blue and red flashing lights coming from the direction of Anchor. Even if there weren’t a number of police units blocking the alley where the body was discovered, I would have known where to go.

It was exactly like in my dream. The crime scene was in an alley, just two doors down from the Sand Dollar Saloon, which is where I suspected the victim was prior to being attacked.

Tim and Ayden still hadn’t arrived, which was a little surprising. I was never the first to arrive at a crime scene. This was most likely due to my coffee addiction, but I liked to blame the fact that I lived further from town than they did. Mostly, I didn’t think the boss man bought it.

Myron was still examining the body when I arrived. He was spending a lot of time looking at the victim’s face and the mutilated torso.

“Is it the same MO?” I asked, trying to get close enough to see the woman’s face.

“I think so, but this one is a little different. I’ll know more after the autopsy, but it appears as if he’s taken her kidneys and heart, along with the female organs. There’s also, been some strange mutilation to the face.” He pointed to the victim.

I had to lean over his shoulder to see what he was referring to.

As soon as I saw the victim’s face, I was hit with two things. The first being the certainty this was the woman I’d seen in my nightmare, and the second thing to hit me was nausea. The woman’s dress was hiked up to her neck, and she’d been cut from her pelvis to her breasts. Her intestines had been pulled from her body and tossed over her shoulders.”

Turning away, I asked, “Was the mutilation postmortem?”

“Yes … she died from a punctured artery in her neck. Her throat was slashed, just like the others.”

Backing away, I searched for any sign that the victim’s ghost was still hanging around the crime scene.

There were a few onlookers, and a whole lot of police, but no misty apparition wearing a red dress and heels.

Not that I really expected to see her. This time the victim had reached out to me, but it had been in my dreams.

Every once in a while I would have a psychic or prophetic dream, but they were few and far between. This was my first murder dream, and it sure the hell wasn’t something I wanted to have another go at.

I was just starting to get worried about the rest of my team when I saw Ayden’s SUV pull up.

I was on them as soon as they were out of the vehicle. “Did you guys get lost?”

I wanted to tease them a little, but was dissuaded by the grim expression on Ayden’s face.

“We have another one … down at the docks. John Cragun found her on his way to his boat this morning,” Ayden informed me.

Well this was getting a little ridiculous. In a town the size of Storm Cove, two murders in one night was crazy. I figured at the rate we were going, our community would soon make the list of the most dangerous places in America. The island might even become the murder capitol of the country.

Not that being the murder capitol of the United States would be all bad. At least it would give me the opportunity to earn lots of redemption points, plus it would keep our population down.

All of the sudden I was hit with the disturbing image of Mister Grim, clucking his tongue and glancing down at his Rolex. This prompted a quick change in my train of thought.

Of course being the murder capitol of the nation wouldn’t be good. After all, it would make my job tons harder, and walking the streets at night wouldn’t be all that much fun either.

When that horrible vision of Mister Grim faded, I noticed that Tim was staring at the victim, not with horror or repulsion, like everyone else that looked at the body. It was as if he were listening to a conversation, or reading some kind of sign that was invisible to the rest of us.

“You okay?” I asked.

Tim nodded, which caused his glasses to slide down his nose. “I know the perp is probably a vampire … still, I can’t help but think there’s something more to these murders. Vampires tend to change the location where they hunt victims. It’s too risky to repeatedly hunt in the same location. With this guy … it’s almost like he can’t help himself … like he’s participating in some kind of ritual or something.”

I didn’t know a lot about the habits of vampires, but I had to agree with Tim. Hunting in the same area every time seemed unnecessarily risky. There had to be a ton of other places on Mystique Island where this vampire could find a victim.

“I watched the whole thing happen in a nightmare, I was having just, before you called me this morning,” I told him.

This caught Ayden’s attention. “Did you happen to see who did this?”

I shook my head. “That was the strange part. I could see what he was doing to the victim, but not him. It was a lot foggier than it is right now, but still, I should have been able to see him. It was like he was purposely blocking himself from being seen … as if he knew I was watching him.”

Ayden’s mouth twisted into a frown. “Tim’s right. There’s more to these murders than a hungry vampire. I’ve seen a lot of vampire victims over the years, but none like this. They might tear the throat out to hide the fang marks, but this is overkill.”

“But you do still think our subject is a vampire?” I asked.

Ayden nodded. “There’s no doubt about that … but this vampire might be a little deranged. If I had to come up with a profile at this minute … I’d say we are dealing with someone who is disorganized and organized at the same time. The perpetrator shows traits of being disorganized with his random victims and blitz attacks, but he is meticulous in what he takes from them. He probably blends in well, and wouldn’t be noticed, which tells us that the locals are used to seeing this person around town. He is either a local himself, or here frequently enough that his presence doesn’t raise any eyebrows. Most likely he lives alone, and has a very low regard for women.”

Suddenly I was reminded of the town meeting the night before.

“I think it’s time we take some questions to Mister Dupree,” I told them.

“Why’s that?” Ayden asked.

I quickly related what had happened the night before, though I kept my voice down so no one would accidentally overhear. The last thing we needed was a pissed off vampire. If the townspeople discovered the new owner of the Marsh estate was a vampire, his business venture would likely fail, which could make for some bad feelings.

“I don’t want you to go out there alone. Take Tim with you … and be careful,” Ayden instructed.

It took three more cups of coffee and a breakfast burrito from the Bayside Grill before I was mentally prepared to return to the Marsh estate.

For the most part, I’m not into the whole gloomy dark goth scene, which is exactly what came to mind when I thought of the Marsh estate.

Imagine my surprise when we drove up to the front gates, and discovered the property was buzzing with construction workers, and the gloomy atmosphere was all but gone.

True, Luna Road was still nothing but a dirt access road, but I’d heard the county planned to have it paved soon.

All the overgrowth around the mansion had been clear away, and the gardens were well on their way to their former magnificence. In the spring they’d be stunning.

“Wow! I can’t believe they’ve gotten so much done,” I commented.

Tim was still wearing the same frown he’d been wearing earlier. “Something is wrong with this picture. If these guys really are vampires … why invite so much attention?”

“Maybe they aren’t afraid because they don’t intend to do anything wrong,” I suggested, though I didn’t actually believe any such nonsense.

“Hmm … maybe,” Tim agreed, though I could tell he didn’t believe it either.

We were met at the door by Mister Olsen, which pretty much dashed Marty’s vampire theory. With Mister Olsen being out and about at midday, it was unlikely he was a vampire.

“Miss Cooper, I believe,” he said, offering me his hand.

Mister Olsen was wearing another black suit. I hadn’t quite decided if he reminded me of a banker or a mortician.

“Actually … it is Special Agent Cooper, and this is Special Agent Lehman,” I informed him, taking the hand he offered.

As soon as my skin made contact with his, I had to rethink the vampire situation. He was out of his coffin at midday, but he sure felt as cold as a corpse.

“Agent Cooper,” he acknowledged with a nod, “what can I do for you?”

“Is Mister Dupree in? We’d like to ask him a few questions … and you?”

“You are in luck. Mister Dupree is in today. If you’ll come in, I’ll let him know you are here.” He moved aside so we could enter.

As soon as I stepped through the door, I caught a big whiff of lemon oil. It was everywhere. That’s when I noticed that all the wood had been polished, even the wooden floor.

“The place is looking good,” I told him.

“Thank you Agent Cooper. We are excited to move forward with Misty Haven. I hope you both will be coming to our grand opening.”

I gave him an evasive smile.

“We’ll just wait right here,” I said, reminding him of why we were visiting in the first place.

“Excuse me. I’ll locate Mister Dupree now.” Olsen walked off, leaving Tim and I alone.

“Looks like he isn’t a vampire,” Tim whispered.

“Looks that way … but his skin was as cold as ice when I shook his hand.”

Olsen returned before Tim could come back with one of his theories.

“Mister Dupree will see you in his study,” he informed us.

“Actually, I would like to ask you a few questions,” Tim cut in.

“Okay,” Olsen nodded. “Agent Cooper … if you’ll follow me.”

Olsen led me down the main hall, and turned into another hall that wasn’t as well lit. The few sconces on the walls didn’t provide a lot of light. There was a window at the end of the hall, but it was stained glass, which filtered out a lot of the sun’s radiance.

We paused in front of a set of double doors. Olsen went in and then motioned for me to follow.

The drapes were drawn, which made the room even darker than it would have been. The only light came from a single lamp and the flickering flames of candles.

At first the room appeared empty, but then I noticed movement. He was sitting in a red velvet wingback chair, his face shrouded in shadow.

“Mister Dupree … this is Special Agent Cooper,” Olsen introduced me.

As I stepped forward, he stood.

Suddenly the room began to spin. I was bombarded with thoughts and strange feelings. The very first thought that entered my mind was that I’d seen him before. He was the stranger I’d seen at the Founder’s Day Celebration.

There was no way I’d ever forget that face, or those eyes. They were the eyes of a predator … an extremely hot and sexy predator, but a predator nonetheless. The color of his eyes was startling, kind of blue gray fluorescent. His wavy, golden blond hair fell around a set of linebacker shoulders.

Although he wasn’t dressed as formally as Mister Olsen, it was obvious Dupree liked to look good and had no problem spending a ton of money to ensure he did. His pants enhanced his male physique to the point I was reminded of what Marty told me about vampires and sex.

I quickly slammed the door on such thoughts.

No way was I going there, not even in my mind. Men were parasites, even very rich and sexy men.

To take my mind off Dupree’s male assets, I decided to think about how nice and peaceful a convent would be. Maybe it was time to give some serious thought to joining a convent. Not only would that probably earn me lots of redemption points, but I’d be safe from insane men and serial killers.

“Miss Dupree … it is a pleasure to meet you,” he greeted me in a deep voice that was as smooth as fine silk.

When I took his offered hand, I felt a jolt of electricity run up my arm. At first I was too stunned to reply, and when I did find my voice, it was shaky.

“Thank you Mister Dupree,” I muttered.

“Please, you can call me Zane,” he said, the smile never leaving his face.

“Thanks … Zane. You can call me Special Agent Cooper,” I told him, reclaiming some of my fire.

This guy wasn’t going to knock me on my ass with nothing but a sexy smile. I wasn’t that weak. At least that’s what I kept telling myself.

“What is it I can help you with, Special Agent Cooper?” He put so much emphasis on the special agent part, I knew he was mocking me.

“Are you aware of the recent homicides in Storm Cove?” I asked, putting on my hard ass cop face.

He tilted his head in what passed for a nod. “Of course. It’s all over the news.”

“Do you mind telling me where you were between midnight and 4:00 this morning?”

There was a slight arch in his left brow “Is there any particular reason why I am being asked to account for my whereabouts? Am I a suspect?” he asked.

“Everyone is a suspect at this point,” I answered in an even - unemotional tone.

I couldn’t see the sense in letting on that he and his business manager were our main persons of interest.

“Well it sounds as if it might be a good idea for me to contact my attorney.”

In contrast to his words, the expression on his face made it very clear that he wasn’t the least bit worried that we considered him a suspect.

“Of course that is your right … but it’s completely unnecessary, unless you have something to hide,” I snapped at him.

The fact that he was playing with me was really starting to get on my nerves.

“Okay … I’ll play along.” He shrugged. “I was here all night.”

“Can anyone verify this?”

“Sure,” he replied with a touch of sarcasm. “I was with a lady friend.”

“And what’s her name?” I pushed for more information.

“I believe her first name is Missy. Sorry, but I can’t recall a last name.” He laughed.

What a slut!

Missy wasn’t satisfied with Julius. She had to go screwing around with every guy she came across. I couldn’t wait to run that woman in for killing her husband. All I needed was proof.

“Would that happen to be Missy Rogers?” I asked, unable to keep the distain out of my voice.

“Could be.” He gave me another nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

“Names are irrelevant,” he added.

“It has recently come to our attention that one of the victims … Polly Nielson was in your employ.”

“That’s correct. She worked for me in the evenings … part time.”

“What was the nature of the work she did for you? I asked, double-checking my digital recorder to ensure it was recording.

“I don’t think I have to answer that question,” he replied, tersely.

“Okay Mister Dupree. I’ll be checking with Missy … and getting a court order for your employee records.”

“Thank you for stopping by. I hope to see you at our grand opening.”

I was being dismissed, though it was tough luck for Mister Dupree that I didn’t take too kindly to being dismissed.

I decided it was time to take a shot in the dark. “I know what you are Mister Dupree.”

I was prepared for anger, denial, maybe even a little mockery, but I wasn’t prepared for laughter.

“And I know you know, Miss Cooper.” His eyes lit up with amusement.

“What I don’t understand is why you’re not sleeping in some coffin at this time of the day.”

That was something that had been bugging me since we met Mister Olsen at the door, but Dupree wasn’t about to satisfy my curiosity.

“The world is a mysterious place,” he replied, evasively. “And to answer your question about Polly. She was a blood donor, and a nice girl. What happened to her is a shame.”

“Do you know what she was doing on Anchor Avenue at that time of night?” I asked.

“I sent her down there to recruit more donors, I still have a few openings, if you’d like to join my staff,” he offered, a hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

“Please!” I held up my hand as if to ward him off. “Don’t they have some kind of bloodsuckers anonymous or something?”

“Just asking,” he came back with a shrug.

“We’ll be in touch again,” I told him before turning away, but what he said next stopped me in my tracks.

“You’ve grown into a beautiful woman Izzy Cooper. It was good to see you again.”

When I looked back to ask what he meant, he was gone.

The room was completely empty.

I knew vampires were fast, but I didn’t think they were
that
fast.