Chapter 2 What Does He Mean, Your Kind?

         The next morning as Veronica sat in front of her mirror brushing her long auburn hair she heard the doorbell. Her maid, Maria, came into the room. “Miss Vale,” she said. “Mr. Arlon and another man are here.” Veronica checked her makeup and adjusted the silver comb in her hair.

         “Good, tell them to wait for me in the living room.” When she entered the living room, Veronica kissed David on the cheek. “Good morning, David, Maria told me you left very early this morning without breakfast.”

         “I wanted to get the test results for you and pick up Hank.”

         Veronica turned to David’s partner, “Hank, welcome to my home.” She stepped toward him and he quickly stepped behind David.

         “Did Dr. Franks do that test I asked for?” she asked David.

         “Yes.” David took some papers from his briefcase, and handed it to her. As Veronica sat down on the couch to read the report, he said “The man we found in the wine cellar is still alive but in a comma.”

         Maria came into the room with coffee and sweet rolls. “Thank you, I really can use the coffee,” David said. He took the tray, set it down on the coffee table and poured himself a cup. “Hank, do you want some?”

         Hank shook his head. He stood on the other side of the room staring at Veronica’s reflection in the mirror hanging over the fireplace.

         Before leaving the room Maria opened the drapes and the morning sunlight flooded the room. Veronica knew, without looking up, that Hank was now looking directly at her. She smiled and said, “I love this room in the morning.” Then she put the papers down and asked, “David, what did Dr. Franks tell you about this test?”

         “He told me it showed that the blood on the lamp is not from one of your kind, but it is from a Cross.” David put his coffee cup and saucer on the table.

         Hank listened to them, and then looked at Veronica and asked, “Just what does he mean, one of your kind? What are you?”

         “Let me guess what you think I am,” Veronica said as she walked over to Hank. She leaned close to him and sniffed. “I smell fresh garlic on your breath and I don’t believe you were wearing this silver crucifix last night. It‘s a very nice one.” She touched the cross, and then moved her hand to his shoulder. Hank stiffened and held his breath.

         David laughed. “Relax, Hank, she’s not going to bite you.”

         Hank stepped back and said, “When I asked David about you, he said that you would explain things to me. He insists that you’re human but I know what I saw last night”

         “Tell me, Hank, just what do you think you saw.”

         Hank said, “First you tracked and identified the blood at the scene by scent, you punched a hole through a solid oak door, like it was paper, and then in the entryway, your eyes…”

         “My eyes?" Her voice became soft and seducing. “What about them?” He did exactly what she wanted him to do; he stared into her eyes. She gently led him to the couch and directed him to sit beside her, which he did without question or hesitation.

         David asked, “Veronica, what are you doing?”

         “It’s all right, he needs to relax.”

         “But when he realizes you put him into a trance so easily, won’t he be more afraid of you?”

         “How did you feel, when I did it to you? Do you remember how scared you were when you discovered who and what I am? Even with Dr. Franks trying to reassure you, all you could do—”

          David sighed as he remembered that night. “All I could do was think about your eyes and the creature you became when you took down the Bond Street Strangler. You asked me if your eyes still looked red and the next thing I knew, the three of us were in Starbucks drinking cappuccinos.”

         “And you were relaxed and no longer afraid of me. I was able to explain things to you.”

         David smiled and sat on the chair next to end of the couch.

         Veronica turned back to Hank. “Are you sure you won’t have a cup of coffee?” He took the cup she held out to him and sipped the coffee. A look of puzzlement came on his face. He looked at David and Veronica, across the room at the fireplace and then back at them. “Is something wrong with your coffee?” She asked.

         “No,” Hank replied and placed the cup back onto the saucer. He looked again at the fireplace. “Wasn’t I over…? How did I get over here?” He was clearly confused but no longer fearful.

         Veronica smiled. “I think now it is time for explanations. You’ve asked, what David meant when he referred to ‘my kind’. My people are the Vampyra or Vampires, as we are sometimes called. Every legend has its roots in truth, but we are not the creatures of those stories. From the beginning of time we have coexisted with your kind, Ordinaries. We were the hunters and warriors. Your kind welcomed us when they needed us and shunned when they didn‘t. We learned to hide the traits that make us different, so we could walk among you undetected. Two hundred years ago a small group of Vampyra came to this country looking for freedom and settled here in Pine Falls.

         Hank drank his coffee as he listened. Then he asked, “Are there others like you living here in Pine Falls?”

         “Yes, they are descendants of those original settlers.”

         “But you’re human, like David and me?”

         Veronica looked over at David and smiled. “That’s right. It’s genetic, a recessive gene. We all start out quite ordinary, not becoming truly Vampyra until we are adults. The age of becoming varies, for most it is somewhere between thirty and forty. It is not an easy time and some have a little trouble accepting it.” She reached over and patted David’s hand.

         Seeing this gesture, Hank turned to David. “You’re one of them, aren’t you?”

         David stood to his feet as he answered. “I haven’t fully become. It started three years ago while I was on the police force in Chicago. I began having psychic visions that scared me. Until I came to Pine Falls and met Veronica I thought I was going crazy.” He stood over Hank and looked down at him. “The important thing is that you must never tell anyone about this. There are very few Ordinaries who know about any of this.” David leaned down bringing his face close to Hank’s. “Swear you’ll keep this secret.”

         “Of course,” Hank said as he stared up at David and wondered what his partner would do if he didn‘t agree. “Who would I tell? Nobody would believe me; they’d think I was crazy.”

         David smiled. “That’s true, they probably would.” He sat down. “Now I’d like to get back to our case. Veronica, are you sure this Cross is not our killer?”

         Hank interrupted with a wave of his hand. “I get Ordinaries; that’s those of us who aren’t vampires, but what are Crosses?”

         David answered, “A Cross is someone with one Vampyra parent and one ordinary parent. Most of them never become Vampyra, because both parent must carry the recessive gene for that to happen.”

          Veronica nodded. “Yes, I believe we’ll find that our killer is Vampyra and our missing Cross just escaped being killed with Bonner and Draper. The weapon was a gimlet.” Veronica unlocked and opened the antique cupboard that dominated the back wall of the room. The cupboard contained weapons, some of them very old, all of them lethal. She selected one and handed it to David.

         Hank looked puzzled. “Isn’t that just a walking stick?”

         David laughed as he took it from Veronica’s hand. “Yes, a walking stick, but also much more.”

         She said. “A cane just like this one was used on all three victims.”

         David careful twisted the cane's handle and pulled out a sword, which he waved it with the skill of a trained swordsman.

         Hank spoke up, “Our killer didn’t use a sword.”

         “True,” replied David. He slid the sword back into the cane and then holding the other end he swung the cane and struck the throw pillow with the handle. “I owe Veronica a pillow,” he said. When he raised the cane, they all saw a distinct crescent shape cut in the pillow, just like the wounds on the victims. “The handle, or Gimlet, is as deadly as the sword. It leaves a wound that is small but deep. When struck at the back of the head, at the base of the skull, like our John Doe and Bonner, the victim is paralyzed and bleeds to death.” He looked at Hank. “That’s why there was so much blood.”

         Hank said, “You realize having this could make Veronica a suspect. This could be the murder weapon.”

         Veronica took the cane from David and handed it to Hank. “Have it tested. You’ll find this cane has never been used to kill. It belonged to my husband, Jonathan. I will one day pass this one to our son.” She looked from Hank to David. “There was a time when every male Vampyra possessed one of these. David frowned and reached for the cane. Veronica put her hand on his. “He’s right. I would prefer to be ruled out as a suspect so we can continue working on this case together.

         David said to Hank, “you can’t take it to the lab. How will you explain having it without telling about Veronica?”

          “There’s a kit in the car. I can test it here.” He went out and returned with a leather case. He took out a small spray bottle. “If there’s any trace of blood on the cane’s head, the spray will turn red.” He sprayed the cane head liberally from every angle, and looked closely. “No change means no blood.” He wiped the cane head with his handkerchief and handed the cane to Veronica. “This is not the murder weapon.”

         “Ok,” David said. “Now we know our killer is a male Vampyra.”

         Hank stopped him. “Not necessarily, Veronica has one. Maybe there are other women with them.”

         David shook his head. “All right, but what is his or her motive? There have been three victims.”

         “Do you have the coroner’s reports?” Veronica asked.

         David took three folders from his briefcase and said, “Complete with pictures.” He handed the folders to her. “Franks must’ve worked all night,” he said. “By the way, when he saw the results of the test on the blood from the lamp, he tested all three victims. You‘ll find the results in each of the folders.”

         “Look at this, “Veronica said. She showed David a page from the coroner’s report on the first victim, a John Doe found in an alley.

         “What am I suppose to see?” David asked.

         “Look closely at the blood chemistry. Now look again at the test Franks did on the blood on the lamp.”

         David carefully read each report and then looked up. “They’re the same. Our John Doe was a Cross.”

         Veronica looked at the blood chemistry results of Bonner and Draper. “Both Bonner and Draper are Ordinaries.”

         He looked at Veronica. “It would be a great help if we could identify our missing Cross.”

         “I think I know how we might be able to do that,” Veronica said and walked out of the room.

         As David returned the cane to the cupboard, Hank looked around the room. “This is a nice place.” He took a framed picture off the mantle to get a closer look. “How long have you lived here?”

         “What make you think I live here?” David asked as he closed and locked the cupboard.

         “There was something said about you leaving here early this morning.”

         “Well, I don’t live here. I have an apartment in town. I came out here last night, because after the way things went at the manor house, I wanted to be sure Veronica was all right. It was late; I spent the night.” David studied Hank’s face for a moment and added, “In the guestroom.”

         Hank studied the picture in his hand. “You look like lovers in this picture.”

         “I’m not the man in that picture.”

         “The woman is definitely Veronica and she’s pregnant, and the man is you, the same gray eyes, and same long black hair. Even though in the picture your hair isn’t tied back and it covers the scar on your left cheek. It’s clearly you.”

         David took the picture from Hank. “I’ve known Veronica less than two years. This photo was taken more than forty years ago. She was twenty and the man was twenty-three.” David looked at the picture and sighed. “I never knew him. He’s Jonathan Vale, Veronica’s husband. I look like him because he’s my father.”

         “And Veronica is your mother?”

         David nodded. “There are only a small number of close friends who know this.” He put the picture back onto the mantle. “Jonathan Vale was murdered before I was born. The police thought his murder had something to do with him being the Pine Falls Assistant District Attorney, but Veronica was sure it had something to do with a blood feud. She feared the killer would come back to kill me; so she moved away from Pine Falls until I was born and then put me up for adoption. When she returned to Pine Falls she told everyone that her child was stillborn. The day Captain Jameson called me into his office to meet her; she took one look at me and fainted. We’ve kept the fact that I’m her son a secret because she still fears the blood feud.”

         “So you’re a vampire like her.”

         “I haven’t completed my becoming, but I’ve inherited some of my ancestors’ psychic abilities.”

         “Like what? What can you do?”

         “I’m a psychometrist.”

         “A what?”

         “Psychometrist, I learn things by touching objects and people. For example, yesterday when we met and I shook your hand, I learned things about you that you would never tell me.”

         “Like what?

         “When you were in college, your girlfriend, Laura told you she was pregnant and you…”

         “That’s enough, I believe you.”

         “It’s a helpful talent for a detective, but I must be very careful. I can touch a person or object and take a reading and no one knows, but a Blood Link is different. One time when I was still on the force in Chicago, I forgot to put gloves on and accidentally touched a place spattered with blood. In a matter of seconds I experienced the murder from the victim’s point of view. The experience was intense and disturbing. Fortunately I was alone and no one saw it happen.”

         “Why? What happens?” Hank asked as Veronica entered the room carrying something wrapped in a handkerchief.

         David said, “I think you’re about to see a demonstration.”


"Chapter 3 The Blood Link"