Baited Blood (17 page)

A second later, she heard Hyun’s voice behind her. “Libby.” The name was said low and with longing, followed by the sound of several kisses. Hyun took the empty seat at Libby’s table, the chair next to the trash container, separated from Madison only by a block of plywood and used paper cups.

Like creative lying, eavesdropping was another skill Madison had learned in foster care. The smart kid always found ways to listen in undetected on adult conversations. Otherwise she’d never learn what was coming around the bend to smack her world around. Most often the talks had nothing to do with her or the other kids, but once in a while it did, and forewarned was forearmed.

“Libby,” Hyun repeated, his voice sounding like he was saying it for the first time. Madison pictured him clutching Libby’s hands across the table. “I’m so glad you called. I was afraid after the last time you’d never see me again.”

“That was my intention, Hyun.” Her voice was clear and strong but not hard.

Silence followed.

“You want some more coffee?” Hyun asked.

“No. I’m good.”

More silence. Madison got antsy while the couple brooded about their personal issues.

It was Hyun who broke the silence. “I love you, Libby. I have for years, and I’m very sorry about our fight.”

“I know that, Hyun. And I love you. Very much.”

“Then leave Lady.”

When Madison heard Hyun’s words float her way over the top of the trash can, she nearly leapt from her seat with an
Aha!
The house on Timpangos
was
the castle, and the “she” referred to by the other woman
was
Lady.

“Soon, Hyun. I don’t want to argue about this again.”

Hyun sharply scooted back, hitting the trash container, which, in turn, hit Madison’s back. “I’m beginning to think you don’t want to leave.”

“Listen,” Libby said, her voice becoming a low feline growl. “You knew when you met me at Leopold’s that I was a V-girl and what that entails.” She paused long enough to adjust the tone in her voice. “We need to stick to our original plan, Hyun. Between my work as a V-girl and your former runner days, we almost have enough saved to go anywhere we want and live well. Now that we’re both back in the States, it’s all falling together. You just have to be patient.”

Madison heard Hyun let out a deep sigh before he spoke again. “Libby, leave Lady now. If you love me, change the plans and leave her right this minute. We have enough money. If you’re afraid of Lady, La Croix will help protect you. I’m sure of it.”

“But that’s why I wanted to see you, Hyun. I have decided to leave earlier—at the end of May.” Libby’s voice turned upbeat. “I’ve already told Lady that I’m retiring on my thirtieth birthday. That gives me enough time to train one of the other girls to be head consort.” She paused, then added, “She was happy for me and wished me well. We’re meeting tonight to decide who should take my place.”

“No, Libby. Now. You must leave
now
.” Hyun’s mood turned demanding but his voice remained low. “Trust me when I say all hell is about to rain down on Lady. And when it does, I don’t want you caught in the middle.”

“What are you talking about?” Libby became alarmed.

Their side of the trash can grew silent. Madison wondered if Hyun was deciding how much to tell Libby, if anything, to get her to leave Lady.

Hyun cleared his voice. “Have any of the male vampires gone missing lately from Lady’s household?”

“Missing? No. A couple have left, but that’s normal. Happened all the time at Leopold’s. You know that.”

“At Leopold’s it was normal for vampires to come and go. But is it normal for very young vampires to leave and go off on their own?”

“What do you know?” Libby’s voice grew alarmed.

“A couple of vampires have shown up dead in the past week. And the local vampires believe Lady is behind it. If she is, it’s just a matter of time before they find her and bring her down.”

“You haven’t told them where the castle is, have you?” The question was asked with hushed urgency.

“No, I haven’t, and when Samuel La Croix finds out I knew all along where it was, who knows what he’ll do to me. But I had to get you out of there first.”

“Those could have been any vampires, Hyun. What makes you think they’re from the castle?”

“They all had brands at the small of their backs.”

“But Lady isn’t the only one who brands before turning. I know, I’ve seen the same brand on other vampires, many much older than Lady.”

“Yes, me too. But these were very new vampires. All except one.” He paused. “What do you know about a boy named Keleta?”

“Keleta?” The surprise in Libby’s voice was monumental. “He’s dead?”

“No, but he was left for dead. How about a young, bald vampire, heavily muscled, with tattoos all over his back?”

“Duff?”

“Duff?” Hyun’s question echoed Libby’s. “Wasn’t he the guy who bit you so badly a month ago that you needed stitches?”

“Yes, that’s the one.” Libby’s words were full of bile. “If he’s dead, then good. He deserved it. Keleta’s a good kid. The girls all liked him. He was polite and treated us well. But Duff was a different story. As soon as he became a vampire, he started brutalizing us, even when Lady told him not to. A few mornings ago, he and Lady came back to the house just after dawn. Duff was totally amped up about something and demanded to be serviced before he retired. He savaged one of the new girls so badly she died. She was barely eighteen—a runaway from Oklahoma he had picked up in a bar about a month ago and turned into a consort. I thought Lady sent Duff away because she was angry.”

Madison was appalled and couldn’t help wondering what had been done with the poor girl’s body. Had the knacker come and taken it away, hiding it from the authorities as part of his service to the vampires? And, if so, had it been Jesús? Or had the vampires simply dug a hole in the woods and dumped the girl like garbage? She shuddered. Last October, Doug and Dodie had killed someone to save her life, and the body had disappeared. About the same time, the council had executed a couple of beaters. Madison had no idea how their bodies had been handled. This was the sinister underbelly of the seemingly urbane council.

“No, Libby,” Hyun said, “I think Lady killed him. Killed him and dumped him at the home of one of La Croix’s council members.”

More silence while Libby digested all the horrible information. “You said a couple of vampires were killed. But Keleta’s alive, right?”

“There was a second dead one. All we know is his name’s Parker and he was part of Lady’s entourage.”

“Parker?” The gasp in Libby’s voice was so loud Madison didn’t have any trouble hearing it. “That’s impossible. Lady would never have killed him. Parker was different. For starters, she didn’t turn him. And they were a couple.”

“Do you know who branded and turned Parker?”

“He was already with Lady when she recruited me from Leopold’s court to manage her consorts. But I got the idea they’d been together several years. Are you sure it was Parker?”

“Keleta identified him.”

“Lady told us Parker had gone out of the country on business for a while. He’d done it before, so we had no reason not to believe her.” Libby paused. “They had been arguing a lot lately, but they’d done that before.”

The silence on the other side of the trash container was so long and thick, Madison wondered if Hyun and Libby were speaking in such low voices she couldn’t hear them. Finally, she overheard Libby say in a sweet voice, “Let’s get our favorite room over at the motel and spend what little time we have left today not talking.”

“You’re not understanding the serious nature of this situation, Libby. As soon as La Croix and his crew find out where the castle is, they will invade it and take Lady out. Trust me on this. That council is serious about not having anything disrupt their business and way of life, and someone dumping bodies in their midst definitely disrupts their agenda.”

“I do understand, Hyun. I also understand that I want to be in your arms right now. I want to feel your body next to mine before I have to go back.”

“You don’t have to go back. Leave your car here and come back to my place. We can start our life together right this minute. They will never know where you went, and if they do, you’ll be safe.”

“I’ll be quite safe. Even if Lady is killing vampires as you suspect, she’s never harmed a consort. She treats us much better than she does the men in the house.”

“If Lady is trapped, she’ll kill to save herself. Killing is in her blood. It’s part of all vampires, even those who wear thousand- dollar suits and have box tickets at the opera.”

Madison’s thoughts immediately went to Samuel, and she knew that was exactly who Hyun was thinking about when he said the words.

“If there’s that much danger, then I have to go back and get the other girls out. And I’ll have to be very discreet about it, which will take some time. I’ll start right away, right after they go to bed tomorrow morning.”

“Meet me tomorrow, right here. But make it an hour earlier if you can. Until this is over, I want to see you with my own eyes every day to make sure you’re safe.”

“Let’s make it in the room instead of here,” Libby told him, “and let’s start right now.”

“I have to take someone to the airport for La Croix.” Hyun paused. “But that’s not for another hour or so.”

Madison whipped out her phone and quickly typed out a text message to Hyun. A second later, she heard Hyun’s phone beep.

“What is it?” Libby asked.

“How odd. It’s a message from the girl I have to take to the airport. She says someone else is taking her. Talk about timing, huh?”

When Madison had come into the coffee shop, she’d silenced her phone, so when Hyun wrote back asking if she was sure, she got the message without alerting them of her presence.
yes
, she wrote back with flying thumbs.
and he’s picking me up, too. so don’t worry about that either.

“I still don’t have a lot of time, Libby, but that just bought me a bit more.”

“I have to get back soon, too, so let’s not waste time talking.”

NINETEEN

M
adison watched out the window of the coffee shop as the two lovebirds walked across the parking lot hand in hand to the motel next door. She hoped for the next hour or so they could forget about vampires and death and get lost in each other’s arms.

As soon as they were out of sight, she called Notchey. He answered on the first ring, which surprised her. After their fight, she was worried he’d blow her off.

“Can you take me to the airport?” she said as soon as he answered.

“When?” If he was miffed by not receiving a cordial hello, he didn’t let on.

“In about an hour.”

“What’s going on?”

“Samuel’s sending me out of town tonight on council business, and I want to see you before I leave.”

After a pause, Notchey said, “Sure, why not? See you soon.” He hung up.

Madison wasn’t sure what she was going to say to Notchey. She didn’t want to dredge up the details of their fight. He could either believe her or not. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to alert him to Libby’s whereabouts. Hyun’s Libby still might turn out not to be Notchey’s sister. She never heard a last name mentioned in all her eavesdropping. She could have even driven herself to the airport and parked her car there overnight, but something made her want to be near Notchey, and she needed to speak with him about Duff.

She left the coffee shop and went to her vehicle. From there, she could see the motel. Hyun and Libby had just left the office and were heading for a room on the first floor at the far end of the parking lot. Once they were inside, she climbed into the Range Rover and drove it through the motel parking lot. Slowly she passed by the rooms on the first floor until she reached Hyun and Libby’s. She made note of the room number.

As soon as she’d returned home from her search for the castle and Pauline went on her way, Madison changed into jeans, a thick sweater, and boots. It would be much cooler up north than in Los Angeles. The Dedhams had just gotten up when Notchey arrived. Dodie seemed genuinely pleased, though puzzled, to see that he was taking Madison to the airport.

“I thought Hyun was taking you,” Dodie had asked when Madison did a last check in her room to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.

“He was, but I need to talk to Notchey, so I told Hyun he didn’t have to bother.”

“Hopefully you and Mike can iron out your differences.” Dodie stared deep into Madison’s face while she spoke. “What’s troubling you, dear? I see quite a bit of darkness behind those eyes of yours.”

“Just a lot of loose ends. I’m thinking a lot about Keleta and what happened to him, and whether or not we can get to the bottom of things before more bodies show up.” Madison hoped Dodie hadn’t picked up on her thoughts about the castle and Libby. She wasn’t ready to share that information until she thought it through better.

Dodie patted her arm. “I’m sure we will. Don’t you worry.” Dodie reached into the pocket of her trousers, pulled out a small cylinder, and held it out to Madison. “I want you to take this.”

Madison took the object, noting that it was a small, slender plastic vial with a spray pump. “What is it? Breath spray or a portable stain remover?” She laughed and looked at Dodie. Noting she was very serious, Madison stopped being a smart ass and paid attention.

“Samuel mentioned to me that he told you about bloodroot.” Dodie tapped the container in Madison’s hands. “This vial contains bloodroot juice. Keep it with you, and don’t be afraid to use it if the need arises. Just spray it in a vampire’s face and run. It will take a few seconds to work, depending on how much they inhale and how fast, so you’ll want to make sure you are out of reach until then.”

“But I thought my bracelet would protect me.”

“It will, but there might be times you’ll need to subdue a vampire. It’s just a precaution. You will probably never need to use it, but since you now know about it, I thought it made sense to give you some. By the way, don’t open the container. The cap’s on nice and tight, but the juice stains everything it touches. This container is also small enough that it should pass airport security if it’s tucked into your bag.”

Madison was surprised. “You think I might need it around Joni Langevoort?”

“I think I’d feel better if you had it with you no matter where you go.”

The ride to the airport started off in an awkward silence lasting nearly ten full minutes. Madison had questions for Notchey but wasn’t sure how to broach them without also touching on their fight, followed by the possibility of him throwing her out of the moving car.

“You hungry?” Notchey asked, finally breaking through her thoughts.

“Yeah, a little. I was running errands most of the day and didn’t have time to eat.” She looked at her watch. “Not sure I have time now.”

“Your plane’s not for a couple of hours, and check-in and security should be easier since you’re flying first class and only have a small carryon.”

“How do you know I’m flying first class?”

“Samuel and the council always fly first class.” He glanced at her. “Unless they’re making their employee fly coach.”

Madison looked at her ticket again. It was first class. “Nope, first class.” She laughed. “First time on a plane, and I’m going first class. How’s that for catching a break?”

“You’ve never flown before?”

“Nope.”

“You nervous?”

“Not really.” It was the truth. With so much else on her mind, the fear of flying was pretty low on her list.

“There’s a Denny’s right before the airport. If traffic doesn’t bog us down, there should be time for us to grab a quick bite before you need to check in.” He looked over at her with a grin. “Does that sound good, or is that too pedestrian for a first-class traveler like yourself?”

“Right now, I’d trade down to coach for a Super Bird sandwich and a Coke.”

For the next few miles, Madison filled Notchey in on Duff. She pulled out the copy of the photos and sketch she’d made for him.

“You’re sure his name is Duff ?” he asked her.

“Yes, but I don’t know if it’s a nickname or not. Sounds like a nickname.”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do. Duff might stand for the last name of Duffy or something similar. Did Keleta ID him?”

“No. Keleta looked at the photos and clammed up. I found out his name just this afternoon tracing a lead.”

Notchey glanced at her, his brows knitted in worry. “I don’t want you going off on your own on this. Last time you did, you nearly got killed.”

“Don’t worry, I think I’ve gone about as far as I can with what I know. You and the vamps can do the real digging while I’m up north.”

“That’s probably another reason why Samuel’s getting you out of Dodge—so you won’t go snooping around. Smart of him.”

A few miles later, Madison asked a question that she hoped would eventually segue into what she really wanted to ask Notchey.

“What’s a V-girl?”

Notchey didn’t look at her. He kept his head straight, his eyes on traffic, but his knuckles protruded, stretching the skin on his hands as tight as spandex, as he gripped the steering wheel. “Isn’t that something you should ask Samuel? Or even the Dedhams?”

“I want to ask you. Is it a hooker who caters to vampires?”

“Is this why you asked me to take you to the airport, to rehash a fight that should never have happened? Look, I was out of line before. I’m sorry.”

“Answer my question, Mike.”

“Wow,” he snapped in a mocking tone. “You called me
Mike
. I must be in deep-shit trouble. Call me
Michael,
and I’ll think you’re my mother after receiving a call from the school principal.”

“You think I’m a V-girl, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t.” He took a deep breath. “
V-girl
or
V-boy
is slang for those who are hired by vampires to provide sex and blood and often companionship.”

“Hookers.”

“Technically, yes. But in the vampire culture, it’s a legitimate occupation, much as Pauline is a legitimate housekeeper. The more formal title is either
courtesan
or
consort
.”

Madison gave it some thought. “So the beaters who provide blood at Scarlet’s for the vampire diners, are they also V-girls or V-boys, just without the sex?”

“No. They’re called
farmers
.” He glanced over at her. “Farmers do not provide sex, although I understand some of them started as consorts. Both farmers and consorts are extremely well paid, although consorts are the highest paid. And consorts are hired by only one party or a specific group at a time. They do not have numerous clients or turn tricks like a prostitute. They are not allowed to.”

“So Kai would be considered a V-girl?”

“Definitely, though Samuel hates that term, so be careful using it around him. He thinks it sounds cheap and disrespectful.”

“I do, too.” Madison’s thoughts drifted to Miriam. “How about someone who hangs around the vampires for fun? Would she be considered a V-girl?”

“No. She’s a groupie—a girl just out to have a good time. She probably doesn’t even realize she could turn it into a well-paid career. Groupies aren’t respected, no matter how much fun they provide.”

“How do you know so much about this?”

He cut his eyes to her. “If I’m going to work with the vampires, I need to know about them, don’t I?”

“What’s a runner?”

“A runner?” Mike thought about it before answering. “Not sure I’ve heard that term before.”

“It’s something I heard in passing—it might not mean anything.”

They were traveling south on Pacific Coast Highway. Madison looked out her window at the ocean as it played peek-a-boo between the close-set buildings, wondering if she really wanted to hear the answer to her next question. “So what do you think I am?”

Another deep sigh came from the driver’s side of the car. “I thought the vampires were wooing you with their glamorous and fast lifestyle.” Notchey shot a look at Madison. “One step away from becoming a V-girl.”

She swung her eyes away from the beach to Notchey. “If it’s a legitimate occupation, as you claim, why would that bother you?”

Notchey shifted in his seat but remained silent, his jaw now as tight as his knuckles.

Madison turned in her seat until she was facing Notchey. She put one hand on the head rest behind him and leaned in close, her brows knitted together, her eyes steely. “I want you to listen to me, Notchey, and listen good.”

“Good, we’re back to
Notchey
,” he quipped. “Always a good sign.”

“If and when I decide to have sex with a vampire, whether it be Samuel or Colin or even some other vampire yet to be determined”—the image of Colin’s naked body invaded her thought process, but Madison beat it back—“if and when that happens, or even if and when that happens with a beater, it will not be any of your business, unless it happens to be you. And it will be because I care about that person, not because of what he has or can give me. You got that?”

Notchey glanced at her and nodded.

“Say it, Notchey. Say you understand.”

“Absolutely. I understand.”

They rode along in more silence until Notchey turned the car onto Lincoln Boulevard, and then Madison threw out the real question she’d been wanting to ask. “Was Libby a groupie or a V-girl?”

Notchey snapped his eyes in her direction and stared at her.

“Look out!” she screamed.

Notchey braked just in time to avoid hitting the car in front of them that had stopped for a light. The two of them jerked forward as far as their seat belts would allow, then slammed back against the seats as the car came to an abrupt stop.

“What in the hell is going on, Madison?” Notchey yelled once his heart returned to a normal rate.

“Quit yelling at me and I’ll tell you.”

A vein in Notchey’s left temple rose to the surface. “What do you know about my sister?”

“Only what Samuel told me,” she explained. “He read my mind shortly after we had that fight. He told me about her and how what happened to her was influencing your behavior toward me. Is that true?”

“If the almighty Samuel says it, it must be true.”

“There’s no need for your sarcasm. Samuel cares about you. He cares about both of us.”

Notchey remained silent until they were almost at the airport. “There’s time for that Super Bird, if you still want it.”

Once seated in Denny’s on Century Boulevard, Notchey was still as stone. Madison remained quiet, waiting for him to decide if he was going to talk about Libby or the weather. It wasn’t until the waitress took their order that he said anything more.

“Libby was a groupie who fell in love with a piece of shit vampire. I didn’t even know the bastards existed until she came to tell me she was leaving town with one.” The waitress brought a Coke for Madison and coffee for Notchey. “Did Samuel tell you everything? Or do I need to recount the gruesome details?”

“He told me. I’m really sorry.”

Notchey looked down into his coffee cup and shrugged. “It’s been a long time. She’s probably not even alive.” His shoulders might have said
no big deal
, but his voice cracked, giving up his true emotions. “She was about your age when she took off with him. Our folks died in a car crash coming back from a weekend in Vegas. Libby had just started college and was living with two other girls. I had just become a cop. It was her roommate who introduced her to the vampire scene a few years later. It was there she met Gus—Gus Himmel.”