Judas and the Vampires (33 page)

I prayed this homicide was unrelated, even though the rumor included the assertion the police had already confirmed the killer, or killers, were the same ones. I held on tightly to my fantasy of an alternate outcome. Even after breakfast, when Peter and I stepped into the morning’s sunshine, everyone around us on the way to class smiled politely. Nearly all of them seemed at peace. 

“It’s probably just a coincidence, and we don’t even know the details of this other killing,” said Peter, after I brought it up again. “Let’s not jump to conclusions until we hear the official report on the news.”

We had just arrived at our biology lab, and I reluctantly pulled away from his protective warmth to sit down across the table from him. His confidence and comfort made me think that things would work out somehow. Even as I sat down across from him, his penetrating deep brown eyes and infectious smile warmed me, as much as his body and light spiced cologne had moments before.

“I suppose you’re right…. I hope so, anyway,” I agreed, arranging my notes while he lit the Bunsen burner for the day’s lab project. “I guess it’s best to sit tight until we know for sure.”

Of course, beneath the table I furiously searched my phone’s Internet for the latest information. Not that I was trying to be sneaky, as I intended to share whatever I found out with him once it appeared on my handset’s screen.

“Tonight when you come by, I suggest you bring a change of clothes for tomorrow,” he said. “I’ve already got plans for dinner—something to make up for what happened the other night. Stephen will have already left for Nashville by the time you arrive around six. He’s getting an early start, since his parents are planning a huge bash tomorrow night for their anniversary.”

“So, you’ll have the entire townhouse to yourself?” 

I gave him a flirtatious wink, fueled by the onset of arousal since breakfast. The sense of danger enhanced my need for assurance things would be okay, something I’d say every girl needs when life is uncertain. My life over the past forty-eight hours certainly qualified.

“Yes, I do,” he confirmed, straightening the collar on his blue polo shirt after he draped his jacket over the back of his chair. “This means
we
will have it to ourselves tonight!”

Those eyes again, boring into my soul while he casually flipped through the Biology 101 lab book to our assignment. Normally, two other students shared the table with us, but they had yet to arrive that morning and I already assumed they wouldn’t be coming. No one wants the condescending lecture Nancy Truitt always gives to her tardy students. Better not to show up at all. Seriously.

As for Peter’s invitation that night…I welcomed the opportunity to get away from the dorm, especially after back-to-back vampire visitations. Peter and Stephen Tolliver hailed from wealthy families residing just south of Nashville, who were also powerful alumni of the University. So their kids got to stay wherever they wanted, and were exempt from the usual first year requirement to live on campus.

Some of my friends assumed Peter was a snob on account of his room accommodations and pedigree, not to mention his impeccable wardrobe. Even his designer jeans are dry clean pressed. I love fashion, but what a person chooses to wear has never mattered to me one way or another. At least it hasn’t in a snobbish way.

The townhouse he and Stephen rented was quite nice; with nearly every amenity money can buy. Sort of like a mini-resort with a hot tub and small theatre room, and perfect for parties. But, the main thing I hoped for that night was for
all
vampires—good and evil—to respect our privacy and leave us the hell alone. 

My Internet search turned up only vague headlines like ‘Second victim found in Knoxville’ and “Security tightened after double murders at the University of Tennessee”. Each story gave little information. Nothing as far as details, with ‘the police are still investigating the crime scene’ and ‘the female victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin’ as the only advisements given. 

So, we had another dead female, with not much else to go on. Yet, I knew in my heart that by the day’s end, the crimes would be officially connected. Armando’s words, ‘each victim will be taken closer to here’ rang true to me. 

After our three-hour lab session, we met up with Johnny and Tyreen again, this time at the Krystal’s near campus. An early lunch, a couple of tiny burgers sounded like a good idea. Something light, since Peter slipped and told me that we were having filet mignon tonight. If only Johnny hadn’t felt the need to fill us in with some gory details, courtesy of his campus security friend.

“Dude, this is way worse than the last one!” he said, mostly to Peter after he broached the subject first, asking Johnny if he had ‘gotten the inside scoop yet’. “The chick’s head was almost torn off, and her legs and an arm are missing!”

He almost spilled his Coke onto his fries with his exaggerated hand gestures, the large cross on a gold chain he always wears swinging wildly for a moment.

“Do you really need to gloat about this shit?” Tyreen was especially irritated with his exuberance, as if he was happy the killer kept the party going. You should see her green eyes when she gets pissed, even as tired as she seemed that morning. They literally become narrow slits of emerald fire. “What if it had been Txema this time?”

Chilled by her words, I again thought of my midnight conversation With Garvan and Armando. Their comments about the ‘others’ taking body parts with them for later snacks reverberated throughout my tired mind. I pictured my left arm, severed, still wearing the silver bracelet given to me by my grandmother last Christmas attached to the wrist. A Chupacabra’s fangs worked around the bracelet, carefully avoiding the silver to get to the meat in my hand and forearm.

“What?! Damn it Tyreen, just ‘cause the dead chicks look like Txema doesn’t mean this crazy asshole will be coming after her next!” he replied, indignantly. He pulled on the sleeves of his Bengals sweatshirt, as if that would give him strength against his girl’s simmering anger. “It’s anyone with dark hair and green or hazel eyes—and that’s like a quarter of the girls attending school here!”

“Well, dumb ass, don’t you think it implies that it’s even
more
important we make sure she’s
not
next?” 

Too late. Tyreen was thoroughly pissed off, and there was no one to rescue Johnny from the doo-doo pile he just stepped in. Even Peter slid closer to me, and I damned sure wasn’t coming to Johnny’s defense.

“Yes, it
is
important to make sure Txema is safe,” he said quietly, glancing sullenly at a nearby table where an older man and woman looked on. They politely nodded and then looked away. “I’m sorry, babe…sorry to you, too, Txema.”

“It’s okay,” I assured him, shooting a look that pled for mercy to my roommate who whirled around to face me. “Let’s just enjoy our lunch and make plans for the afternoon. I say we skip school and go see a movie.”

Normally, this would make Peter bristle, since he wasn’t willing to take any chances on a less than perfect GPA. He hopes to become a surgeon, and the best medical schools are hard as hell to get into—something money alone can’t buy. Even Tyreen was a stickler for excellent grades. Her goal of being an attorney someday depended on her keeping her grants and scholarships. She would also need additional fellowship funds when her undergraduate education was completed.

But, they both said they were game for a movie…until Johnny waved them off.

“Man, she can’t go anywhere—
we
can’t go anywhere!” he said, his expression a long way from the smug look he had just minutes earlier. “I heard it on the news, man, on the way here to meet ya’ll. Everybody living on campus will have to stay on campus, and if you live off campus like Peter here, you’ll have to show I.D. to go back and forth. They’re supposed to be setting up police roadblocks at every intersection to make sure nobody who doesn’t belong near here gets through. So, by the time we get to the theatre, it’ll probably be too late. I’ll bet the place is closed.”

“Are you sure? Maybe you heard it all wrong,” said Tyreen, reaching for her Blackberry, intent on verifying this.

“Go ahead and check,” he said, pointing at her handset while scowling. “You’ll probably find it on Channel 4’s website—”

“He’s right,” Peter interrupted him, holding out his android device for Tyreen to see. The murder news story and curfew sidebar were prominently displayed on his phone’s screen. “So, that nixes the movie idea…but do we
have
to go to class?”

This time my head whirled around. His offer to play hooky without any real reason to do so surprised me. Impish excitement danced in his eyes, and I believe my heart skipped a beat. This was a side of him that I hadn’t seen. Now…we just had to find something fitting for the four of us to do, and kill time until tonight.

“So, what do you have in mind?” Tyreen’s tenseness lessened at the prospect of something to take her mind off of all that had transpired the past two days. 

“Well, there’s the theatre room in my townhouse, that ya’ll really haven’t had the chance to check out yet, and a shitload of Blurays. Johnny’s checked it out once, and Txema and I watched Avatar in 3D a couple of months ago,” Peter suggested. He shrugged his shoulders with raised eyebrows when she didn’t respond right away. “We can all climb in the hot tub for a while. Plus, there’s plenty of booze in the fridge!”

That got her. Or, it was more like it nailed Johnny’s interest and he practically begged her to forgive him and say ‘yes!’ to Peter’s offer, dropping to his knees next to her seat.

What could she honestly say without coming across as a royal queen bitch?

“Don’t you have a roommate that’s a little stuck up around people he doesn’t know?” she asked. 

“Stephen just sent me a text, while you two were going at it. He’s getting an early start on his trip back to Nashville today,” said Peter, smiling wryly. “That’s how I knew to look on the web and see what was up, since he mentioned the curfew restrictions would be in place before his original planned departure at six o’clock.”

“What do you say, baby? The hot tub could be a helluva good time, you know?” said Johnny, lowering his voice to just above a whisper, an obvious ploy to coerce Tyreen into giving her consent. For a moment, he looked as if he might cry, his gray eyes misting. He must’ve needed a drink, or a lay, badly.

“All right,” she agreed, glancing at all of us. “But if this shit gets any worse, then we immediately come back to the dorm. Okay?”

“Sure,” said Peter, looking over at me. “We won’t let anything happen to either of you—I promise!” 

The two guys shared mutual looks of relief, as if this had been their plan all along. Tyreen noticed it, but let it go, as did I. We all could use some fun while the sun was still shining. With only five hours left before it got dark, we would have plenty to worry about, soon enough.

Chapter 7

“I think you waited too long to do this—really I do!”

Tyreen stepped in front of the door to our room as she said this, for the moment effectively blocking my escape from our dorm room. I had already showered and changed into my favorite jeans—torn on both knees—and bundled up in a warm knit sweater Peter bought me for my birthday. He had wanted to buy me something flashy and expensive, but it seemed too early in our relationship for that sort of extravagance. Besides, I have plenty of jewelry, and the sweater would serve me well on a night where the temperature was supposed to dip into the low teens.

“I’ll be careful, I promise,” I assured her, picking up my duffle packed with everything I’d need that night and in the morning. I grabbed my backpack and threw it over my shoulder. “Peter will meet me at the library, and we’ll walk to his place together.”

I offered her a warm assuring smile to sell my confidence.

“All the way to Laurel Ave, huh? Are you both out of your
frigging minds?”
Her concern shifted easily to disgust. She looked so much like my mom right then, with her arms folded across her chest. “Peter should be picking you up right outside the dorm tonight in his car and
not
having you walk
anywhere
on campus to meet him!”

“He offered to meet me here, but I preferred he wait for me at the library,” I explained, seeking to avoid direct eye contact with her, as I sought to move around her to reach the door handle. “The short walk could do me some good. Besides, there’s still a little daylight, and it won’t be dark for at least the next half hour.”

“Have you looked outside, Txema?” She moved over to the window and pulled the drapes back. Only the last vestige of daylight was visible, and the sun had already set below the western horizon. “It’s gonna be dark in just a few minutes—you
can’t
go out there!”

I understood her worry—really I did. And, she had tried in vain to get me to leave Peter’s townhouse with her at three o’clock that afternoon. But everyone—her included—was having such a great time in the hot tub that I didn’t want to be the party-pooper. So, it wasn’t until almost 4:00 p.m. that we got out of there. Peter dropped us off at Massey Hall by four-fifteen, and Tyreen and I raced to the fourth floor. You would think she’d cut me a little slack, since I let her win the foot race to our room.