Murder in Vein (2010) (30 page)

verything in Madison's tiny apartment had been smashed
and destroyed. Madison walked through the debris too
stunned to speak. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It was all I had," she said to the Dedhams, who had insisted
on accompanying her to see what had happened.

Dodie put her arm around Madison. "They were just
things, dear. What's important is that you weren't here when it
happened."

"You're right, Dodie, just things." Madison's voice was dull
and lifeless. They were just things and not very elegant, but they
were still her things, and the small, cramped apartment had been
the first real home she'd made for herself. Before coming to Los
Angeles, she'd only rented rooms after leaving foster care. Madison felt like she'd lost more than material items.

Almost as soon as she'd received the news about her apartment, Madison's mind had jumped to the tampon boxes. She had
sighed in relief, remembering that they were upstairs in the Dedhams' guest room.

Madison's landlord, an old man bent like a shepherd's crook,
hovered nearby. "Damn kids," he growled. "Like I told the police,
I spotted your door open when I took Trixie out for a walk this
morning. Had to be about 5 AM."

Doug approached the old man. "And no one heard anything?" He waved a hand in the direction of the damage. "All this
and no one heard or saw anything?"

The landlord shook his head. "I'm deaf as a post without my
hearing aid. The apartment below is vacant, and the other tenants keep to themselves. Everyone's afraid to get involved." He
handed Doug a card. It was from the Culver City Police. "The
police took my statement and left. They want Madison to call as
soon as she can. Meanwhile, I'm having a new lock installed later
today, though I doubt it will do any good."

The landlord started for the door. He stopped and looked
back at Madison. "Come by this afternoon and get the new key."
He took another step, then looked back again. "Almost seems like
whoever did this knew you were off visiting your grandparents."

That theory was the opposite of the opinion that had gone
around the Dedham table after Madison had received the call.

"Someone went looking for you," Samuel had decided. "Did
you let your last name slip while at Bloodlust?"

"No" she'd answered, still in shock. "I'm sure of it. And Colin
wouldn't let me take any ID."

"Then someone there knew you," Doug said. "Probably that
Ben fellow you can't place."

Madison slumped into a kitchen chair, her closed cell phone
still in her hand. "But that doesn't mean he'd know where I live."

Doug looked at everyone around the table. "It only takes a
few clicks on a computer to find most addresses these days,
especially if he knew her last name and the general area." The rest
agreed.

Based on the new development, Samuel announced a change
of plans. "Madison, you are not to go to Bloodlust tonight. You're
to stick close to the Dedhams today. You're not to go out without
one of them by your side. Understand?"

Madison nodded, eager to agree to anything that might save
her neck.

"Doug," Samuel started, "I still want you and Colin at Bloodlust tonight. I want you both to keep an eye on Ethan Young.
Don't let him out of your sight. One of you cover the front, one
the back. If he leaves, follow him. If he makes a phone call, Doug,
I want you to listen to it. If he goes to his office, eavesdrop. We
want to know everything he does."

"You don't want him apprehended?" asked Doug.

"Yes, but use your judgment on the timing. I want to see if he
can lead us to the others involved, but if an opportunity arises
to grab him without being seen, do it. You know where to bring
him when you do." Samuel paused and looked away, lost in his
thoughts. "Even if he's afraid of someone higher up, believe me,
he'll be more afraid of us when he's questioned."

"What about Ben?" Dodie asked.

"If Ben is at Bloodlust, we'll take him there. But just in case,
stick with your plans to go to Dark Tidings." Samuel looked at
Madison. "You'll be with me for the evening. Pack your toothbrush. It's going to be a very long night."

Their meeting was breaking up just as Pauline came in
through the kitchen door. She was mildly surprised to see the vampires still up and very surprised to see Samuel La Croix at the
table.

Samuel got up and went to her. "Mrs. Speakes, I have a favor
to ask."

Pauline put her bag down on the kitchen counter. "Of course,
Mr. La Croix, whatever I can do to help."

Noting the way the crusty Pauline was melting in the hands
of Samuel's charm, Madison smiled to herself. He was charming
when he wanted to be. Charming and deadly.

"We'll need you to stay a bit longer tonight," Samuel told her.
"Will that be possible?"

Pauline gave him a sappy smile. "I think that can be
arranged."

"We believe Madison here is in grave danger." Samuel took
Pauline's hand and held it. "I've asked the Dedhams to do something for me tonight, and I don't want Madison left alone while
they're gone. I'll be by to pick her up a little later, but until I do,
could you stay with her?"

"Yes, I believe I can stay as long as it takes, Mr. La Croix."

"Wonderful" Samuel bent over Pauline's hand and kissed it.
She nearly swooned.

After leaving Madison's apartment, Madison and the Dedhams
went by the Culver City Police Department, where Madison
checked in and gave her statement, which wasn't much. Nor did
the police have much to tell her about the break-in, except to ask
if she had any enemies who might have committed the vandalism. She told them not that she knew of, carefully editing out the
part about vampire-crazed killers.

From there, the three of them stopped by Auntie Em's. Madison wanted to tell Kyle about her apartment and let him know
she might not be returning until she could get resettled. She
hoped he'd keep her job open a few more days. When the three of
them entered the restaurant, it was just past noon and the place
was already busy. At the counter sat Gordon, a plate of food in
front of him, a newspaper folded next to him. Madison and the
Dedhams exchanged looks as they spotted him. From the other
end of the counter, Sandra waved to Madison.

Madison walked up to the counter. As she passed Gordon, she
tried not to let recognition show. "I need to talk to Kyle," she told
Sandra.

"He's in the back, on the phone," she told her. "Would you
believe we were broken into last night?" Sandra made no attempt
to keep her voice low.

Madison's mouth dropped. "What?" She glanced at the Dedhams and could tell they had their super hearing tuned in to the
conversation. No doubt Gordon had his regular hearing plastered on it, too.

"Someone cut the alarm and broke in," Sandra continued,
her eyes wide with excitement. "They didn't take much, just vandalized the office. Broke into the filing cabinets, messed up our
records. Got a few dollars. But that's all."

"Wow," was all Madison could come up with.

"Why don't you take a seat at the counter and wait," Sandra
suggested. "The special today is chicken pot pie. I know how you
love it. I'll bring one out for you."

Madison indicated the Dedhams. "I'm here with my
grandparents."

"Then grab a booth while one's available," Sandra instructed
her. "You might as well have lunch while you wait."

Madison took a nearby booth and waved the Dedhams over.
The three of them sat down-the Dedhams on one side, Madison on the other. When a waiter approached, Sandra intervened.
"I've got this, Jack," she told him. The waiter gave Madison a
quick wave hello and moved on to another table.

After introductions, Sandra asked what she could get them.

"My husband and I are on such restrictive diets," Dodie told
Sandra with a smile. "So just a cup of coffee will do for us."

"You sure?" Sandra asked. "We make the best split pea soup
in the city."

Doug brightened. "I'd like a cup of that, but just a small one,
if you please."

Sandra beamed at him and turned to Madison. "Chicken pot
pie? Ranch on the salad?" Madison nodded. Sandra looked at the
Dedhams and winked. "I know all your girl's favorite dishes."

When Sandra left, Madison leaned toward Doug and whispered, "What are you going to do with that soup, Gramps?"

He smirked. "Stir it around and pretend I'm enjoying it like a
normal person. Split pea used to be one of my favorites"

"Then it's too bad you can't taste it," Madison told him. "It's
very good, just like she said."

Sandra came with two mugs of coffee and placed them in
front of the Dedhams. She put a tall glass of soda and a straw in
front of Madison. When she left, Dodie whispered, "Did we hear
right? Was there a break-in here last night?"

"Yes," Madison confirmed as she took the wrapper from her
straw and stuck it into the soft drink. "Sounds like they trashed
the back office." She took a big thirsty drink.

"That's it," Doug exclaimed. "That's how they knew where
you lived. I'll bet they rifled through the employee records, found
yours, and went straight to your apartment."

"Makes sense," Dodie agreed, pretending to sip her coffee.

Madison wasn't happy with the conclusion they were reaching. "That means they knew I worked here. Ben has to be someone who comes in here, but for the life of me I can't place him."

A moment later, Jack delivered their food to the table. When
he placed the chicken pot pie in front of Madison, he asked, "You
coming back to work soon, Madison? We sure miss you around
here."

"Probably next week," she told him.

"Good. The customers miss you, too. Especially that jerk with
the Cobb salad fetish." He grinned and took off.

The three of them stared at each other, thinking the same
thing. Madison looked over the crowd in the restaurant but
didn't see the studio suit who always ordered the Cobb salad. She
caught Jack's eye and called him over.

"Has that Cobb salad guy been in here today?" she asked
him.

"Not yet, but maybe he's not coming. His usual group is here,
but he's not with them." Jack indicated a large group in the back
circular booth. Madison recognized them as the guy's regular
lunch pals. She thanked Jack.

"Does that salad guy look like Ben?" Dodie asked Madison.

"Not at all," she answered. "But remember, Evie worked here,
too, and I was grabbed by Bobby Piper from the parking lot in
back of the restaurant."

Madison took a bite of her salad, followed by two bites of
her chicken pot pie. While her jaw worked, so did her mind. The Dedhams toyed with their coffee, and Doug did a bang-up job
pretending to eat his soup, raising the spoon to his nose more
often than his lips and sniffing appreciatively.

"Can't you just take a taste?" Madison asked as she stuffed
more chicken and gravy into her mouth.

Doug shook his head sadly. "I tried that when I first turned,
but while the smell is still the same to us, our tongues don't have
the same taste buds. No matter how good this smells to me, it
would taste nasty to my palate."