“Brian has been to his house multiple times in the past few days,” Alexander was saying. “What I can’t figure out is why my guys can’t seem to follow him when he leaves Kenneth’s house.” He scrubbed his hair with his hands. “It’s like the dude just comes in says hi to whoever and then leaves but then two steps out the door he disappears!”
Ansuya knew that vampires couldn’t shift forms into smoke or bats, regardless of what Hollywood might say. The fact that Alexander’s ‘guys’ couldn’t keep track of him for more than a few hours was either due to Brian being really good, or Alexander’s people being really bad at their job. It was probably a combination of the two, a very dangerous combination of the two.
“Baby, you need to make sure that your people know just how important Brian is and that they need to keep an eye on him,” Ansuya cooed.
“I have done that!” he said in exasperation, “But every day I get the same thing, ‘we couldn’t follow him, or ‘we lost him’, or some other such bullshit!”
“Alexander,” Ansuya said voice harsh with command, “Calm yourself, and sit down.”
The vampire immediately obeyed and sat down on the couch.
The sun would rise in a few hours, not that that mattered anymore. Alexander all but obeyed her every whim. Still, it was best not to rub that in his nose too hard. “Give me the photos that your guys collected on Brian.”
The vampire dug through his pants and handed over his phone.
Ansuya grabbed the phone and took out the SIM card and put it in her pocket. She handed the phone back to him. She leaned in close to him and almost in a whisper, “Go to sleep, baby.”
The vampire’s eye lids immediately grew heavy and his body visibly relaxed. It was like a cloud of warm relaxation passed over him and soon he was back to his dead state, his body cold and unmoving.
Ansuya smiled and headed toward the front door.
She had dared to go out in the early morning like this a few times. It was good to get out of Alexander’s apartment, regardless of how nice the place was. She strode to the front door punched in the key code number and used the key that Alexander had so graciously given her a few days ago and left the condo.
It was dangerous for her to be out like this though. If any of the vampire’s eyes and ears saw her there was likely to be trouble. But Alexander had proven himself to be a powerful deterrent. What small group of his that he had somehow managed to earn their respect. She hadn’t seen anything in him worth following but then, “to each his own.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Keeping to shadows and moving as any other person this time of night would move, ambling in a general direction but with a few footfalls off center as if tired or fending off drunkenness. She made her way to the Police precinct where Jason, the fire scene investigator, worked out of.
By the time she arrived the sun was coming up and the city around her had become fully awake and she had to try even harder to stay out of people’s way and avoid people’s notice. She thought for a moment that she may have been followed. She took a winding path through some back roads, after the second turn however the man turned in another direction.
She strode up into the police station and asked the front receptionist, “I’m sorry I hate to bother you, Sir,” she began.
The man behind the counter looked tired and extremely bored, “Miss? What can I do for you?” His face said he was still bored but his voice was pleasant enough and his eyes looked a little less glassy than they had a moment ago.
“Well, I’m sorry to bother you,” she began again, “My house was involved in a fire a few weeks ago and I was told to ask if anyone had found anything?” Ansuya had her eyes opened wide in a pleading gesture.
The man behind the counter, sat up a little straighter, “Well, Miss I wish I could help you, I just run the front desk and when I’m not here I run the east side beat. But let me see if I can get someone to help you, ok?” The man seemed genuine enough, whether that was out of true concern or just the wish to be rid of her was anyone’s guess.
“I think someone said the name Jason? I think I was supposed to ask for a Jason,” she replied shyly.
The cop grabbed a phone and nodded, “uh huh, yeah, I’ll see if anyone is in over in the arson investigation office. Ummm...let’s see,” he said slowly as he ran his finger down what Ansuya could only assume was a phone directory. “Yeah, here it is,” he said with the most amount of life she had seen from the cop so far, “I’ll just give them a ring, hang on.”
Ansuya could hear the phone being dialed and the ringing from the other end of the phone line. “Yeah, hey how are you guys doing, busy? Bet it’s a real fire storm up there!” He smiled at the corny joke; Ansuya managed a sympathetic grin that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Yeah, hey do you guys have a Jason up there at all? I got a young lady down here…You do! Hey that’s great! I’m, going to send her up…what? Oh right, right…yeah ok… sure no problem. Later” He hung up the phone nosily.
“Well you’re in luck, Miss, they do have a Jason and he just so happens to have just walked in a few minutes ago. They said they would send him down to meet you.” He gestured to the chairs behind her, “You’re welcome to have a seat if you’d like.”
Ansuya graciously accepted the offered chair with a smile. The rising sun sent radiant yellow beams of light slanting through the high windows. The quiet was not long lived however; soon the small lobby was filled with various people clamoring for attention from the cop behind the desk. Everything from quiet people begging to see a son or significant other who had been wrongfully picked up, to people threatening violence against dirty cops because someone or other had been falsely accused of something. All the while Ansuya calmly waited for Jason to come to the lobby.