Netherworld: Drop Dead Sexy (22 page)

Gerald’s voice was shivering deep, and
it seemed to thrum through my body. Wow. Barry White, move the heck
on over. “A protest was held at city hall today. A group of humans
are calling for the repeal of para rights. Tristan claiming
Brandilynn’s body was big news. Some believe he’s covering up for
the killer.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “Let me guess.
Cliff Tattingail is at the forefront of the protest.”

Before Lana could pass the message on,
Gerald supplied, “Cliff Tattingail made a speech during the
rally.”

Having had a councilman on my regular
client roster, I was pretty familiar with the goings on of Fulton
Fall’s political arena. “Tattingail ran against Tristan at the last
election,” I murmured to no one in particular.

Cliff Tattingail owned a chain of
Christian bookstores in every county of southeast Georgia. He stood
adamantly against paras, and it stuck in his craw that a monster
like Tristan had been elected over him.

Dan told me, “He’d love to see
Tristan’s image suffer.”

Lana huffed her disgust. “Even Fulton
Falls isn’t fundamentalist enough to elect a snake-handler to the
commission.

It amused me to think how a Christian
fundamentalist could be considered more extreme than a vampire. But
Tattingail did take things to the limit of most people’s
intolerance. His call for making shifters illegal and subject to a
hunting season like deer was viewed as pretty over the top. Most
people had some family member who’d been infected or killed by the
shifter virus.

Eddie snuffled his revulsion.
“Tattingail is a putz. I ever catch him anywhere near me with a
rifle, I’ll tear his head off on general principles.”

Gerald seemed about to reply when his
nostrils flared and ears perked. We all turned as he said, “Here
comes Tristan, Patricia and the Judge.”

If I had a heartbeat, it would have
skipped a few thumps at the sight of the three predators that
stalked towards us.

Chapter Twelve

They all looked lean and hungry despite
having supposedly just fed. The Judge in particular looked at
everyone around him like a starving man put before a feast. I
shuddered, very glad they couldn’t see me.

Tristan’s gaze immediately lit on Lana,
and he loomed over her. Eddie and Gerald moved to bracket him and
Patricia, who stood at Tristan’s shoulder. If there ever were two
vamps that looked less like they needed protective muscle, I
couldn’t imagine them. Power radiated off the siblings in
waves.

Well, maybe one other bloodsucker
looked invulnerable. The Judge was forced to stand to one side,
outside of the bodyguards. Avoided like the specter of Death, they
left him alone. He didn’t seem to mind.

Tristan smiled at Lana, making his face
gorgeous, though not warming it in the least. “How lovely to see
you, my dear, but it’s not good news, is it?”

Lana smiled tightly back. When Tristan
put an arm around her, she briefly touched her head to his
shoulder, receiving comfort from an old friend. The clairvoyant
didn’t mind the predatory look on Tristan’s face at all. I realized
she’d probably never seen him any other way.

She and Gerald reported on the latest
missing escort and the anti-para rally. Patricia and Tristan
exchanged a look at the end of their recitations.

Patricia told her brother, “I’ll
prepare a statement. We’ll hold a press conference right
away.”

Tristan jerked his head slightly. “Not
immediately, my dear. Emotions are running too high right now, and
it will look like a knee-jerk reaction. Let the humans’ emotions
cool for a few days.”

The Judge’s rolling baritone sounded as
musically pleasing as ever, but its flat lack of emotion drew a
shudder from me. “Is that really wise? The rabble may only draw
strength from our silence.”

Tristan considered before answering.
“You may be right, my friend, but my instincts say timing is
everything. Besides, we have more pressing concerns at this
moment.” He turned back to the lone living human in the room.
“Lana, is Dan here?”

Lana’s naturally sunny disposition made
a slow comeback. Her face remained sober, but the tightness around
her eyes and mouth disappeared. “He is. I’d like him to go with me
as we search for the latest supposed victim. Augustus has
volunteered to stay with Brandilynn until his return.”

Tristan and Patricia were the only ones
who didn’t seem surprised. The Judge’s eyes darkened as he looked
at the griffin. “You confer honor on the dishonorable,” he
growled.

Augustus stared back at the old vampire
without blinking. “Pure hearts can reside in sullied vessels, for
even the strong must bear weak wills from time to time.” He tilted
his head and gave me a slow wink. I grinned.

Tristan paid no attention to the drama.
He told Patricia, “Plan the press conference for Friday. Two days
is neither too long nor too short a time to respond to these
issues. Then arrange for the other matters we’ve
discussed.”

Patricia nodded and headed towards her
desk, Gerald following close behind. “All will be in place,” she
called over her shoulder.

A lovely blond hurried to Tristan’s
side, her paper-white skin blinding against her black lace dress.
She must have been a newer vampire. With the exception of the
Judge, most of the fanged eschewed wearing head-to-toe black. The
contrast wasn’t very flattering when you were bloodless.

Looking nervous and deadly all at once,
the vampire girl said, “There are two FBI agents here to see you,
Tristan.”

Tristan took Lana by the elbow and
helped her down from the bandstand with a courtliness that made my
insides flutter to see. “It would probably be for the best if they
don’t see you here.”

Lana smiled and nodded. “Come on Dan,
let’s sneak out the back door and find us a ghost.”

Dan paused for a moment, surprising me
with a gentle kiss goodbye. He glanced at the griffin patiently
sitting at my side. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her,
Augustus.”

Augustus inclined his head, and I
watched as Lana scurried out a side door, Dan following. As soon as
they were out of the room, Tristan told the vampire aide, “Show the
agents in, Penny.”

She spun on her heel and slipped down
the center aisle of the room with a speed that dazzled me. Wow, I
wished I could move that fast. Then I remembered I could teleport
in the blink of an eye, and my envy faded. I liked having cooler
powers than a vampire. Well, at least when I didn’t mess up and
take myself to the wrong locale.

The aide returned with agents Neuhaus
and Heany. Their carefully applied nonchalant expressions
disappeared at the sight of Augustus. Seeing two tough guys goggle
elicited a snicker from me. I liked not being the only one
starstruck by the rare being.

Tristan reclaimed their attention.
“Agents Neuhaus and Heany. I’ve been expecting you.”

They exchanged looks, putting their
professional attitudes back on. “You have, huh? And why is that,
Mr. Keith?” Neuhaus asked.

“I’ve claimed the body of the latest
victim to be killed by one of my own kind. You would be remiss to
not question me about that.”

Heany clasped his hands in front of
him, eyeing Tristan severely. “All right then, Mr. Keith, what is
your interest in Brandilynn Payson?”

Tristan stepped away, going to his desk
and sitting behind it. With a wave of his hand he invited the
agents to sit in the two chairs on the other side. They took their
seats and waited expectantly.

Tristan smiled, as charming as a
predator can manage to appear. “Seeing as how it’s a vampire
killing these poor women, I’ve kept informed on every detail of the
case. Some of my information has come from Brandilynn
herself.”

The agents jerked as if they’d been hit
by an electrical shock. “Her ghost has been found?” Neuhaus asked.
“Has she named her killer?”

“What does it matter? The testimony of
the dead isn’t admissible in court.”

That was true. Under law, the accused
must be able to face their accuser at a trial. Since too few of the
living can hear the dead, nothing the deceased say can be used as
evidence. That went for both the police and the courts.

Neuhaus huffed his displeasure. “If you
have any information, we want it.”

Tristan pursed his lips. “I wish I had
something to tell you that would help your investigation. The
vampire who killed Brandilynn glamoured her into forgetfulness.
Plus the trauma she suffered has also blocked attempts to get at
the truth of the attack.”

The Judge drifted close to Heany, who
looked up into the cadaverous face and shifted a fraction of an
inch away. He returned his gaze to Tristan with seeming effort.
“What’s that got to do with claiming her body?”

Tristan smiled benignly, but I caught a
glimpse of anger behind the calm expression. “What happened to this
lovely young woman is a travesty, as it was for all the women the
Ripper has claimed. I feel some measure of responsibility for their
loss. My interest in Brandilynn isn’t exceptional. I’ve offered
compensation to the families of all the victims.”

Not exceptional, huh? I wondered what
the agents would think if they knew about our post-mortem
intimacies.

Heany exchanged a long look with his
partner. “I wasn’t aware that you had approached the other victims’
families.”

Tristan’s smile appeared genuinely
amused this time. “Most humans aren’t fond of others knowing their
dealings with paras. Thirty years of integration hasn’t cured
prejudice by any means.”

Neuhaus’ eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“How much money are we talking?”

“It depends on the circumstances.
Families supporting the children of the victims were given the most
benefit.”

“Some might think that’s an indication
of guilt.”

Tristan nodded, unruffled by Neuhaus’
bulldoggish attitude. “Indeed, guilt has a part in my efforts. As
leader of Fulton Falls’ vampire clutch, I feel responsible that one
of my own has committed these heinous crimes. Until he is captured
and punished, I must make reparations.”

I snorted to Augustus. “Tristan sounds
like he swallowed a dictionary, for pete’s sake. He doesn’t talk
like a professor when he’s a ghost.”

Augustus spoke very quietly, his voice
barely a whisper to avoid attention. “Education impresses some more
than power.”

I eyed Neuhaus and Heany, watching how
they glared at Tristan. “Yeah, those agents are desperate to break
this case, and just about any vampire will do. He’d better impress
them but good if he doesn’t want to find a pair of silver cuffs on
his wrists.”

Heany got back to the point. “So what
about Brandilynn Payson? Claiming her body is going beyond the call
of duty, don’t you think?”

Tristan folded his hands on the top of
the desk, leaning forward to address them like trusted confidantes.
“I don’t believe so. She was disowned by her parents for her choice
of lifestyle, which was admittedly morally suspect. But choosing to
sleep with her clients for money doesn’t change the fact she was
done a terrible disservice.”

Neuhaus grunted. “That’s an interesting
way to put it. Murder as a disservice.”

“She deserves a decent burial. No one
should be tossed aside and forgotten no matter her supposed
misdeeds, especially a girl so brutally cut down.”

Heany wasn’t impressed at all. “So
purely from the goodness of your non-beating heart, you’re giving
the girl a funeral.”

Tristan refused to be goaded by the
confrontational tone. “It’s tomorrow night at Miller Edward’s
Funeral Home should you care to attend. I’m sure Brandilynn will
appreciate your concern.”

That shut the agents up for a moment.
The living know souls sometimes don’t move on to wherever they’re
supposed to go. The thought that one might show up at her own
funeral was sobering, at the least.

Heany got back on track first. “Mr.
Keith, if you had to hazard a guess as to who’s behind these
killings, who would you say?”

“If I had the slightest idea, he
wouldn’t be killing anymore.” For an instant, Tristan turned really
vampy, his eyes going totally black and red-rimmed. A suggestion of
long fangs glimmered over his lower lip for an instant. He calmed
so quickly, it was tempting to think his reaction had been a trick
of the eye.

His voice once more as smooth as
butter, he said, “I think it must be an older vamp, pre-Industrial
Revolution. They’re the ones that tend to withdraw from society.
They become frustrated with not being able to keep up with this
quickly changing world. I have eyes on all the known vampires for a
radius of fifty miles who fit that description.”

“We’d like a list of those
vampires.”

“Of course. Patricia?” Tristan called
to his sister, who peered intently at her computer.

“Leave me your email address and I’ll
have that information to you right away.” She gifted the two agents
with an unpleasant rattlesnake-fanged smile.