Sips of Blood (9 page)

He didn't like either woman, but his errand
took precedence over a petty grudge. As Sade moved on to his
destination, the dog began yapping. Sade's ears rang with the
timbre.

The heavy doors leading to Petry's lobby did
not silence the sound but did at least muffle it. Sade checked the
names listed on the intercom. David Petry's apartment was on the
fourth floor, and he answered Sade's ring immediately with a long
buzz. Sade opened the inner door and headed to the elevator.

Out of service,
a four-by-six yellow
index card informed him. On the way up the stairs, Sade hoped that
this would not be the David Petry he was looking for, since he felt
a bit famished from all the exercise.

Petry's door was painted the same dark green
as all the other apartment doors, except his had a coat of arms
pasted directly under the peephole. A coat of arms Sade recognized.
But it would be too coincidental, too simple, too pretentious to be
Stuart.

Suddenly the door opened.
Cet espèce de
crétin,
Stuart.

"Hello, Mr. Sade?"

"Oui."

David extended his hand. "I'm David Petry."
The handshake was limp, not surprising to Sade.

"Is it getting chilly out there?"

"Pardon?"

"Your hand feels cold. But come in."

"The coat of arms?"

David laughed. "A souvenir of my trip to
England. I don't know why, but I liked it, even though I know it's
kind of kitschy."

"Sometimes the past haunts us," Sade
said.

The apartment seemed to be full of souvenirs
and yard sale items. The Persian rug was well-used and fake. The
sofa was draped in a deep purple Afghan that barely hid the
tattered material beneath it. Two uncomfortable director's chairs
faced the couch. Sade sat on the center pillow of the sofa, away
from the stained and dirty armrests.

"Excuse the place. I spent four years in the
armed services and then went back to school, so I'm a little
strapped for cash. Not that my business isn't picking up, but I do
have some hefty loans to pay off."

"Armed services?
Monsieur,
let us hope
you do not repeat all your follies."

"I never thought of serving in the army to be
a folly."

"It depends on what side you are on."

"I suppose you're right. Have we met
before?"

"Mais non,
I would remember. I'm very
good at faces."

David shrugged. "Over the phone you mentioned
that you needed assistance with some financial planning."

"Oui.
My last accountant left the
books in disarray. And I'm looking for someone who can make sense
of the multitude of numbers."

David rattled off his rates.

"Your cost does not frighten me,
monsieur.
Of course, I may ask you to start with one set of
books first. The ones dealing with my U.S. possessions. The
European investments could be taken care of later."

"Do you have any immediate questions?"

"No. I will try to have most of my books
available to you on Saturday evening."

"Excuse me?"

"This Saturday when you come for dinner."

"It's really unnecessary..."

"If I am to feel comfortable with you,
monsieur,
I would like to get to know you on a social
level."

"If you want references, I can give the names
of a number of my clients."

"No,
monsieur.
I need to get to know
you on my own, not through the eyes of someone else." From the
looks of the apartment, Louis didn't think that Petry could afford
to turn away any job.

Grudgingly David agreed to a seven o'clock
dinner engagement for the coming Saturday.

After leaving the apartment, Louis felt an
enormous thirst. Luckily, David Petry did not appeal to Sade's
sensuous side, or else he would have found it impossible to leave
without sampling the accountant's blood. But now that he descended
the steps, he realized all the exertions and stress of the day were
weighing him down into a sluggish fog. His mind still had its edge;
however, physically he began to move more slowly, yet not so slowly
that he couldn't capture a stray human.

"No, no, no. That's enough, Ginger. We must
go back inside now."

Easy prey, Sade thought, but how unpalatable.
The woman and her dog came into view just as Ginger decided to
crouch down for a piss. Sade was uncertain whether he disliked the
woman or the dog more.

"Bad, Ginger. Naughty." The woman gave no
indication that she knew anyone was coming down the stairs.

Perhaps, thought Sade, she herself wanted to
be invisible at this point in time, and she hoped the person would
pass by without acknowledging her.

"Ginger has gotten over her shyness, I
see."

The dog immediately started yapping.

"Merely an accident. She's ten years old and
sometimes she misjudges where she is."

"Ginger does not know whether she is outdoors
or indoors?"

"You startled her, and that's why she wet
herself."

"She not only wet herself, madam, she seems
to have flooded the hall."

"Are you leaving, sir?"

Sade hesitated.

"I could stay. Would you like me to stay,
madame?"

"I would like you to leave. Who buzzed you
in, anyway?"

Sade drew closer to the woman and smelled the
odor of age. He encountered the smell every day when he rested
inside his coffin. He hated the smell. This would be a violent
killing, one that would surely cause him
d'avoir l'estomac
barbouillé.
Already he thought he felt a burp coming on.

Just when Sade had come to a decision to find
a tastier morsel, Ginger snagged onto the cuff of his trousers and
began to rage.

"See what you did now? You have Ginger all
upset."

Slowly Sade stretched out a hand while
keeping the woman within his constant glare. He settled his thumb
deeply into her voice box and spread the rest of his hand around
her neck.

"Mrs. MacManus, if you can't keep Ginger
quiet..."

The voice came from behind Sade. He judged
that whoever it was could not see the hold he had on the old
woman.

"Can I be of any help?" The voice tinkled in
his ears. Young, he thought, probably a good deal younger than his
current pitiful sack of a meal. But if he let Mrs. MacManus go in
order to take the fresher meal, what would happen? What chaos could
this old woman reek in the soggy hallway? He noticed that he stood
fully in Ginger's puddle. Quickly he twisted the woman's head, and
she fell dead into his arms.

Free of the leash, Ginger tried climbing his
leg, gnawing holes in his trousers.

"Madame
is ill, and I'm afraid the dog
misunderstands my intent."

A woman in her mid-twenties rushed to his
side. When she saw the limp body of her neighbor, she immediately
offered to call 911.

"I think it would be better if I could lay
her down somewhere first."

"Of course." She began to move away from
him.

"The
chienne"

"What?"

"Gin--ger," he pronounced the name slowly to
keep from screaming.

"Of course." She scooped up the dog and
beckoned him to follow her.

"Maybe I could take her from you. Can she
walk at all?"

"Mademoiselle,
she is unconscious.
True, she is
très
thin, but still a
dead
weight."

"Are you related to her?"

"Merely a Good Samaritan who needs to lay his
burden down."

She opened the door to her apartment, and
Sade brushed past her before she could ask any more questions.

The living room glowed with the flickering of
the television. A settee with a white lace coverlet stood opposite
the flickering picture. Gently he placed the body down on the
lace.

"Will she be all right?"

The dog emitted a low growl and snuggled into
the young woman's bosom. The woman seemed to be wearing nothing
under her cotton robe. The material defined every inch of her body,
revealing a full-bosomed, narrow-hipped redhead. He could tell her
hair color was true, because even in this dim light he could make
out the cluster of red pubic hair under the translucent robe.

Sade looked down at Mrs. MacManus.

"No."

The young woman moved in for a closer look at
her neighbor.

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps you should lock Ginger in the
kitchen with a bite to eat."

"The hell with Ginger!" She dropped the dog
to the floor, and to Sade's relief the animal ran out the apartment
doorway, which still stood open.

"Oh my God, what did I do? Mrs. MacManus will
be furious when she wakes up and can't find Ginger." She started
for the door. Sade followed closely behind. He reached beyond the
young woman and swung the front door shut.

Some mail sat on a table near the door. Sade
noted that the mail was addressed to Evie Springer.

"Evie, I don't think our first concern should
be the
chienne.
I mean Ginger." He hated it when an English
word escaped him.

"You're right. What am I thinking. I'll call
911."

As she walked to the phone, Sade noted the
thrust of her ass, not broad but certainly shelf-like. He moved
forward, and his arms circled Evie's waist.

"There is no more we can do for poor Mrs.
MacManus."

"You mean she's dead."

Sade kissed the back of Evie's head.

"I don't want a dead body in my
apartment."

"Where do you think we should put her? She
must have the keys to her apartment in a pocket." He let go of Evie
in order to rifle through the dead woman's raincoat.

"I can't have the police finding a dead
person in my apartment. There'd be too many questions. They might
even search the apartment."

Sade wondered what Evie had to hide, but it
didn't matter as long as she wanted to be rid of the body.

He found the keys pinned with a safety pin to
the inside lining of Mrs. MacManus' raincoat.

"Voicí!"

Evie gave him a blank look.

"Take the keys."

"Why?"

"Mademoiselle,
I cannot open
la
porte, ce que je veux dire c'est,
the door and carry the old...
Mrs. MacManus."

"You want me to help you?"

"I could leave her
ici...
here."

Evie grabbed the keys. Sade lifted his burden
and followed Evie to the door.

"Perhaps I should take a peek into the hall
first. Don't see anyone through the peephole." Slowly she opened
the door.

"Hi, David."

Mais non.
Sade wanted to pounce on
them all and end this in a serious blood orgy.
Liliana, never
doubt that I love you.

"Hey Evie, have you seen Mrs. MacManus? She
doesn't answer her door, and Ginger seems to be stranded in the
hall."

"Mrs. MacManus? Gosh! I can't imagine where
she would be."

"You wouldn't happen to have an extra key to
her apartment, because I'm thinking it might be a good idea to
check on her."

Evie quickly brought her right hand behind
her back. Sade could see the golden-colored keys sparkle in her
palm.

"She'd never give me a key. Are you kiddin'?
You know how she is. She trusts no one. I doubt she has any friends
to hold a key for her. Besides, I think it would be too soon to
barge into her apartment. I did see her earlier in the day. Maybe
Ginger snuck out while Mrs. MacManus was locking the door or maybe
Mrs. MacManus is asleep. Who knows how Ginger managed to get into
the hall? She can be quit mischievous. Ginger, I mean."

Tais-toi!

"I guess your right. I'll take Ginger up to
my apartment and check in again with Mrs. MacManus later in the
evening. By the way, Evie, could I stop by later tonight?"

"Not a good idea."

"Already booked with another client?"

Client?
wondered Sade.

"Sort of. Good night." Evie closed the door,
leaned her back against it and signalled Sade that he should be
quiet.

Sade didn't plan on revealing himself to
David while holding a dead body and cavorting with a
soon-to-be-dead young woman.

Several minutes passed with both of them
barely breathing.

"Let's try again," Evie finally said.

This time the hall was empty. Sade waited
inside the apartment while Evie unlocked Mrs. MacManus' door. As
soon as he heard the squeak of the door hinges, he rushed Mrs.
MacManus back to her apartment, depositing the body on the first
object he saw, an old pine dresser. He stepped back and thought
about how inappropriate she looked. The floor would be better, but
did it matter?
If they do an autopsy, which they probably will,
they'll see she has a broken neck. Hmmm.

"What will the police think when she's
found?" asked Evie. "I mean, I can't afford to have the police
knocking on my door asking questions."

"What are you doing?" Evie watched Sade
search through several closets, finally pulling forth an aluminum
stepladder.

Sade had decided to ease Evie's qualms and to
make it look like Mrs. MacManus had fallen from the ladder. He
undid the raincoat, removed it from the body, and hung it up in the
closet. He set the ladder up so that it appeared that the old woman
had been searching a kitchen cabinet. Easily he hoisted the body up
the ladder and dropped her from the top step. He paused to look at
Evie.

"What the hell..." Evie's mouth and eyes were
round.

He walked past her to the outside hall while
suggesting she lock up. Evie followed and did as she was told.

"The keys. What do I do with the keys?"

Sade grabbed the keys from her hand and
dumped them down the garbage shoot.

"She won't be needing them again. And I
expect after a week or two someone will suggest breaking down the
door.
L'odeur de la mort
never fails to attract the
scavengers."