The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (30 page)
Read The Sookie Stackhouse Companion Online
Authors: Charlaine Harris
At work at Merlotte’s, Sookie is thrilled when Holly shows off her new ring and announces her engagement to Hoyt Fortenberry. Sookie continues thinking about matrimony, and Tara, her pregnancy showing, comes in to satisfy one of her cravings. Sookie later decides that since Eric is her boyfriend—she is resolutely determined not to use the word “spouse”—she will seek his advice about the events of late.
Eric sends Pam to pick up Sookie after Merlotte’s closes, and Pam immediately scents fairy in Sookie’s house. Sookie explains that Claude has come to stay with her, but Pam doesn’t buy Claude’s loneliness and offends Sookie by telling her that she is foolish to be taken in by the fairy. They discuss Victor Madden on the drive to Shreveport, a discussion that continues at Eric’s house. Sookie informs them that the Weres used her land and tells Eric that not only is there an unidentified fairy but there is a body buried on her property. Eric asks Pam to leave and then verifies that the body is Debbie’s. They enjoy some passionate sex before Sookie leaves. As Pam is driving Sookie home, Pam reminds Sookie that she didn’t tell Eric that Claude is living with her. She also expresses her reservations about Sookie and Eric’s relationship, telling Sookie that in his position in Felipe’s new regime, Eric cannot afford to be distracted by anything or anyone. Pam sees a car on the side of the interstate and identifies Bruno Brazell, Victor’s second, standing beside it in the rain, waving them down. Realizing that Bruno has another vampire, Corinna, with him and that the obvious intention is to kill Eric’s second and his lover, Pam hands Sookie a silver dagger, telling her that she cannot take them both on, so Sookie will have to help fight for their lives. Pam slips out the driver’s side door, and Sookie steps out to approach Bruno. Corinna is standing to Bruno’s right, looking around warily for Pam. Bruno admits that Victor has someone watching Eric’s house, and the decision was made to attack Pam and Sookie when they were spotted leaving together. Sookie wonders aloud why Victor cannot simply enjoy having Eric on the payroll, but Bruno tells her that Victor fears Eric’s power and his access to Sookie’s ability. Bruno suddenly grabs Sookie by the neck. She is able to pull the knife out as she and Bruno struggle, falling and rolling down the embankment, and she stabs him up under his ribs, killing him. Pam makes her move at the same time, sending Corinna to her final sleep as well.
Pam immediately calls a panicked Eric to tell him that they are all right and that he is not to come to them in case Victor still has him under surveillance. She and Sookie decide to move Bruno’s car to a location far away from the two disintegrating vampire bodies. When Pam and an exhausted Sookie finally reach her home, Sookie is surprised when her vampire friend hugs her and tells her she did well.
SATURDAY, APRIL 15.
Sam notices that Sookie looks tired when she gets to work in the morning. When he asks about the Were run, she tells him that it seemed to go okay, leaving out the news of trespassers and the buried body. Sam reveals that he is dating Jannalynn Hopper, the young woman Sookie first met at the Hair of the Dog and who later participated in the Were war, dispatching the wounded enemy Weres with great efficiency. Their discussion is interrupted by Tanya Grissom, who announces that she and Calvin got married, so she needs to change her paperwork at Merlotte’s to reflect her new last name. Claude comes in to tell Sookie that her water heater isn’t working, and Terry Bellefleur, overhearing Claude’s complaint, offers to take a look at it. Claude flirts with Terry, who bluntly states that he isn’t gay. Sookie takes Claude aside before they leave and warns him that Terry is fragile because of his wartime experiences. She is relieved when Terry returns an hour later, seemingly none the worse for his time with Claude. She pays him for the part he needed, but he lets her know that Claude took care of the labor.
Sam notices that Sookie looks tired when she gets to work in the morning. When he asks about the Were run, she tells him that it seemed to go okay, leaving out the news of trespassers and the buried body. Sam reveals that he is dating Jannalynn Hopper, the young woman Sookie first met at the Hair of the Dog and who later participated in the Were war, dispatching the wounded enemy Weres with great efficiency. Their discussion is interrupted by Tanya Grissom, who announces that she and Calvin got married, so she needs to change her paperwork at Merlotte’s to reflect her new last name. Claude comes in to tell Sookie that her water heater isn’t working, and Terry Bellefleur, overhearing Claude’s complaint, offers to take a look at it. Claude flirts with Terry, who bluntly states that he isn’t gay. Sookie takes Claude aside before they leave and warns him that Terry is fragile because of his wartime experiences. She is relieved when Terry returns an hour later, seemingly none the worse for his time with Claude. She pays him for the part he needed, but he lets her know that Claude took care of the labor.
Kennedy Keyes, Merlotte’s new bartender, arrives for her evening shift. Worried that someone will take advantage of Kennedy or see her as a challenge because she served time for manslaughter, Sam has also hired former serviceman Danny Prideaux to watch the bar when Kennedy works if Sam is not there.
After work, Sam and Sookie go to dinner at the Crawdad Diner to catch each other up on their lives. As they leave the restaurant, Pam calls to let Sookie know that Bruno and Corinna have not shown up for work in New Orleans, but no one suspects Pam and Sookie. As she closes her phone, Sookie finds a troubled Sam standing behind her. He tells her to remember that he is always there for her if she needs help and, touched, she promises him the same.
FRIDAY, APRIL 21.
Sookie is startled when a nude Claude hands her a towel and the phone as she steps out of the shower. Remy Savoy is calling to ask Sookie if she can babysit his son, Hunter, overnight while Remy attends a family funeral, feeling that the grief-filled situation would be hard for the telepathic five-year-old to manage. Sookie agrees, and they set a time for Remy to drop Hunter off. When the two arrive that evening, she is delighted when Hunter remembers her. Remy is nonplussed that his son, whom he’s never left for so long before, seems totally unconcerned as he leaves. As Sookie and Hunter communicate, Hunter reveals his worry that he will never be a regular man like his dad and the other men he admires, and Sookie is able to reassure him that she knows another telepathic man who has been able to make his telepathy work for him. As they are talking, Heidi, a vampire tracker sent by Eric, arrives to check out Sookie’s woods. Hunter is fascinated by the vampire, who tells Sookie that she was turned when her son was the same age as Hunter and that her son is now a drug addict. As Heidi leaves to scout through the woods, Sookie reflects on the heartbreaking story.
Sookie is startled when a nude Claude hands her a towel and the phone as she steps out of the shower. Remy Savoy is calling to ask Sookie if she can babysit his son, Hunter, overnight while Remy attends a family funeral, feeling that the grief-filled situation would be hard for the telepathic five-year-old to manage. Sookie agrees, and they set a time for Remy to drop Hunter off. When the two arrive that evening, she is delighted when Hunter remembers her. Remy is nonplussed that his son, whom he’s never left for so long before, seems totally unconcerned as he leaves. As Sookie and Hunter communicate, Hunter reveals his worry that he will never be a regular man like his dad and the other men he admires, and Sookie is able to reassure him that she knows another telepathic man who has been able to make his telepathy work for him. As they are talking, Heidi, a vampire tracker sent by Eric, arrives to check out Sookie’s woods. Hunter is fascinated by the vampire, who tells Sookie that she was turned when her son was the same age as Hunter and that her son is now a drug addict. As Heidi leaves to scout through the woods, Sookie reflects on the heartbreaking story.
After dinner, Sookie and Hunter talk about their telepathy a bit, and she tries to explain to the little boy why most people will not understand his gift and how he must learn to be respectful of the privacy of others. She soon realizes that not only is Hunter very adept at picking up thoughts but he can also feel when she is listening to him.
Heidi returns to report that two fae have recently been in her woods and that neither of them is the fairy she smells in Sookie’s house. Heidi also identifies the vampire who wanders the woods at night as Bill Compton. She confirms that there is an old grave back in the woods but startles Sookie with news of a brand-new grave in a clearing near the stream.
SATURDAY, APRIL 22.
Hunter wakes Sookie early, telling her of his dream of a tall man with yellow hair who came into his room, smiled at him, and then walked into the closet. Her suspicion that Eric is in the house is confirmed when she finds a note from him on the coffeepot, telling her he will see her that evening. Claude joins Sookie and Hunter as they are preparing pancakes and bacon, and Sookie is surprised that he seems to genuinely enjoy being with the child.
Hunter wakes Sookie early, telling her of his dream of a tall man with yellow hair who came into his room, smiled at him, and then walked into the closet. Her suspicion that Eric is in the house is confirmed when she finds a note from him on the coffeepot, telling her he will see her that evening. Claude joins Sookie and Hunter as they are preparing pancakes and bacon, and Sookie is surprised that he seems to genuinely enjoy being with the child.
Their pleasant morning is disturbed by Agent Tom Lattesta, who is in town for a hearing on the shootings in January. He informs Sookie that the FBI is no longer investigating her. Lattesta is resentful that someone pulled strings for Sookie, and he vows to restart the investigation if he gets any new information on her.
Sookie, Hunter, and Claude decide to go to Magnolia Creek Park. When Tara stops by, Sookie introduces Hunter and Claude and is dismayed when Claude asks Tara if she would like to know the sex of her child. Tara agrees that she would like to know, so Claude informs her that she is carrying twins and will have a boy and a girl. Tara tells him her doctor has reported only one heartbeat, and Claude cheerfully insists she is carrying two healthy babies. As Hunter and Claude wander off to play ball, Sookie tells her stunned friend that Hunter is Hadley’s son and that Claude is a cousin from the wrong side of the blanket. They enjoy a visit until Tara has to leave for work, and Sookie goes in search of Claude and her charge. Claude also has to leave to open his club in Monroe, so Sookie and Hunter go to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal. When Hunter reads the mind of a playmate’s weary mother at the restaurant, Sookie tries to use the unfortunate incident as a teaching moment, then she takes the tired and overexcited child home for a nap.
Remy arrives shortly after Hunter wakes, and father and son greet each other ecstatically. Hunter tells his attentive dad all about his visit, and as the child leaves to gather his possessions, Sookie tells Remy that all has gone well. As they leave, Sookie is pleased when Hunter unexpectedly gives her a hug. Eric rises as the sun sets, and before she can tell him about the second body Heidi scented on her land, he begins to explain the vampire hierarchy to her. Not pleased by her initial lack of interest, he insists that there are things she needs to know to ensure her safety. Afterward, they make love, but Sookie suddenly begins to feel strange and chatters randomly while braiding Eric’s hair, finally sinking to the floor, certain that someone with Eric’s blood is near.
Eric turns to the window and sees his maker, Appius Livius Ocella. Struggling to maintain cordiality, Eric asks his sire what is wrong with Sookie, and Appius informs him that he has another of his children with him and that the proximity of so many with his blood is confusing Sookie’s thoughts and feelings. Sookie regains her senses and invites the two vampires to enter her home, even though she guesses correctly that her invitation is not necessary since Eric has permission and they are of the same blood. She is disturbed that Appius’s other child is barely a teenager and then appalled when he is introduced as Alexei Romanov, a member of the Russian royal family.
Jason meets Appius and Alexei when he drops by to pick up an unused end table he wants. After some conversation about the past, Sookie asks if the newcomers are responsible for the fresh body on her land. She explains Heidi’s discovery to Eric, who immediately blames the Weres who had been hunting and calls Alcide for a meeting. Fortunately, Alcide is nearby and soon arrives with Annabelle and Jannalynn. When Alcide denies any wrongdoing, the decision is made to identify the body. They all troop through the woods to the spot, and Alcide and Jason start digging. To the horror of the Weres, the body is that of Alcide’s second, Basim. As they are trying to determine what could have befallen the werewolf, Annabelle admits to being with him the day after the hunt and reveals that he received a call from someone who was paying him, a call he didn’t want her to hear. When Basim made an excuse to get her out of his apartment and then left, she followed him but lost him before she could find out where he was going. Jannalynn strikes Annabelle for her betrayal of Alcide and the pack, knocking her to the ground. Alcide names Jannalynn his new second and states that the pack will call a meeting to deal with the situation. As the Weres turn to leave, Sookie questions why the body was left on her land and demands that it be moved, fearing that the murderer is trying to get her involved. Eric says that he and Sookie should attend the meeting. Alcide tells Eric that vampires are not allowed but that Sookie can bring Jason. Jannalynn assures her that someone will come for the body that night as Alcide, his now former lover, and new second take their leave. Sookie wants the corpse off her land now, so Eric flies the wrapped body of Basim to the woods across the road. She, Jason, and Alexei then fill in the grave, disguising it to blend into the surrounding area.
As soon as the vampires depart for Eric’s house in Shreveport, Sookie calls Pam, who is stunned at the arrival of her grand-sire. She then reluctantly notifies Bobby Burnham, warning him to be extra careful when he goes for his nightly briefing with Eric.
SUNDAY, APRIL 23.
Sookie wakens to the smell of cooking and stumbles into the kitchen to share breakfast with Claude. He breaks their comfortable silence to tell her that Dermot came to his club the night before, seeking the company of another fae, and states that the Dermot he used to know would never have done that. Claude doesn’t know why his uncle went crazy. Claude goes up to his room, and Sookie washes up, then decides to try to relax and read for a while. Her heart sinks when she sees two police cars coming down her drive, and she calls up to let Claude know, prompting him to join her as Sheriff Dearborn, accompanied by Andy Bellefleur and Alcee Beck, tells her that they received an anonymous tip about a body buried on her land in the woods, confirming her suspicions that someone is trying to tie her to the murder. Once again, Claude is introduced as a relative born on the wrong side of the blanket. While the men search her woods, Sookie decides to check her e-mail and reads a message from Andy’s pregnant wife, Halleigh, letting Sookie know matriarch Caroline Bellefleur’s health is fading fast and that Caroline is determined to locate the family Bible. Knowing that the Bible is on Bill’s coffee table, Sookie forwards the e-mail to him so that he can decide what to do. The lawmen return to report that nothing was found.
Sookie wakens to the smell of cooking and stumbles into the kitchen to share breakfast with Claude. He breaks their comfortable silence to tell her that Dermot came to his club the night before, seeking the company of another fae, and states that the Dermot he used to know would never have done that. Claude doesn’t know why his uncle went crazy. Claude goes up to his room, and Sookie washes up, then decides to try to relax and read for a while. Her heart sinks when she sees two police cars coming down her drive, and she calls up to let Claude know, prompting him to join her as Sheriff Dearborn, accompanied by Andy Bellefleur and Alcee Beck, tells her that they received an anonymous tip about a body buried on her land in the woods, confirming her suspicions that someone is trying to tie her to the murder. Once again, Claude is introduced as a relative born on the wrong side of the blanket. While the men search her woods, Sookie decides to check her e-mail and reads a message from Andy’s pregnant wife, Halleigh, letting Sookie know matriarch Caroline Bellefleur’s health is fading fast and that Caroline is determined to locate the family Bible. Knowing that the Bible is on Bill’s coffee table, Sookie forwards the e-mail to him so that he can decide what to do. The lawmen return to report that nothing was found.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26.
Bill knocks on Sookie’s door, formally dressed with the Bible in hand. Sookie is pleased to realize that he is finally going to reveal his family connection to the Bellefleurs and agrees to accompany him when he asks.
Bill knocks on Sookie’s door, formally dressed with the Bible in hand. Sookie is pleased to realize that he is finally going to reveal his family connection to the Bellefleurs and agrees to accompany him when he asks.
Halleigh answers the door, and Sookie explains that Bill has brought the family Bible to give to Miss Caroline. They are ushered upstairs to Caroline’s bedroom. After she and Bill begin to discuss family history, Caroline is amused and delighted to learn that Bill is her great-grandfather and the one who arranged the financial windfall that allowed her to refurbish her home. As she begins to tire, she thanks Bill, and he tells her to rest easy as he and Sookie leave. Andy and Portia follow them from their grandmother’s bedroom, and Bill graciously accepts Portia’s extended hand and then gently chides Andy when he is less accepting. Bill asks them to hold Caroline’s funeral in the evening so that he can attend, and an understanding Portia readily agrees.
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