I Dream Of You Almost Every Night
The first time I saw the house I knew it was the one. It didn’t look like much, and it certainly wasn’t anything to be proud of, but I loved every brick and beam of its two-story frame. Even though it was in a poor neighborhood, the house didn’t look as if it had been neglected for years.
On the contrary, the yard looked well-kept; the grass was neatly trimmed and flowers were blooming everywhere I looked.
As we pulled up to the house for the third time, my eyes never left the second-floor windows until I noticed a small figure staring at us with great interest. I couldn’t take my eyes off it; my heart raced as I watched it wave a little hand at us in greeting.
The child’s brown hair stuck out all over her head and she wore only a light blue nightgown that barely covered her bottom, but even though the girl was no taller than my knee I felt as if I knew her.
She was so cute with her big brown eyes and wide smile, and I wanted to know everything about her. As I sat looking at her long after my horse walked over the threshold, I wondered what she thought of me. Did she think I was someone special who could help her? Was I just another person passing through for her father’s business or did she wonder if I would stay?
My mind drifted back to the conversation with Mr. Pendergast before our meeting at the train station. “Your client is very fond of this child,” he said. He’d told me about the child, but nothing I imagined matched the picture he painted.
He had warned me that the child’s mother was an addict, and I was prepared to see anything: a woman who lived on drugs, or worse. But I was wrong. I couldn’t imagine a more innocent face and purer spirit than I did when I looked at the girl.
“She’s very sweet,” I’d said, as I took her hand and introduced myself. She had given me the same wide smile and held tightly to me as if I belonged to her. After I gave the girl a few toys, she ran into her room screaming playroom for the rest of the afternoon.
When I told Frank and Mr. Pendergast about her the next morning over breakfast, they too were smitten by the child. “It’s no wonder your client adores her,” I said. “What a gift God has given him.”
“Her real name is Amanda,” Mr. Pendergast said. “You’ll hear her called Mandy, which is what most adults call her, but she prefers Amanda.”
“Why is the girl living in such a shabby house?” I asked.
“Her mother died from drug abuse when Amanda was two years old,” Mr. Pendergast explained. “Since then, her father has worked hard to raise her, but the girl is not spoiled. She’s kind, polite, and respectful—everything you want in a child.”
We were sitting at a booth inside a diner that overlooked the bay; a view that made me wish I wasn’t on a case. My hands were trembling as I stirred my coffee with the wooden spoon. I felt as if I were losing control.
I should have been in my office trying to figure out how I was going to convince Frank to help me, but instead, I was sitting across from the man who murdered his father and whose life was in danger because of that murder.
I’d done everything right since I first met Frank Pendergast. I never broke my word, and I followed his directions to a tee. All those months of planning had brought me to this moment, and it was all coming together now.
That morning as soon as I arrived at the ranch, I found Mr. Pendergast waiting for me in my office. “There’s someone here I’d like you to meet,” he said and motioned to the door. When I opened the door, the little girl stood there with her hand extended.
“Hi, I’m Amanda,” she said.
“Hello, Amanda,” I said with a smile. I reached out and took her hand. She pulled me into her room and pulled her nightgown down to show me her bare bottom.
I tried not to laugh, and said to her, “You’re too young to wear such a revealing gown.”
“But Mommy lets me,” she said with a shrug and a big grin on her face.
“It’s very pretty,” I said, feeling myself blush. I liked the fact that she already thought I was special.
“And this,” she said, showing me a box, “is where I do all my sewing and cooking.” She opened the box to reveal some of the most beautiful dresses I’d ever seen. I didn’t bother asking about the doll; my guess was that the woman who made them was Amanda’s maternal grandmother.
She pulled me into another room, and once again I found it crammed full of dolls, blankets, and furniture for her playhouse. “Mommy said we’re moving to Boston and I get a new house there,” Amanda said, and pulled me by my hand toward the door.
“Is this your new home?” I asked, and she nodded.
“But you’ll keep your old one, don’t worry.”
When she saw her father waiting for me outside, she ran to him. “Daddy!” she cried as she threw her arms around him. “Look what I got today.” He was holding a tiny baby doll. “She’s so cute,” he said as he handed the doll to her.
Amanda hugged the doll to her chest and giggled. Then she pulled him to the window and pointed to the bay. “See, Daddy, the water’s blue.”
He nodded and smiled at her.
Frank looked back at me. “Amanda adores her father. She’s very close to him.”
“How much does your client love her?” I asked, and my voice sounded hollow.
“The bond he has with her is strong.”
“Do you know why he loves her so much?”
“Yes, I think I do.”
“Tell me.”
“I believe he loves the little girl because she reminds him of his mother.”
“That’s right,” I said as I put my hand to my mouth.
“It seems to me that your client has found something positive in his past and is trying to make a difference,” Mr. Pendergast said. “He might be able to help you with your investigation, but not if he dies first.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said. But just then Amanda ran over to her mother with the doll in her arms and kissed her mom on the cheek.
“And you’re welcome to visit us anytime,” Mrs. Pendergast said as she gave me another hug. The woman had a warm heart, and I could see why her husband loved her so much.
As we left, I told Amanda, “I’m sure when we go back to the city, we’ll be able to talk to your daddy again, won’t we?”
“Yes,” she said with her head up and a smile on her face, “we will.”
***
When we got to the car, Frank said, “I appreciate your assistance. There’s no way he would have ever agreed to help you without me.”
“Not really. It’s his daughter, and he cares deeply for her.”
“Your words are appreciated.”
“Are you ready?” I asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be. I’ve waited long enough.”
I turned to Frank. “Good luck, and please call me if you need anything. And please be careful.”
“I’ll try,” he said with a frown. “Thank you. That’s all I can ask for.”
We climbed into our seats and set out for Boston. The entire trip from San Francisco to Denver had gone smoothly. We only had to stop once, well before we entered Colorado, to eat lunch.
At the moment, I was watching the snow-covered Rockies in the distance as we drove south. A few minutes later, Frank said, “You’re a fine detective, Ms. McBride.”
“Thank you.”
“But not a very good poker player,” he added and winked at me.
I glanced at him. With his gray hair and beard and deep-set eyes, his face looked older than my own.
“I wouldn’t say that,” I said. “I played poker with the man who tried to kill my father.”
“And lost, by the way.”
“He knew a card game I couldn’t beat.”
“You still haven’t beaten him?”
“No, I can’t.”
“But you never quit.”
“Never.”
“That’s my kind of detective.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be seeing you in Boston sometime, I suspect.”
“If I’m successful, yes.”
“Then I’ll be waiting, detective.”
A cold front passed through Denver soon after we arrived, and it rained hard as we neared the city. But by the time we reached the Pendergast household, it was sunny and calm.
***
Mr. Pendergast’s house was on a hill overlooking a lake. We parked in the driveway and I followed Frank toward the porch. When we stepped onto the wide steps, he stopped and looked down at me. “Let’s walk,” he said and led me away.
We walked along the shoreline, and when we came to a small wooden bridge that crossed the narrow canal, he turned to me and said, “I’d like you to meet one of my family’s closest friends. He’s a friend you already met.”
He opened a gate and motioned for me to pass through. I did. I could hear him walking behind me. As we crossed the bridge and began climbing the next slope, I realized where this was going.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me.”
“My family’s closest friend is a vampire named Vittore Lazzari. I hope you’ve heard of him.”
“I have.”
“Well, he owns this property.”
There were several large oak trees and a stone fountain in the middle of the lawn. There was also an old house with a small stone balcony attached to the second story. “He’s lived here since my great-great-grandfather first acquired it and turned it into a summer estate,” he explained.
“I’ve taken care of the house for many years, and I’ve been allowed to live there. That’s how I know the land around here so well.”
He turned and started up the path that wound into the woods. When we got to a spot where the ground leveled off, he said, “This is my family’s cemetery.”
“I figured as much. I saw the gravestones.”
“But you didn’t realize it was my family’s cemetery.”
“No.”
“It’s a sacred place.”
“Why?”
“Many reasons. One is that it’s on the side of a hill. So, even though the sun shines directly down on it in the summer, in the winter its roof is covered by ice which protects the ground from thawing during the night.”
“So it stays cold.”
“Yes.”
“Is it still cold?”
“Very.”
Just beyond the stone wall surrounding the cemetery lay a small grove of trees. At the very edge of the woods, Frank stood beside a grave covered with snow.
“We come to my family’s grave site every December,” he said. “As soon as it snows.”
The stone marker was inscribed with three words. ‘SALVATORE PAZ. 1892–1918. WE REMEMBER.’
“Salvatore was the first of my uncles. Before him was my father, and after him were the Paz brothers, Frank and Joe.”
Frank removed a hatpin from his vest pocket and carefully bent over the gravestone. “These are our family crypts,” he said. “I was here earlier and placed a bouquet of flowers on Salvatore’s grave. Now I’m returning them to the urn. I’m very sorry if I disturbed you. My family doesn’t use coffins. They use these vaults.”
He opened the nearest vault and held it open for me to see inside. It was a large, rectangular box of black stone. “See?” he said. “They’re just like coffins. Only they aren’t.”
“But what’s the point of using this instead of a coffin?”
“There isn’t much room to hide bodies, but it’s not about hiding the corpse; it’s to protect the body from decay and insects, and to preserve the soul.”
“How so?”
“Each person’s death leaves a trace, and when there’s no preservation or protection of a corpse — when its remains are scattered throughout the world, or eaten by insects and animals — then the soul can be destroyed. This is what most vampires fear. If a vampire’s soul is destroyed then the vampire ceases to exist.”
“So, you put these in graves so the souls can survive?”
“Yes. But you can’t bury them in coffins and in the ground. That would only work for some creatures. These vaults were made to keep our loved ones safe from the ravages of time. And, of course, from other vampires.”
“What happens to vampires who die without a tomb?”
“Most become ghosts. The others either leave their bodies or return to their families and friends. Some of us go back to our houses, and the rest find places away from towns so we can get some peace and quiet.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.”
He smiled and said, “If you’ll excuse me, I have to leave now. I’m expecting a friend. Good-bye.”
“Goodbye, sir,” I replied. “Thank you for showing me your family’s cemetery.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “If you need anything, you know how to reach me.” He turned and started up the path again. We walked a few yards before I stopped. “You know, it would be best for both of us if you left now.”
“Oh! Did we disturb you?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t go.”
“Don’t be stupid.”
“I’m being perfectly reasonable.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Fine, then!”
He spun around and faced me. I took a step back and bumped into a tree branch. I reached out and steadied myself. His eyes blazed. “Do you want me to call the sheriff and have you arrested?”
“No.”
“Fine, then you won’t go.”
“Fine.”
“Good.”
“What do you mean, good?”
“I mean it’s settled, ma’am. You won’t leave today and, of course, you will never see me again.”
His voice dripped with contempt, and he looked at me as if I wasn’t even in the room.
“Wait,” I blurted. “You won’t arrest me? Why not?”
“Because you’ll be leaving with me.”
The word ‘with’ sent a chill down my spine. I knew from bitter experience that men usually meant that they wanted you to join them in the bedroom.
But what else could he have meant by ‘join me?’ And why did he feel the need to clarify that it was a single trip? Was I to be his mistress? Or perhaps he expected me to become a vampire? I didn’t understand why he had to add the last sentence.
Why did he feel the need to tell me to never see him again? I glanced at his hand. His ring was still off. He must be planning to take the next train out of town.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“What do you mean, what am I talking about?”
“You said you weren’t going to arrest me. Why not?”
“Didn’t I say that?” he asked.
“Yes, you did.”
He laughed again, and I felt like throwing something at him. “You don’t understand a thing. I’m not arresting you, and I’m not taking you away with me. I’m asking you to leave with me. Now.”
My mind whirled. He hadn’t mentioned vampires or coffins, and he certainly hadn’t mentioned leaving town. I stared at him trying to figure out what he was up to, but he ignored me.
When he reached the top of the path, he turned and looked down at me. “You will leave with me.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to join me.”
“Join you?”
“Yes.” He took another step forward. “If you don’t want to join me, then you’ll just have to stay here.”
I took a step back and bumped into the trunk of the tree. “No,” I said. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
He stepped closer. I backed up.
I stopped a couple of feet from the tree again and stared at him. My heart pounded with fear. I knew from bitter experience that when men said, ‘join me,’ they usually meant that they wanted you to join them in the bedroom. But I didn’t care if he took me there. I knew what I was and what I needed to do. I just hoped I could do it while he was looking at me.
“You can’t leave this place until you join me,” he said. “Otherwise I’ll have to arrest you.”
“There’s no choice.”
“Is there?” He raised his eyebrows.
“No.”
“If that’s the case, then you must accept my invitation. It has nothing to do with me wanting you.”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Then why are you standing there staring at me?”
I blinked. “Because I’m thinking about what you said, and I’m having trouble understanding you.”
“Then we can’t leave until you understand.”
I hesitated, and his eyes turned dangerous. “Please leave me alone.”
He smiled, and I felt my pulse race. This was the first time I had ever seen him smile. The muscles of his face flexed as he waited for me to respond.
“You said you’d leave with me.” He took another step toward me.
I stood there, unable to move. His voice had grown soft and hypnotic and it made me forget everything. The world melted away. I felt as if I were floating in an alternate universe where nothing mattered but me and him and our love.
“That’s right,” I murmured. “You said you’d take me away.”
“I will,” he said. “Now come with me.”
The words came on the breeze as they often did in moments of sudden inspiration.
I stepped closer to him and let my hand linger lightly on his arm. “Yes, I’ll go with you.”
***
We walked slowly up the path, and as he led me through the trees, I could hear the sound of birds. I wondered how long the silence would last.
We walked past the house and entered the woods. I kept close to him, following him as he moved silently through the deep shadows. I couldn’t believe how quiet he was when he walked. And then suddenly, the forest lit up as sunlight blazed down on us.
“We’re here,” he whispered.
“Where?”
“On the edge of the forest. We won’t be able to see anything from here.”
As soon as we stepped out onto the open ledge above the river, a light breeze carried the smell of the water in our faces. The river ran between two hills, which rose on either side of us. We stood on the riverbank where the cliff ended at the top of a sandstone bluff.
Looking down, I saw that the bottom of the valley was about half a mile below us. To the south, I could make out a herd of deer browsing on grass that grew along the banks.
“I want to show you something,” he said.
“Okay.”
“I know I promised to take you to dinner, and I’ve changed my mind. I want you to come out here with me.”
“I don’t understand. Why are we out here? I thought you were going to drive me back into town?”
“I’m taking you to see something before we go.” He held out his hand and pointed toward the north bank of the river. “See those rocks?”
I could barely see them over the trees. “Yeah.”
“There are some caves near them, and inside one of the caves is a pool that has been known to have healing powers.”
“What kind of powers?”
“It’s said that the water in the pool cures anything that ails anyone who drinks it.”
“That’s impossible. No one knows the source of such magic.”
“Not everyone believes that. I’ve seen the pool. It’s real.”
“How?”
“A witch named Mary Jane lives up here with her son. I’m not trying to scare you or put you off, but you need to be aware of what you’re doing.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you’re not ready, and I think I know what would happen if you drank the water.”
My chest tightened with anxiety. “What might happen?”
“I don’t want to tell you. I’m just telling you to trust me.”
“But I need to know. You’re asking me to make a decision without knowing all the facts.”
“It’s true, there could be dangers.”
“Like what?”
“Don’t ask me. I don’t know.”
“How did you learn about these caves?”
“Someone told me, and I asked Mary Jane to show me.”
“Who?”
“That’s none of your concern.” He paused and added, “And I’m not trying to scare you.”
“What are you trying to do?”
“Just give me one more chance.”
“You mean another opportunity to say no.”
He didn’t answer.
“All right, I’ll come with you.”
“I’m still warning you.”
“I won’t drink the water.”
When he nodded, I said, “Let’s go.”
The path narrowed as we climbed the hillside. A narrow dirt trail wound its way around the steep slope and up onto the bluff. After the first few steps, we had to climb over rocks, which was slow work since it was hard to keep my footing. I tried to concentrate on the task at hand, but the fear he’d instilled in me never went away. Each step seemed like an eternity.
We continued up the trail until it began to descend. In places, we had to crawl through the underbrush, which slowed us down even more. The trail opened into a small clearing and then turned sharply to the left.
We walked along the ledge for a short distance and then came to a place where we had to clamber over rocks and roots. At last, we found ourselves in front of a cave that looked like a big hole in the sandstone rock wall.
“This is the entrance,” he said.
“Is this Mary Jane’s son?”
“Yes.”
“Then why don’t you live with them?”
“They’re old and sick, so I help out, but they don’t trust men much. And I don’t feel right living with someone who used to be a witch. They think they can find me in a crowd.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t care. As long as Mary Jane lets me stay.”
“Does she allow visitors?”
“I’m sure she does. She takes people to the pool once a year.”
“What about me?”
“She’ll let you visit, but you need to convince her to do so.”
“How?”
“I’ll talk to her. Just wait here.”
He went inside the cave and didn’t come out. I waited for ten minutes before getting impatient and calling out to him. But he wouldn’t answer. I stepped closer to the cave and called again. “Are you okay?”
“Be quiet.”
“What are you doing?”
“Watch.”
A beam of moonlight poured through the opening, illuminating several feet of space that led deeper into the cave.
“What do you see?”
“What?”
“Look. Don’t move.”
As the light faded from the opening, it revealed a dark pool. My pulse quickened as he stepped onto a wooden board nailed to the ledge outside the cave. Slowly he lowered himself into the darkness and disappeared.
I couldn’t imagine what he was doing, but before I could stop myself I was running after him. I stopped when I saw the dark pool. It was as black as midnight and seemed to suck the light into its depths.
“You’re really going to drink this water?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“How can you?”
“I believe it will make me strong.”
“Strong enough to beat me?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“But it is my concern.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I should have known better than to expect anything else from someone who’s not man enough to live with a wife.”
“Your insults don’t bother me.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I take your gun away from you. I’ve already got the rope in my pocket.”
He laughed.
“Why are you laughing?” I whispered.
“Because you won’t be able to shoot me with my own gun.”
“I’ll be more careful when I reach for it.”
“And you’ll be surprised how strong I am.”
“Very surprised.”
He took something from his pocket and handed it to me. “Here. Give this to Mary Jane. Tell her I’ve left a message.”
“Where is the note?”
“In your coat pocket.”
His words were like a dagger through my heart. He’d taken it from my pocket while I was talking to him. I’d been so preoccupied, I hadn’t even noticed. “Do you intend to tell Mary Jane we’ve come back?”
“No. I haven’t decided yet.”
“Then what are you planning to do? Go away again?”
“Maybe I’ll just kill you.”
“Don’t joke.”
“You shouldn’t be so gullible. I’m not joking.”
“If you’re not, then you should have told me so. You didn’t trust me?”
“Of course I did. I trusted you to help me find the girl.”
“Didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then why lie?”
“It’s the way things are done.”
“How would you know?”
“Because I used to work for the marshals before I became a rancher. I learned how to get people out of trouble, especially criminals.”
“But not me.”
“No. But you will be. Trust me.”
I reached in my pocket for my gun. “I guess I don’t need it anymore.”
“What?”
“For now.”
“Why—”
“Tell Mary Jane I’m coming back in three months. And please, don’t come back until I arrive. I won’t forgive you if you do.”
“I promise.”
I watched as he climbed out of the cave. I had no idea where he was going, but I hoped it was a long way from here.
The End