Murder She Baked
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Maggie’s home, Saturday night.
“So what do you think? Is it the right place for us?” I asked as we got out of the car in front of Maggie’s house and started walking up to the door. It was a nice neighborhood with some very expensive houses on both sides of the street.
I didn’t see any police or yellow tape though, so that was good. We hadn’t been followed since getting back into town, but I would feel better if we had cops around, just in case.
I took another look at the house and wondered how long it would be before we were found out here. The house looked fine from the outside, but I couldn’t imagine anything could hide this level of insanity inside from anyone who knew about vampires.
It might not have seemed like much to most people, but to someone who saw them every day as part of their life, there was no way they’d believe we could live like this and not go crazy.
We walked up to the front porch, where I rang the bell. “Hello? May we come in?” I called when we heard nothing from within. No answer came back after a few moments, so I opened the heavy oak door and stepped into the foyer.
The room was huge and beautiful, decorated tastefully in rich woods and deep colors, all arranged perfectly around the open staircase. I noticed a large painting near one wall and went over to look closer.
It seemed to depict a young man standing in an old-fashioned suit holding his cane while he faced away from me. There seemed something wrong with the picture, but my mind was too busy working through the implications of being here to give it a second glance.
There was another knock on the door, making us turn to find it open. “Come in,” Maggie said behind us. She stood beside the doorway and watched with great amusement as she listened to our conversation. After we stepped in, we closed the doors and moved farther into the house until we reached the living room.
As I walked across the wood floor toward the fireplace, my eyes focused on the portrait above it of a beautiful woman dressed in an elegant gown with a black cape flowing from her shoulders. A man was walking alongside her wearing the same costume, carrying what seemed to be a sword at their belt.
“That’s Lady Anne and Lord Marcus,” Maggie explained as we stopped next to the painting. “They’re a couple of friends of mine. They’ve actually known each other forever—since they were kids.” She pointed to the younger gentleman in front of her and grinned.
“Lord Marcus is a knight and Sir Edward is one of his squires. Their family has owned estates in Europe for many generations, and they spent years in the Middle Ages during training. He was raised by knights and learned all manners of fighting arts.”
Her voice faded off as we continued to study the painting, and I felt drawn into the scene before us. Lady Anne was smiling at something the older man was saying, but even more interesting than that was the way they held each other as if they had just come together in a passionate embrace.
A soft smile came across my lips as I imagined the two lovers standing side by side with their arms wrapped around each other. This was definitely the perfect setting for a murder mystery, although I wasn’t sure which character belonged to whom. “Do you know whose idea it was?” I asked.
Maggie looked up at me and gave me the slightest smirk. “You mean whose head is buried under the mantle? It seems to me everyone involved was having a grand time. But I’ll let you figure it out yourself once we get started. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you.”
The party was set to start at six o’clock, and as Maggie and I sat on the couch waiting, we watched as several couples made their way into the room and settled around the couches or chairs. Some had already taken their places, but others remained wandering around looking at the various knickknacks scattered throughout.
It didn’t take long for the group to begin mingling and introducing themselves to new arrivals. I was still unsure why Maggie thought these parties worked well, but I soon saw why she did when a man approached me. “My name is Thomas, and I’m one of the detectives working this case. I hope your friend isn’t bothering you,” he said as he glanced at Maggie behind me.
I nodded and smiled. “No, not at all. My name is Sam, and we’ve only met briefly.”
He turned slightly and spoke to someone who was standing nearby, then he lowered his voice. “Your friend’s boyfriend is a vampire, isn’t he?” He looked back at me and grinned. “I figured since you’re sitting alone right now, it wouldn’t hurt to introduce myself.” He extended his hand toward me and waited patiently for my response.
“Yes, he is. We’re good friends, and she’s been helping me try to find him ever since he disappeared.” I shook his hand firmly and gave a polite smile. “And you are?”
His grin widened. “Good evening, Samantha. I work with the police department as a detective, and I don’t think any of you will be able to fool us tonight. You might want to consider changing out of those clothes because the cops are coming, and we’re going to do everything in our power to catch them red-handed.” Then he walked away and rejoined the crowd.
Maggie snorted and turned to me. “Looks like we have company. Hope you like cops, because we should probably see if there’s anything else we can tell ’em about our plans for tonight. Let’s go.”
She led us back to the kitchen and introduced us to Detective Thomas. When I mentioned that we knew nothing about her boyfriend’s whereabouts, he looked at me curiously. “Really? And how would you know where he could be hiding?”
Maggie cleared her throat nervously and spoke in a low tone. “Um, well, he has this … uh … gift.”
Thomas tilted his head. “And what’s this gift? Is he a mind reader?”
We both exchanged glances. “No, he just likes to watch people,” Maggie said slowly.
When I heard her answer, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Watch them, huh?”
“Yes, and sometimes we end up being entertained,” she replied.
“But you haven’t seen him lately, have you?”
Maggie shook her head no. “He left town a few weeks ago without telling anyone where he was going. He took all his possessions with him except for a pair of pants and a shirt.” Her shoulders slumped and she sighed heavily.
“There’s not much to say really. The last thing I remember seeing was him taking a bite out of a young lady in the parking lot. That’s the most recent memory I have of him, so he must be gone for at least eight days, and that’s only if he hadn’t fed at all while he was gone.” She turned toward me. “Sorry to bother you.”
I shrugged awkwardly and tried not to look uncomfortable as we left.
“Well, that went well,” Maggie whispered as we stepped into the hall. “Let’s find someplace to sit down and talk about this whole mess. Do you need a drink?”
I looked through the room and spotted two men who seemed to be talking to each other. “Maybe another beer?” I asked as I raised my voice enough for the guys to hear me.
One of them pointed toward the kitchen, and we followed. As we made our way to the refrigerator, I saw that both guys were vampires. The younger of the two wore glasses and kept glancing over at me, though I wasn’t sure if it was because I was pretty or because I was a cop.
As we reached the fridge, I grabbed a bottle of Corona Light and popped it off the top before handing it to Maggie.
“What are you drinking?” I asked the first one.
He held out his hands and shrugged. “Just whatever looks cold enough to pour straight into my belly.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sounds delicious.”
A loud burst of laughter from Maggie distracted me as we continued walking toward the living room. A tall man wearing a leather jacket appeared from behind her and placed his hand gently on her shoulder to stop us. I noticed several others watching us, all with similar amused expressions.
The guy with glasses came up to us and smiled, revealing sharp teeth. “Excuse me, Officer, I’m Jake.”
I extended my hand and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Jake nodded politely. “And you’re Samantha, right?”
“That’s me.”
He grinned widely and looked at Maggie. “Is your name Maggie?”
She frowned and glanced back at him before shaking her head no.
“So sorry,” Jake apologized. “We were just having some fun with the officers. It’s hard when they come in here and interrupt our parties, but I understand that it’s part of their job.” His gaze flicked across my face and he leaned close. “Are you sure you’re a real cop? Because it doesn’t look possible.”
Maggie scowled, and I could see that Jake had her full attention now. “Who says I’m not a cop? Maybe you should ask them.”
I stepped forward and spoke firmly, which seemed to shock all of them. “You might want to think twice before challenging a police officer to a fight, especially a female one.”
Jake’s grin disappeared and his brows rose, while everyone else watched me closely. My partner’s expression told me she was wondering whether to grab the handcuffs out of her purse.
“Why do you assume I’d challenge her?” the vampire who seemed older than the rest asked. “Maybe I like to show off my strength.”
He stepped closer to me, and although I was taller by three inches, he loomed above me. “Or perhaps it’s a game of sorts? We’re both strong and powerful beings, and maybe we can test ourselves against each other?”
I held onto my composure and looked directly at his black-painted fangs. “This is a public place, sir. There are rules that we follow, so don’t even try it.”
His pupils narrowed and he growled, “Rules? What kind of rules?”
“Don’t bother answering him,” Maggie interrupted. “I think we’ve already seen what this is all about. This isn’t a safe place for a girl, let alone a cop. You can stay there and play games, or you can leave before things get ugly.”
With that, Maggie pushed past us and headed for the door, and Jake gave me a final glare before following after her. They both vanished in a matter of seconds.
I looked around the room again and found that most people had vacated, leaving only ten of the twenty who were sitting at the party.
“Sorry,” Maggie said as she sat down next to me. “They were just being friendly, and then it turned into something else.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. Was she trying to tell me it was okay that they harassed her, or that maybe it would have been worse if they hadn’t done so? Or maybe she was saying they weren’t really that bad, which was ridiculous. I felt like we needed to discuss my options, which I figured meant calling for backup.
My cell phone buzzed as someone called my name, and I pulled it out to see who it was. I recognized the number immediately, so I answered, hoping that everything would be okay.
“Sam, where are you? We just got a call that an ambulance was requested for a car crash near the interstate.”
“Oh, God! Sorry, I’ll be right there.”
I ended the call and slipped my cell back into my pocket. “Do we need to call an ambulance?”
Maggie shook her head. “No, but if you’re coming, we can take care of them ourselves.”
She opened the fridge, poured another beer into two frosty mugs, and handed me one before heading to the kitchen area and setting hers down next to a few other bottles. The sound of glass cracking filled the air as the vampire who had challenged me broke the bottle over the countertop before taking a long swig.
He took his time, finishing the second one in less than a minute before wiping the foam from his mouth and glancing at me. “Good evening, Officer.”
I stared back at him and waited for him to speak. He raised his mug slightly and drained the last of his brew before placing it on the bar top.
“What kind of name is Sam anyway?” he asked, his eyes boring into mine.
“I don’t think I should answer any questions,” I replied coolly, knowing I had to play this perfectly to win over the crowd. “But I’m willing to hear yours.”
He laughed loudly, almost as if he knew exactly what was going through my mind. “That’s the spirit.”
The tension left the room and I watched the vampires relax and laugh along with him. Some of them started to drink again, and others began telling jokes or discussing the latest gossip they heard around town. Only a handful remained still.
Jake, Maggie, and I walked slowly up to the bar, and I tried to focus on not letting anything affect me as my heart thundered in my chest. The vampire was standing between us and I wondered how far I’d have to jump before Maggie caught me.
“Who do we owe thanks for these fine drinks?” Jake said as he stood behind Maggie. She was leaning casually against him, which probably wouldn’t help me with my cover, but it certainly made it easier for me to deal with things without having to look away when I saw him staring.
I ignored the way my stomach fluttered in response. It wasn’t fair, not after seeing him so happy just a few hours ago.
“To our new bartender.” The vampire pointed at me and then drank straight from his own mug, knocking it over as he did so. The broken glass tinkled as it rolled across the floor.
Jake moved quickly to put a hand over the cut as blood spilled forth, and then he grabbed the mop and bucket to sweep it to the side. The vampire shrugged off Jake’s attempts to assist him and wiped his hands clean on the front of his shirt as if nothing had happened.
Jake glared at me and then glanced at the vampire, turning back to address the entire group of monsters. “Okay, folks. We’re getting ready to wrap it up here. Let’s go back inside and start cleaning up. This place is a wreck.”
He looked at me and I nodded in agreement. There were too many of them for me to leave by myself, and I couldn’t wait forever.
It was clear that most of the vampires were going to follow us outside, including those who were currently drinking. Those who had already downed their beers seemed more content to stay and chat while the others went outside, but I could feel eyes burning into my back.
I reached for my gun and held it close to my chest as I headed outside with Jake and Maggie. A small smirk tugged at my lips at the sight of the vampires walking toward the door, some of them holding their noses as they passed me, though none actually spoke to me about it. They simply followed us out onto the porch and down the stairs.
Jake led the way, his arm tight around Maggie’s waist. I stayed behind them for protection and let my mind wander as they walked down the road and toward a nearby field.
We stopped just beyond the trees when we reached the field, which was mostly overgrown with weeds. The three of us sat down together and leaned against the old barn behind us.
I pulled my phone back out to check the clock and was shocked when I found it was almost midnight. What in hell? Had the sun really set only half an hour ago? I checked the calendar in my cell again and confirmed that tomorrow would be Sunday.
A low moan drew my attention to the vampire on top of Maggie as she lay stretched out on the ground. He pushed himself up on his elbows and looked at me, but then his eyes fell on the shotgun lying next to my feet. The bastard smiled.
Maggie didn’t stir at all, though her breaths grew heavier and shorter. I glanced at Jake and we shared a glance. His eyes told me that he knew we were both thinking the same thing, and then he stepped forward, reaching for the barrel of the shotgun.
I turned to glare at the vampire who was still on top of her, trying not to think about how much it hurt watching someone else take what I wanted so badly. Jake’s arm shot forward and I gasped as he knocked the creature away from Maggie, sending it rolling into the grass.
I jumped up, gun in hand. My aim was true, and I hit him in the face and head as hard as I could, firing once more as I did so.
I’d never been so scared in my life, not even the first time I fired my weapon during basic training. But now there was no one to save me. There was only death waiting for me in the dark woods around us, and all I could see was Maggie laid out before me like a dead body.
My finger tightened on the trigger and my heart thudded against my ribs. I was trembling as I fired again. The last thought in my mind was the sound of Jake calling my name, begging me not to shoot.
And then I felt cold steel slide past my wrist, and something slammed into my gut.
The End