The Life and Lies of Belinda King
Prologue
It is the opinion of this reporter that it was not a vampire who killed three women in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Maudette Pickens, Dawn Green, and Amy Burley were undoubtedly connected to vampires, yes, but there is no evidence to connect a vampire to their murders. The reporter paused at her computer, taking a sip of her cola. Instead, I believe that it is a man - yes, a human man - with a horrible grudge against vampires murdered these young women.
"So ya gonna stay all day again today?" A voice cut into the reporter's focus. She reluctantly looked up at the perky blonde waitress who hovered at her table.
"Is that a problem?" the reporter asked, glancing at the waitress's nametag that identified her as Sookie. "Is someone waiting for the table?" she continued, glancing around the near-empty bar in an exaggerated fashion. "Oh, I guess not," she concluded, turning back to her laptop on the table in front of her.
Sookie grumbled under her breath. "Well, can I at least get you something?" she asked.
The reporter shook her head. "I'm still trying to digest breakfast. I'm good," she dismissed quickly, even though her stomach had begun rumbling about a half hour ago. But Sookie didn't walk away. The reporter sighed. "Look – I've got a deadline to meet and I just find it easier to get my work done when there are other people around. If I stay in my motel room, I can't get nothing done," she explained.
"I see," said Sookie. "I'll leave you to it, then, but only if you promise to let me know when you need something," she added.
The reporter nodded vigorously. "I promise." she said, going back to her computer and began to type away. More startling however, was the murder of Adele Stackhouse, an elderly matron of Bon Temps and highly respected in her community. Ms. Stackhouse was stabbed to death while the other victims were strangled – and she had only one foreseeable connection to vampires. Ms. Stackhouse welcomed a vampire from who had fought in the Civil War to speak at her organization – The Descendants of the Glorious Dead – which is devoted to honoring those who fought in the war. The only reasonable assumption I can draw is that Adele Stackhouse was not the killer's intended target. I cannot say why he killed her. And before you challenge my claims – I find it statistically unbelievable for there to be a second killer in a town consisting of less than 3,000 people.
But again, I must reiterate that it is impossible for Adele Stackhouse to have been murdered by a vampire. Her blood was spilled, unlike the other victims, but not a drop was missing, per a source within the Bon Temps Police Department. The fact that no blood from any of the victims was consumed makes it unlikely a vampire was involved. An anonymous vampire source stated that a vampire would consider that a great waste as well as find it very difficult to curb their appetite and not consume the blood.
Sookie approached the bar, glancing back at her strange patron with furrowed brows. Sam polished a glass on the other side of the bar, glancing to Sookie with a curious expression. "Did our strange customer give you any details?" he asked.
"About what?" Sookie asked in reply, setting down her tray on the empty bar and sliding onto a barstool.
"She was askin' me a couple days ago about Maudette, Dawn, and Amy. And your Gran, Sook." Sam answered in a hushed tone. Sookie's jaw dropped. "She must be a reporter or something, asking the type of questions she did. Wouldn't tell me her name, though,"
Sookie dipped her head in acknowledgment. "She did tell me she had to meet a deadline. I hadn't thought much of it," she admitted. "I wouldn't have pegged her as a reporter,"
Sam shrugged. "She's too young-lookin'. Looks all of twenty, if that. Those big eyes…" he agreed, glancing across the bar to the young woman. Her eyes were admittedly large, and her short dark hair was twisted into messy twin braids, her long and skinny limbs, and her unpainted face all contributed to a rather juvenile image – making her look much younger than she really was. Sam knew she was older by the intensity of her hazel eyes, the intelligence of her questions. "But you and I both know we can't judge a book by its cover," he added after a thorough perusal of the reporter.
Sookie nodded in agreement, all the while giving Sam a chastising look. "Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself, Sam Merlotte! That girl's a little younger than me, and younger than you by a mile!" she chided.
Sam snorted. "Just admirin', that's all, Sook. No need to swat me," he retorted. "Wait – can you hear her thoughts?" he asked suddenly.
"I hadn't tried," Sookie said, turning towards the young reporter. "I've been getting better at blocking them out," she continued, focusing her mind towards the young woman before she gasped.
"What is it?!" Sam asked eagerly.
"She's thinking about the murders! Jason-" Sookie began, overcome with emotion. "She's certain he didn't hurt any of them. Oh Sam – her thoughts are moving so fast I can hardly follow," Sookie pulled back, frankly finding the reporter's mind dizzying.
"So she's a smart cookie, eh?" Sam said, grinning. Sookie nodded, leaning back against the bar. "Maybe she'll exonerate him," he suggested.
"Oh, I hope so," Sookie breathed.
The Bon Temps Police are looking at one suspect in particular – Jason Stackhouse, the high school football star and all around playboy in town. Jason is the grandson of victim Adele Stackhouse, and has been connected romantically to all three of the other victims. He personally discovered each victim's body except for his grandmother.
The circumstances are compelling, I won't deny that. But they lack that one necessary thing – evidence. Jason Stackhouse is consistently in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that does not make him a killer. The reporter took another dainty sip of cola. She squirmed a little, the need to urinate beginning to become urgent – but she couldn't stop writing when she was on such a roll.
What the authorities here in Bon Temps fail to take in account is that Jason Stackhouse is as dumb as a rock, if I'm blunt. The police here should know that, in such a tiny town, that someone like Jason Stackhouse is not smart enough to murder several people and leave no evidence behind. If Jason was smart enough to do this, he certainly would not be returning to the scene of his crimes and incriminating himself. I apologize, Jason, if you read this and are offended at my words. I write them in your defense. You are being framed.
So now I speak directly to the Police Department in Bon Temps. I can tell you where to look. Where my suspicions lie. I do not know who killed the women in this small town. If I did, I would be coming directly to you. But here it is – the killer of your townspeople is someone who is close to all the people specifically mentioned in this article. He knows Jason Stackhouse. He knew Maudette Pickens, Dawn Green, Amy Burley, and Adele Stackhouse. People of Bon Temps, you know the killer. He is close to you. He probably does not present himself as a vampire-hater, and is relatively new to town.
The killer finds it morally reprehensible for people to associate with vampires and associates these innocent people as traitors to their race. If you have a relationship with a vampire, I advise you to take care. I do not mean to tell you to stay away from them, but instead to know that you may be a target because of it.
Hear me now, faithful readers. Vampires have the same capacity for good and evil as we humans do. Just because they bear more power than us does not make them evil. Keep in mind that old adage – "With great power comes great responsibility."
It goes for all. Humans with great power. Vampires. All of us are held to this standard. Do not forget we humans have an equal capacity for acts of great evil and have proven it, time and time again. The reporter re-read her last line several times before she was satisfied with it. After giving it a quick once-over, she emailed it to her editor before closing her laptop and springing up from her seat to visit the bathroom at long last.
This is an idea I've been working on for a long time! And it's sort of a different style of writing for me. I'm eager to hear your thoughts! Please Review!
edited 1/12/17