"Ms. Nelson? I'm Mark Allard."
Vicki started, but quickly remembered her five o'clock appointment and smiled.
"What can I do for you Mr. Allard?"
"I'm the owner of the Body English Night Club. Lately we've had a few…odd disappearances."
"Odd how?" Vicki asked, already considering a few of the possibilities.
"We have strict contracts with our entertainment, Ms. Nelson, and we pay them well. The last six singers that we've hired have vanished without fulfilling their contracts and without being paid in full."
"And what, exactly, do you need me to do, Mr. Allard?"
"I'd like you to investigate the disappearances, of course. This club just opened, and I can't have anything…bizarre going on."
"I understand. My time is five-hundred a day plus expenses. I'll need a list of the singers who've disappeared, as well as a list of all of your employees and anyone you find suspicious."
"I can have those for you by tonight if you'd like to start now."
Vicki thought about Henry and smiled, "Why not?"
Detective Mike Celluci surveyed the gruesome scene with a mix of horror and relief; horror at the senseless murder, but relief that it was a bullet that had done the killing and not one of Vicki's supernatural monsters.
"What do you think?" A voice asked from behind him, and Mike turned to see Kate watching him.
"It, uh, doesn't look like a robbery, money and credit cards were all still in the wallet. Cause of death is three gunshot wounds to the upper chest cavity. I'd say most likely it some sort of jealousy or revenge kill."
Kate looked back at the body of the young girl, still sprawled in a puddle of her own blood. "Well, let's nail the bastard that did this, shall we?"
Vicki once again thanked God that it was September and sunset was at 7:15 p.m. As soon as the sun was down she called her favorite vampire. And the only one I know, luckily, she added silently just as a voice on the other end said hello.
"Henry, its Vicki. Do you want to go clubbing?"
"Well that depends," he replied, and Vicki could hear the smile in his voice, "is it for work or for play?"
She paused for a moment to think, "Both."
"I'll be there in twenty." He told her, laughing as he closed his phone.