Chapter 2
Oriana sat in front of Maggie making sure that she would not be dislodged easily from the room. "It would be to your advantage to grant me an interview."
"Why?"
"Because, if you do, I won't be tempted to write about other things."
"Other things?" Maggie's voice held an edge. "I don't take kindly to blackmail."
"Who said blackmail?"
Sabrina cut Maggie off with a gesture. "Do the other things that you can write about have anything to do with Barnabas?"
"Not directly."
"Still, it probably touches him. Yet he is your source. He gave you stories in the past, didn't he? As your source, you are duty-bound to protect him. How do you think the profession would react if you outed your own source?"
"It would not have anything to do with him."
"Are you sure that it is not the FBI agent's illness that you are insinuating? Well, he was attacked by a vampire, and once you uncover one vampire in Collinsport, you uncover them all, including the one you must protect to the point of going to jail rather than revealing his name. Once the other reporters know how you dealt he one who gave you the inside story on the local Democratic party, the Davenport Center, the safe transportation issue for the staff at the shopping center, or the interview with a local Indian shaman, you'll be a pariah. You'll be lucky to end up at the "National Enquire'r."
Oriana went pale, biting her lower lip.
"I think that you should try to bluff someone else."
"You handled that one well." Maggie acknowledged "I would not have done it so well."
Sabrina smiled. "That's why I am an Investigative Assistant and you are only a US Representative."
Maggie smiled at that. "You are also a good friend. I can use all the friends I can get.."
"Thanks. How about Barnabas? Is he on board?"
"I wonder if he'll remain there."
"Well, your relationships had to change, sooner or alter. Eventually he'd figure out how you exploited him, and he would put an end to it. Be thankful that he wants to remain friends and helping out."
"He has no right to complain. He does owe me, after all."
"I suspect that the statute of limitations ran out on that one. Look he helped you get where you are. Tell me, in your days as a waitress, low in the totem pole, when you had to put up with a lot of garbage, didn't you dream one day of having the power you have now?"
"Yes. But..."
"He helped you get here. He helped give you your heart's desire. That in my book cancels all other debts. Now, if you want to control him I agree. But don't go down memory lane, looking there for reasons to do the things you do. He is useful, and you make use of him. Period."
Maggie shrugged. It was best not to pursue this subject, which was still a sore one for her.
"How's the baby?" she asked Sabrina. "Coming along?"
"As you see." Sabrina patted her belly "Growing."
"What does Chris have to say about it?"
"He's agreed to call the kid his, as long as he can divorce me quietly. We are done, him and I."
"Will he marry Sandy, you think?"
"No. Seems that Sandy left him. She's coming back to pick her kids, now that their father is dead."
"So no chance of you running into him."
"No chance of any of us making a scene..." she shrugged "all right, all the feeling I had for him is not dead... and maybe it is the same with him. But we tried living together and it did not work. I can recognize a dead end when I see one.""
"Well, sooner or later you will get over it. Now to more serious stuff. What is it with the FBI man? All that is said was that he had been sick and that it might be Legionnaire's"
"Well, he was attacked by a vampire. Pearce, who was paid to do so by Torrance. Torrance thought it would be hilarious. So now there is a FBI man who knows that there is at least one vampire in your hometown;. Worse, a vampire who is in the local sheriff's payroll."
"How are they handling it?"
"Julia is making him forget."
"As she made me forget?" there was no mistaking Maggie's meaning. Yes. She had forgotten. And then she had remembered. She wanted something more foolproof than that.
"They said they would do it right this time."
"I wish I had more confidence in Julia. Personally I would prefer something more permanent."
She did not say anymore. Sabrina knew then that Maggie had again handed her the dirty work she paid her so well for.
"There is a river somewhere/flows through the life/of everyone."
The sea was calm as it advanced inland, pushed by the tide The spray reached his face and he tasted salt. He could sea the white foam shining, made whiter by the contrast with the darkness of the water.
"And if flows through the valleys/and the mountains/ and the meadows of time."
The radio blared behind him as he walked on the beach. First he had taken off his shoes and socks to avoid getting sand in them. Then, from ages past, came to him the memory of how it had felt to walk barefoot in the sand. It had not changed.
"There is a star in the sky/bright in the eyes of everyone."
He had forbidden himself all enjoyment, however innocent after the curse had claimed him. As if that somehow made things right.
Next he undressed. There was no reason why he had to wear a suit in there, in the beach, all alone in the night.
He thought of these last years. He had finally accepted that freedom from the curse was not to be had. But to his surprise, this acceptance had opened a new world to him. The despair was gone. Maybe Megan was right. You could only take so much tragedy, then you started searching for other ways to pass the time.
"Yes, it do/yes, it do/yes, it do."
He wondered if he could swim. He was not sure about that bit about running water, even if, technically, the water in the sea could hardly be said to be running.
He wondered if Megan swam, and if she did, what was the trick in it.
She had been the one to demonstrate to him that his curse did not automatically mean impotence. She had taught him how to take alcohol. She had taught him how to manage. She had given him so much. And what had he given her?
He recognized the feeling. Guilt, useless guilt. He could not change anything by it.
Would he want to? Megan was too good a friend to risk losing. Selfish, but so it was.
He stretched on the sand and let it run through his fingers and toes. It felt so good... it was so beautiful...
He had not felt this good before... not until he had accepted George's love as openly as it was offered... Iris... Oriana... Roxanne... they had been good for him, he had enjoyed their company. Yet something was missing, something he had not realized it until George had given it to him.
They had held back from him, unsure of how much commitment they wanted. And he did not blame them. It was a heavy burden to share. George had not minded and that had made all the difference.
He closed his eyes as he listened to the sound of the waves. The radio had been turned off, taking Roberta Flack with it. He relaxes his muscles one by one... to be able to stay this way, not moving, watching the sky and the sea.
Then the hunger was in him. Not overpowering, but still a reminded of his need. Sighing he got up and decided who it would be.
Frances. It had been more than three months since he had seen her last. And he wanted to see her, anyway. She was always glad to see him.
But she did not look glad when he came in. She looked embarrassed. Not Frances, she could not be afraid of him.
Then she giggled.
He looked down and realized that he had forgotten to get dressed again.
Julia felt tired. The FBI man was a tough nut to crack. Thank God she had Megan's help.
But it was daytime, and she had to do it alone.
The door creaked. "Kenneth?" she asked.
"It's me, doctor. Sabrina."
"Sabrina." he turned to face her.
"I came to talk to you about our friend here." she indicated Kingsley, sleeping in his bed.
"I am taking care of him."
"Yes. George told me about it."
"The situation is under control, if that is what worries you."
"I'd like to have it settled permanently."
Julia stared at her, not sure of her meaning."
"What stuff did you and Barnabas used on Woodard?"
Julia blanched. "You won't get it from me."
"Why not? You gave it to Barnabas."
"It is wrong..."
"It was wrong the first time, yet you did it anyway. Are you going to get squeamish now? I promise that no suspicion will attach to you. I will do it in DC, so that nothing will connect you to it."
"I won't do it."
"Why? Because I don't arouse your lust the way Barnabas did? You did it for him. You might as well do it for Maggie."
"I will not do it, and that's final."
"Have you thought of what might happens if he remembers? Do you want all this stuff to come out? You might lose Wyncliffe, your license, might even find yourself on trial for murder."
"No!."
"Your only safety is to do what I ask Give it to me. You won't need to know anything about it."
"I will not" Julia said, even as her insides were turning to water. She had already been thinking around Sabrina's lines, she realized with shame.
No, she would not do it.
"I'll let you think about it, doctor. Give me a call when you decide to be sensible."
"Will you stop trying to run my life!" Violet shouted at Iris.
"Darling, I only want to help you. I came because you asked me."
"You and mother! Always interfering! I never did anything good enough for her. You were always the bright one, the one who always had it easy!"
Iris sighed. She had heard that too many times. Maybe Violet had a point. Her parents had preferred her over the insignificant looking younger sister. But there had been plenty of time for Violet to outgrow that.
But she hadn't Each time she tried to talk to her it came to the same thing: "Mother always liked you best."
"Violet, you must try to talk like an adult."
"Don't lecture me! I have enough of that!
"I am not trying to lecture you. I just wanted to talk to you. I thought we could.
"I know what you thought. Well, I've had enough of it. I will make sure you never do it again.
"Violet, if I have offended you, I did not mean to."
"Oh, you mean it, all right." there was an ugly expression in Violet's face "but you won't do it again."
"Violet..."
There was a swooshing sound behind her. She turned, and there was Delia, whip in hand.
"Delia?" she asked in surprise. Violet had said that Delia was not home when she came in.
The whip wrapped itself around her neck, making her fall.
Then Violet was on her, tearing at her hair.
"Leave that." Delia said, holding the whip tightly around Iris' neck, choking her into unconsciousness. Just tie her up, and make ready for him.
