Chapter 2: MIA

Henry knelt down and pressed two fingers to Clair's neck but it was no use. There was no pulse. She was dead. Then he noticed the two clean marks on her neck; vampire bites but not the ones he had left. Those had healed before she even left his home. These marks, however, were deep – intentional. Someone had drained her dry.

"Bloody hell," swore Henry as began to take care of the body.

This was not good. Whoever had left the body was making it clear they were eyeing his territory. And Vicki – whoever was responsible was going to eventually see her with him and target her next. Right now, it was too late. The sun would be up soon and Henry could not risk leaving his home but he would take care of this soon. Another vampire hunting in his territory was something he could be let go by without repercussions for whoever was doing this.

Meanwhile, as Henry was heading off to sleep, Vicki and Coreen were working on a new case. It was actually something Vicki's friend and former lover Mike Celluci

"Five missing people reports – all from this city and from the same neighborhood," exclaimed Vicki as she read over the file. "No wonder Mike thought there was something iffy about this case."

"What do you think it could be," Coreen asked excitedly.

"I don't know but whatever it is, we're going to stop it," said Vicki.

"What do you need me to do," her assistant asked.

"Okay, call the families of everyone that went missing and see if you can get me interviews with all of them as soon as possible. There has to be another reason besides location for whey these people were taken," said Vicki. "We're just going to have to wait until Henry wakes up for the rest. Maybe he'll know what we're dealing with."

There was a knock on the door. It was a middle aged woman – mostly likely mid fifties. She was wearing an old pair of jeans and a blue floral blouse. "Excuse, Ms. Nelson. I'm sorry for not calling ahead. Do you have a minute?"

Immediately, Vicki picked up that something was wrong. This woman was obviously frightened and worried about something. Vicki gestured to the chair in front of her desk and said, "Yes, of course. Take a seat."

"Uh my name is Natalie Grey. Detective Celluci suggested I speak with you," the woman explained nervously.

"Uh huh and what exactly did detective Celluci say," Vicki asked curiously. It was not every day that Mike sent a case her way.

"He said you were the person to go to about my daughter," said Natalie, trying to hold back the tears.

"What's wrong with your daughter," asked Vicki; her detective instincts going on high alert.

"She didn't come home last night from work," said the mother. "She works at a barista at Serendipity 10."

"Not to be rude Mrs. Grey but kids do this all the time," Vicki sighed. "Are you sure she just didn't have a little too much…"

"Kaiden doesn't drink Mrs. Nelson," Natalie immediately cut in. "She's never been into drinking or drugs. She's a straight A, model student at the university."

"Did you two get into fight – some sort of disagreement over something? Maybe she's just blowing off some steam at a friend's house," suggested Vicki.

"Nothing like that happened. We were fine, She called me just hours before and we made plans for a family dinner tomorrow night." Vicki watched as her client began to softly sob and Coreen quickly handed her a box of tissues. "Thank you," said Natalie.

"Look Mrs. Grey. You're daughter hasn't been missing that long. The police can't do anything until at least twenty four hours have gone by since Kaiden's disappearance. What I can do is check out where she works and the university and see if her friends can tell us something," Vicki told her.

"Thank you Ms. Nelson," Natalie said. She got up to leave and handed Vicki a card with her number and address written on it. She also handed her a recent picture of her daughter, Kaiden.

"Yeah well hopefully she just had a late night and crashed with a friend," sighed Vicki, looking over the picture. The girl was small; just a little over five feet. She had dark black hair just like her mother and dark brown eyes. She was wearing thick black glasses. She was smiling with her arms wrapped around her mother's neck.

After showing the worried mother out the door, Vicki turned to her assistant and said, in her no nonsense tone of voice, "Coreen, I need you to find out what you can about this girl. I didn't want the mother to worry but she doesn't like the type to not come home to me either. I think something happened and we need to work fast. I think she's the next victim in our missing girls case."

"I'm on it," Coreen nodded, heading over to the computer at her bosses desk.

"I'm going to head over to Henry's – see what he thinks," explained Vicki as she grabbed her coat. "It's getting dark now and he should be up by the time I get there."

Henry was woken up by the sound of someone insistently pounding on his door. Quickly, getting up and grabbing his shirt, he went over to see who would dare disturb him this early. His hearing recognized the heart beat and he opened the door without really looking; slipping his shirt on over his head.

"Nice of you to answer," Vicki scowled as she walked in.

"I was sleeping," Henry said deadpan.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"What can I help with you with Vicki," asked Henry. There was really no way he would be able to get any of his pages down for his new book if Vicki needed him for something. She was one of the most commanding females he had met in his existence. For a while her stubbornness and fiery had appealed to him but even he had his limits. There were times she refused to listen to anyone else; ultimately endangering her life but usually those of others. People got hurt with Vicki around. It had become a simple fact of their lives after she had marked.

"Girls have been going missing Henry," Vicki began. She tossed the large yellow file she brought over onto his table. "At first I thought it might be some human serial killer but there are never any bodies or messages or warning. There's no foul blood in the families. They just disappear."

"And you think this might be the work of some supernatural being," guessed Henry, as he skinned through the pictures of all the women that had gone missing.

"Yeah, I do," Vicki said. "God help me. I might be losing my mind but I do."

"Well, you're right," said Henry, taking one of the pictures and handing it to Vicki.

"You recognize her," asked Vicki, staring at the picture of the blond haired girl.

"Her name is Claire. I met her last night at the club," answered Henry.

"She's the second missing person I've had thrown my way tonight," Vicki exclaimed. "Which club?"

"New one; it's called Serendipity 10," Henry answered slowly.

"The second girl that went missing works there as a barista," Vicki cried out. Henry could almost hear the gears in her head turning as she tried to piece the information together.

"Vicki, her body was left at my doorstep last night – drained of every single drop of blood," he told her reluctantly.

"What," Vicki said, shocked? "It wasn't you, was it?"

"No, it wasn't me and in insulted you even had to ask after working with him this long," Henry growled.

"Sorry, I had to asked," she said defensively.

"No, no you didn't," he counted.

"So, there's another vampire in the city," asked Vicki, desperately trying to take the tension out of the conversation.

"Yes, I'm not sure who but they're after my territory," said Henry. "That's the only reason they would leave the body at my door."

"Do you recognize any of the others," asked Vicki. "They've all been missing weeks before Claire."

"No, I didn't know any of those women," Henry told her. "There haven't been any other bodies. This was the first," he added.

"Alright, I say we head back to the office and see what Coreen's dug up," suggested Vicki.

"Fine," agreed Henry. He grabbed his coat and opened the door for Vicki to pass through first.

"Oh what about her," Vicki asked after a second thought. She pulled out Kaiden's picture and handed it to him.

"No, haven't seen her either," said Henry. Vicki held out her hand for the photo but Henry slipped it into his coat pocket. "But I will hold on to it in case I do." Vicki shook her head at him as they made their way to her office downtown.

"Coreen, please tell me you have something for us," Vicki call out as she and Henry entered her office.

"Sorry, nothing out of the ordinary. She's a good kid; gets good grades, no police record and she's at the university on a scholarship majoring in writing and literature," her assissstant replied.

"Just great," Vicki frowned. "A total of six missing people cases – all possibly connected – and no lead to go on."

"Well there is one," Henry cut in. "The club."

"That's right," realized Vicki. "Kaiden was working at the club, Claire was a costumer there, and they both go missing the same night."

"Yeah, none of the four girls had anything to do with that club," Coreen added.

"That we know of," smirked Henry. "I think we've found our lead. Would do you same we pay the place a visit?"

"I say give me ten minutes," said Vicki.

"They don't even card me anymore," Vicki huffed as the bounces let her through. "How pathetic is that."

"What's sad is that you still care," the bouncer scoffed

"Wow," Vicki signed, "A bouncer and a psychiatrist."

"You I will card," he said stopping Henry.

"I'm an old soul," the vampire smirked, "Practically ancient."

"Doesn't cut it kid," he said, getting impatient.

Henry flashed him his I.D and he was through. "If they only knew," Vicki chuckled.

The club was not Vicki expected. She had been picturing load, heavy music with teenagers bumping and grinding against each other as a form of dancing but this was different. There was quiet, melodious music play and everyone was dressed up. It was like a speakeasy; straight out of the twenties.

"I do have standards," Henry laughed, catching on.

"Alright, let's see what we can dig up," Vicki suggested. "You still have that picture of Kaiden Grey?" Henry nodded, pulling the picture out. "Show it around and she if anyone's seen her."

Vicki headed over the bar and claimed an empty stool. "Dry martini, no olive please," she ordered. The bartender gave her a quick nod and began making her drink.

Henry had been watching the blond haired businessman, dressed in an Armani suit. He had claimed a booth in the far back; a glass of scotch sitting in front of him. Henry stared as man eyed the women in the bar. He knew that look. It was the look of a predator. He was looking for prey.

Henry stalked over to the man. "Hello," he said, sitting down across from him. "You seen this girls," he asked, sliding over the picture of Kaiden.

His eyebrows rose as he took in the picture of the girl. "I saw her working her a few nights a good. Sweet kid. I ordered a drink but didn't talk to more than that," the man answered.

"Are you telling everything you know," Henry growled, using his vampire compulsion.

"Yes," the man answered. "I don't know who she is or where she is."

"Thanks for your help," Henry muttered, getting up in search of Vicki.