If Eric was thoroughly disgusted with Bill, he hid it well, as he stood before his desk. He had been summoned. Hopefully, to hear that Bill had changed his mind about forcing Russell down Pam's throat!

But he was finding that this annoying summons had nothing to do with Pam...

"So not only does the Authority have a mole in their midst, but Russell is saying that Roman is really imprisoning him over a lost artifact?" Eric asked.

"Yes, but clearly, you missed what I just told you," Bill said blithely, "missed it or you just chose to ignore it. Russell gave this particular item to the man that assaulted Tara over a year ago. I cannot find him..."

"With all due respect, my King, your methods may be faulty. I will find this Franklin Mott and find out what is needed. In return, I want you to release Pam from this scheme of yours." Eric told him.

Bill squinted at him and stood up.

"You don't order me to do anything, Eric. Not anymore. And yes, you will investigate this thing, because as an Area Sheriff, it is your job to look into the disappearances of vampires within your realm."

"Again, with all due respect," Eric retorted, "this private eye was from out of state. That means he wasn't within my realm. So I am investigating..."

"Stop pretending to be stupid!" Bill snapped. "I was forced to create Jessica, for slaying another vampire! If Tara has killed this man, she will be asked to answer for it before the Authority. Do we really want that?"

"You don't know anything happened." Eric said.

"Talk to your progeny and see if you don't believe anything happened."

"Alright, I'm just going to say this: so what if he is dead? I don't understand why Russell can't just tell us WHICH safehouse he would've told this Mott to put the items in. Surely, Russell didn't trust this investigator to pick the spot."

Bill eyed Eric. He did have a good point.

"What are you saying?" Bill asked.

"I'm suggesting, that before we panic, we find out what Russell's game is here. If Roman is stupid enough to think that Russell is going to give him anything for his freedom, then he's been sipping that Lillith blood. Russell is biding his time. He already has a contact within the Authority. Basically, he doesn't need to bargain with Roman for his freedom."

"No. He's this close to taking his freedom." Bill murmured. "Do you think Russell knows Franklin Mott is dead?"

"Yes," Eric told him pointedly, "and I have no doubt that he knows Tara is responsible. And he plans to use that information to his advantage in the near future."

"That doesn't make any sense unless he thinks Tara has this item. I am 100% convinced she does not." Bill said.

"But the reality is, it is possible Russell does indeed believe that. I personally, am tired of being dragged into the problems of Roman Zimojic and Russell Edgington." Eric said.

"Any suggestions?" Bill asked.

"Speed up Roman's so called 'plan'. Let's go to the Authority tomorrow night, with a job and a wife for Russell." Eric said.

"One that is not Pam?" Bill asked. Eric's stony look was his answer. He knew Tara had actually been making a list. Now was the time to just pick one of them women off of it and force her to marry Russell-as soon as tomorrow evening.

NEXT DAY

Sookie sat at the breakfast table, while Tara slept in her basement room. She was reading the paper, when a knock at her back screen door, made her look up.

It was Jason.

"Jason? You know you don't have to knock! Get in here!"

Jason smiled wanly and stepped inside. He was wearing his uniform. He sat down at the table across from Sookie.

"Sookie, I'm here on official business."

"Official business?" Sookie asked, feeling a bit uneasy. "Okay, what is it?"

"A woman's car was found less than a mile down the road from the house here. Vehicle registration says it belonged to a 'Debbie Pelt'. You seen anyone around here? Like a woman in distress or anything?"

"Nope." Sookie lied, then stood up to walk to the refrigerator. "You want some breakfast or something?"

"No thanks, Sook, I ate already. Listen...I know you at least know who that woman is, right? I mean I've done some looking into this. That woman is Alcide Herveaux's girlfriend. Isn't he the man that brought you to the hospital that one time? After Bill tried to drain you?"

Sookie closed the refrigerator and leaned against it.

"I don't really remember. Alcide and I only see each other every so often..."

"Damnit, Sookie! Stop playing me for a fool! I know Alcide was at Merlotte's just the other night! So you've seen him more often than you're telling me! Now her family has been putting on prayer vigils around here, that have gotten kind of rowdy. But worse yet, her parents came to see me. They said Debbie was on V and angry with Alcide and you."

"That may be. But I haven't see her." Sookie continued to lie. "Maybe she ran into a vamp or something."

This seemed to mollify Jason a bit.

"Yeah, I suppose." he said. But now Sookie was a bit unnerved.

"Her 'family'. Would that include a sister?"

"Yeah. Sandra. She was spearheading the whole rally, saying that people in Bon Temps knew what had happened to Debbie and were covering it up. There are flyers up around town with Debbie Pelt's face on them."

"Look, Jason, I'm not going to pretend here. That bitch tried to kill me before I was gone for a year. I had to really fight her off. But then she changed and we were almost friends. I mean she was on V and then she got clean. And a lot of her problems were from that."

"Her parents said that. Her sister, however, seems to think that her problems have a lot more to do with you. Look, I'm not saying you did anything to her, Sook. But if you could help me kind of track down where she might have gone."

"Jason, I do know her but I haven't seen her. I've been kind of busy with Tara here."

Jason's mouth dropped open!

"Is Tara here? Sleeping?"

"In this basement contraption Eric actually built for himself. She starts work tonight at Alcide's contracting firm. So none of us have seen Debbie Pelt."

Jason licked his lips, then stood up.

"Uh, how is she coming along? I got a weird call from her the other day. Eric had said she was sick, then Tara got on the line and said she wasn't...and some other stuff..."

"Tara is fine. She just needs to adjust. Like I said, she's working for Alcide beginning tonight."

Jason nodded. Tara could be a handful. Neither Sookie or Alcide would have any time to be tangling with Debbie while trying to deal with her. He would try another angle in the Debbie Pelt disappearance.

Another knock at the door revealed LaFayette. He said hello to Jason, just as he was leaving. He was carrying a small box.

"What's that stuff?" Sookie asked.

"Crap Tara left behind. Her girlfriend, Naomi, shipped some shit to her from when they were living together in New Orleans. I just thought she might need something. Is she asleep?"

Sookie nodded. She touched LaFayette's arm.

"She'll get around to forgiving all of us. Why don't we plan a party? Something so that we can all get a chance to see and talk to the new Tara?"

"It sounds like a plan...and the only way I'll ever get to be in the same room with my cousin." LaFayette lamented.

EVENING

Tara had gotten up, showered, dressed, found a good luck note from Sookie(Sookie had left for work two hours before), then went back down to her room to get her purse. It was then that she noticed the box LaFayette had dropped off.

She took the time to sit down and look through the things. It was as she looked through everything, that a smile came over her face. In an envelope was a ring that she called her 'good luck charm'. Maybe if she had been wearing the fucking thing when she came back here, she wouldn't be a vamp now!

But she had left it behind, thinking she would return to New Orleans as Toni...and to Naomi. Tara peered at the ring. It had been on Franklin Mott when Jason staked him that fateful night. Tara was the only one that had seen the ruby glistening among the muck that was Franklin. She had scooped it up and did nothing with it for the first few days.

Then she decided to leave town and start anew. And even though she was torn about keeping a ring that had belonged to her rapist, Tara could see it was a real ruby. And she had been short on cash.

But once she had started wearing it, little things fell into place: the cage fighting job and the relationship with Naomi. So Tara considered it good luck.

Maybe she would wear it tonight as well.

"Okay," Tara asked Sandra, as she sat at the computer, "should I enter this under payments received?"

Sandra did not answer. Tara knew she was standing behind her, over by Alcide's desk. They were alone and Alcide had introduced them and then left. And for awhile, things seemed alright. Until...

"Tell me, Tara, did Eric Northman turn you after fucking Sookie?"

Tara turned all the way around in her chair to face Sandra? WTF?

"Pardon me?" Tara asked.

"Well, if you don't mind me asking, why did Eric Northman turn you? Isn't he your maker?"

"Says who?"

"Alcide. I saw him here the other night."

"Eric was here?" Tara asked.

"Yes. He was arguing with Alcide. Eric is Sookie's boyfriend, right? And you're Sookie's friend. So why would she let that happen to you?"

"Can we just stick to talking about work?" Tara asked and swung back around in her chair. She was already having a bad feeling about this work arrangement!

Sandra could tell that she had went a bit too far. She didn't know if she could ever convince Tara now, that she didn't think Sookie had something to do with Debbie's disappearance. She grabbed a rolling chair and pulled up beside Tara.

"Look, I know I'm supposed to be showing you how things work around here. But my sister is missing. She could be dead. And I'm not going to lie here: I think you may know something and not even know it! I know you were turned the night my sister disappeared. I know Sookie was seeing Eric Northman. I don't think he would've turned you into a vamp for the hell of it. Something happened where he had to turn you."

"Sandra, I REALLY don't want to talk about this shit! Have you ever thought how I feel about talking about this? I'm still traumatized. I'm killed and..."

Tara abruptly stopped talking and stood up.

Sandra did as well.

"You were killed? Eric killed you then turned you? Why?"

"Why do you want to know, Sandra? You said your sister is missing. What does what happened to me have to do with her?"

Sandra folded her arms.

"Have you seen my sister lately?"

"Oh my fucking God, girl! I barely know what she looks like! I met her once when she was trying to kill Sookie at Russell Edgington's place! Look, I don't think this is going to work out. I'm going to leave now."

"My sister's car was parked near Sookie's place on the night you were turned!"

"Maybe a vamp got to her BEFORE she could get to Sookie's! I don't know what you want me to tell you." Tara said. Sandra turned, walked over to the desk, then quickly pulled out a stake!

"Bitch, tell me now where my sister is! I know fucking well you know something! Alcide knows something and..."

Tara rushed her and bit into her neck savagely! Sandra could barely scream as Tara began drinking and drinking and drinking...

Alcide was the first to find them.

A very dead Sandra Pelt.

And a finger licking Tara!

"Goddamnit, Tara! What the hell did you do?!"

Bloody tears slipped down Tara's cheeks, as she continued to lick her fingers! Damn! She hadn't meant to kill the bitch! But her blood had tasted so good...that True Blood shit tasted like ass compared to real blood!

"Alcide...she knew...she knew...I didn't tell her...the bitch tried to stake me..."

"Damnit, I can't cover up two Were murders! If Debbie's sister suddenly goes missing..."

Suddenly, the door opened and Eric appeared. He quickly assessed the situation and took out a handkerchief.

"Calm down, Tara, and wipe your eyes."

"I didn't mean to do it...it just happened...I was defending myself..."

"Of course you were. I brought a vehicle. Please go out and get inside." Eric told her. Tara sniffed and gave Alcide a regretful glance, before leaving. Once alone, Alcide ripped into Eric!

"I can't cover this shit up!"

"That is exactly what you are going to do. You are going to do the same thing you did for Russell. You have concrete and a hole." Eric said coolly.

"I'm not... " Alcide began to protest. But Eric cut him off.

"You created this situation. You don't think I know who that was. You actually put Tara and Sookie in danger, by allowing Debbie Pelt's sister to get so close to Tara. And Tara was within her rights to avenge her own human life, by taking the life of a relative that had ended it." Eric said.

"Fine. I'll do it. But Tara isn't working here anymore. I mean you should've taught her better."

"She said her life was in danger. You put her life in danger by putting her in close proximity with the sister of her killer. I see a stake on the floor next to the dead Were. Am I supposed to believe that Tara brought that here?"

Alcide had not seen the stake before Eric had pointed it out. He slowly bent down to pick it up. He then looked at Eric.

"I'll talk to Tara. We'll clean up the mess...damnit! I should've known Sandra was suspicious! Look, I'll fix things."

Eric smiled coldly.

"Fix them how? I plan to tell Tara that you think she's a filthy murderess. She's never going to want to come here again, or stomach the sight of you. Just stick to your unsuccessful attempts at seducing Sookie."

"I'd say the same for you, Northman." Alcide said with a low growl.

"You could, but I wouldn't if I were you." Eric replied and turned to leave the blood strewn office.

Meanwhile, in Eric's sportscar, Tara sadly looked at her ruby ring. It hadn't been very lucky for her this evening.