Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or locations in this story and am not making any money from writing it. Some details in this chapter are from True Blood.
AN: We're back to Bill. We know from the canon that Sookie doesn't see him for two nights after the draining attempt. Let's see what he's up to during that time.
Chapter 10
Bill's POV
The night after my near-draining, I wake up hungry again. That synthetic crap doesn't stay with me like the real thing. I really hope the scientists improve the formula in the future to make it more satisfying for vampires. This must be how humans feel about diet food.
I go in my kitchen first and guzzle my last two bottles of synthetic blood to take the edge off my hunger. Then I take a long bath. I check my email as soon as I'm done and see that Sophie-Anne is pleased with my report. She's requested more detailed information about Bon Temps and Sookie especially. I guess I'll have to explore the town further soon to keep her satisfied. Tonight, I really need to start on my massive to-do list around the house. I need to keep up the appearance that I'm mainstreaming.
Before I can do anything else, I need to clean this place out. Lorena always said I was a neat freak, but the trait is apparently not genetic. My late descendant, Jesse Compton, was a hoarder. Did the man ever throw anything away? He has everything from collectibles to old grocery bags piled up in here. Before I start cleaning up, I take a few photos, so that I can show Sophie-Anne a before and after shot of each room. She enjoys watching those home renovation programs on TV sometimes, especially when they involve old houses like this one.
I start by gathering things that are obviously trash into garbage bags. I have a separate pile for recycling. There's no garbage pickup service in Bon Temps, like many small country towns in the South, so I'll have to take the trash down to the dump myself. Perhaps that's why Jesse didn't bother with throwing things away. As his health declined, it would have been a burden to haul trash to the dump. I still can't see how he could live like this for so long. He could have at least burned the trash, like many of the rednecks around here do. It's not very friendly to the environment, but at least the house would stay cleaner.
Once I'm done with the obvious garbage, I clean out the closet and hang the clothes I brought with me in there. I sort through Jesse's old stuff to see if any of it fits me, but he was a much larger man than me, at least around the middle, so none of it is of any use. I bag it up to donate. I take care to label the bags with the clothing so that I don't throw them out at the dump. Most people don't think of vampires as charitable individuals, but I try not to waste things that someone else could use. It's a value I've managed to retain from my human life. I'm sure one of the local charities will be able to use these old clothes and shoes.
I decide to clear out the linen closets while I'm at it. I can't rest in the bedrooms because they are all above ground, so I don't need the sheets and blankets. The towels I keep for now, though I'll probably buy new ones soon, since the many of the ones here are threadbare and have holes. I'll save the knick knacks for another night. I should check and see if any of them are valuable before throwing any of them out or donating them.
After a few hours of cleaning, I make some phone calls to local electricians. I don't know enough about wiring to do it myself, but I know enough to be able to tell that the current state of the house's electrical system is a fire hazard.
I have to admit that I'm disappointed about the clothes. When I hang up what I brought from New Orleans, I realize that I have very little suitable to wear around here. The silk shirts and slacks I wear to Sophie-Anne's court would look ridiculous in Bon Temps. I cringe as I realize that I'll have to go shopping soon. I hate shopping, especially in lower priced human stores. I tell myself that it'll be worth it to blend in. I need the clothes fast, so online shopping isn't an answer. I could do overnight shipping, but I hate paying extra for it. Most vampires wouldn't bat an eye at paying the extra fee. For beings that have eternity to wait, I've found that my vampire brethren tend to be impatient. I'll just go to the mall in Monroe tomorrow night and buy a couple things and then order the rest online. While dealing with the mall sounds terrible, I console myself that at least I won't have to sink to going to Walmart.
Cleaning takes about half of my night, and I've only scratched the surface. I decide to take the garbage and recycling down to the dump and recycling center to get it out of the way. Then I drop the clothes and linens off at a donation bin. Once all that is done, I decide to swing by the Grabbit Kwik again to stock up on more synthetic blood and see if that lumpy store clerk from last night is working again. She may not be appealing, but a willing donor is a willing donor. At this point, I could really use a real feed. I didn't lose much blood last night, but I'm still feeling puny from the silver exposure.
When I pull up to the Grabbit Kwik at close to 3 in the morning, I'm surprised to see a bouquet of flowers and a candle lying under a sign by the door saying "R.I.P. Maudette." I'm pretty sure Maudette was that clerk's name. She was in perfect health last night, as far as I could tell. What could have happened? I go inside and approach the clerk on duty, a bored-looking teenager with bloodshot eyes named Sandy.
"What happened to Maudette?" I ask, trying to sound genuinely concerned. It's a good opportunity to practice empathizing with humans.
"You didn't hear? She was killed in her apartment last night. Had vampire bite marks on both her thighs, they say." Sandy babbled, seemingly excited to share the hot gossip with someone who hadn't heard.
"I'm afraid I'm a bit behind on the news. She was drained by a vampire?" I clarify.
"Naw, she weren't drained. Said on the news that she was strangled." Sandy drawled. That's strange, if it was a vampire, she would've been drained. No vampire would waste that much good blood. I don't doubt that the human authorities will try to blame a vampire though. They always do.
"I'm really sorry to hear that." I reply. Sandy shrugs.
"You know her, sir?"
"Only from shopping here." Implying that I knew the girl at all was an exaggeration. I only saw her once, but Sandy doesn't know that.
"Oh. I never met her. Just got this job today." Sandy obviously only cares about her own good fortune resulting from Maudette's demise. I might be disgusted with her if I weren't so worried that I would be blamed for the death.
I abandon the idea of buying blood at the Grabbit Kwik tonight. I could glamor Sandy to forget that I was here, but there was still the security footage to deal with. It would be easier to drive a little further down the highway and get my blood at a different station. I'll have to buy something to avoid looking suspicious, though, so I grab a case of beer.
I know the police will probably review last night's footage and see me buying blood, so I'm hoping that buying beer tonight will make them think I'm just entertaining vampires. Humans are really terrible at distinguishing vampires from their own kind, which has helped us stay hidden for thousands of years. My pale complexion alone doesn't give me away, and only other supes can see that faint glow my skin emits.
Sandy rings me up with a bored look on her face. I have a feeling she won't last long at this job. I consider asking her more about the murder, but it sounds like she only knows what she saw in the news. It would be easier to go home and look it up on the Internet. I also decide against glamoring her to forget me. It'll look weird if the cops ask her about me after viewing the surveillance video and she doesn't remember me. Maybe I'm being too cautious, but after last night it can't hurt. I don't even know why the police would look at footage from tonight when Maudette died after her shift yesterday. I think my incident from last night has me spooked.
The whole thing with Maudette is problematic for me though, even if I'm never made a suspect in the case. A potentially vampire-related crime may draw Eric's attention to this area, which could jeopardize my whole mission if he comes sniffing around and encounters Sookie. Perhaps I should go ahead and check in with him? I'll run it by Andre, since the original plan was to completely circumvent Eric.
I pay for the beer and head off in search of another service station that will be open at this time. I don't find one until I'm halfway to Shreveport. It's annoying, but I'd rather not wander around Bon Temps at night with everyone on edge about vampires because of the murder. Lord only knows where those losers who tried to drain me are hanging out tonight. I really need to find out where they live and pay them a visit when I've recovered. The drive home is uneventful, and I don't have much time left to occupy before sunrise. I send Andre and Sophie-Anne an email about Maudette's murder, including a link to the article on the Shreveport news website, and ask them how I am to proceed regarding Eric and any investigation he does.
It does irritate me at times how much Andre likes to micromanage my tasks, but the bonuses I sometimes get for being more cooperative make it worth my time to run things by him instead of shooting from the hip and making my own decisions. It also absolves me of responsibility if things go badly. I make it a point to include Sophie-Anne in my communications because she hates being out of the loop with things like this. I'd also rather she hear the Maudette business from me than someone else.
I drink a couple of the bloods I bought tonight before retiring to my grave for the day.
The following night, I am disappointed to find that none of the electricians I called took my request seriously. "There ain't no vampires within ten miles of Bon Temps, and I wouldn't work for one if there was. Waste yer time prank calling someone else!" I have five such messages on my voicemail when I check.
I have no time to waste calling them back tonight, as I need to get to the mall in Monroe before it closes. I'll be cutting it close as it is. I don't enjoy shopping and can't fathom how Sophie-Anne squanders countless hours in pursuit of new clothes. Lorena used to make me shop for clothing with her as a punishment because I hate it so much. She always said that I have no appreciation for the finer things in life.
The half hour drive to Monroe passes quickly and I'm parked in front of Dillard's before I know it. I grind my teeth as I walk inside the overly perfumed building. Why do humans love cloying floral scents so much that they feel the need to hose down their stores with them on a daily basis? I'll never understand.
The Men's clothing is mercifully close to the entrance. I examine the displays for something that won't look out of place in Bon Temps. Having all new clothing will be distinctive enough. Perhaps I'll run the new clothes through the wash a few times to make them look a little more worn before wearing them out somewhere. I grab a few plaid shirts that are reasonably priced before looking at the polo shirts. I add some khaki pants and a pair of jeans before settling on one navy blue polo shirt and one pleasant green one. I avoid black because I'm not into stereotypical vampire wear, not that vampires typically wear Polo shirts.
The shoe department is my next stop, where I pick up the plainest pair of tennis shoes I can find, along with a pair of boots. Both look similar to what the other patrons of Merlotte's were wearing the other night. Several times I have to decline an overly aggressive saleslady trying her hardest to give me a cologne sample. I'm tempted to drop my fangs to scare her off. At times like this I wish humans could know a vampire when they see one.
I spend more money than I originally planned, but I'm pleased with my purchases in the end. I'm almost sad that my outing is over, but not unhappy to be done with the shopping. I know that as soon as I get home, I'll have to clean some more, and I'm not looking forward to it. I need to buy some more cleaning supplies, and make myself stop at Wal-Mart on my way back to Bon Temps. I pick up a new mop-like device called a Swiffer, which I've seen advertised on television, to use on the tiled floors. Jesse left a vacuum cleaner that I can use in the carpeted areas of the house, but I pick up some bags for it. Although I'm a few nights away from starting on the outside of the house, I decide to buy some paint and brushes for it to save myself a trip later. I pick up some indoor painting supplies too, as the living room really needs a new coat of paint.
I momentarily consider seeking out the prostitute in Monroe who specializes in vampires, because I could really use a satisfying feed now. I found some information about her when researching donors in the Bon Temps area online. I discard the idea quickly. Lorena put me off hookers forever. I'll settle for that synthetic crap for another night. Besides, the risk of contracting Sino-Aids is higher with a prostitute.
I have some acquaintances that live close by who may be willing to share a donor with me and probably won't rat me out to Eric. Liam, Diane and Malcolm are hardly model vampire citizens, but they always have a fangbanger or two around. I text Malcolm, the least irritating and oldest of the bunch, to let him know I'm in the area and would like to meet up. He doesn't reply quickly; he and his nestmates are probably out raising hell somewhere or are trolling Fangtasia for fresh blood. When he does reply, he says they'd be happy to see me in a few days and that he won't tell Eric that I'm around.
I'm thankful for my vampire stamina when I get home, as no human would be able to clean as much as I do in a few hours. I hate having to perform such plebian tasks myself. Having a maid in New Orleans really spoiled me. I dispose of the rest of the junk and do the vacuuming and mopping. I decide to get rid of some of the furniture that is in really poor condition. It's not like I need much furniture anyway. I put more effort into parts of the house that Sookie is likely to see, such as the living room. I even make sure to stock the bathroom with toilet paper for her and any other human visitors. I don't concern myself much with the upstairs for now. Once I get the electrical work done, I might turn one of the bedrooms up there into an office.
Andre replied to my email sometime while I was out, telling me to stick with the original plan unless circumstances further change and to keep him posted on the murder investigation. I decide I'll return to Merlotte's the following evening to visit Sookie and pick up gossip about Maudette. The cleaning and renovations can wait a little longer.
This was kind of a filler chapter. I hope it wasn't too boring! We'll be back in New Orleans next chapter, where Sophie-Anne has a very bad night and Hadley is a brat. Please leave a review!