Part IV

Janette greeted LaCroix with a hug. "LaCroix! How good to see you again! This is quite unexpected."

"Yes... I know." LaCroix told her, looking around at the club. "Very nice establishment you have here, my dear," he commented.

Janette nearly glowed under his compliment. "It's hardly the Raven, but I've come to care for it just the same." She began to lead him back to her office where they could talk in private.

"Does Nicolas know you're here?" she asked.

"No," LaCroix replied. "As you wished, I have not yet told Nicholas that you are here. Doubtless he would have come himself had he known."

Something in LaCroix's voice struck Janette as odd and she eyed him quizzically. "What do you mean, LaCroix?"

"Actually... that's the reason I'm here, my dear." he told her as she shut the office door behind them. "I came to speak to you about--"

Just then the door opened and a waitress entered bearing a bottle of bloodwine and two crystal goblets. It was Natasha. LaCroix stared at her, dumbfounded, while she filled both goblets and set the bottle upon Janette's desk. Natasha then handed one of the goblets to LaCroix, her hand brushing his lightly when he took it. Her face split into a knowing smile as the brief contact ended. Before LaCroix could speak to her, Natasha was gone, closing the door behind her.

"Natalie?" His voice came as a shocked whisper. Janette nodded sadly. "But how?" "I don't know," said Janette. "She has amnesia, LaCroix. She doesn't know that she's Natalie Lambert."

"Who is she, then?"

"Here she is Natasha. No last name, no past life, and no ambitions beyond barmaid. It's a sad thing, really," Janette studied him closely. "She's the reason you're here, isn't she?"

LaCroix nodded. "She's been missing for over three weeks now and Nicholas is beside himself. When he told me she'd disappeared in Montreal, I decided to pop in and see what I could do to locate her. I had no idea it would be this easy."

Janette sighed. "It might not be as easy as you think, LaCroix. Natasha is *not* Natalie."

"What do you mean?"

Janette suddenly smiled a sly smile. "Why don't you hang around and find out..."

After closing the door on her employer and the strange vampire, Natasha hurried off in the direction of the elevator.

"Hey, Tash! Where you off to?" One of the other waitresses asked as she sped by her.

Tasha halted long enough to answer the girl. "Mistress DuCharme has a gentleman visitor in her office."

"Yeah, I know... Mr. LaCroix."

"You know him, Jasmine?" Natasha asked.

Jasmine smiled, showing off the tiny buds of her fangs. She shrugged. "When I lived in Toronto he was there. He's got this son who's an absolute *dream*... a little weird, but a definite stud-muffin."

Natasha made a face. Nothing could possibly be as drop-dead gorgeous as the man with Mistress Janette. "Anyway," she said, ignoring Jasmine comments about Nick, "I think I like him. I want to make sure he notices me." She hurried off towards the elevator.

Jasmine's eyes widened in an "oh, no" expression. The last time Natasha said something like *that* she'd emerged from the elevator wearing... the "oh, no" expression on Jasmine's face changed to an "ohmigod" expression...