"Did you think me over sentimental for keeping her casket all these years?" Dandridge asked as Billy unpacked the final oblong crate. A coffin was inside, an identical mate to the one already adorning the basement floor.
"No…never hurts to have a spare." Billy grunted, removing another board with his bare hands, "Besides Jer, those two are some of my best work." Cole rapped the lid with his knuckles. "Good wood, tight as a drum, locks from the inside," his shoulders slumped a little and he sighed, "You just don't see real craftsmanship anymore." Dandridge placed a hand on Cole's shoulder.
"Work of your quality was rare even when we met Billy." Cole grinned widely at his master's compliment, then grabbed a shovel from the corner and began to load soil from the earthen floor into the newly opened casket. "We don't have long before sunup, are you sure Vincent is gone?"
"His courage broke when you sent his fan club over the railing. If he ran back to Brewster's, Edward will take care of him." He sneered, taking a slice from the apple he held. Cole paused at his shoveling, "Yeah…about Ed. Just how large is the family gonna be Jerry? Two more mouths to feed isn't exactly gonna be low profile. We don't want another Chicago…." Billy paused under the vampire's cool gaze.
"Chicago was an unfortunate necessity, if that hack reporter hadn't made the connections as fast as he did, we could have stayed there for years." He cut another slice of apple, "As it is, Amy and I will have to leave for Santa Carla tomorrow. You'll stay here, continue your improvements to the house as we'd planned, meanwhile Ed will continue these 'grisly murders' for a while longer. He'll do as I instruct and then once he's covered our tracks with a few fresh bodies…you can take care of him. Afterwards, who could blame us for leaving the area?"
"Sounds like a plan." Billy shoveled another load of soil into the second coffin. Suddenly cries and thumps from upstairs; the boy, Brewster, crying for help.
"I think she just opened her eyes." Jerry smiled. Billy shoveled the last clod of dirt into what would be Amy Peterson's new bed.
"California huh? Haven't been there since the quake in '06. That was some fun."
"Yes. Well, Max's invitation actually. He sounded so lonely in his last letter. I…" Jerry paused, looking up intently.
"Something wrong?"
"Yes. We have a visitor."