CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"What?" I practically yelled. "How did that… you said it started happening two years ago and… Caim died before that."
What's happening!
"Okay calm down, Alice." Iain said through the phone. I almost imagined him waving his hands in a defensive manner. "There obviously has to be a reasonable explanation for this."
"Iain." Mattie whispered then cleared his throat to repeat his name in a louder voice. "Iain, do you remember one of the last things I told you regarding Caim?"
"Hm… it's been so long."
"When we were in the car that held Caim's..." Mattie glanced at me. "That held Caim, do you remember."
"No, I don't."
Mattie fixed his blood red eyes on me. "That his body wasn't in the car with us."
Everyone was silent. Even the noises that you'd have in the background seemed to have suddenly quietened down. Like the fridge, the wind outside or the little static sound you get from some light bulbs.
"What happened to Caim?" I was surprised my voice didn't break. But it's been two years since he died and the raw feelings I had weren't that fresh anymore. In fact all I got was a disappointment in myself. That I didn't really know how he died or what Caim was doing before he died.
"Would you rather me explain what happened over the phone, Alice?"
"Yes."
"He was shot." A monotone voice said. Mattie's voice. "Those bastards were going to kill you if I hadn't intervened."
That night when there were shots at The Manor?
"I… tried to save him." Mattie looked down at his hands. "I don't know, I just don't have the power to."
"Mattie can't seem to change a human to a vampire, Alice." Iain said simply.
"So you tried to change Caim?"
He nodded still looking at his hands.
"What happened to Caim?"
"Nothing for a few weeks. Eventually we decided to go ahead with the funeral. His body wasn't in the car though, it was more of closure. The body… was still under observation but one night it just disappeared."
"Disappeared?" I stood shell-shocked staring at the phone. "How does that even work?"
I imagined Iain shaking his head when he said, "I don't know, Alice."
I was finding it hard to digest this new information. There was just so much of it in such a short period of time. So much so that I held my head in my hands so that my brain wouldn't explode or do something else like leak through my ears.
A feather light touch brushed my hand. "Would you like a break?" Mattie whispered.
I decided to answer with a question. "Are you okay?"
"Ah, yeah…" He leaned back sighing.
I looked him straight in his eyes. They were brown. The awful smelling drink was finished and so the green was slowly returning. "I don't hate you or bare any ill will about you, Mattie. I said it before."
His features softened. "Yes, 'thank you for helping Caim.'"
A cough came through the phone. "Don't forget I'm here."
I laughed purely because I would have grinned. "Yeah, uhm…" Awkward.
"Back to the original topic? But… will you tell me how he died later?"
He stared at me for a while longer, possibly scanning my face in detail before he nodded
I'm glad that look disappeared.
I paused as I went to refresh my coffee.
"So Caim is a rogue vampire murdering a bunch of humans? Even if Caim was alive, he wouldn't do that." I said.
"Remember, we never recovered his body and considering what Mattie did, there is a chance that Caim did change even if Mattie can't completely change a human into a vampire."
"How… does a vampire… I mean what are the characteristics.." I struggled with the words to describe the 'completely changing human into a vampire' bit.
"I'll explain later because I honestly feel like that'll take forever to even explain." I grinned. When he said 'forever', it sounded like he was moaning.
But Caim's DNA was found at one of the scenes. Caim's body was never found. Mattie had turned him. This all happened within the two years after his death. My lip quivered at the enormity of the information against my brother. Caim, you wouldn't hurt innocent people because you need blood, right? How warped is your personality now?
It feels like I barely knew him…
"I think you should rest, Alice." Iain said after a long pause. "If I find more information on what happened, I'll call you guys. Additionally if I get any reports on it happening now, I'll pass them on to you."
"Thank you, Iain." I said.
"Thanks." Mattie said before hanging up.
I leaned back on my chair. I did drink two cups of coffee so I doubt I would sleep soon. But I did need a bit more time to process all of this.
What I said about the geography was right. Caim had been to all of those areas. We went to the same primary school, secondary school and college. The murders happened in and around the campus. Caim took our dog to that park before she died. He had been to the Chinese restaurant as a birthday treat. There were other places he had been to that were marked, some I didn't know but I was surprised that there was none around The Manor, around Rose and of our parent's house. Considering the funeral route, the years he spent living with Mattie and I, there were none. Was it because Mattie would have picked up on it?
I stretched. It was almost four in the morning. Lately my days were becoming a vampire's nights but sometimes I was not used to it.
"Hey, Mattie?"
"Alice?"
"We'll find out what happened to Caim, right?"
"Of course!"
Since we were on the case, the chances of Caim coming back 'alive' were pretty slim. I wasn't sure if I would be considered breaking the rules if I had any sort of power to keep Caim alive once we found him but I knew his actions would have to be punished.
During my studies I had never heard of a rogue vampire surviving the wrath of Rose.
I went to sleep at about five in the morning and got up at three in the afternoon.
Iain didn't call. I didn't really expect him to be honest. Right now there didn't seem to be a recent murder that was somehow connected to this. This... what do I even call it? This case.
I didn't know where Mattie was when I woke either. There was just a note in the kitchen table as I made something to eat saying he had somewhere to be and would 'be back later'. I assumed it was Rose but he would have said Rose.
The map was still on the table.
Caim… what happened to you?
I felt that if all of these points were connected to his past then he would be hiding in a building that held a lot of memories. Which would be the places that didn't have any murders around.
Or he could be in a new place just to throw us off the track.
Just as I was pouring the water for my tea, my phone rang. It was Iain. Not that I have many contacts in the first place.
"Iain?"
"Alice, I need you here asap! Come to the alleyway of The Blue Moon, right now!"
"But where's Mattie?"
"I sent him for a job. We might have a lead on this case."
"Already?" That's amazing!
"Yes." I heard some mumbling in the background as someone talked to him, "I'll let you through."
"Through?"
"Something's happened. I think it's better if you see for yourself. See you there."
It was a rainy day. Puddles formed on the ground as cars splashed passers by. As usual there wasn't that many people but those that were out, wore dark jackets coupled with dark umbrellas.
I ran with my head pulled under my hood since it was only a ten minute walk. The Blue Moon was a park, named after the cafe that sat opposite. The alleyway was next to the cafe. It wasn't that big and as I approached, it looked smaller. Blue and red light pierced the monotone sky. The police were here. Two cars flashed in front of it. A van was parked a few cars down the road. As I slowed to a walk, I saw a bunch of people crowded before the yellow tape. I slowed to a walk. Once I pushed to the front of the line, I heard someone crying hysterically.
No…
I assumed the crying came from the small group just in the corner of the alleyway. They had their backs toward the crowd.
"Iain?" I called.
It was dark and I couldn't make out any of their faces but one of them heard me and waved. He talked to one of those people there and after a few minutes, called me over. "Lucy! Come over here!"
I huddled under the yellow tape. Every step felt like I was making mini earthquakes somewhere. Iain came to meet me in the middle. "There was an attempted attack on this woman. She gave us a description of the guy and Mattie is on his trail."
"R-Really?" I was shocked. Having just started this case yesterday and we might have a lead.
Coincidence? The thought passed my mind. I didn't know what Mattie would do if he found Caim. Would he kill him because it's his job to? Would he bring Caim into Rose for experimental purposes? That idea didn't really… I wasn't really a fan of that.
The policemen started to disperse. I could see the woman who was attacked. She had been grazed on her cheek by something sharp. It drew blood. She was just shaken up by the encounter, nothing else seemed off about her. At least that was all I could tell.
She was taken to the hospital. Iain and I saw her off.
"Iain? What do you think David would do?" I asked as I lost the ambulance in the distance.
"I'm not sure, Lucy. He could be still grieving or has regrets he won't say."
Despite being open to Mattie, he still may hold some things?
At midnight Mattie arrived back at The Manor. For a vampire of the night he looked worn out, his head looked like it was hung down and he couldn't seem to meet the concerned eyes of Iain and I.
"Where the fuck were you?" Iain cried. "I know I gave you a job but that doesn't mean you ignore us for shit long!" Iain had called him several times all of which had been either ignored or it went to voicemail.
Something is wrong. Mattie leaned on the wall next to the door, his face still directed on the floor. From what little I could see, it was frozen. Something is very wrong if I have to analyse his face for anything. Wait… Was it really Caim?
"Sorry, Iain. I couldn't give you an update because I was busy."
"Well he's here now so it's okay then?" I said trying to lighten the mood. "Mattie?"
He shook his head. "Just someone who wanted to take advantage of a woman."
"What the fuck." Iain sighed. "In daylight too."
Even though it was Mattie who said it, I had this strange feeling about it. It feels like it was a lie.
Looking at that stone face told me nothing. I shouldn't doubt him but…
"Back to square one." Iain said walking to the table where the map was still laid out. I followed him too.
"Are we waiting till a murder happens?" I asked Iain as he took a beer from the fridge.
"I suppose we have to. Ideally I'd like a lead without a death…"
Even I could tell that was an almost impossible task. Without a clear target or destination, we wouldn't know where to look.
Mattie was still leaning on the wall. He only moved when he saw me looking at him. Smiling like nothing happened.
"But Caim…"
"I checked on the files we had. There wasn't many because he had died and Rose is setup to delete personal and professional files from the moment an announcement is made. It lasts upto a week, sometimes more depending on how large the files are." He shrugged sitting down on the table. "Almost all of it was irrelevant and-" He stared daggers at Mattie on the opposite side, "if you're not going to tell us what the fuck happened, I'm putting you on home duty."
Home… duty?
Mattie flinched. "Okay, okay."
It must be bad if it got that reaction…
"I followed the guy. He went passed Whitechapel and Winchester and headed out into the outskirts. I didn't follow him any further but I know there was an abandoned family barn there."
I nodded. Whitechapel and Winchester were two blocks of housing where the city's border ended. A step further and you were in the neighbouring city. The scenery changed to fields of long grass. I only knew because our dad used to drive us to school. I remember seeing the grass as it waved through the windows of empty houses wondering what it was like to play over there.
"But why did you cover that up?" I asked Mattie.
"Because I got a good look at the guy and that guy was Caim."
Silence ticked by as no-one said a word about this and what Mattie tried to hide. A million thoughts ran across my mind, some too fast to even comprehend. There was that possibility that he was alive but I never thought… that it was true. Was it true that Mattie couldn't fully change someone? But he saw my brother after his death.
No. Don't go down this path. My reasonable side said. Mattie and Iain are the only ones who you should trust.
But…
Across the table Mattie struggled with himself. Flashes of anger, pain and confusion lit his face. Sometimes those eyes would fall on me and they would give me a small smile, but they looked away just as fast and it was back to flashing his raw emotions again.
Mattie is still in love with my brother. I inwardly sighed.
Iain was chewing his cheek with a determined expression.
"I guess…" I muttered. It was meant to be a thought but I said it outloud accidently. Their heads snapped up to look at me. "It's too late to say another theory, then?"
"Why don't you just say it?" Iain said. The words weren't harsh. More like 'I'm-tired-and-just-want-to-go-home' tone.
"Well…" I looked at them, trying to catch their eyes despite the evidence against Caim. "Have you thought that the DNA evidence might have been planted there?" I pointed at the air as another question popped up. "Also I thought you guys have known Caim for a long time? So why aren't you supporting him?"
"Well it is possible to just frame someone. But according to the good Doctor, it was saliva in and around the wound on the neck. It's pretty hard to cover your own saliva if you were planning on using someone else's. As for your other question…" Iain trailed off.
"There's not that much on it." Mattie said. He had perked up a bit. "In my lifetime I haven't encountered another vampire with the same… ability as my own. It's entirely possible that I could be the only person with this…" He shook his head. "I don't know what this even is. Does Caim know what he is? Does Caim retain any memory of before he changed? Why didn't he come to us when he was alive?" He groaned.
Mattie... feels a lot of worry about Caim. I daresay all of his thoughts are about him now that my brother is kind of alive. Why does he feel so much… regret? No. Where did the need to be forgiven even start? The moment Mattie bit into his neck?
"It makes sense if it was Caim too." Iain whispered. "The murders could be seen as a regular feeding and with it being on this scale, I doubt the blood would have tasted good."
Ah, foul tasting blood would mean more hunting.
"Alright!" Iain got up to stretch. "I think we can call it quits for today."
Eh? When I looked out of the window, the sky was mixed with red and orange. It had been almost six hours since Mattie had arrived back from stalking.
"I suggest both of you get some rest. At noon I want that barn searched discreetly."
Noon was when newer vampires would be slowest. It's only when they lived a while as a vampire, they grow accustomed to the brightness. Just like Mattie.
"I'm heading back to Rose." Iain said yawning. "Update me when you're at that barn."
Mattie and I both said our goodbyes for the day. I went upstairs to my room to sleep because I felt that if I slept on the sofa or any other comfortable place, Mattie might watch me sleep.
Not sure why I even feel like that. He's never done that to me before. At least I think he hasn't…