Chapter 7 Déjà vu
Tuesday: 7:15 a.m.
Across the city, Julian Luna sat in his office mulling over the question Buffy had asked him earlier. He was a handsome man with an aquiline nose, gelled black hair, and dark rich chocolate brown eyes. He had never thought the laws needed to change, but after listen to Buffy, he now knew the laws were antiquated. He needed to call a summit with each Primogen of each city in the U.S. and Europe. Buffy was right, he thought. The laws that were created at one point, when the Kindred needed to protect themselves from humans, needed an update. The world had changed, but some Kindred continued to live in the dark ages. Doing the same old things. They have to come out of the dark so to speak. After Buffy had left that morning, he couldn't continue his sleep. After existing all of these years, it was amazing how quickly he became accustomed to having someone like Buffy in his thoughts and in his life. He needed her, not just physically, but emotionally.
Suddenly Julian felt a wave of distress bombarding him. 'Lissa?' he called.
'I am okay Julian,' Buffy said.
'Are you sure?'
She hesitated. 'I'm sure,' she said.
Okay, he thought frowning slightly, but before he could continue probing further, she quickly shielded her thoughts.
After viewing the pictures of Ms. Dunmore, Buffy couldn't wait to get out of the morgue. Seeing what the woman once was brought home the fact that they need to find this killer quickly. She needed to find the killer. She felt as if she was trying to tread water. Every time she thought she was close, something or someone held her back, she thought with a frown. Soon that thought went out of her head. Several minutes later found her sitting in the passenger seat of a Highlander Escalade with Victor driving. There was a heavy silence as each of them settled comfortably into the seats.
"How did the autopsy go? Victor asked watching Buffy out of the corner of his eyes. "Buffy? Buffy!" he called.
Buffy stiffened abashed. "I am sorry, Victor," Buffy said, giving him a rueful smile. "My mind was miles away," she said. "The autopsy," she said, bleakly. "Doc said she was dosed with curare."
"Curare?" he asked puzzled. "What's that?" he asked.
"It's a rare drug. It's so rare, that the world had forgotten it even exists," Buffy said.
"So if it's rarely used, how come someone found it? They must be really old," said Victor frowning.
"Why do you say that?" Buffy asked, blinking with surprise.
He shrugged. "Because I've never heard of it," he said guiding the car through traffic.
"So?" Buffy retorted, her eyebrows rising in disbelief.
"Well, it's not an obvious drug," he said backtracking. "I was a cop for a long time, and I have investigated a lot of murders including several by poisoning, and not once have I heard of this drug, curare. So I thought to myself it must be an old drug, and that's why I don't remember hearing about it."
"It could be a new drug," she said, with a shake of her head. "But in this instance you are right," Buffy admitted. "Dudley said this drug was mostly found in South America."
"South America?" Victor exclaimed. "There's a lot of distance between there and San Francisco. Have you checked for any South American vampires?" he said with a grin.
"Don't be facetious," Buffy scowled, but inwardly she smiled. Even in the midst of trouble, Victor could find some levity. She frowned as she remembered Dudley had made the same statement. Maybe there was something to the idea, she thought, making a mental note to ask Julian if any vampire has visited South America lately.
He shrugged and his grin widened.
"There is more," Buffy admitted, her voice strained.
Hearing the note in Buffy's voice, Victor stole a glance at her face. "What?" he asked, his expression serious.
"Here," she said handing him the photograph.
"What's this?" he asked with a puzzled frown, looking at the picture.
"Catherine Dunmore, our latest victim," Buffy said. "This is how she used to look."
"Whoa," said Victor, taken aback. "How did you find that information quickly? The way she was mangled, I never thought we would be able to identify her. How?" he asked.
"Fingerprint?" she said succinctly. "Do you notice anything about the photograph," Buffy asked quietly.
"No," he said, but did a double take after viewing the picture more closely. "It's a picture of you," Victor said, eying her in disbelief. "Have I got the wrong photograph?"
"No," Buffy said looking out the car window. "It's not a picture of me; it's Catherine Dunmore, age 22."
"She looks like you," Victor said, stopping the car. He turned towards her. "What's going on, Buffy?"
"I don't know," she said bleakly. "The only thing I know is that young men were being killed; now they are killing women. And the way they tore into her, the violence seems to be escalating."