Chapter 2 - A wake up call
Henry stirred in bed feeling Vicki's lips kissing his.
"Wake up sleepy head" she whispered into his ear. A groan was his reply desperately trying to pull the sheets over his head.
"I had a late night" Henry mumbled.
"I'll call later" Vicki kissed the top of his head smiling down at the tousled curls noting that there was a faint smell of cigarettes. This surprised her as he usually didn't hang around clubs much any more. She would ask about that later. Henry knew how she felt about them now.
Henry slowly surfaced back from under the sheets as Vicki shut the door behind her. Sometimes he missed his old life of falling into a dreamless state when the sun came up. Admittedly he was to all intensive purposes dead but it was peaceful. He never knew how many adjustments were necessary to live a mortal/vampire life and sometimes found it hard.
Rolling out of bed and stretching his perfect naked body he wandered into the kitchen contemplating whether or not to try a cup of coffee to see if it could jump start his day. Henry sniffed the contents of the freshly poured cup and wrinkled his nose at the smell. Definitely not what he was wanting.
Just then Henry heard a knock at the door and the unmistakable smell of one Chief Inspector Mike Celluci. He smiled as he walked to the door opened it.
"Good morning Inspector, to what do I own the pleasure" said Henry leaning naked against the door frame.
"Are you bored Henry and trying to get a rise out of me or is this a new look for comic book artists" Mike replied walking past the naked vampire without batting an eyelid.
Henry smiled at Mikes back and went into the bedroom to find his favorite red silk robe. If that robe could talk there would be quite a few tales it could tell.
"I'm not a morning person and Vicki has already left for the day, I'm sorry you missed her by only 5 minutes"
"It wasn't Vicki I was wanting to talk to, its you." replied Mike.
"Henry I need your help on a case I'm working on with some detectives."
"Vicki's the real detective now, shiny badge a gun and all, what do you need me for" Henry settled back into his chair after handing Mike his coffee made just the way he liked it.
"There been five missing persons cases in the last 5 weeks, all young girls and all of them disappearing from nightclubs around town"
"And I come in where?" asked Henry raising an eyebrow.
"One of the girls turned up dead a few days ago. We didn't know it was the first missing girl as the body was so badly decomposed it took the good Dr Mohadevan 3 days to track down the dental records."
"As much as I enjoy discussing cases I don't see where I fit into this Mike, said Henry going back to the kitchen. Would you like some toast with the coffee" he asked over his shoulder deciding that he might try some food this morning.
"Yer sure" replied Mike before going on.
"I'm coming to you Henry because we're not sure who or what killed her" said Mike talking in the direction of the kitchen smiling to himself at the picture of domestic house husband Henry made buttering the toast in his red robe.
"The body was too badly decomposed?" asked Henry
"No, its not that, its the body appears to have been savaged like by an animal. The throat was torn out. Whatever did this was incredibly strong and I hate to say this Henry said Mike leaning against the kitchen door frame and taking the plate of toast in hand. I think this is one of those cases" finished Mike putting the emphasis on 'those'.
Henry stopped still in the kitchen trying to make sense and then growling low in his throat turning away from Mike his face closing down tightly on itself.
"Now you see why I need your help Henry, if Vicki gets wind of this seven months pregnant or not she'll think it has something to do with her and the marks and she'll go charging in like she always does thinking only Vicki Nelson, sorry make that Vicki Fitzroy can save the day" Mike took another bite of his toast watching for Henry's reaction.
Henry walking away from his food no longer hungry, running his hand through his hair in frustration.
"Astaroth dead, Henry said over his shoulder, this shouldn't be happening"
"I know Henry but even before he became a problem for all of us you existed and if you exist then there must be some other things out there who could do what I saw down in the morgue"
"Fine Mike fine" said Henry walking out of the kitchen.
"You'll do it?" asked Mike knowing already that Henry had no choice, he knew Vicki too well.
Henry nodded without looking at Mike. Angry with Mike for drawing him back into a world he never wanted to be a part of again but knowing just what that head strong wife of his would do if she found out.
"Ok call me tonight when you go out hunting said Mike. I'll take you to the nightclub the girl disappeared from and we can start there."