Chapter 6 - Senses

Mike sat at the bar smiling at the blond seated down at the end. She was tall and attractive and definitely interested as far as he could tell, Mike was making a move towards her when Henry appeared from nowhere, effectively putting those plans on hold.

"Hey Henry can I get you a real drink" said Mike pulling out the slim case file and pushing it across the bar towards a distracted Henry.

"Everything ok?" asked Mike

Henry looked up at Mike. Vampires led solitary lives, they fed mostly off strangers, they made love to strangers and a select few special ones. A very small number of humans knew who and what they were but didn't share day to day lives with them. When a lover or friend was turned they became a child to them and were cared for that first year of their life as a walker of the night before territorial issues drove them apart.

In his mortal life before being brought over hundreds of years ago, Henrys relationship with his first wife was be st described as a partnership. They had of course consummated their marriage but moved a part and led separate lives after that fact. It was assumed when they both grew older that they would come together as many times as necessary to produce the heirs needed. There was no passion, no intimacy which was why Christina arrival at court had turned everything upside down. The passion, the passion was overwhelming and in the end he wanted to live that life of passion with the woman he thought he loved.

But what Henry needed right now was a friend who lived a normal, human life. Mike in some ways was that friend without the ties of blood taking or passion.

"What do you think Henry?" asked Mike changing the subject knowing that Henry would talk when he was ready, if at all

"Think about what?"

"The blond" said Mike indicating with his eyes the tall blond at the end of the bar looking in his direction smiling.

"Well her pupils are dilating as she's looking at you, her heart rate increased slightly and she skin is becoming warmer. Now if I was closer I could probably smell..."

"Is that the vampires secret huh, superior information gathering" asked Mike laughing. Henry could sell his services for top dollar. Mike sighed hoping that after he and Henry had scanned the bar asking questions looking for clues about the disappearance of that first girl 'she the blond' would still be there.

"Lets get to work and feel free to use that vampire mojo, we need answers". Mike pushed the information they had on the victim plus her photo towards Henry.

Henrys sharp intake of breath caught Mikes attention. "What, do you know her"

"Yes, it was sometime ago but she once was..." Henry let the sentence drift away lost in memories of his encounter with her over a month ago. It was just a feeding against the wall in the back of another nightclub and he made sure she received as much pleasure as he did. He didn't even know her name. Looking up at Mike, Henry asked "what was her name".

"You 'knew' her and you don't even know her name?"

"Do you have any idea how many 'names' I would have to remember over the last 450 years, so no I didn't know her name".

"Ok lets move on shall we, her name was Sarah Geller 22 years old and was still living with her parents. Studying literature at Toronto University straight A student. Never been in trouble and had many friends. I was the one who had to speak to her parents Henry. Her mother couldn't even stand and her father. Mike shook his head trying to get rid of imagine. It never got any easier, breaking the news to a family.

"I'm so sorry" said Henry looking again at the photo and sad that this beautiful young life was gone, sad that she was only a meal one night to him and nothing more.

"Lets go hunt us a killer" Mike tossed back the last of his drink and both he and Henry walked into the crowd mingling and gathering as much information as they could about her last hours there.

(Authors note: Henry Fitzroy married his first wife in 1533. They were both 14 at the time. It was often the case the such young couples didn't spend much time together until they were older.)