4

David went out the door, leaving me seated alone at my office desk. He came back immediately.

"Spike and Harmony are here." he said. "Do you want to call the police?"

I told him, "No. Let me see if I can talk to them first. I don't want police cars outside two nights in a row. It'll be bad for business."

I got up from behind my desk, walked past David, went through the doorway and out into the Club.

It was still early. The customers were few. Yolanda stood beside the bar, speaking softly in Spanish, to Jorge the bartender. They were nervously watching Spike and Harmony, who were seated in a booth. They both had martinis in front of them.

I came over to the booth.

I spoke softly. "You two shouldn't be here."

Spike said, "Good evening to you too Valerie."

"Listen." I told them, "Do you remember, I told you about Kelly Taylor?"

Harmony said, "Yeah. 'The big blonde bitch'."

I made a hushing sound.

"Don't say that." I told Harmony. "She was killed last night. Right outside in the parking lot. By a vampire."

Harmony smiled. She whispered. "Well hooray for you girl. Your very first kill."

"No. Don't say that. Someone from Angel Investigations identified both of you to the police. They could be on their way here right now."

Spike said, "Someone from Angel Investigations is here ahead of them."

He looked toward the bar and said, "Cordelia."

Harmony also said, "Cordelia." in unison with him.

A black haired woman around my age was seated at the bar, dressed in a stylish white business outfit. She had a matching handbag set down beside her glass of red wine. She'd been in the Club a few times before, escorted by an English guy named Wesley. Unlike Spike, Wesley spoke with an upper class English accent. Tonight she was alone.

When Spike and Harmony spoke the name; the woman turned and looked in our direction. Then she got up off the stool and came over to us. As she approached us, she reached inside her zipped open handbag, and kept her hand there.

Spike and Harmony both got tense. I hoped they wouldn't display their fangs.

The woman came up to the table.

Harmony said, "Hi Cordy. How're things going with you and Angel?"

She said, "Good evening Harm, Spike, and hello...I don't know your name."

"I'm Valerie Malone." I told her, "I'm the manager here, and I don't want any trouble."

"Nobody ever does," said Cordelia, "but you had plenty last night. A Miss Kelly Taylor was killed by a vampire, who was probably one of you three."

"Us three?" I said, "I'm not a vampire."

"I come from Sunnydale Miss Malone, just like Harmony; who was a friend of mine when she was alive. I am also a friend of Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer herself. When I attended Sunnydale High..."

Harmony said, "She was the skankiest ho in the entire Senior Class."

"As I was saying," Cordelia went on, "I was part of the Slayer's inner circle; so I know a vampire when I see one."

Spike said, "Well you're not seeing the killer of Kelly Taylor standing here. All of us've only been drinking pig's blood."

Harmony said, "That's all I've had. How about you Val?"

I looked Cordelia straight in the eye and said, "I didn't kill Kelly Taylor."

She asked me, "Did you vamp her?"

"I said I didn't!"

"If she was vamped," Cordelia said, "then when she comes back undead, she'll be able to tell us who her killer was."

I told her, "I said I don't want trouble Cordelia. Now I'm asking you to leave."

"Very well Miss Malone. I'll be leaving now; but like the Governor of our great State said, 'Ahl be bahk', and I won't be alone."

I told her, "Neither will I. Hasta la vista, behbeh."

"And by the way Harmony." The woman told her, "I was never the 'skankiest' ho," she smirked, "but I was the best."

Cordelia turned around and went out the door.

Harmony said, "I don't know how she does it. Cordy's been working for Angel the vampire, for the last two years, and she's still alive? If I had a hunk like him for a boss, and with her looks, my life expectancy would have been one week at the most."

Now Spike said, "Did you vamp her Valerie? Will she be able to I.D you?"

"No." I repeated, "I didn't kill Kelly Taylor."

He asked, "Do you have any idea who did?"

"Wasn't it one of you?"

Harmony asked, "Why would we? I know you couldn't stand her, but what motive would we have?"

I said, "I told you that Kelly Taylor was the second great love of Dylan McKay's life. By killing her, you've made certain, that he'll return to Beverly Hills."

"Good idea." She said, "I wish I'd thought of that. You're gonna make one really good vampire Val."

The door opened, and Steve Sanders entered. Tonight he looked grim. He came over to me.

"Hi Valerie." He said, "It really sucks about Kelly, doesn't it?"

I heard Harmony snicker.

"Hi Steve." I said, "Don't say 'suck'. David might think it's a vampire joke, and he's in an irrational rage."

Steve said, "Who isn't?"

I asked, "Has anyone heard from Dylan?"

"Yeah. Brandon got an E-mail from Brenda this morning. She said that she and Dylan would be taking the next flight. We'll probably see them both in the morning."

I said, "So they're together again?"

"I don't know. All I know is what I told you. That's what Brandon told me."

Steve went over to the Bar, where he joined David, who was speaking with Jorge and Yolanda. They all turned and looked at me, Spike and Harmony.

Spike said, "Val's right Harmony. Time for us to split."

My two new vampire friends got up and went out the door fast.

David and Steve hurried over to me.

David said, "What'd you do? You let them go?"

I said, "What do you mean, 'Let them go'? What was I supposed to do? Arrest them? I'm not a cop. I told them I don't want any more trouble here. They said they didn't either; and now there won't be."