Mimi woke up a little later then she normally did to find Roger was not there with her. Figuring that he'd already gotten up, she pulled herself out of bed and lifted Rodolfo out of the crib, heading out into the living room area, which was deserted apart from Emily, who was going over what looked like a grocery list at the metal table in the kitchenette.
"Morning, Mimi," Emily greeted. Mimi returned the greeting, fighting back a laugh as she remembered what Roger had interrupted her and Mark doing last night.
"So, did you and Mark have a good night?" Mimi asked with a devious smile.
"What Mark and I do when we're alone, Mimi, is our personal, private business," Emily replied, the hints of a smile forming in the corners of her mouth. "And you should know me well enough to understand that I don't kiss and tell." Mimi chuckled as she placed Rodolfo in his high chair, and opening the fridge to put his breakfast together.
"Want to do something today?" Mimi asked as she started to feed her son. Emily paused for a moment. When she did reply, she didn't look up and kept her eyes focused on her shopping list.
"Thanks for the offer, Mimi, but I sort of had a full schedule planned. Wenceslas is due for a standard check-up at the vet's and they said they might have room for Maya as well, we're running a bit low on food, so I'll need to head out to do some shopping, Roger mentioned something about running low on AZT yesterday, so I'll need to go down to the clinic for refills, and I need to squeeze in a trip to the drug store for some insulin… and prenatal vitamins."
"Wow, that really is a…." Mimi stopped in mid-sentence as Emily's final words sank in. "What did you…? Emily, are you kidding me?!" Finally, Emily looked up, with a slow smile stretching across her face.
"Just found out yesterday." Mimi let out an excited shriek, hugging her friend.
"Oh, Emily, congratulations! Does Mark know yet?"
"That's why we were… celebrating last night."
"Why didn't you say anything about it earlier!?" Mimi pretended to scold Emily. "We're his or her aunts and uncles! We have a right to know."
"Mimi, come on," Emily laughed. "Mark and I were planning on telling you guys tonight, down at the Life. That way, you'd all hear at the same time. Can you imagine how Maureen would react if she was the last to find out? We were going to wait until everyone was together to avoid that scene." Grinning, Mimi once again hugged Emily in excitement before noticing that Mark wasn't anywhere in sight.
"Speaking of Mark, where is he?"
"He and Penny went off to a pumpkin patch to select pumpkins to carve up for Halloween."
"And did Roger go with them?" Emily suddenly frowned.
"Isn't he still in bed?"
"No, he's not. Why?"
"Well, Mark and I haven't seen him since last night. I thought he was still sleeping."
"Do you mean you and Mark didn't see him today at all?" Mimi was quickly growing concerned.
"I just told you we didn't." Mimi collapsed into a chair, her face pale with worry.
"What if he didn't come home at all?" Mimi whispered in fear.
"What do you mean?"
"Robbie called late last night, and Roger went out to help him with some emergency. Emily, what if something happened to him? What if he got mugged, or ran into the Man, and he took his anger over loosing me as a customer out on Roger?" For a brief moment, equal concern appeared on Emily's face, but she quickly brushed it aside.
"Mimi, I'm sure he's fine," she assured. "Roger probably just was too tired to make the trip back home after helping Robbie with the emergency and crashed at his place for the night.
"You think so?"
"I'm sure that's what happened. We can even call up Robbie and ask him." Emily crossed the room to the phone and dialed Robbie's number. However, she was rewarded by almost fifteen rings, and no answer. Sighing, Emily hung up and turned to Mimi. "Remind me to talk him into buying an answering machine, or at least get him to make Rupert and Jerry learn to answer the phone when it rings."
"So, I take it Robbie's sleeping," Mimi concluded.
"Most likely. Come on, get your coat. We're heading down in person." Nodding, Mimi quickly stepped into the bedroom to grab her leopard skin coat while Emily secured Rodolfo in his carrier before writing a quick note for Mark and Penny, in case they got back home before she and Mimi did.
Robbie was sprawled out on his water bed, muttering something under his breath, with an issue of Rolling Stone draped over his face.
"Hey, Dad!" Rupert tugged on Robbie's arm. "Wake up!" Robbie mumbled something incoherent and simply rolled over.
"Dad!" Jerry jumped up on the bed, shaking him as hard as he could. "Dad!"
"Wazzamadder?" Robbie groaned, opening his eyes and scratching the back of his neck.
"Start talking, Robbie," Mimi ordered, her hands on her hips. Instantly, Robbie was fully alert.
"Oh, hey, Mimi, Emily. Aw, and little Rodolfo's here, too! Should I break out the snacks?"
"Robbie, just tell me where Roger is," Mimi spoke sternly.
"Roger? He's not here."
"So, he did leave your place last night?" Emily asked.
"What are you girls talking about? Roger wasn't here last night."
"Spare me the sh-t," Mimi demanded. "You were the one who called him up around three in the morning, talking about some emergency." Robbie frowned in confusion, looking from Mimi to Emily.
"Mimi, I don't know what you're talking about," Robbie replied. "I never called Roger. Honestly, I didn't." Mimi's sternness vanished, seeing the genuine honestly on Robbie's face.
"You didn't call him last night?"
"No, I didn't."
"But then… where'd he go?" Mimi dropped to a sitting position on Robbie's bed, her shock and worry making it impossible for her legs to support her as a terrible fear hit her. "Sh-t, you don't think… you don't think he might be using again, do you?"
"No!" Robbie and Emily adamantly replied in unison.
"Mimi, trust me," Robbie insisted. "Roger's through with that stuff."
"Besides, he'd never do that to you," Emily agreed.
"Then why is he not back home yet?" Mimi asked desperately.
"I don't know. But we'll find him."
Hours passed by. The Bohemians had called up everyone who had even the smallest connection to Roger, but to no avail. No one had seen him since he'd left the Condo during the night. Over at the window, Mimi was close to tears, and Joanne and Collins doing their best to comfort her while Maureen held Rodolfo. Nana was also there to see if there was anything she could do to help out. Rupert and Jerry were sitting at the metal table with Penny, being absolutely quiet. In light of the situation, they had no desire for their normal antics. Mark and Robbie were both still out asking around, leaving Emily to speak with Officer Kurtz, who had came over almost immediately after he'd been notified of Roger's disappearance.
"I'll do what I can," Officer Kurtz promised the Bohemians. "But I'm afraid that, until Mr. Davis has been missing for twenty-four hours, there's not much I can do. Especially not now, with most of the force concentrated on what happened to that longshoreman."
"You mean the one who died in the freak accident?" Collins surmised. "No offence, Officer Kurtz, but I don't see how that would take up so much time of you and the other cops." Officer Kurtz rubbed his eyes wearily.
"Well, I suppose I wouldn't be breaking any rules by telling you. I'm sure it'll leak out to the public sooner or later."
"Tell us what?" Penny spoke up, curiosity taking hold.
"Well," Officer Kurtz began to explain. "You do realize that, when a dead body is found, the police need copies of autopsy reports for their files. When I went down to get the autopsy for the longshoreman, Dr. Jordan told me personally something rather strange that the autopsy revealed about the cause of death. That longshoreman was completely drained of blood. And the only visible injuries were two puncture wounds, where the neck meets the shoulder."
At that moment, a sudden cry escaped from Nana's throat. The elderly Asian woman was staring at Officer Kurtz, completely pale.
"Nana, what is it?" Emily cried, tangible concern toward the woman who'd raised her etched on her face. Nana did not answer Emily, but continued to stare at Officer Kurtz.
"Kevin," she whispered finally. "Please tell me you didn't just say what I thought you said."
In a cool, drafty room in Belvedere Castle, the vampire, who was known as Kain, stood by impassively, gazing intently at the multiple bone white candles, the only light source within the room. This place would do quite nicely as his home.
As Kain absorbed himself in his musings, a low groan was emitted from the still form lying on the floor behind him. Kain turned to the figure, smiling cruelly.
"So, you've finally awoken, have you?" he smirked as the figure slowly got to his feet. "Very good. Step into the light, and let your master look at you." Without a word, the second individual stepped forward, the candlelight flickering across Roger's face. At first glance, he was the same as ever, still retaining his handsome features. But if someone looked closer, they'd see that that there was now a sinister shadow cast over his face, and the caring green eyes that once gave off nothing but warmth were gone, replaced by pitiless red orbs against a yellow sclera. When Roger took a breath, the newly formed fangs in his mouth were clearly displayed. Kain proceeded to circle the tainted Roger, admiring his new servant.
"I was right. You were indeed perfect for the role I required of you. The darkness in your heart and soul fueled the transformation perfectly." Kain stopped circling Roger and looked him straight in the face. "Listen to me, my servant. The being you once were is no more. You are no longer the mortal who bore the name Roger Davis. That identify is nothing to you. You are, from this day on, known only as Crimson. Do you understand?"
"Yes," came the emotionless reply.
"How do you feel, Crimson?"
"Hungry." Kain's cold smile widened as he took note of the menacing growl that had rumbled in the newly-christened Crimson's throat.
"Good, good," Kain nodded in satisfaction. "Let that hunger grow, Crimson. For tonight, your first hunt will commence. Until then, conserve your energy."
"As you wish, Master." Crimson sank back into the shadows to await nightfall.