Hi, thank you again for the kind reviews. I appreciate to read your feelings about what happens in the story and it really gives me energi to write!!
Things are getting serious in this chapter... :)

Chapter 4: The Signature

Her footsteps echoed on the dark street. Her high heels were coming into slight contact withthe dirty, wet ground, her thin legsencased in the shiny black leather were making long strides, until her feet stopped in front of the dead body. Her hand clasped the phone, as the other one toyed with her long red ponytail. She looked at the sky; the stars were slowly disappearing in the dark sky to give way to the early morning. It had been a long night and she felt that this would be a long process as well.

The Cleaner turned and watched her team take out the equipment as she stood next to the dead body, waiting for St John. The scent of the body was strong and she took a quick look at the vampire.

She walked out of Josef's house. The meeting had taken long enough and she didn't like stupid questions, especially when the directions had been clearly given. That list was, of course, a danger for their community, but she trusted Kostan and she knew that St John and the newly turned Turner made a good team. She'd talked a little with Josef when Turner had left the house. She'd felt that he was worried and still grieving Coraline's death. She was sad too. Coraline had been her friend many years before she'd gone mad with love. St John had changed her. She'd lost herself in love and now she was dead. Well, she'd turned another human, a woman this time, and the Cleaner kind of felt why she'd chosen Turner. This woman had potentiala different way than Coraline, but still, she was interesting and smart.

As she went out to her car where the team was waiting for her, the phone rang:

"Cleaner location please."

A dark voice gave her the location and hung up. Of course she was used to it. All calls were anonymous. It was the system and it worked. She went to the car and her team drove to the location. They stopped in the corner of a dark little street, like many others she'd cleaned up. She opened the door and her long high-heeled boots made contact with the ground. She could smell the blood from where she stood. She walked down the deserted street and noticed a shadow growing bigger as she approached the location. She could distinguish a body, but this one wasn't lying on the ground as theyusually were. This one was standing. She walked closer and saw that the body was being held up by something.

The lights lit up the body from behind and made an almost biblical picture. The blue white light lit a cross and the dead body was crucified on it. The Cleaner slowly approached the crime scene and inhalated the scent of vampire's blood. It wasn't a common crime, this time it was a vampire who'd been killed.

The Cleaner now stood in front of the body and noticed that his head was nowhere place to be seen; obviously taken by the killer. That didn't make it easy to recognize the identity. Some guys from her team came and stood behind her, waiting for orders. They were surprised to find a vampire's body and observed their boss looking at the scene. She stared at the hands and the feet which were nailed down to the wood, just like Christ. The skin around the nails was burned; the nails were made of silver. Then she found something and as she saw it, she grabbed her phone in her pocket. She walked away from the body and dialed the number.

"St John?"

"It's the Cleaner. I need you right now. I have a body in front of me, decapitated and crucified."

"Why do you need me?"

"It's a vampire… and on his chest, there is a strange symbol… made in blood."

"Okay, I'm on my way."

She hung up and walked back to the body, her steps echoing on the silent street.

Shelet her fingers follow the curves of the symbol on the chest without touching it. The smell of the blood was strong and she recognized that it was the vampire's. It was obviously a signature from the killer, but she'd never seen anything like that before. She'd seen serial killer vampires murder humans, but there'd never been a crime scene like that, involving a vampire.

The symbol was strange. It seemed like it was saying something, hiding a secret meaning but she couldn't interpret it. The blood was making a circle divided in two by a vertical line. On the line a 6 was on the right part, and another one, but reversed, on the left part. As she looked at the symbol, she heard him park his car next to hers. She turned and waited for him before she'd give orders to her crew.

Mick left from his car and saw the vampires standing around their red haired boss on the little dark street. He'd just left Beth at his apartment, in his freezer. He was reluctant to leave her alone, especially after what happened. He could still feel her breath on his neck, the taste of her blood and her burning desire for him.

As he walked over to the Cleaner, Mick couldn't hold back a little smile that some of the guys from the crew noticed. He saw the lines on the crucified body as he approached the scene. He stood next to the Cleaner, waiting for her explanation, but she said nothing. She was looking at him with strange eyes which made him uncomfortable, because he knew that she smelled Beth on him.

"Sorry to destroy your romantic evening."

Mick smiled in response, embarrassed and thought that he heard some of the vampires from the crew holding back a laugh. The Cleaner had something about her that reminded him of Josef; their sarcasm maybe.

He tried to focus on the crime scene and looked at the dead vampire. He'd seen many horrible things to do with his job, but this scene had something special, a strange atmosphere. Was it because of the light? The night? The cross? He didn't know, but he felt like he was in a chapter of the Bible.

Mick tried to smell the scents and got only the dead vampire's blood. He could tell that a vampire had killed him, but he couldn't smell that for sure, the wind had blown it away.

"What do you think, St John?"

"I don't know. It looks like a punishment. The scene reminds me of the Bible. Where's the head?"

"Not here. The killer must have taken it."

"And I guess it would be stupid to ask who called?"

"Good guess. All calls are anonymous, you know that."

Mick made a step towards the body and looked at the symbol. He'd never seen anything like it before. It was in the middle of the chest, like a spell. He pulled his phone out and took a picture of the signature. He had to find the meaning of it.

The Cleaner looked at him and said: "I've never seen such a symbol before."

"Me neither. I have to find out what it means; it could help us to find out who did this."

"Do you think it has something to do with the list?"

"I don't know. But we have to identify the body."

"Yes, but it looks like the fingerprints have been burned away by the silver."

"Yes, they're burned. Look, is there any possible way to find out who called you? I know your calls are anonymous, but a vampire has been killed and it could have something to do with the list."

"I understand, St John, but all the calls are unknown. There's no way to find out who called."

Mick smiled. "There is a way to find out. But I need your phone."

"No way. I need it for my work, in case you didn't know!"

"Well, then you'll have to follow me."

"Okay. Have you finished with the body?"

"Yes."

The Cleaner left Mick alone next to the body and went to her crew. Mick saw her giving instructions to two female vampires. They were like her, black shiny leather, long hair and cold faces. They were nodding at the Cleaner with serious eyes. Then he saw the Cleaner walk to him. Behind her the two female vampires gave orders to three tall men dressed in black suits holding material to clean up.

The Cleaner was followed by the three vampires as she reached Mick. "So, where are we going?"

"I know someone who can help us."

The mercedes drove fast on the roads of L.A. The sky was now completely blue, a light blue lit by the early sun, but the city was still sleepy. It was early in the morning for humans, but late for vampires. Most vampires were going to their freezer, and most humans were still sleeping before getting woke up by the beeping of their alarm clocks. This time of day was the only time where vampires and humans weren't crossing their paths. Only two vampires in L.A were a long way from their freezer and they were driving on the deserted roads of the city.

Mick and the Cleaner hadn't talked much since they'd left the crime scene. The Cleaner wasn't the kind of vampireto waste words. She knew that St John was trying to do his best for the community and he knew what he was doing. That was enough for her and she didn't need to know more. She could feel him concentrate on the new case, but at the same time she could feel he was happy, too happy. That was so typical of young couples. St John was simply happy because he'd finally made it with Beth. Men were so predictible. Women too; they want to fall in love and when they meet the perfect guy, they want to show their love. That was nice in a mortal's life, but in a vampire's life, things were more complicated. They were gonna live forever and she didn't believe in eternal love. Coraline was the dead proof of it.

The car slowled down and finally stopped in front of a building. They stepped out of the mercedes and the Cleaner followed Mick. She was surprised when she saw that they were going downstairs, to the basement of the building. She noticed that there was a video camera over one of the doors. It was on that one that Mick loudly knocked. He lifted his face to the camera and smiled. One minute later, the door opened and she could smell the scent of vampire mixed with a stuffy smell.

They went downstairs and she discovered a room full of computers. Music was turned on, kind of rock'n roll.

"Mick, you're really late man! I was going in my freez- oh hi."

"Logan, this is the Cleaner." Mick turned to the Cleaner, "Logan is the one we need."

The Cleaner stared at the room; there were screens everywhere and on them pictures she'd never seen before. Logan, impressed, had only heard of the Cleaner, but never seen her. He noticed that she was looking at one of his computers.

"This is my favorite game, World of Warcraft. I'm the best player in the world." He smiled proudly at her but her face didn't move. She only looked at him coldly. He was going to show her his guitar hero game, when Mick began to explain why they were there.

"Logan, we need your help. It's quite urgent."

"Oh yes, of course. I can do whatever you want, man." He said, still looking proudly at the Cleaner.

"We need you to find a phone number on her mobile. Can you do that?"

"Sure. Nothing easier." He extended his hand to her, waiting for the phone. The Cleaner, who still was staring at the room, handed the phone to Mick.

"Which number do you want?"

"The last one who called her."

"Okay. Consider it done." The last sentence was said louder, so the Cleaner could hear it.

Logan sat in front of his biggest computer. He opened the phone and took out a microship that he insered in a little box next to the keyboard. Mick stood behind him and saw a window open on the screen with many numbers and letters that was a foreign language that Mick couldn't understand. Logan began to type fast on the keyboard.

The Cleaner walked slowly around the room, looking at the untidiness. She'd never understand how people could live in such a mess. She quickly understood what kind of vampire Logan was. She'd heard of hackers and those kind of men. She'd even cleaned up places for some of them. Those who called her were worse than that Logan. They were completely out of society, living dangerously alone, without friends. And when they went out, they were always asking for cleaning up. Women got killed, most of the time. Young prostitutes. She turned to look at Mick's friend and she understood that this one had the luck to have a friend like Mick. But she wouldn't be surprised if one day, he'd call her to ask for a clean up.

Logan was still typing on the keyboard and was making a small sound of surprise or disappointment. Another window opened up on the screen and Logan turned to Mick and the Cleaner. "Okay, whoever called you is one nasty, smart guy. I can't find the number right now. The guy used a kind of interferencer so it's impossible to find the ID."

"Is there no way to find the number that called her?"

"Yes there is. But it will take hours, maybe a day."

The Cleaner finally opened her mouth to speak: "I can't let my phone got that long. I told you St John, I need it for my work."

"I know."

Logan carefully cleared his throat and lifted his hand like to ask permission to talk: "I don't need the phone. All the information is logged onto my hard disk."

"Perfect! Thanks man. Call me when you have the number."

"No problem." Logan took out the microship and put it back in the phone that he handed to Mick.

The Cleaner took her phone back and said "Thank you." It was impossible to say whether she'd said it to Mick or Logan. But Logan smiled proudly and if he could have, he'd have blushed. Mick and the Cleaner walked to the stairs and left the room, leaving the vampire alone. As the door closed behind the two vampires, Logan jumped, his arms raised over his head,on cloud nine.

Mick and the Cleaner went back to the mercedes. They sat inside and the Cleaner asked: "Do you think he'll find the number?"

"Yes, he's really good. The question is, will he find it soon enough? We still have to find who the vampire was, so we can see if it has something to do with the list. And the symbole, I wonder what it means."

"Well, if you need the body, I asked my crew not to destroy it. They are waiting for you to take it. You might need someone to look at it."

"Yeah, thanks. I'll take it with me to the morgue."

The mercedes drove down the road, not alone anymore. Humans were slowly waking up, prepared to begin their new day like any other one.

***

She opened her eyes in the cold fog of the freezer. She felt fine for the first time since her turning. No bad dreams, only a strange, good feeling. She opened the lid and stepped outside. Beth was alone in the room and she noticed that his clothes weren't there. She went to the bathroom and as she stepped under the cold water of the shower, she felt everything around her in a new way. The touch on her skin felt different, she was reacting in a new way. Her senses were more aware of what was happening around her. The taste of Mick's blood was still fresh in her mouth and she enjoyed it. Bite him and drink his blood had been like a rebirth for her. The troubles of her turning were gone and she felt powerful, invicible, like no one could resist me. It was a new day and she was ready to be a vampiress.

She went downstairs, drank some blood from Mick's fridge. She noticed that he'd kept some of the bottles Josef had given her. She let the liquid fill her mouth, her oesophagus, her stomach and then spread out in her veins. Her eyes widened and she smiled as she felt herself getting stronger with the vital liquid. She smiled and took her keys. Talbot was surely waiting for her and she had to be careful.

She parked her car at the front of the building and as she went to it, she stopped to take a deep breath. All the scents penetrated her brain; she could distinguish all the humans around her. She could feel their emotions: fear, joy, anger, happiness, stress or thrill. It made her feel even more powerful because she was stronger than all of them. But life wasn't that reminded her that she wasn't invicible. She realized that she'd forgotten to put her sunglasses on. She felt the sunlight slowly burning her eyes. She quickly put her glasses on and felt the warm sun on her skin. After all, she wasn't that powerful and she still was a newly turned vampire.

As she went inside the building, she let the cold from the shadow reach her skin. She walked to Talbot's office and prepared herself for doing what Josef asked her to do. She knocked on his door and heard his voice telling her to come in. She opened it and tried to read his mind, hoping that he didn't notice that she'd made copies. She walked inside and Talbot smiled at her. She quickly understood that he didn't know about the copies and smiled back.

He looked at her and found that she still had something different in her way to look at him. This time she had a kind of light in her eyes, a light that could hypnotize anyone. He saw that she noticed he was looking at her and took the file in the drawer. He put it on the table and opened it.

Beth could tell that Talbot was nervous around her. His heartbeat showed that he was sensing something different in her and that he was trying to figure out what it was. When she smiled at him, she could hear his heartbeat go faster. He really was nervous with her around. She saw him take the file from the drawer and wanted to take a look. "Do you want me to take a look at the connection between the names or should I go back to my work?"

Talbot lifted his head, "yes of course. That's why you're here. I'm really busy and I don't know yet if it's serious or not." He handed her the pages. "Try to find the logical connection between the names. Sit there." He showed her a little table in the corner of the office. "I put it there this morning, so the file won't get out of the office."

Beth smiled but felt uncomfortable. It wouldn't be easy for her to work with him beside her. She took the files and sat at the table. She knew what the logical connection was, but she had to find a good reason for him. She tried to find answers on the names and decided to search on the internet.

She typed the first one, Jeff Pollack, on google. He was a producer and director in the movie business, "The Fighting Temptation", the last movie produced. Okay, not a Sidney Pollack… The second name, Dolores Maxford Whitaker. The name reminded her something. She tried to find her name on google but found nothing. "What does it feel like? Just once and you'll see." Lola! Her name wasn't crossed out like Pierce Anders's one. She'd seen the place full of silver explode. Could she be alive? She knew that Mick had killed her. So it meant that the people who wrote the list didn't know everything about the vampires in L.A. If so, they weren't living there. She had to tell that to Mick and Josef as soon as she could.

She'd checked the other names on the internet and wrote down the information. There was nothing logical apart from the fact that they were all vampires. Beth was completely surprised to find information on old figures of history like, Virginia Dare, or Augustus Germanicus. They were still alive and living in L.A. Maybe she'd seen them without knowing it? But for now, she had to think of something to explain why they were on the list. A private club? What could bring together Rasputin and Guillermo? Caesar and Josef? Elisabeth Bathory and Coraline? Lola and de Sade? She had to ask Mick or Josef to find something.

Beth looked at Talbot still working on all the cases. He looked calm and occupied. He trusted her enough to give her the most important case without knowing it. He seemed to be a nice guy; he'd given her a job and thanks to him, the vampire community knew they were in danger.

She looked at the clock and was going to take a break when someone knocked on the door:

"Yes, come in."

A cop went in and noticed Beth sitting in the office. "We've got a call. There's a crime scene for you."

"Could you be more specific?"

"Uh no, that's the problem sir."

"Okay; just give me the address."

"995 N Broadway, the Royal Pagoda motel, room 6." The cop handed over a piece of paper with the address on it.

"When was the call?"

"Just a minute ago."

"Okay. Beth do you want to come with me? Or maybe you've enough with the list."

A smile appeared on her face. "Oh no, I'm coming!"

Her old instincts were awake and she was ready to work on a crime scene like in the old good days. She grabbed her purse and followed Talbot.

***

His taxi stopped on one of the many streets of N.Y. He looked outside and recognized the building even if the place had changed a lot. Last time he was there was a hundred years ago. He stepped out and waited for his baggage. He paid the man and he looked at the several floors going directly to the sky; it was the middle of the night and he could barely see the stars. He lowered his head and slowly walked to the building.

The man inside welcomed Henri with a smile: "Can I help you sir?"

"Yes, my name is Henri Duvall. I have a key waiting for me, number 1608."

"Of course, sir. Here is the key. We hope you'll enjoy the place."

A bellboy took his baggage and went to the elevator followed by Henri. The door opened finally on his floor and he walked down the corridor. The lights were positioned on the dark red walls between each door and lit with a warm yellow light. Henri followed the man to the black door 1608 that he opened with his key. He went inside first and looked at the room. It had been so long ago, but nothing had changed. It was like no one had lived there since his last visit. Henri paid the man and locked the door behind him.

He went to the windows and looked at the wonderful view at night of central park and the rest of N.Y city. Last time he'd been there was with his sister. She'd just bought the apartment. She was so happy to show him her new place. He turned and walked in the large living-room. There were pictures of himself and some of Coraline with him, the one who helped her to choose the apartment; Josef Kostan.

He knocked on the door and she opened it with a wild smile. "Henri, je suis tellement contente de te voir! Come on in! I want to show you my apartment."

He followed her and as he went in the living-room, he saw a tall blond vampire sitting on a black couch with a glass of blood in his hand. The vampire didn't move as he saw Henri come in. He just smiled at him. So arrogant, Henri thought.

"Henri, this is my friend Josef Kostan. Josef, this is my sweetest brother Henri."

Henri just nodded and Coraline kept talking: "Josef is from Europe like us. He helped me to find this gorgeous place. He chose it actually. You must look at my view, Henri! Come with me." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the large window. "Isn't it beautiful?"

He just stared at the view and was astonished by the size of the city. Paris was a big town too, but N.Y had something different. He felt Coraline let go of his arm and she went over to Josef. She sat next to him and took a glass of blood.

She was happy then, she lived her life like she wanted and she had a friend. He was now standing there all alone, only seeing the ghost of his sister walking in the living-room with her wonderful smile.

Henri sat on the couch. He didn't have time to think of the past. The future was dark enough and he had to find a way to reach L.A without being noticed. He knew that his brothers had discovered his escape at this time and they would try everything to find him. That's why he decided to fly to N.Y instead of L.A. He had to put up roadblocks so his brothers wouldn't stop him from warning Josef.

He was tired, though. He went to the room where the freezer was and laid down inside. Some hours later, he woke up, went to the shower and dressed. He went to one of his bags and opened it, cold fog escaping and Henri saw his six bottles of blood. He chose one and let the liquid fill a glass.

He lifted the glass to his lips when he suddenly heard a little click in the door's lock. All his senses were focused on the door, trying to hear who was coming in. It couldn't be one of his brothers, because he was the only one who knew aboutthe existence of this place. Then, as the door slowly opened, a vampire's scent reached him. It was from a vampiress that he knew. He went to the middle of the living-room, facing her. "What are doing here, Cynthia?"

"No, the question is, what are you doing here?"

"None of your business. So?"

"In case you don't know, your sister is dead. I was looking for her things before I leave the country."

"How did you know about this place?"

"Coraline was my friend, remember? Is the questioning over?"

"Yes, come in."

"Thank you so much, Henri."

Cynthia walked in and sat on the black couch. She looked at the floor and noticed the baggage. "So, when did you come here?"

Henri knew that Cynthia was very close to Coraline, but still, he had to be very careful. "I came two days ago, after I heard about her death. I guess I needed to see the last places she'd been in USA."

"Yes, I understand. Her death was such a shock. That bastard took everything from her, even her life!"

Henri looked at her surprised. Her tone was nearly the one his brothers had used in Fontainebleau. Was she aware of something? He had to know, he had to be sure. "Yes, but she loved him so much."

"You're so naive, Henri. She didn't love him, she loved his stupid melancholy. He tried to kill her once and she tried all the same to take him back. I warned her, I saved her in the hospital and I told her to let the cure alone and go with me back to France. But no, she wanted to stay with him, instead of coming with me!"

Henri stared at her. She was being honest, he could tell it by her emotions. She really hated Coraline's husband and maybe that was the reason why he couldn't trust her. He sat next to her and took her hands. "Cynthia, I understand your sadness. I was shocked too, you do know how much I loved my sister. But we have to move on and try to live in tribute to her. We are what we are thanks to her and we must never forget how much she enjoyed life." He let go of her hands and stood up. He looked at her, smiling. He didn't believe all of what he'd said to her. Coraline did enjoy life, but not the one she'd had in France. She hated her life with her family, she hated what she was. She only became the real Coraline when she'd met her husband. But Cynthia could never understand that, she was too blind with jealousy.

As he went to the other room, he heard dangerous words coming from her mouth. "You're right Henri. We have to pay tribute to her and that's the reason why I'll keep fighting."

He acted like he didn't hear what she'd said, but he understood now what she meant. She was on their side. But how could she possibly know that he was there? He stayed in the other room and heard Cynthia dialing a number. She was now talking very low. He tried to concentrate on the sound: "Lance, bonsoir, c'est Cynthia. Listen I'm in N.Y and I just met your brother, Henri."

"New York?"

"Yes, I thought he was in Fontainebleau."

"No, he escaped. There must be a good reason why he stopped there. Anyway, try to find out what he's doing in N.Y and where he's going."

" Okay."

"There's a chance he might go to L.A, or he's just trying to desert. He's always been such a coward. Anyway, keep an eye on him. We have already someone in L.A, but I'll send you someone I know from Brooklyn."

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on him. I don't think he suspects anything."

"Good. Our father is very proud of you, Cynthia. Coraline would have been very proud of you too."

Henri heard her hang up. He went to a drawer next to the freezer and opened it. He knew that Coraline had been cautious, and especially her friend, Josef and that she'd kept weapons in case she was in danger. He found what he was looking for and went back to the living-room.

Cynthia was still sitting on the couch, now holding a glass of blood, smiling. "Don't you prefer to have some freshies, Henri? I have a number for those."

"Yes, that's a good idea."

She stood up and went over to her purse, which was lying on the floor next to an armchair. As she leaned over like she was taking out her phone, she asked: "So you didn't really tell me why you were in N.Y."

Henri was standing right behind her, the stake in his hand over her back. As she slowly stood up, he suddenly drove the stake into her flesh. Her body fell loudly onto the floor. Her face showed surprise and pain, and her eyes were staring at Henri, full of hate. "I'm in N.Y for business, I told you that. I have to meet with a friend and then leave for Montreal. I know someone there who can stop them. But it will be too late for them. Adieu Cynthia!" Henri took his baggage and left the apartment, leaving Cynthia lying in the middle of the living-room.

It had been hours since Henri left, when the door finally opened. A tall vampire slowly made his way inside, until he discovered the staked vampiress. He kneeled next to her and took the stake out of her flesh. As Cynthia felt the wood leaving her body, she cried out in relief. She would never be used to that pain. She sat on the floor and saw the vampire in front of her.

"Where is the french guy?"

"You must be the one Lance told me about. I'm Cynthia. Do I know you?"

"Where is he?"

"This bastard must have heard me talking with Lance. He staked me and I heard him saying he was going to Canada, Montreal, to find someone who could help him fight his brothers."

"How long ago did he leave?"

"I don't know, one, two hours?"

Cynthia didn't have time to stand up and grab her purse. She heard a strange sound. Then all her senses began to get fuzzy and she saw the walls turning around her. She could feel her head slowly falling down on the floor, see the vampire holding a gun in his hand. She understood what was happening to her when she felt her limbs becoming warm and paralyzed. The poison had reached her veins and filled all her body, following the long trails of her veins to her vampire's heart which pumped the poison to her brain. The view became dimmer until it became completely dark. Cynthia lay on the floor, a little silver drop in the corner of her eye, dead.

The vampire stood up and hid his gun in the belt of his trousers. He took his phone and dialed the number: "It's me."

"Yes! So do you have my brother?"

"No, he left the place. He heard the vampiress talking to you. I know where he's going, I'll catch him."

"What about Cynthia, did she follow him?"

"No, I killed her. She'd recognized my face."

Lance hung up. He was sitting in the living-room with all his brothers. "Well good news, my brothers. We have one dead vampire in L.A, one dead in N.Y and my man is following Henri's trail. Everything is just perfect!"

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