Mike Visits

She was sitting behind her desk after the meeting finishing up paperwork, when the outer door opened and she heard a familiar voice calling out, "Vicki, I need to talk to you."

Vicki grabbed the tinted glasses from the top drawer of her desk and put them on as Mike walked into her office. "Mike! What brings you here?"

"Vampires." He spat out in disgust, "You remember them?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That royal bastard. He's killing again."

Vicki tried to get her thoughts lined up, "Henry? Are you talking about Henry?"

"How many royal bastard vampires do you know? Yes, I'm talking about Fitzroy. Do you know where he is?"

"Not at this moment. What's this all about?"

Mike pulled a picture out of his inner coat pocket and dropped it on Vicki's desk. "Look at her. Look at her neck. Vampire bite. See it."

Vicki pulled a magnifying glass from the top drawer and studied the picture carefully. "It's hard to say if it's vampire or not. I never saw one of Henry's neck bites up close. But this looks too small to be a human bite."

"Fitzroy's not human. Yes or no. Do you know where he is?"

"No... not now." Vicki tried to give honest answers and not say anything.

Mike paced back and forth, "I thought I was done with all this crap. There was a complaint filed by a bunch of drunk girls about seeing a vampire at a Halloween party. Now this. He's back I know it. I can feel it. You stay away from him. You hear me. Vicki, I mean it."

Vicki took a deep breath trying to keep her vampire under control while her temper flared, "You lost the right to tell me what to do. That is if you ever had the right. If Henry walks in that door right now he will be welcome. I know he would never do this."

There was a breeze and Henry stood before her desk, "Thank you for the welcome and vote of confidence. Detective, I wish I could say I was happy to see you. What are you accusing me of this time?"

Mike looked at him in pure disgust, "Royce! I knew there was something wrong about him. Killer. Bastard." Mike reached for his ankle and the wooden stake he kept ready.

Henry held up the stake and said, "Looking for this? Yes, I've killed in the past. Yes, I am a bastard. No wooden stake tonight. Now Celluci I suggest you speak nicely to Vicki. If you're lucky she won't loose her temper." Henry threw the stake hard enough that it penetrated the plaster board and suck. He then used the stake as a peg to hold up his coat.

Mike stood mouth open as the coat remained hanging. "Someday Fitz bastard, you're going to make a miscalculation, and I'll be standing in your dust."

Henry gave a slight bow, "Until then detective."

Vicki held up her hands, "Stop it both of you. I now have a vivid recollection of why I...Forget it. Take your argument somewhere else. I have work to do. You do too Celluci, go work. Henry you kill anyone lately?"

He took a dramatic stance, pondered the question and shook his head, "Not lately. No."

Turning her head toward Mike. "See I told you. Henry didn't do it. Now go bother someone else."

Mike picked up the picture and handed it to Henry, "Give me your expert opinion on this bite."

Henry studied the picture then allowed his eyes to darken. He pulled back his sleeve and bit his own arm. Held out the picture in the hand of the arm with the bite. "Compare them Celluci. Not even close."

Mike looked at the evidence staring him in the face. Snatched the picture from Henry's hand and said, "Thanks for the visual. Got any ideas?"

"Are you asking for my help?"

Mike looked at him, "NO! Your help in the past left me with nightmares and the loss of my girl."

Vicki stood, "Mike you lost me long before Henry ever came into our lives."

Mike pivoted on his heel and walked out.

Vicki waited until she was sure he was gone then let her eyes change and fangs appear, "What are you thinking Henry? Have you developed a death wish? Being seen by hysterical girls and now Mike!"

"The girls was an accident. Mike was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Are we going to look into the murder?"

Vicki's features returned to human, "I really really want to say yes but I can't afford to have Mike know about me. What kind of bite was it?"

Henry picked up pen and paper and made an accurate sketch of the dead girl and the bite. "Not vampire. Not human. The pathologist Dr. Mohadevan is very good. She'll figure out what made the bite. Mike will be back if he needs us. Let's go find a meal."

Vicki glanced at her schedule and saw nothing pending for the rest of the night. She turned off her desk light and Henry grabbed his coat from the new wall peg. Vicki gave it a pat as she walked by, "I like it much better there. Mike will have to find a new place to hide his next stake. Be very careful Henry."

He put his arm around her waist and said, "You be careful too my love. There is more at stake than just me."

Vicki snarled to Henry as they continued hunting, "You know you could have stayed hidden? Why did you have to show yourself to Mike?" He refrained from smiling, knowing that hunger was making her irritable, "I could have but Mike was getting suspicious of Royce."

She saw a young couple standing and kissing outside a neat little house but kept walking. No sense in disturbing young love. Trouble came soon enough. "What do you mean by that. He only met you once as Royce and that was in the daylight."

"Jamus is Mike's plant in your office."

Vicki stopped turned to Henry and allowed her eyes to change. "Tell me that's not true? Damn, you mean Jamus came looking for a job because Mike sent him?"

"Pretty much. Don't be too hard on either one of them. Jamus does good work and Mike was only trying to help you. You have been hardheaded since your sight started failing. What happened in the condo didn't make you any more reasonable. If Mike hadn't found a way to help you, I would have."

Vicki walked faster trying to get away from Henry and the truth. Angry beyond all reason she was in a mood to kill. Henry caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could. She fought, swore and bit with all the passion an angry, hungry vampire had in their possession. Henry absorbed the blows, the words, and the bites. He held her and whispered words of love. "Stop. Accept it. You are hardheaded, independent, stuborn, strong, and a forceful woman. You are loved. Mike loves you and I love you. Enough. Lets find a meal and go home." He held her and slowly loosened his grip.

She stood breathing heavy. "All I ever wanted was to stand on my own two feet. Alone, master of my own fate. Why can't anything be all my own?"

Henry rested his forhead on hers, "Is that what you really want? To be alone?"

She looked at the dusting of freckles and his smile. His eyes were always a window into his heart. She could feel his love for her in the way he held her and hear it in the sound of his voice. She raised her hand to let her fingers touch the few remaining freckles left behind after their one day in the sun and said, "You stay right were you are in my life. And find me dinner."

Henry looked into the distance, "I hear some heartbeats in the park. Perhaps they can be persuaded to make a donation to stop vampire hunger."