Chapter 8

"Sometimes the past doesn't just catch up with you …" Mick watched the Buzzwire report in awe. There she was, little Bethie Turner, now Miss Beautiful Beth Turner, all grown up and looking hot. All his senses were on overload. But what was she saying? A mysterious ritual death down by the Hearst College fountains?

Josef will be having a cow. Mr. Keep-it-on-the-downlow about us being, you know, vampires. But this was something Mick would definitely have to check out.

He wondered how long she'd been on Buzzwire? Couldn't have been that long since just last week he had checked it out and found only Britney Spears' latest meltdown. No Beth Turner. Still, she had been pretty good. Definitely a huge step above their usual reporting.

He broke all speed limits to get over there. Must have only been less than 10 minutes. Goes to show you that in L.A., it pays to have great night vision and superior driving skills. He parked the Mercedes in the shadows and waited. Sure enough, there she was in that creamy-brown jacket, striped shirt and jeans that molded her curves. And boy, did she have them. This was little Bethie? Last time he had seen her she was more of a stick. Now she was lush and with all that shining blonde hair. The blue eyes were widening as she spotted and bore down on him. Cripes, too late to dodge. Ah, come on, old man, you're a vampire. You could have disappeared. Face it, you want this!

She has a puzzled look as if she somehow recognizes him and he gives her an out with his "one of those faces" lines. Then she hits him up with her vampire question. Of course, there's no vampires!

Somehow he doesn't think she's buying that one. He can hear her start talking about the dead girl … and he really does disappear. In mid-sentence. Sometimes these vampire powers do come in handy.

He'll have to head over to Josef's. Nip his oldest friend's paranoia in the bud. This murder doesn't look like it'll be anything out of the ordinary, he'll bet not vampire related. Still, Josef will need to hear it from him. He doesn't trust anyone else.

He's probably right.