The stake was in the top drawer of my desk. After my conversation with Bill I'd checked to make sure the weapon was suitable sharp, should I need to use it tonight. I hadn't made up my mind either way. If guilty Long Shadow would need to be punished and punished severely. I couldn't decide whether staking the thief was the best option. Things had been simpler when I was newly turned. There hadn't been so many laws regulating our behavior. A vampire did as he or she liked so long as it didn't endanger our race as a whole. As the centuries wore on more and more restrictions were put in place, the strictest being on the slaying of other vampires. Today, even with cause, I would have to pay a steep fine to end Long Shadow's existence. The legalities were vexing indeed. I needed to decide whether the financial loss would be worth the pleasure of driving a stake through his traitorous heart.
"Why don't we kill them all and be done with it?" Long Shadow had arrived and entered my office without bothering to knock, a miscalculation on his part. As Sheriff I expect more respect than to have my underlings enter without basic courtesy and launch into a conversation with preamble. Pam knocked on my open office door before I had time to reprimand Long Shadow for his rudeness.
"Sheriff." Pam inclined her head to the exact degree required by etiquette. After she completed her salute she strode forward and stood at attention before my desk. She was the picture of a proper second in command, with the exception of the wicked gleam in her eyes. This production was purely for Long Shadow's benefit. Pam preferred to show respect through deeds, not decorum. Long Shadow appeared to recognize his error and quickly moved back to stand beside Pam. His fangs, which had been slightly extended, retracted into his gums. Whether they had been out due to his anger at being robbed or anger at being caught was impossible to say.
"Long Shadow, because we are partners in this bar and thus interested parties in this theft, I will explain to you my reasoning, but do not forget which of us is Sheriff."
"Yes, Sheriff." Long Shadow adopted the façade of a chastened underling, but I suspected it to be no more authentic than Pam's display.
"I have no desire attract the attention of the human authorities by putting all of our human staff to death, nor do I wish to close Fangtasia for the time it would take us to restaff. Thus I have decided to use this theft as a trial run for my newest asset." Both vampires looked confused for a few seconds before recognition dawned on Pam's face.
"Do you mean Bill Compton's human?" I felt an unexpected rush of irritation towards Pam's use of the possessive.
"Yes. She will be arriving shortly" I had fully apprised Pam of the events leading up to the raid. She knew of Sookie's unusual ability. I had not seen fit to share this information with Long Shadow, which was why he continued to appear puzzled.
"The tasty blonde? What good is she?" Again I felt a wave of displeasure. Long Shadow's description was undoubtedly accurate, however I disliked his disrespectful assessment of what would one night be my possession.
"Miss Stackhouse has a unique gift that will allow us to find our thief, she can read minds." Long Shadow at first snorted at my words, but the look I gave him wiped the disbelief off his face.
"It was through her assistance that we were forewarned about the raid last month." It could have been my imagination but I could have sworn I saw fear in Long Shadow's eyes for a brief second.
"All minds?" I had briefly considered the possibility that the scope Sookie's power went beyond her own species, but I had dismissed almost immediately. During our interview Bill had been signaling the human by gripping her arm. If she'd been able to read his mind it would not have been necessary. Also if the woman had heard some of my more explicit thoughts, surely she would have reacted in some way, preferably by offering herself to me on the spot.
"No, only human minds." Long Shadow relaxed almost imperceptibly. If I hadn't been expecting it I would not have caught it.
"Perhaps because there is not much there to read." I allowed myself a small grin at Pam's humor. Long Shadow did not share in our mirth.
"I don't like trusting this to a human. Even if she can tell who did it, who's to say she won't lie about it?"
"If she lies I'll know. I can always tell when someone is deceiving me." Long Shadow and I stared at each other for a long moment before he glanced away and shrugged.
"The choice is, of course, yours Sheriff. I still think I could find answers faster than any telepath." Yes I was sure he would. The question was would they be truthful answers.
"Should the human fail, we will explore alternate means of interrogation. " I allowed my fangs to run out, suggesting that the 'alternate means' would be very bloody indeed. It was only a question of whose blood.
I sent Pam to wait at the side entrance for the arrival of Bill and Sookie. Long Shadow reverted into his resting state. Looking at him I impartially reviewed the observations I'd made regarding his behavior. Long Shadow had appeared to be edgier than usual tonight, but his mood could easily be the result of being robbed. In point of fact I had nothing remotely concrete to base my suspicions. My principal reason for suspecting him was that I didn't credit any of the humans with the brains to carry off the scheme. Was that experience or arrogance talking? Too many vampires meet their doom because they underestimate the steak of duplicitous cunning in humans. I had either under-estimated a human's intelligence or over-estimated a vampire's loyalty. I needed to be prepared for either possibility.
A short while later Pam escorted Bill and Sookie into my office. The visible bite marks on Sookie's neck and the way she clutched Bill's hand suggested the relationship between them had strengthened not waned since our last encounter. Mildly displeasing but not of pressing importance under the circumstances. Still I took a moment to admire how nicely her tee-shirt hung on her delightful figure. Since she was facing me I had no way of knowing if the jeans suited her equally well, but I had every confidence that they did. Caught up in the stream of images that accompanied this thought, I almost missed Bill deep nod. Yet another vampire presenting me with the semblance of respect and loyalty.
"Bill, Sookie. Bill, you and Sookie know Long Shadow. Sookie, you remember Pam. And this is Bruce." For the first time in several minutes I acknowledge the presence of the sweating human sitting across from me. During my discussion with Long Shadow he had been cowering in his chair attempting to make his mass smaller so as not to attract attention. Such efforts were wasted of course, a vampire is always aware of a ready meal so close at hand. Fortunately for him, his blandness and insignificance keep him at barely a blimp on my radar. The attractive and curious creature was much more worthy of my attention. "Sookie listen to Bruce." Now that the pleasantries were taken care of we could commence with the business of the night. The human grasped my meaning almost immediately.
"What exactly am I listening for?" Her tone was rather sharp for a human surrounded by vampires. I supposed she was put out at being drafted into my service. Irrelevant. In time she would come to accept, and eventually appreciate her position. In time she would know all the pleasures serving me entailed. For now I would simply ignore her petulance.
"Someone has embezzled about sixty thousand dollars from us, and rather than put all our humans to death or torture, we thought perhaps you would look into their minds and tell us who it was." Her eyes widened perceptively at my words, as though I'd said something shocking. Bill was obviously overdoing his tame vampire routine, if the courses of action I had considered were so shocking to her.
"And then what will you do?" Really this human was quite surprising. Generally I give an order and it is done. Neither vampires nor human have the nerve or stupidity to question me. Until this woman.
"Whoever it is will give us our money back," Naturally that was what should happen. Reclaiming my property shouldn't offend her delicate human sensibilities.
"And then?" What was her objective here? I am a vampire and moreover a Sheriff whoever is responsible must be punished. Severely. Perhaps she is looking to disclaim any guilt over the fate of the fool who crossed me. It cost me nothing to give her the lie she wanted and I wanted this line of inquiry over with.
"Why, if we can produce proof of the crime, we will turn over the culprit over to the police," And that should be the end of that. She could leave here tonight and tell herself that comforting little tale.
"I'll make a deal Eric," Wasn't this priceless? The human wanted to negotiate. I could see Pam smirking at me from the other side of the room. Long Shadow appeared less amused.
"And what would that be, Sookie?" I smiled indulgently, wondering what she wanted and what she could possibly have to bargain with. She had no power here.
"If you really do turn the guilty party over to the police, I'll do this for you again, whenever you want." Whatever gave her the impression she had choice in the matter? "Yeah I know I'd probably have to anyway. But isn't it better if I come willing, if we had good faith with each other?" I could make her do what I wanted anywhere at any time, just my threatening Bill, or some human she loves. But I had committed to a mainstream business, and it would be better all around to keep things as legal as possible, to keep my relations with humans aboveboard, or at least as aboveboard as vampire-human relations could be. I didn't want to kill anyone if I didn't have to. If my suspicions about Long Shadow turned out to be right I didn't need the hassle of dealing with his sire.
"Besides, how sure are you the thief is human?" I was forced to send an immediate non-verbal command to both Pam and Long Shadow in order to ensure my newest acquisition would continue breathing. It appeared the human was something of a paradox being at once shrewd and stupid.
"That's an interesting idea, Pam and Long Shadow are my partners in this bar and if none of the humans are guilty, I guess we'll have to look at them." Strange how the telepath suggested the possibility of a vampire perpetrator at the same moment I was thinking about Long Shadow.
"Just a thought," But whose thought Miss Stackhouse, yours or mine? Her voice had become subdued, as though sensing the dangerous turn my mind had taken.
"Start now, with this man," Enough time had been wasted already. I would deal with the theft, before contemplating any action I may forced to take with the telepath. It would be shame to drain such a specimen because of a vague feeling of uneasiness.
"Did you take the money?" As the girl knelt beside the man holding his arm and presumably listening to his thought, her face betrayed nothing but deep concentration. She couldn't possibly have heard my silent contemplations of her death and still sit there so calmly.
"No." Bruce's answer was of no surprise to me. He knew nothing. The next human to be escorted in was Ginger, one of my waitresses. I had partaken of her on occasion.
"Hey sweetie." I could not begin to comprehend why this human believed she could refer to me any term of familiarity, let alone "Sweetie". Perhaps I needed to become more discriminatory regarding which of the cattle I bedded.
"Ginger, answer this woman's questions." The dim creature appeared to recognize the command in my tone. She affected a more demure pose than her original cross legged invitation.
"Yes, master." My disgust with the human mounted. Ginger could not begin to understand the meaning of the word, "master". It should be used only as a term of ultimate obedience and loyalty from a worthy subordinate to his or her lord. I had no desire to me more than employer to Ginger. I would not want ultimate service from one such as her.
Sookie reached for Ginger's wrist, only to be flung off with an angry hiss. Her reaction was so extreme I became instantly on edge. Her odd reaction had all the indications of being the result of mental programming. I ordered Pam to secure Ginger while the telepath continue her examination.
"Did you take the money?" Sookie's face pinched in concentration as she ignored the screams issuing from the waitress and explored the abyss that was her mind. "She knows who did. She can't say his name. He's bitten her. It's some kind of compulsion, she can't even picture him." Long Shadow must have been getting very nervous, but it didn't show in his stance. There was no telling how he'd react, should Sookie acquire his name. I pictured the mallet and stake within my desk. Only if it became necessary.
"Hypnosis. A strong vampire." Pam's fangs had run out, a natural reaction to either the betrayal of a fellow vampire or her nearness to frightened prey.
"Bring in her closest friend." Miss Stackhouse appeared to taking this development in stride, apprentantly unconcerned that the guilty party may very well be in this room. For all she knew it was Pam, the vampire standing only a few feet away. Perhaps she was too caught up in the investigation to be aware of her own vulnerability.
"Should she stay or go?" Incredibly Pam appeared to be responding to the authority in the human's voice. I had to remember to tease her about it later. Sookie decisively ordered Ginger from the room. Pam returned with another waitress, Belinda.
"Belinda, what vampire has Ginger been seeing?" Had I breathe, it would have bated as I waited for the human's reply. I kept my eyes on the two human women, so as not to tip my hand.
"Anyone that would have her." Accurate, but I needed more than that demand the punishment I would call on Long Shadow's sire to carry out. What was that human saying about leading a horse to water? Then again I've often thought horses were more intelligent creatures than humans.
"Which one from here?" Sookie's inquiry apparently yielded results as she began turning to the corner where Long Shadow had been lurking. He reacted faster than I'd anticipated, launching himself immediately at the girl. I hadn't prepared for that. I assumed he would try to escape or use the element of surprise to try and eliminate me. Miscalculation. The girl, through sheer luck lived through Long Shadow initial attack and with the speed my thousand years of existence had gifted me, I denied him a second opportunity.
Mallet in hand I watched as my former bar tender melted into a gelatinous mass. I barely had a moment to marvel at my own impulsiveness before the bloodlust hit me with full woman was speaking attracting my attention to the blood surrounding mouth.
"Your mouth is bloody." What before was merely tempting had suddenly become too much to resist. She was speaking again. What a waste of a perfectly delicious mouth.
"Did any go down your throat?" Her blood would soon be flowing freely down mine.
"Probably. What does that mean?" It mean she was be stronger, last longer, be more eager to experience all I could give her. Even Pam's voice drifted into the background as I contemplated the pleasure the next few hours would bring to the both of us.
"How do things look to you now, Sookie?" How do I look to now. Do you see me? Do you see my face above yours? I see you beneath me, calling my name, yelling it, screaming it.
"Well, I guess Bill and me'll go now. I did that for you, Eric, and now we get to go. No retaliation for Ginger and Belinda and Bruce, okay? We agreed." You don't understand yet, but you will. You think that weakling, not even past his second century can keep you from me? You're wrong.
"I'll just bet you need to go see how the bar's doing, huh? Whose mixing drinks tonight?" Drinks? Yes…the bar…
"We got a substitute. You smell different Sookie." Something exotic, intoxicating…I must have it. Now.
"Well, remember now, Eric, we had a deal. Bill and I are going home now aren't we?" No, no no. Mine. You are mine. Your blood is mine. Your body is mine. I am your Master. Do you understand lovely, succulent creature? Mine. Your mouth makes noises I no longer care to hear. Soon it will form other more welcome sounds.
There is something rubbing against my chest, and it is not the human I want. The sensation is useful as it does bring other things in the room into focus, such as an irate vampire, on the verge of attacking. Such an encounter would undoubtedly end in his demise, however I might sustain painful injuries. I prefer not having to regrow limbs, if I can help it. I bend to kiss the eager fangbanger, a strategic withdrawal, rather than a full retreat.
"I'll see you again." The human and vampire disappeared into the hall and I returned my attention to Ginger. As they say, a bird in hand is better than two in the bush. I can always burn the bush down later if necessary.