Hello my lovely readers, here is Chapter 8 for you!

Thank you all who has taken the time to review. Some of you had asked why I wrote some things that way or why didn't Sookie or Eric do that. The answer is simple: Because I wanted it that way. I wanted a certain result. I wanted to go that route. It's the same if you asked Charlaine Harris why her Sookie is so dumb or why she didn't end up with Eric. Because she wanted it that way! There are so many diiferent ways you can write a story, so many actions the characters could take.

But you need to put yourselves into Sookie's and/or Eric's shoes as well. They don't know what will happen and they don't know what had happened either. So they try to act to the best of their abilities. You should keep that in mind when you read this chapter as well.

Enjoy!

Chapter 8:

At lunch time the next day Merlotte's was almost packed to capacity. It was only two hours into my shift and I already had a lot of trouble keeping up with the orders in my section. Everybody was talking about the night before and what had happened at the 'Stackhouse residence'; why they couldn't just say Adele's or your home or something was beyond me.

I was bombarded with question after question and well-wishes for my grandmother between glass refills and food orders. Thank god the gossip mill hadn't been detailed enough that they knew about the message on the wall, otherwise the crowd would have been impossible to handle. All they knew was that someone broke into our house and made a mess of the kitchen.

Still, it was tiring and very difficult to keep the pressure on my mental shields from collapsing what little bit of protection from the thoughts that I did have.

On top of all of that I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to listen to the customers and thinking about likely suspects. I had a bad feeling that time was slipping through my fingers and would soon run out if I didn't find out who it was … it was like a shadow was coming my way - and remembering the bloody message on the kitchen wall - very soon as well.

My thoughts drifted away while I was standing at the bar waiting for one of my drink orders:

After waking up that morning and not smelling breakfast as usual I was instantly scared. I jumped out of bed and ran to my grandmother's bedroom but she was still sleeping peacefully, thank god. I was still concerned that she wasn't up at her usual hour though.

The night before must have taken a greater toll on her than she thought. I also remembered Eric's warning about not being alone during the day so I called Maxine Fortenberry to see whether or not she could watch over Gran while I was at work. She told me she needed to start cooking and baking for the meeting that night but she could bring the ingredients and everything else she needed over and do it in our kitchen.

She arrived while I was going out the back door to drive to work: It lessened my burden a little to know that Gran was not alone.

On the way to the bar I made a detour to the store to buy some pepper spray. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

I knew the pepper spray couldn't really save me from an attack in any kind of way but maybe it would buy me some time to call for help or something.

I didn't want to end up like Maudette and Dawn. Just remembering Dawn's broken body sent shivers down my spine; I will never forget that image.

Thinking of better safe than sorry, I made a mental note to get the locks changed pronto since I still didn't know for sure who had stolen the key.

Whether it was Bill or not, thanks to Eric I felt pretty safe from him. Just as I had drifted off to sleep in the early morning hours I had felt a vampire void moving to the edge of the woods. I knew it wasn't Bill because it was an unknown void and it had felt bigger than Bills. That unknown void told me that Eric had kept his promise about putting a vampire in place for my protection.

When I went into the bar through the employee's entrance I barely had ten minutes left until the start of my shift.

Sam was in his office when I went in to stash away my belongings.

"Hey chére. I heard you had quite the night last night. Are you okay? How's your Gran," he asked me.

"Hey Sam, we're both alright; Gran suffered quite the shock but in a few days she'll be as good as new." Hopefully, I thought.

"That's good to hear. Was anything stolen?"

I shook my head: If it had only been that simple. "No, they just messed up the kitchen." I didn't tell him about the bloody message for me.

"If there's anything you need you know all you need to do is ask, right?"

"Thanks Sam, I really appreciate it but we're good."

I knew Sam was sweet on me – well, that was an understatement – and that he would do anything for me if I would so much as crook my little finger at him but I didn't want him involved.

I wasn't interested in him that way. He was a good boss and an even greater friend but if I were to involve him then I knew he would be overprotective and hopeful that something more would develop between us. I wouldn't have been able to handle it right then so I kept my mouth shut and my worries to myself.

"Can I borrow the phone for a minute," I asked when I remembered that I wanted to change the locks.

Sam looked at me like I didn't even need to ask, "Yeah, of course."

I thanked him and called the local locksmith service. They promised they'd come to the house right after noon. Then I called my Gran and thank god she was up by then. She assured me she was alright and already in the middle of baking a pie. I sighed to myself. That stubborn woman couldn't take it easy for even one day. I told her about the locksmith and then hung up again.

"Thanks, Sam."

"Sure thing, chére!" Sam looked thoughtful for a second before he spoke again, "Something happened yesterday that I think you should know about." That sounded quite ominous and my curiosity was piqued.

"Andy Bellefleur came in during the early evening and he was in a bad mood," Oh yeah, I had almost forgotten about that. The images I got from Andy's mind the night before were suspicious as hell but he was thinking too fast for me to get anything concrete. Then he had changed his focus away from the bar scene and back to the task at hand.

It sounded like Sam was about to tell me about what I couldn't make heads or tails of from Andy's thoughts. I had the feeling I wasn't going to like it one little bit though, "and he gathered quite a crowd once he started talking about how you marched into the police station and acted all crazy, telling everyone there that you claimed Jason was not the killer and that you believed a Marshall Andrews or something was the real murderer," he explained and eyed me sympathetically.

That had my blood boiling in five seconds flat! If I had known that the night before I probably would have made a scene. It wouldn't have mattered whether Eric was there or not because I would have given him a come to Jesus he would have never forgotten and Gran would have probably helped, tired or not!

How could Andy do that? How could someone like him, a detective of law enforcement, do something so stupid?

You didn't tell anyone, much less the whole town, anything when there was a serial killer on the loose! Make no mistake, five seconds after the first words left his mouth everyone else would have known what was going on. The gossip mill, much like a weed, grows whether you want it to or not and can start from something as insubstantial as a piece of fluff; it spread even faster with the creation of texting and cell phones with picture and video capabilities. Did he even care about any of that? I guess not!

Oh I knew quite well how it must have played out: He came into Merlotte's, angry because I told his family's not so well kept secret and made him look like a fool in front of his colleagues, not that he needed any help in that department, so he told the whole town how 'Crazy Sookie' had done it again, how she was acting all crazy like and telling things she shouldn't know.

That, in his mind, was proof positive that Jason was the killer! I could see the smug look on his face as if it were right in front of me. And once again a Stackhouse was the scapegoat.

With that thought my blood ran colder and I paled. A bad, bad feeling settled in my stomach. No wonder I was followed to Shreveport that night. The murderer had heard Andy blabbing, connected the dots and took notice of me.

Then he decided to follow me around and when I drove to Fangtasia he confirmed for himself that I was a fangbanger and a threat as well. He probably drove back to Bon Temps after that to break into our house and killed my cat as a warning. Enough time had passed at Fangtasia for him to do that.

It was even worse than I thought!

"You look kind of pale chére, is everything alright? I didn't mean to upset you; I just thought you should know."

"I'm fine. It's okay, Sam. It's just that now they'll think I'm even crazier than before. They'll be insufferable for a long time."

"You know you're not crazy, right? They just don't understand."

"Yeah but it still doesn't give them the right to degrade me, think I'm a mindless animal or insult me in public and then point their fingers and laugh at me: I have feelings too."

"And I will not tolerate it in my bar."

I nodded and stood up, "Well, I need to start working," I said and walked to the door but before I slipped through I turned back around, "I know you know about my secret or at least that you suspect it, right?"

He looked at me quizzically for a long moment then nodded his head.

"It's true!" I had never told him outright that I was a telepath but I could tell that he guessed it: His eyes widened when I confirmed his suspicion. "And you should also know that I'm your friend and know that you have a secret as well." I gave him a meaningful look and it seemed to dawn on him what I was trying to say. He opened his mouth in shock but before he could say anything I interrupted him, "It's okay, I'm not angry. I just want you to know that you can tell me in your own time. I won't judge you." I smiled then and left the office.

A loud crash startled me out of my thoughts. Jumpy as I was I swirled around - heart racing and eyes wide - to see the cause of the sound, ready for an attack but it was just Arlene who was standing behind the bar; she had let a glass slip through her fingers and it crashed to the floor. Thank god I didn't have a full tray in my hands or there would have been an even bigger mess to clean up.

Arlene gave me an apologetic smile but her thoughts were not friendly: She thought that if she was with a vampire – like I was - she would be jumpy as well. It wouldn't surprise her if I was the next victim.

Huh?

How the hell did she jump to the conclusion that I was with a vampire? I was not! How could she even know? I had never been seen with them in public other than the first night Bill came into the bar and … the night before.

Damn!

Did Andy blab that as well? No, that couldn't be. Her thoughts didn't indicate that she had come across him between the night before and that moment so it must have been someone else. The other officers were out of the question as well so there was only one person … no, that's not true, there were two persons who had seen Eric at the house. Two people – one vampire and one human - who weren't really supportive of him in the first place.

Jason and Bill!

I couldn't rule either one out: My dear brother could have talked about it without really thinking. As usual! It wouldn't surprise me. Ha, I knew he would do it.

I couldn't believe I was surrounded by small town idiots. Didn't they see what could happen? Didn't they see that it could cost somebody their life?

And Bill? I wouldn't put anything past him anymore. Bill's behavior was getting more and more suspicious. Something was bugging me about our conversation after Jason left but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Ah shit! I had been at Fangtasia as well! There was no telling who had been there both nights who might know me and spread the word that I was a fangbanger!

This was even a bigger mess than I thought.

Sigh. It was water under the bridge anyway. The deed was already done: I needed to focus on the people Jason had talked to. He would be coming to the bar within the hour anyway then I could start eliminating suspects.

Ten minutes later the lunch crowd was finally thinning out a little and I saw my chance to take a five minute break: I needed to use the restroom badly.

After I did my business I came out of the stall … only to find Arlene in front of the mirror applying lipstick.

Great!

Arlene and I had never really gotten along. She was the kind of woman who was friendly to your face then when you turned around she would stab you in the back. I'd always kept my distance from her because I knew what she really thought about me. If I didn't have my disability she would probably have been one of my best friends but I did have it and I didn't want to be friends with someone who was just acting friendly towards me when she wanted something from me. I had only ever babysat her kids a few times but that was only in an emergency when I knew she really didn't have anyone else. That's as far as it went for the favors I had ever done for Arlene.

It was no wonder her fake smile, which was forming on her lips, started bugging me: She was up to something.

I gave her my 'Crazy Sookie' smile back but said nothing. Instead I stepped up next to her to wash my hands and let my mental shields down. A few seconds went by with no-one saying a word but out of the corner of my eye I could see that she was observing me closely.

I knew what she was about to say wasn't going to be nice, since I could 'hear' it, but I didn't quite expect what tumbled out of her mouth.

"You know, Sookie, you shouldn't be with vamps. I always thought you were a good Christian girl but it seems I was wrong." Just let her talk, I thought, amused. "They're creatures of the night, they're evil and they will drag you and all the other fangbangers down with them if you keep associating yourself with them."

Her mind was a nasty snarl: She thought both Maudette and Dawn had it coming to them; that these creatures had risen straight from hell. And … right there was an even darker thought but it was gone before I could catch it. It was like a shadow in the back of her mind; a dark figure with no shape. I had seen that earlier as well while we were standing at the bar but I hadn't thought anything of it. Could Arlene be the killer? No, I didn't think she was strong enough to strangle someone like that, and I knew whoever it was was definitely male, but she could understand the desire to get rid of those 'sinners' and 'traitors to their race'. What was she hiding then? Did she suspect who the killer was? Or did she already know?

"Adele should be ashamed of you, whoring yourself out to those fangers! You should be careful that you don't end up like that Maudette or Dawn," she ended her bigoted speech.

Okay, it was getting nasty really fast: I had to put an end to it.

How dare she drag my grandmother into things! If she only knew. I had always wanted to give her a piece of my mind and that seemed like the perfect opportunity.

I turned around so I was facing her fully, "You, of all people should talk, Arlene. You've had, what, three husbands and you're already hunting for number four?" Renée Lanier had been her second husband and she seemed to have him back in her clutches again, "You're the one who has slept with more people than you can count, much like my brother. In fact, why don't the two of you get together and see who has more notches on your bedposts? Do you really think that God would approve of that? And you say I'm a whore?

"Since you don't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'whore' I'll enlighten you: A whore is someone who has sex for monetary or other gain.

"It's none of your business, or the town's, who I associate with. Everybody ignores me or talks down to me when I stay home, come to work and live a mundane life but when I go out for a couple of nights all of a sudden it's everyone's business what I do and who I do it with!

"I can never live my fucking life because all of you scrutinize my every move," my voice got louder and I towered over her the more I said.

"For your information I'm still a fucking virgin! My OB/Gyn can give you the confirmation if you really want to know.

Can you see any fang marks on my body? Should I take off my shirt and let down my pants so you can look closely? I would even do it the middle of the fucking bar out there if you want so everyone will know!"

I took a deep breath, "How dare you bring my grandmother into this! She is proud that I'm not one of the bigoted, small-minded people in this town like you are!

"You are an insecure, jealous, petty, desperately needy woman who shames the rest of us with your whorish ways!" With that said I stormed out of the room, leaving her mute as a little mouse.

I'd wanted to say my peace for so long that it was like a physical release right then. It seemed like a new power was rising within me which didn't want to put up with 'doormat Sookie' any longer. I really noticed it when … yes, when I first met Eric. Of course it had been there for the last few years and it had started to change me. It was subtle things that no-one but me would notice but the changes were definitely there. It was the mental changes which I had noticed first but the changes seemed to be more noticeable since I first went to Fangtasia. Was Eric awakening something in me? Or was it more like my confidence started growing when the vampires revealed themselves and I realized that maybe humans were not at the top of the food-chain?

It didn't really matter to me anyway: I liked the new Sookie!

When I went back to the main room I received a few looks from the tables nearest the hallway where the restrooms were located. I stared right back and dared them to say anything; of course they didn't.

It seemed like I had come back right on time since I could see Jason coming in with his co-workers from the road crew.

Perfect! Now I could finally start my investigation.

They sat down at one of Arlene's tables: She had come out of the ladies room a few seconds after me. She scowled at me when she walked by, trying to intimidate me one last time, but I just shot daggers back at her.

Not with me you little witch!

For the next half hour I observed my brother and his friends very closely and I started to realize that it had to be one of his closest friends or coworkers, or maybe one of their closest friends: It couldn't be interpreted any other way.

I considered what I knew about Jason's friends and who would be the more likely suspect.

Hoyt Fortenberry? He was sweet, definitely a mama's boy and didn't have the guts to disobey her. But could he be a killer? No, never! He was too soft hearted and barely left Bon Temps and he didn't have a sister.

Renée Lanier? He was Arlene's boyfriend again and from what I could see a good father to her kids. He was helpful as well and I remembered how he had helped me after I found Dawn's body.

Had he always been in Bon Temps?

I couldn't really remember. He had been a part of my brother's life for so long that it became all blurry. I would need to ask Gran about it. I knew he had a sister though. What was her name again? Cindy … yes. He once told me that I reminded him of his sister, Cindy. It could be a coincidence, right? Still, a feeling settled in my bones.

I observed him a little more closely but honestly I couldn't imagine him being a killer either. Still, that feeling of something being wrong had never failed me before and I wasn't about to start to ignore or doubt it then when my life was actually in danger. I tried listening in on his thoughts but he wasn't thinking anything that indicated he was on the prowl for his next victim.

Damn, this was harder than I thought it would be but at least I had a main suspect from that point forward. I could concentrate on him but still observe Jason's other friends out of the corner of my eye.

As they were about to leave I grabbed Jason by the arm and dragged him to the back hallway: I needed to have a serious discussion with him.

"What the hell, Sookie. I need to get back to work." Well, at least he took something seriously.

"Did you talk about Eric to anyone?"

"Who?" I rolled my eyes: His brain was like a sieve.

"The vampire who was at Gran's house last night, the one with the Corvette."

You could see the light bulb turn on when I said 'Corvette', "Oh. Of course I did. Do you think I wouldn't tell anyone that I saw that kind of car in Bon Temps? Even if a vampire was the owner?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Calm down, Sookie. Stay calm. "Did you even think for one little second that there is a serial killer on the loose who targets women with connections to vampires? Did you think for one tiny moment that as soon as you opened your mouth you endangered your own sister?

"No of course you didn't. You never think about the consequences because you never think with the head on your shoulders. Thanks to your loose lips I'm the next target, Jason!"

"How can this be my fault? You're the one going out with fangers!"

"I'm not going out with anyone Jason, least of all a vampire! Just because I'm friendly and talk to them doesn't mean I'm a fangbanger. I've only ever been seen with Bill once, last night with Eric and the nights at Fangtasia to get your ass out of the fire. That's it." I had the feeling I was repeating myself, "I can't believe your stupidity!"

Jason's face became as red as a tomato and I knew he was ready to explode but I didn't have time for his speech about fangbangers and evil vampires. I had the impression I had been living in a loop the last few days. Almost every conversation I'd had was repeating itself endlessly. Now I knew how Bill Murray felt in the movie 'Groundhog Day'.

So I cut him off before he could say anything, "Be careful what you say from now on," I hissed at him as I let him go; though I knew it was a fruitless attempt.

The Community Building was packed to capacity as I made my way inside. There were at least a hundred people in the room. I'd never seen such a gathering in Bon Temps – except maybe Christmas. Were all of them here just to hear Bill's speech?

Honestly, I couldn't understand the appeal. Most of them were hypocrites anyway: They hated vampires or were at least wary of them, as they should be, but still they came to hear a vampire speak: Or they were coming for the entertainment and hoped that the vampire attacked someone.

Urgh!

Seriously?

I was one of the last people to arrive and it wouldn't take long for the meeting to begin so I greeted my grandmother quickly and found a seat in the last row of metal chairs; that way I could discreetly observe the whole room and the people in it.

A few minutes later Maxine Fortenberry, the president of The Descendants, made her way up the steps to the podium.

"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen," her voice boomed across the room. Her voice was loud enough that she didn't need the microphone perched in front of her on the podium but she used it anyway, "Our guest of honor has just called to say he's having car trouble and will be a few minutes late so help yourselves to the beverages and snacks over there while we wait," she gestured to her right, our left, where a cold buffet was set out.

A murmur went through the crowd and a few of them took the suggestion to heart and went to the tables to load down the paper plates and napkins with food.

I remained seated because a suspicion had rolled through my body. Why would Bill be late because of car trouble? We were just three miles, tops, from his home. Why would he even need a car for that distance when he had vampire speed? He had followed me all the way to Shreveport on foot the night before for Christ's sake!

I smelled a rat and it stank to high heaven!

Or perhaps I was just too suspicious, paranoid, about anything to do with Bill Compton.

On the other hand, his behavior the night before had made me suspicious as well. There were some things in our conversation that hadn't made sense to me. I had been too tired then to really think it through but in the light of a new day I recognized some things he'd said that should have made me wary the second they came out of his mouth.

The first thing that came to mind was he said he wanted to help me clean up the cat blood. How the hell could he know that? Nothing like that was leaked to the rumor mill and I don't think he could have smelled it either. He had come to the door after we had cleaned it up and we used so much bleach and other chemicals that even I wanted to breathe through a gas mask. Besides he had said 'he heard what happened' not 'he heard about what happened', linked with what he said about the cat blood I don't think it was a coincidence. So the only logical explanation for it was that he was in on it; that he knew who the serial killer was and that Bill was using him for his own gain.

At that moment I could see our conversation more clearly. Bill had said that 'he – the killer – must have a key to the house'. There are so many things wrong with that sentence I could have smacked myself. Okay, the fact that Bill 'assumed' the murderer was male could be excused because it was a pronoun generally used and officially believed by the Sheriff's department as well.

The way he mentioned the key however confirmed his involvement in my book since only those of us who had lived in the house even knew about it. He was at the top of my list of suspects after I found out that the key was missing from the drawer.

The idea that he had wandered through our house while we slept and had touched our things made me feel extremely violated.

I wanted to retch! Or take a shower in bleach water.

What was his motivation though? Why was he doing it?

I repeated the conversation over in my mind as far as it was possible with my tired brain from the night before. Then I had a light bulb moment: He had mentioned that he had a room ready for me.

I shuddered.

For some reason I pictured a room with metal bars instead of walls. It felt like a sense of foreboding. Would he really hold me prisoner? But for what use?

Eric had assured me that the queen wouldn't want something like that for me. Was he wrong? Or did Bill have totally different intentions towards me than we originally believed? I had never taken him to be an idiot – and I wasn't about to start – so I think anything was possible with him.

My heart was galloping in my chest and I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Then I shook my head to clear my mind of the disturbing thoughts. I couldn't do anything about it anyway right then. At least I had thought to wear silver jewelry so I could at least protect myself from him.

I then focused my mind on the people in the room. Jason and his friends – and especially my number one suspect, Renée - were huddled together in the middle part of the sea of chairs and were talking rather animatedly about cars and women. I rolled my eyes. Big surprise!

I concentrated on Renée who was sitting in the first chair of the row. He wasn't thinking anything suspicious at that moment. He was listening to his friends but for some reason he seemed a little nervous and was waiting for a … text message of some kind.

As the minutes ticked by I got more and more frustrated with him. He wasn't thinking anything regarding the murders or anything else which would let me either confirm my suspicions about him or let me go onto somebody else.

Just then Maxine came back to the podium - and caught everybody's attention - with Bill on her tail and introduced him to everyone. He proudly stood beside her and let his gaze wander through the room as if searching for someone. For me most likely. Or maybe the killer?

Disgusted, I turned my head away again before he could catch my gaze and observed the hustle of people who were trying to get back to their seats as fast as possible.

Childish? Perhaps. But I didn't have the nerve that night to get caught up in one of his stupid mind games.

On the other hand, if I hadn't done that I wouldn't have seen Renée using the commotion to his advantage. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him sliding out of his chair and slipping out of the room.

Fuuuck!

I hadn't paid attention to him for just one little moment! Damn you Bill Compton!

My heart dropped to the bottom of my feet and my stomach turned into knots. A nasty, nasty feeling settled in my bones.

It is Renée! That was the only thought I could form at that moment while my body filled with dread and my heart began to race.

How did I not see that coming right away? There were so many clues pointing in his direction and he was my main suspect for Christ's sake! My god, it was so obvious all of a sudden, I could have smacked myself. All the puzzle pieces slipped into place. What was the saying? You couldn't see the forest for the trees? Yeah, exactly!

And then I became aware of all the coincidences when he had been close by.

When I'd found Dawn's body he'd driven by her house just a few minutes after I got there and had asked whether I was okay. Yes, he saw me but that wasn't a good enough reason to get out of his car and ask me. Nobody else would have given it another thought and would have just driven by; in fact a couple had driven by, without stopping, when I was standing at the front door and calling for Dawn to open up. And then there was his sister Cindy. The way he told me that I reminded him of her caused me to see that statement in another light. He said that to me after I met Bill. At that thought a shiver went down my spine.

Furthermore, I had asked Gran about him after I got home from work earlier and she remembered that he had moved back to Bon Temps about four years before, in late summer or early fall, and took the job on the road crew. That was shortly after the vampires came out of the coffin on the 4th of July. Coincidence much?

It didn't take a genius to know that he was after me and I wasn't naïve enough to think I wasn't his target either.

I couldn't catch his thoughts because there were too many people in there to focus solely on Renée that quickly but I had gotten an echo of that chilling blackness I had felt once before in the parking lot of Fangtasia.

What should I do? I knew that my time was up and it scared the crap out of me that I didn't know what he was up to.

Would he be waiting for me somewhere and catch me off guard? Why would he slip out otherwise? I had taken the warning from the night before to heart so I knew that he was after me - I would bet my boneshaker of a car! I know it wasn't worth much but you get my drift. If I had just gotten a little glimpse of his thoughts so I would have a clue. But noooooo, Mr. Bill fucking Compton had to arrive at the shittiest moment.

Was Renée's thinking about the text message linked with him leaving? I had seen a cell phone in his hand the second before he slipped out.

Again, damn you, Bill! Couldn't your 'car trouble' have lasted a few moments longer … Ooooohhh! Oh, that was a brilliant move!

If I wasn't so shocked I probably would have congratulated him and clapped my hands off in front of all those fucking people!

He was cunning that Bill, I had to give him that. He used the meeting and his late arrival as a diversion so I wouldn't suspect anything was amiss that night.

And it had almost worked but not quite: I had seen Renée leaving and I knew, finally knew, that it was him.

Should I talk to someone about it? But who? I didn't have many options: Neither Sheriff Dearborn nor Andy would believe me. They would think it was my craziness talking again.

Jason would be of no help either; he wouldn't take me seriously. Eric would be perfect but he couldn't be here because of the emergency at his club. Pam had called me earlier, shortly before I had to leave, to tell me that Eric couldn't make it. He would try to stop by later that night and in the meantime they had a vampire stationed in my woods.

I could understand that. He couldn't just drop everything for me and neglect his duties. His business was more important at that moment and I found it thoughtful that he would provide protection for me regardless.

I had even waited until the vampire was in place earlier before I left for the meeting; that's why I had been so late. I hadn't really seen who Eric had provided for me, not that I would have known them by name anyway, but when I'd gone to my car I had thanked him or her for doing this for me and given whoever it was a wink. I had only seen the outline of vampire's body but he had definitely winked back.

It frustrated me to no end that I didn't have a cellphone though. Right then I could have used it to tell Eric that I knew who the killer was.

The only other option I had was Sam. He was a shifter so he would be strong enough to protect me, right? He had said he would be there that night so I would find him after the meeting was over. I craned my neck to look for him and found him sitting a few rows in front of me next to … Arlene and her kids? Why was she not sitting next to her boyfriend?

Seeing her where she was made me even more suspicious about her behavior regarding me. Did she know her boyfriend was murdering women all along? Or did she just suspect it? Or, more disturbingly, was she his accomplice? Judging by her thoughts earlier in the ladies' room I wouldn't put it past her anymore. There was this dark shadow similar to Renée's but not quite so chilly and … evil.

I shuddered at the memory. I never, ever wanted to feel that again!

I was sitting on the edge of my seat and counting the seconds until the meeting was finally over. Bill's monotonous voice almost drove me up the wall and made me want to kill someone, preferably him. How I could have found him interesting and attractive at the beginning was beyond me.

It did seem as though he had made some new friends though.

Just as he finished his speech some people asked him whether he knew some of their ancestors and Bill continued by telling them this touching story about some of his best friends.

I could have throttled them! I wanted to get that night, especially that meeting, over and done with.

Finally – after endless minutes of questions and answers – I made my way through the milling people to where my grandmother was packing up the food.

"Hey Gran, need some help?"

"Oh Sookie, yes please! Wasn't that a wonderful speech Mr. Compton gave?"

I could barely suppress an eye roll. Yeah, so wonderful it almost put me into a coma. I didn't say that out loud though, just gave her a tight smile and a nod.

Together we packed everything up and I volunteered to take the food home. That way I could ask for Sam's help and catch two birds with one stone.

After we stowed the things in the trunk of my car I found Sam in the foyer talking to Arlene, Mrs. Fortenberry and her son Hoyt. Why did Arlene have to be everywhere? It was as if she was guessing where I would go and who I would be talking to.

I took a dip into her head and what I saw made my eyebrows disappear into my hairline. She was thinking about … Sam and there was a big neon arrow pointing at his head?

What the fuck?

Hmm, she was going crazy, perhaps?

As if sensing my approach, Sam turned around and his eyes lit up, "Hey Sookie, I was looking for you."

I smiled, "And I was looking for you. Could you do me a favor and help me bring all the food and stuff home? I could use a hand."

"Yeah, of course," he answered and we started walking back outside – away from the crowd. My mind was still tuned to Arlene's and I could see that the neon arrow started blinking – like a little kid would turn a light switch on and off at rapid speed – the moment we started walking away.

C.R.E.E.P.Y!

I withdrew from her mind and concentrated on Sam.

"Uh … I ah … thought about what you said earlier," Sam said and I needed a second to remember what he was talking about. "Could we go somewhere for a cup of coffee afterwards? I want to talk to you about a few things."

Taken slightly aback I blinked at him. "Yeah sure," I said but I didn't think that would be happening that night.

I took a deep breath to get enough courage for what I was about to do, "Listen Sam, there's something I need to talk to you about as well. I know who…," I started to explain but before I could even finish my sentence a phone started to go off.

"Shit. I'm sorry Sookie, I need to take this. That's probably Terry. We had a problem with a clogged toilet in the women's restroom earlier, after your shift ended. Apparently someone's child flushed one of those little army soldiers," he explained before he answered his phone.

Sam listened to the caller for a few minutes and he pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his face a few times before he disconnected.

Oh damn, I thought. I knew what was coming.

"I'm sorry chère. I need to get back to the bar. It's not just a clogged toilet anymore but a burst water pipe. Almost the whole bar was flooded. We'll probably need to close it for a few days."

"Oh no! Anything I can do to help?"

"Not at the moment. But I might call you later tonight if that's okay?"

If I'm still alive then, I thought. But I drove that thought away as fast as I could.

"Oh Sam, that's terrible!" We turned around and saw Arlene standing behind us and she looked like she felt guilty about something. Had she been eavesdropping on us?

"Yeah, I'm sorry y'all but I don't think I'll be able to pay you while we're closed. It'll be hard enough to cover the cost of the renovations," he explained and sighed.

I felt bad for him but surprisingly I wasn't that bummed about the lack of payment; I did still have an ace up my sleeve after all.

"I can help you with that. I have a friend who's a craftsman. He would work for much less than any workshop around here," she said in a sugary sweet voice and … was she batting her eyelashes? My god, I didn't get that woman: She was dating one man and flirting with another. Did she have no shame?

Sam seemed to ponder that for a moment before he shook his head, "Thanks Arlene, but that's not necessary. I think I'll call in a clean-up crew and then Terry and I will do the repairs ourselves." I wanted to pat him on the back for not accepting her offer. She seemed angry for a second before she schooled her features again.

I wanted to get away from her so I said goodbye to Sam. After he turned around to go to his car I did the same.

Before I could take three steps though I was stopped by the witch herself. What was it with her? She felt like a leech that was sucking on your body and wouldn't let go, "You know Sookie, you shouldn't bother Sam with your trivial problems. He's a very busy man these days and will be even more so in the near future. Why don't you stay with your creatures from hell and stop poisoning such honorable persons as Sam Merlotte with your craziness."

I blinked.

Why was she so fixated on him? I found it very odd how she had said the words. What should I make of that? And it was even stranger how she came across to me that night.

I couldn't help but be amused though, "Why wouldn't I ask a friend for help? That's not any of your concern. And anyway, who's going to protect him from your bigoted talk, Arlene," I asked dryly. "Mind your own business and go back to your kids."

She just gave me a nasty look and then went back inside.

I just shook my head and tried to get back to the task at hand: What could I do to not get killed?

I had nobody who could help me and I needed this resolved before my gran got involved. Maybe I should go back inside and talk to my brother after all? I knew it would take too long to explain and especially too long to convince him though.

Apparently I needed to face this alone either way. Maybe it was better that way anyway because I hadn't wanted to drag somebody else into it in the first place. I could do it, hopefully. I didn't buy pepper spray for nothing, did I? And I had a shotgun in the house.

After I gave myself a pep talk for a few moments longer I finally got into my car and headed back home with a nearly overwhelming sense of dread sitting on my shoulder.

The five minute drive turned into almost ten because I drove at a snail's pace. I needed time to think, to come up with a better idea but my mind was blank; I didn't know what to do.

When I finally turned down my driveway I steered the car around the house and parked in the back, as always. I turned off the engine and looked around me. It was a quiet night. Too quiet! No owls hooting, no crickets chirping or any other animal noises that accompanied a forest.

And especially no vampire void in the woods anymore!

My heart started galloping in my chest. He had been there earlier, hadn't he? It was not just my imagination. And I had talked to him for Christ's sake - even if it was from a distance. What the hell was going on? And once it got my attention: What should have been there but wasn't? The house was completely dark; there should have at least been the porch light on.

Now I was really scared and adrenaline started pumping through my veins.

I needed Eric – and fast. But how could I reach him? Again I cursed my lack of a cellphone.

Wait! What did he say the other night about blood bonds? He would be able to feel my emotions and sense when I was in danger? I could have smacked myself for not thinking of it earlier when there had still been time.

I reached for it with an invisible hand - much like the night before - and touched the pulsating ball. It was warm like it was an actual physical presence and not just an image. While I was stroking it, I could feel a cord or thread coming out of the ball. It seemed to disappear into nothing when I tried to follow it, like all the light in the universe, and none at the same time, was coalescing and pulsing, making it all but invisible. Maybe it isn't meant to be viewed full on, maybe it's supposed to be felt instead?

Still, the thread felt alive and warm like it was connected with an actual person on the other end. That made me sigh with relief because it made my connection with Eric that much more real. I was not alone at that moment. He was still there with me, just not physically. And … what was that? There was an echo, like someone answered me on the other side. Did Eric actually feel that I was touching the bond? Maybe I could reach him that way? I had felt his … surprise? Maybe? Would it work in reverse then? Would he be able to feel it when I really was in danger? Hopefully I only needed to send him what I felt. It seemed to be the only logical thing for me to do.

Again, I cursed myself for not exploring and experimenting with it when I still had the time.

But better late than never!

So that's exactly what I did: I gathered all the fear, dread and danger into a tight ball and sent it as hard as I could through my whole body while praying to all the gods I could remember from my studies that he could feel it from such a distance.

What should I do while I waited? Should I wait for him? It would take at least 30 minutes to get there and by then Gran would be home.

Shit! I knew I couldn't wait that long.

I didn't think waiting in my car was such a good idea either; I felt like a sitting duck.

I knew by then that going home alone was not the brightest move I could have made under the circumstances. I should have at least gone back inside the community building and called Eric. Or even better, I should have taken Gran and driven us to Shreveport to Eric.

I groaned. Damn, why didn't I think of that beforehand? That damn Arlene distracted me to the point of carelessness. Or had that been her intention?

I was so deep in thought I barely felt the brain closing in on me. Fast.

Very fast.

Too fast!

Fuck!

How could I have missed him?