Chapter 7
A New York State of Mind
Intro Song: New York, Sarah Luv
"Hey, over here!"
Even with the cacophony of after–work professionals who crowded The Library Bar, Beth Turner could hear Marissa's bellowed greeting. She still wasn't sure she'd made the right call in coming, but it was too late to back out now. Within moments, she made visual contact with Marissa, and waded through the throng of people with Jamie in tow.
That New Orleans transplant took in the surroundings, surprised by what she saw on this, her first foray into any of the bars here in L.A. The Library Bar was very quaint and homey, with its dark woods, and myriad bookshelves, all packed with publications. Decorated with deep earth tones throughout, and equipped with upholstered sofas, chairs and love seats, The Library Bar looked more like an upscale bookstore.
Once she eyed the bar, where she and Beth were headed, however, there was no doubt that this was a place designed for serious guzzling. Cognacs, tequilas, bourbons, vodkas and spirits of every kind were stacked generously along the back wall. Two blackboards, with a variety of drink offerings scribbled in yellow chalk, completed the pub–like atmosphere.
"Where's Jordan?" Beth inquired once she was within a sane talking distance.
"Oh, she had a last-minute story to get out for the slave driver," Marissa responded, sipping on what looked like a glass of...
Blood? Is she drinking blood?! "What the hell IS that?!" Beth blurted out. In her very stressed mind, she flirted briefly with the notion that perhaps Marissa had been turned. I'm losing it!
"This," Marissa began, taking another sip, "is something called a 'Sangria Sunrise'. It's part of the whole 'vampire chic' trend. Cool, isn't it...and tasty!"
Vampires are back in style, just like he said! Beth knew Mick would get a real laugh out of it when she told him. She fought back the sudden urge to call him. All of this made her miss her real vampire even more and it showed on her face.
"Beth... hey... what's going on? Come, sit down and let's talk." Marissa patted the seats that she'd reserved next to her. Almost as an afterthought, she added, "I see we have a third Musketeer!"
Beth chided herself for the oversight. "I'm so sorry... Marissa Giacoletto, this is Jamie Sommers. She's new to L.A. and works with me at the DA's Office."
The two women shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Jamie," Marissa greeted the young woman warmly.
"Nice to meet you too... how do you pronounce your last name? Gia..co..."
"Jock–o–let–o," Marissa sounded out her surname phonetically. "Don't worry about it – everyone destroys it. Beth took a long time to get it right. She still can't spell 'predator' either."
"MARISSA!" Beth shouted in protest. Geesh, she was only one drink in, and already in full "let–me–tell–you–about–Beth" mode. This was shaping up into one of those nights and she wasn't sure she had the stamina for it.
As if feeling her pain, the bartender came over to the three young women. "So, I see the rest of the posse has arrived. How can I get you lovelies started?"
"Banana daiquiri... no…wait." Beth amended her order. "'Dark and Stormy', please." That fit her mood better.
"What's good here?" Jamie piped in.
"Everything is good here!" Marissa chirped happily, sipping her drink. "If you like beer, this is a great place. Likewise, if you like bourbon. As a matter of fact, if you like anything, this is a great place. Bring me another one, Joe, please."
Jamie looked to the man behind the counter. "Let me have a lager – surprise me."
Joe disappeared to make their drinks. While they were waiting, Beth took advantage of the opportunity to try to call Mick again. She had tried on the way over with no success – the call had rolled over into his voicemail. This time, to her surprise, the phone was answered – by a woman.
"Umm... I'm trying to reach Mick St. John." She listened intently to the seductive female voice at the other end for several minutes, her eyes darkening and a scowl forming as her friends watched, concerned. "Thank you," she said finally, ending the call and turning her phone off emphatically before angrily shoving it into her purse. She resolved that she and her beloved vampire were going to have a talk about communication and propriety when he returned – even if I have to stake him to do it!
"OK, what happened?" Marissa demanded, inspecting Beth's face.
"Are you alright, Beth?" Jamie tried to maintain an air of casual curiosity. Don't go too far too soon, she chided herself.
Beth took a deep breath to control her anger before speaking. "I called Mick and...and this woman –"
"Lemme guess... a woman answered his phone – one you don't know." Judging from the change in Beth's expression, Jamie surmised that she hit the mark. "Oh, Beth... what did she tell you?"
"She said that he was sleeping." Of course, her interpretation of that comment was different than that of her friends. If he were sleeping, Mick wouldn't be in a bed - he'd be in a freezer... naked. The image of some femme fatale watching over him in that state did nothing to improve Beth's mood.
"That bastard!" Marissa pounded on the bar for emphasis. "Men are all alike! Where is he, Beth? We'll go over there and drag him out! Not even a man-god gets to treat my best friend this way!"
Jamie ignored Marissa; she had to play this just right. "Come on... don't get too worked up over it. You said yourself, you've been through so much together. You don't really think he'd mess that up for some stranger while he's away for a day or two, do you?"
Beth had to admit, Jamie had a point. "No, he's not like that," she confessed. "In fact, he's an incredibly loyal person." She started to feel a little better.
The bartender finally returned with their orders – the Dark and Stormy, a rum and ginger beer concoction, and a Spaten Lager.
"A toast!" Marissa demanded, holding up what was left of her drink. "To friends, old and new... and to man–god – assuming he hasn't cheated on you!"
Beth damn near choked on her drink. "No! Stop calling him that, Marissa. And he isn't cheating – he's just stuck in New York with an emergency!"
Jamie took a good swallow of her lager. It looked like this evening would be productive after all. "So, why do you call him man–god'?" she asked, looking directly at Marissa, ignoring Beth squirming on the other side of her.
Beth's discomfort only served to encourage her long–time friend. "She hasn't told you about her... man–god?!"
"Marissa..." Beth hissed, narrowing her eyes.
"Okay, okay, then – Mick," Marissa amended, rolling her eyes.
"No, Beth hasn't really told me much about... Mick." Jamie let that name roll off her tongue, savoring the revelations coming her way. "I saw a picture of a really good–looking guy on her desk – just a face shot, but –"
Marissa leaned across the bar toward Jamie, ignoring Beth, who crossed her arms and shook her head at her friend. "Now! Picture that face, on an over six–foot body that is built like an Adonis, hazel eyes, insane eyelashes, dark, wavy hair, with a deep, rich voice that is every bit as sexy as the rest of him... trust me, if you get to meet him, he will leave you weak in the knees and unable to speak. THAT is Mick St. John and THAT is why I call him a man–god. The first time I saw him, I almost swallowed my tongue!" She leaned back in her chair again, draining her beer for emphasis.
Jamie couldn't help it – she burst out in a real laugh, not something contrived to get closer to Beth. She recovered by taking another swallow of her drink. No one said your work couldn't be fun, Jamie. The idea of a friend accompanying Beth was not her choice initially, but it appeared to be paying off. "Wow... he sounds amazing." She opted to probe further. "How long have you two been together, Beth?"
"For a little while," Beth responded vaguely, focusing on her drink.
"Long enough for her to get the key to his place – and long enough that he shouldn't be having his phone answered by some other woman!" Marissa editorialized mercilessly.
Beth rolled her eyes at this but said nothing, frowning into her drink.
Jamie could tell that she was withdrawing. Marissa was providing great intelligence, but ultimately it was Beth she needed. She couldn't afford to alienate her. "Hey... Beth... you okay, girl? You don't look so good. I'm sorry if I heard anything I wasn't supposed to – is there anything I can do?"
"No, not really – I'll be OK. And I'm not really worried about someone answering his phone. I trust him. I... do." Beth's voice was so soft, she could barely be heard.
"Good evening, ladies."
The sudden, unannounced male voice startled the three women, all of whom turned to see the speaker. Two of them immediately winced in recognition.
"Hi, Ben." Beth's greeting was subdued. The last thing she needed was for her boss to see her here, drinking, and learn that there was trouble over Mick, especially given the antagonism that existed between the two men. Oh, and not to mention that she supposedly had had a death in the family!
To her relief, Talbot moved on after pausing for a moment, as if hoping for an invitation from the trio at the bar which was not forthcoming. Beth turned back to the bar, happier now that this threat to her evening had removed himself.
Jamie was also relieved. Good! I don't need him as a distraction right now. Seeing Beth's reaction, she took the opportunity to jump back into their previous topic of conversation. "Thank goodness he didn't try to join us! Come on, Beth... Mick'll be back soon. Don't worry unless you have real reason to. Relax - take your mind off things! If it makes you feel any better, we can talk about Carl..."
Beth's mood brightened at the change of topic. "Yes... so how was your date?"
"It was just lunch, but still nice. Turns out that he's in his early thirties, never married, no kids. College educated – a Morehouse man no less."
Beth didn't even know that much about him. Davis did not strike her as being the overly talkative type – but then again, she wasn't dating him and he had always been guarded with her when she worked as a reporter. "So, did he ask you out again? Are you going to start seeing him?"
"That depends –"
"On what, exactly?"
The smooth baritone startled the women, all of whom whirled around.
"Good evening, ladies," the object of their discussion greeted them warmly. Carl Davis turned his attention to Jamie. "So, why won't you see me again?"
Dammit, why is everything always so complicated?! "That's not what I said!" she countered. "I'm from the old school, and I don't ask men out. I just let them know I'm interested. Besides, it's rude to drop–in on someone's conversation uninvited."
"My apologies. Didn't mean to offend you." Davis smiled. "Actually, I'm here with a small group of friends." He motioned to a collection of five men and women, sitting on one of the larger sofas, talking, and occasionally glancing in his direction. "Would you like to come over?"
Jamie had to decide. She could ask Carl to stay and talk where they were – which would allow her to remain near both of her key contacts. But realistically, given Beth's current mood, how much good was that going to do her? Thankfully, Marissa had given her a lot of information, enough for the time being – perhaps it was best to give Beth a break and focus her attention elsewhere for now. All this flashed through her mind in a millisecond. "Sure. Do you guys mind?" She turned politely to her companions.
"Absolutely!" "Go ahead!" Beth and Marissa chorused together, waving Jamie away.
Carl helped Jamie from her seat and they said their goodbyes, then moved over to the larger group.
Once Jamie was out of earshot, Marissa focused on her friend. "Beth, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I mean – I guess I don't get it. If I were with a guy like Mick, I'd want everyone to know about it."
"No, it's okay 'Rissa. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just not in a good mood tonight." Beth downed the last of her drink. "If it's okay with you, I think I'll head home. Even as Mondays go, it's been a world record crappy day."
Marissa knew Beth well. Well enough to understand that her friend needed time to process how she felt about some strange woman answering Mick's phone while he slept. She needed to give her friend that time. "OK, I hear you. Are you okay to drive?"
Beth knew this was Marissa's way of apologizing for any real or imagined faux pas. "I'm fine – and I'm sure I'm better able to drive than you are!"
"Joke's on you!" Marissa hooted. "I took a cab here."
Beth snorted and linked arms with her childhood friend. She took a glance over towards Jamie, who was now seated very cozily with Carl and his entourage. She'd be fine. "Let's go."
Josef Kostan awoke with a start, looking around at the inside of the unfamiliar freezer, disoriented for a moment. Then, it all came rushing back to him – where he was, why he was here, what came next. With a sigh, he pushed a button to open the freezer lid, the hydraulics silently sliding the glass top back.
Sitting up, he saw that the other freezer was still occupied. I'd better let Mick sleep. He had already disrupted his friend's schedule enough. Jumping out of the freezer, he grabbed fresh clothes out of his overnight bag and headed to the bathroom.
When he returned, feeling refreshed after a long, cold shower, Mick was just sitting up in his freezer, looking around with the same dazed expression Josef imagined he had worn when he awoke.
"You're looking a little bleary–eyed, my friend," Kostan said with something more like his usual sarcastic tone. "I highly recommend the cold shower – and do check out the slide show in the mirror." His dark eyes sparkled mischievously.
In response to St. John's puzzled look, he elaborated. "Victoria is a thoroughly modern woman – with great taste, I might add. She has mirrors in the bathroom that have the ability to show TV, movies, what have you. Been meaning to get them installed myself. At present, there is a rather interesting slide show of turn of the century pornography running – for our viewing pleasure, I'm sure."
Shaking his head, Mick St. John vaulted out of the freezer and headed off to the bathroom. While the idea of a shower was welcoming, Josef's description of the entertainment within was intriguing enough to get him moving.
When he exited the bathroom fifteen minutes later, bare-chested, he was shaking his head again as he toweled off his still–wet hair – but for a different reason this time. "Pretty impressive!" He didn't add that he was fairly certain that their hostess had been the subject of a number of the nude photographs – he suspected that Josef had not seen the same show to which he had just been treated.
"You have to admit, as a hostess, Victoria doesn't miss a trick." Kostan smirked, ending the phone call he had been on when Mick exited the bathroom.
"No. No she doesn't!" He ruefully agreed with Josef, but for entirely different reasons. For his best friend's sake, Mick would walk barefoot to hell and back, but he had already tired of Victoria's non-stop sex play.
This has got to stop – but I don't want to piss her off. Why is it that anything involving women is always so complicated?
"So!" Josef started, as they made their way down the elegant stairway, now fully dressed, "What's on your agenda, Mick?"
Their hostess suddenly appeared at the foot of the stairs, a fresh–looking glass of blood in each hand. "Gentlemen, for you." She smiled as she handed each of them a glass of what turned out to be very rare blood – AO–negative to be exact. Mick almost choked as he brought it to his lips – this is Beth's rare blood type
He shot a quick look at Victoria, who smiled innocently. "Don't you like it, Mick? It's very rare, you know."
"Yes I know – and it's very good, thank you," He doubted that the AO–negative blood was a coincidence, but how could she have known? This woman is anything but innocent. He raised his hand to wipe at the corner of his mouth, where he had spilled a little blood in his surprise.
"Here, let me," Victoria drifted closer and lifted one finger to lightly wipe the corner of his mouth and then sensually trailed her finger across his lower lip, finally lifting it to her own mouth and sucking the drop of blood she had retrieved, never breaking eye contact with him. "You do have the most amazing eyes, you know."
Josef watched these proceedings with great amusement, reading Mick's discomfort in his posture and the way he leaned away from Victoria almost imperceptibly. He had seen her in action enough times to recognize the trap she was attempting to set for Mick St. John.
This could be fun to watch, he thought as he wondered how his friend would handle this... complication... in light of his recently escalated relationship with the very human Beth Turner. He had no doubt that Mick was in love with Beth. But Victoria Silver, as he well knew, was a force to be reckoned with and she didn't take rejection lightly. Yes, this would indeed be an interesting and awkward situation – and he did love awkward.
In light of all that was happening, Josef relished the momentary diversion. Still, a flustered and agitated Mick would not do anyone any good - and there was the issue of who was in charge. Fun and games aside, he could not let Victoria cross the line into complete disrespect - it would ruin his reputation.
He cleared his throat, breaking the tension between the two vampires. "Okay, Victoria, I think you've harassed the poor boy enough. Now that we've had our... refreshment," he paused dramatically before the word 'refreshment', "I'd like to talk about the plan for tonight and tomorrow. Mick and I should be heading back to L.A. by late tomorrow night."
Though Josef acted nonchalant, Victoria heard the subtle reproach in the elder vampire's tone. In his own inimitable style, Josef had put her on notice, and she took the hint. Victoria shifted immediately back to business. "Tell me your plan, Mick and I'll do what I can to assist you."
"I need to go back to Waverly Place and look around – see if I can uncover anything that may help us figure out what happened. Then, I want to see the police report, and talk to the nurses who were responsible for her care – maybe even talk to their boss."
"Of course! I can make sure you see the police reports tonight. I will have the interviews set up for tomorrow. As for the site – there's no point in going there tonight, but I have already arranged for a forensic investigator to be there at dawn to look through the debris. He's human but he does a lot of work for me and he's quite good. He knows about us and he's been very discrete. Would that work for you?"
"Yeah. I mean, yes it would." Mick was caught off–guard by Victoria's preparations. "Can I ask what prompted you to call in a forensics expert?"
"Well, I actually arranged it mainly for Josef's sake." she smiled sadly, reaching out her hand to touch her old friend gently. "I suspected he might want to have something of Sarah to bury – and Gene is the best at that sort of thing."
"I would like to have a small service for her before I leave town, Victoria, thank you." Kostan nodded his appreciation at her thoughtfulness.
"I promise you that will happen, Josef. I can arrange for services at any of the cemeteries here – Woodlawn, Acacia, Marble – you just name it"
"We have some mutual friends buried at the old Marble Cemetery, Victoria," Josef said thoughtfully. "Why don't we do it there?"
"I'll take care of it. Would sunset work for both of you?" The two vampires nodded their agreement. She continued, "Then, let me take care of everything. Mick, I'd like to hook you up with one of my associates, Gabrielle Sinclair. Gabby is, I guess you could say, my version of a Mick St. John. She can help with any roadblocks you might encounter in your investigation – she has a lot of contacts here in the city. She's a vampire too, of course. I've also organized a small gathering here this evening." Victoria looked from St. John to Kostan, "Just a few old acquaintances, Josef. I hope you don't mind."
Mick had the distinct feeling he was being uninvited from the evening's festivities, a fact he was actually grateful for. The last thing he needed right now was the further complication of more vampires and their issues. "Well, I'm going to head out then – I'd like to see the police reports as soon as possible."
"Of course. I'll have Gabby meet you at the 30th Precinct in about an hour. Would that work? I'll just tell her to look for the tall, sexy guy in the long coat."
"Thank you, Victoria." Mick was at a loss for words, a condition that seemed to happen frequently around Victoria Silver. "Speaking of my coat, have you seen it?"
"Yes, you left it in the music room when you went up to the freezer. You had some calls while you were gone, but I didn't want to wake you, so I let them roll over to your voicemail. There was one number that was very persistent though, so I finally answered it around 9:30. I spoke to Beth – I believe that is the person you were speaking of on the plane ride here? She really seems like a lovely young woman."
As Mick groaned out loud, Josef burst out laughing, startling all of them. "I love it! That's perfect! Thank you, Victoria. I am now guaranteed to have entertainment when I get back to L.A.!"
"I'm so sorry, Mick!" Victoria claimed innocently. "I certainly didn't mean to cause any trouble – human relationships are already so difficult! I just saw that the same number had called several times and thought that it was probably important. She seemed relieved to know that you were fast asleep in your freezer."
Yeah, I'll just bet she was! I don't believe this innocent act for a minute.
Josef chortled again, unknowingly echoing Mick's thoughts when he said, "Oh, I just bet she was relieved!"
Mick took his coat from Victoria and, pulling his phone out of his coat as he shrugged it on, he bolted out the door and hailed a taxi, hitting Beth's number as he did.
As his friend left to begin his investigation into the death of Sara Whitley, Josef drifted toward the music room, cell phone in hand. Victoria Silver watched the private investigator leave, then wheeled around and caught Josef's sleeve as he started by her.
"Mick told me he knows nothing about Crucis." she hissed at him, her fangs suddenly showing and her eyes gleaming the icy–blue of an irate vampire. "Is that true, Josef? If so, that is uncharacteristically stupid of you!"
Josef stopped dead in his tracks and responded in kind to Victoria's sudden aggression. His normally dark brown eyes, shadowed now with dark circles of sorrow, also gleamed white.
"I won't be second–guessed, Victoria – not even by you! I'm warning you - don't abuse our long friendship," he snarled. "Mick has not needed to know that information before now. We still don't know that Crucis is behind what you say is happening in New York. And, until we do, I reserve the right to tell the vampires in my community what I want, when I want. I do not choose to tell Mick about Crucis. Not yet." He bared his fangs to make his point.
Victoria released his arm, but refused to back down, standing toe to toe with the older vampire. "Josef, that's wrong. You have to know that. If you are relying on Mick, he must know about Crucis. You care about him, clearly – and I understand why – but, if you want him to survive, he has to know what he's up against. If you don't tell him, you are handicapping him. He's not made of glass – he can take it."
Josef wasn't sure how to respond to this – her logic was irrefutable. He backed off, retracting his fangs, his eyes returning to their normal color.
"Victoria, look. I... I haven't been hiding this deliberately. We haven't had to deal with Crucis in many years, it just didn't seem necessary to have Mick worrying about something that wasn't relevant to our survival. I love him like a brother, and he's had a lot to deal with. He's not like you and me – he didn't ask for this...for any of this."
"What exactly is your relationship with him, Josef?" Victoria also backed down, her fangs disappearing. "Mick has almost no odor of decay, which would suggest that he's newly–turned. What I do pick up is a whiff of connection between you and him. What's going on?"
Kostan sighed. He had hoped not to get into this at all with her. "Victoria, it's complicated – and I don't want to have a long, involved conversation about this. Mick's been a vampire since the early 50's, but he was exposed to a so–called 'Cure' for vampirism – one that turned him into a human temporarily. I re–turned him. That's all there is to it."
Victoria stood stock-still with her mouth open, listening to Josef's recitation. "That's all?! You are saying, 'that's all'?! What the hell, Josef?! So, now he's a vampire again? Did he ask you to turn him back?!"
"Yes, he did. I would never have turned him back unless he asked me to! I didn't want to do it then but he was desperate." Josef shifted his weight uneasily, reluctant to meet her irate stare. He knew how unusual and outside any norm for their kind the situation was.
"And, what about this 'Cure'?!" Victoria stood rigidly, hands on hips. "Tell me about that!"
"Nothing to tell." Josef's tone brooked no argument. "Coraline was behind it all and she – and the so–called 'Cure' – are gone. Lance took them back to Europe."
"You do know that this is pretty screwed up, right?" Victoria exhaled noisily, exasperated. "This is your right–hand man and confidante we're talking about. First, he's a vamp, then a human, then a vamp again…You are his new sire. He knows nothing about Crucis… Come on, Josef! Most of my people know about them - for their own protection as much as anything. Especially those that I count on. I don't even know what to say about all this."
Josef shouted, "Look, Victoria. I understand that you think that this places us at a disadvantage..." Victoria snorted in frustration at his characterization. "...but I'm standing by my decision. This will not endanger Mick!" The two vampires squared off, eye to flashing white eye. "I mean it, Victoria. Stay the hell out of my business!'
She conceded defeat, backing off – for now. "I'm not trying to meddle in your business, Josef. I'm just trying to bring some sanity to it, is all. Mick deserves to know what's going on – and he needs to know what to expect. You know how dangerous things could get."
Josef realized the wisdom in what Victoria had to say, but, in his heart, he still felt he needed to protect Mick. It was hard enough for his friend to deal with being a vampire. If he threw all this at him in his newly-re-turned state, he was afraid it would overwhelm him. "I know you have my –our - best interests at heart, Victoria. I'll keep that in mind." Only Kostan knew that he had no plan to tell Mick about Crucis at this point...but that was information he did not intend to share with Victoria. At least not yet.
End Song: Trouble by ColdPlay