Dracul's Revenge 01: Dracul's Blood (12 page)

Nik raced back to his office after class. “Did he call?”

Sheila glanced over the top of her glasses. “Did who call?”

“George, uh, Professor Lattimer.”

Sheila flipped through the pink slips in her hand. “Yes. Almost two hours ago.” She handed Nik his messages and started to go back to work. “Oh, and that cute detective’s called a couple of times as well.”

Nik winked at Sheila. “He is pretty hunky, isn’t he?”

Sheila fanned her fifty-something year old face. “If I were thirty years younger and twenty pounds lighter, I’d be all over that.”

“And a man.” Nik winked again as he entered his office.

“All the good ones…” Sheila’s voice trailed off as Nik shut his door.

He found Professor Lattimer’s phone message and called him.

“It’s about time you got back to me,” George said, answering the phone.

“Sorry, sir, I was in class. Did you find out anything?”

“Well, the cask is definitely as old as you thought it was. The Knights of Paiderastia crest on the seal is quite interesting.”

“How so?”

“Because The Knights of Paiderastia never died out. They took refuge in the background for centuries, but there has been a lot of speculation lately that there’s a resurgence.”

“How do you know this?”

The professor was silent for a moment. “I have friends. The important thing is, there has to be a reason this cask is showing up now after over five hundred years.”

“I still haven’t been able to wrap my mind around the cask itself. After all these years how can it be so perfectly preserved and still contain wine? The wine has to be horrible, so why drink it?”

“Wine? You didn’t tell me they’d found wine in the cask. Where’s it now?”

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

77

Nik scratched his head. If he told the professor what he knew, would it get Bobby in trouble? At the same time, the professor had connections Nik had no hope of tapping into.

“The bottle was empty when the police found it, but there were clues that it had been recently consumed. They should get the lab results from the residue back anytime.”

Once again, the professor went silent.

“Sir, there’s something else. I believe there’s another crest imbedded in the seal under the one of The Knights of Paiderastia.”

“Yes. That was the second reason I called. I believe it is Radu cel Frumos’ personal crest.”

Nik nodded before realising the professor couldn’t see him. “It doesn’t surprise me.

Radu was one of the most powerful supporters of the Paiderastians. So you think this cask was made for him?”

“I do.”

The tone in the professor’s voice, had goose-bumps breaking out on Nik’s skin. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“I need to do more research, but I don’t think you should get mixed up in this. Why don’t you let me deal directly with the NYPD.”

“That’s okay, professor. I’d appreciate it if you’d continue to call me with your findings.”

“This could get very dangerous. I’m advising you to drop it now.”

Nik ran a hand over the prickling hair on the back of his neck. He had no doubt the professor was keeping something from him. “Professor Lattimer? You’d tell me if you knew something else, right?”

Silence.
“I’ll be in touch, Nikolay.”

The phone went dead, and Nik was left wondering what the hell was going on. He pulled out his cell phone and called Bobby.

“Hey,” Bobby answered, sounding harried.

“Hi. I just got off the phone with Professor Lattimer. He confirmed the age of the cask, The Knights of Paiderastia crest and the Radu cel Frumos crest.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Yes and no. There’s something he’s not telling me. I’m going to go back over to the library and do some research.”

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Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

78

“Call me when you’re done. If I’m off, I’ll pick you up.”

“Okay.” Bobby’s voice had gone a long way in soothing Nik’s nerves, but he knew the detective was busy now that he had another murder on his hands. “Guess I’ll see you later.”

“Is there something wrong, Nik?”

“Just on edge, I guess. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Call me if you need me.”

“Thanks. I will.” Nik hung up and stuffed the phone in his backpack along with the pictures of the crest and cask. He slung the pack over his shoulder and turned off his lights.

“I’m leaving for the day, Sheila.”

The secretary glanced up. “You look white as a ghost. Are you sick?”

Thinking fast, Nik nodded. “I might need you to cancel my classes for a couple of days. I’ll give you a call when I know for sure.”

“Go home and take care of yourself, and for god’s sake, don’t breathe on me.”

Nik grinned and walked out of the office. He needed to learn everything there was to know about Radu cel Frumos and the Paiderastians.

* * * *

Once in the reference section, Nik stepped up to the large desk. “Is Edna Grant working?”

“Yes. I believe she’s in our manuscripts and archives division.” The woman pointed in the direction.

“Thanks. I know where it is.” He looked at the scrap of paper in his hand. According to the computer on the main level, the library housed several items on The Knights of Paiderastia. It didn’t give a location for the items, instead requesting the researcher contact a librarian for assistance. Hopefully Edna would be able to help him find them.

After searching the room, he finally spotted the elderly woman he’d spoken to a few days prior. “Ms. Grant?”

Edna jumped and turned around. “Yes. Professor Radin, isn’t it?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He held out the sheet of paper. “I was wondering if you could help me find these.”

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79

An expression crossed Edna’s face that Nik couldn’t read. Without another word, she led him through a series of shelves to a locked room. She used her key to open the door and turned on the lights. Instead of normal florescent, the light fixtures were outfitted with black light bulbs. It was his first clue how old the documents he’d asked for were.

Edna gestured towards a small desk. “Wait here while I get them.”

While he waited, Nik opened his backpack and took out his notebook and the pictures Bobby had given him. It was several minutes before Edna returned with two, thin boxes. She set them on the desk in front of Nik and handed him a pair of nitrate gloves.

Edna handed Nik back the slip of paper and pointed towards the last item. “We don’t have this one. It disappeared from the archives many years ago.”

Nik tucked the nugget of information away for later. “Thank you.”

He expected Ms. Grant to leave, but instead she took a seat beside the door. Nik didn’t take it personally. Evidently, the library wasn’t taking chances with more of their precious material walking out.

Nik hoped he’d find something worth all the trouble.

* * * *

“Thanks again.” Nik gave Edna a final wave before heading upstairs. He pulled the cell phone out of his pack and called Bobby.

“You finished?” Bobby asked upon answering.

“For now. I’ll be back though. I’ve come away with a lot more questions than I had when I went in. Are you in the area?”

“Not far. I should be there in ten minutes or so. I’ve got a late meeting with Mavis Vanderlist’s mother and father.”

Nik walked out of the library and sat on the steps about half-way down. “Then don’t worry about me. Go ahead and do what needs doing. I’ll catch the bus home. You can call when you’re done.”

“I just don’t like the idea of you taking a bus.”

Nik rolled his eyes. He stood and started down the steps towards the bus stop. “I’ve gotten around this city on public transportation since I was a child. Since when are you so paranoid?”

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“Since people started showing up dead and someone I like is walking around the city riding buses.”

Nik smiled. The cold effects of the disturbing information he’d been deep into all afternoon began to fall away. “Thanks for the concern. I like you, too. But I’ll be fine, promise.”

“So’d you find out anything you can tell me over the phone?”

Nik set his pack on the bench and dug out his pass. “I found a couple of things on the Paiderastians, but according to the librarian, the one book I really wanted had been stolen years ago.”

“Yeah? What book was that?”

“It wasn’t really a book, more like a journal. According to the computer, it was rumoured to be written by the great-great grandson of one of Radu’s most trusted servants.”

“Sounds like quite a coincidence that everything seems to be pointing to this Radu guy, and the one piece of evidence that might confirm it has gone missing.”

“That’s what I thought, too, but Edna said the journal has been missing for years.” The bus pulled up in a whine of airbrakes and Nik stepped up and swiped his pass. “Most of the research I found dealt with the Paiderastians, so I’m going to keep on that for the time being.”

“Why? Something interesting?”

“I think so. Professor Lattimer advised me to step away from the case. I think he knows something about The Knights of Paiderastia that he’s not sharing. He did tell me the society is once again on the rise.”

“But he didn’t explain why he thinks you should step away?” Bobby asked.

“Nope. That’s what’s bothering me. I don’t know how to explain it, but there was something in the way he said it that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.”

“Does he think your digging will endanger you?”

Nik glanced out of the window. He could tell from Bobby’s tone he was starting to worry his new lover. It would be just like Bobby to side with Professor Lattimer if he thought Nik was in danger. But he was too far into this thing to stop now. “I don’t know. I doubt it. I think it was more of a general warning. Hell, maybe he just wants the glory for himself.”

“Is he that kind of man?”

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81

Nik thought about all he knew of his old professor. Even while teaching, George Lattimer had connections. When he’d student taught for the man, Nik had even overheard a short phone conversation between the professor and the Secretary of State. Nik assumed Professor Lattimer used those connections to get his job at the Smithsonian.

“Nik?”

“Sorry. No. To answer your question, I don’t think he’s that kind of man. First of all, he doesn’t even know what case we’re working on, and secondly, he doesn’t need the NYPD’s help in advancing his career.”

Even though he didn’t tell Bobby, Nik did feel the professor had an ulterior motive for wanting Nik off the case. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. He was beginning to think of himself as a detective instead of a freaking geek. “Listen, my transfer’s coming up, so I’ll let you go. Call me later?”

“You bet. Why don’t you give me a call when you get home to let me know you made it? If I’m already in my meeting, just leave a voicemail.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye, babe.”

Nik smiled at the endearment as he got off the bus to wait for the one that would take him to Chelsea.

It was another twenty-five minutes before he stepped off the bus, six blocks from his townhouse. He was so deep in thought, he didn’t hear the footsteps behind him until he was almost at his door.

Nik stopped suddenly and started to turn when something struck him on the back of the head. He went down like a ton of bricks. He was out cold before his face ever hit the steps.

* * * *

“Shit. The door knocker on this place is worth more than my entire house,” Jablonsky mumbled as they approached the massive front door of the Vanderlist mansion.

Bobby didn’t comment, but he wouldn’t have been surprised if his partner wasn’t right. The Vanderlists were old New York Dutch money. Mr. Vanderlist’s ancestors came to DRACUL’S BLOOD

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New York when it was still New Amsterdam and managed to amass a fortune that subsequent generations increased.

He rang the doorbell, observing the drawn curtains over all the windows on ground level. He nudged Jablonsky and nodded. “You think the press has been hounding them?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it. We suppressed as much information as we could, but just how bloody the crime scene was got leaked.” Jablonsky scowled. “I hate leaks. All they think about is the money. They never think about how it might affect a murder investigation.”

Before Bobby could do more than grunt, the door swung open and a black-clad woman stared at them from the entrance.

“How may I help you?”

“I’m Detective Marks and this is my partner, Detective Jablonsky. We have an appointment to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Vanderlist.”

Bobby flashed his badge at the woman who eyed him like he was the Anti-Christ come to life.

“Follow me. Mrs. Vanderlist is indisposed. Mr. Vanderlist will meet with you in his study.”

Was Mrs. Vanderlist playing the role of grieving mother? Or had they been close?

Bobby made a mental note to find out.

They walked through the wide reception hall across a marble floor. Wealth screamed from every object in that room, causing Bobby to tuck his hands in his pockets. Breaking something wasn’t an option. Hell, he’d have to work until he died to pay Vanderlist back.

The woman knocked on a door and stuck her head around the edge, saying, “The detectives are here, sir.”

“Show them in, Luisa.”

She pushed the door open wider before turning to gesture to them. “You may go in.”

“Thank you.”

If Luisa wasn’t such a well-trained servant, Bobby bet she would have rolled her eyes at him, but she merely nodded and disappeared back down the hall.

“Detective Marks. Detective Jablonsky. Please come in and sit down. I regret that my wife has taken the news of Mavis’s death very hard. They had their disagreements over the years, but a mother loves her daughter.”

DRACUL’S BLOOD