Murder in Vein (2010) (34 page)

The information surprised Madison, and she pushed the
thought of Lilith's death aside for the moment. "But of all the
covens, hers was the one going downhill fast. In fact, Ethan told
us he was trying to get Lilith to merge her coven into his."

Samuel sighed. "Well, something had her thinking that after
she turned, she was going to be the queen bee of vampirism here
in California."

"But," Colin added, "even if their cockeyed theory had been
correct, she'd still have to deal with Ethan and Ben also being
vampires. I find it difficult to believe they would let her take
control."

Madison nodded. "I agree with Colin. There's no way those
two would let a woman even share power with them, let alone be
over them. I'm surprised she was even in on it."

Colin leaned forward, one dark brow lowered, the other
arched in thought. "Isabella thinks they just let Lilith in for her
money. Hiring thugs to kidnap people is costly, even if the thugs
are on the cheap."

Samuel got up and stretched. "Stacie will continue looking
into this Porky angle tonight. That old guy knows where those
deaths occurred, I'm sure of it. We just have to unlock it from his mind. I think if we find that spot, we'll find Ethan and Ben, or at
least someone else connected to them"

Colin looked angry. "We have to end this, and soon."

I couldn't agree with you more, Colin" Samuel turned to
look out the windows. With the morning had come a light rain.
"Madison," he said, not turning around, "why don't you get
dressed. I'll have Colin take you home." He turned to look at
Colin. "If you don't mind, Colin."

"Not at all. I can fill the Dedhams in on last night."

Samuel shook his head. "No need. I've already spoken with
them this morning."

"Home? Home as in back to my apartment?" Madison's voice
was tinged with hope. "Or home as in back to the Dedhams'?"
Trashed or not, after last night, Madison was thinking she'd
rather be back in her tiny, ruined apartment in Culver City.

Instead of answering, Samuel gave her a soft, slow smile. He
turned back to look out the window again. "And ease your mind
about the rain, Madison. Colin brought a car today."

Madison gasped softly, always surprised by Samuel's ability.
Her displeasure about riding on the back of Colin's motorcycle
in the rain was one of the concerns occupying her mind, but it
wasn't the foremost one. Without a word, she started to leave.

"And Madison," Samuel called to her just as she reached the
arch leading to the guest wing. She turned around to find both
Samuel and Colin watching her. "What happened last night,"
Samuel told her, "that was justice. Our justice. Remember that."

She gave the two vampires a short, quick nod of understanding and left.

t was true, Colin didn't have his bike with him. Instead, he was
driving a Porsche. He drove it fast and deliberate, as he did the
motorcycle, making Madison almost ask for a helmet.

When they arrived at the Dedhams', Doug and Dodie were
waiting for them, eager as two puppies hoping to go out for a walk.

"We're so glad you're home," Dodie said to Madison, taking
her jacket and shaking the rain out from it before hanging it on
a hook by the back door. "We have something we want to discuss
with you before we go to bed"

"Just put her bag down on the floor, Colin," Doug directed,
"and come join us. You hungry?" Before Colin could answer,
Doug turned to Dodie. "Sweetheart, you have any of that special
blend left?"

"That's okay, folks," Colin told them. "I'm not hungry at all."

Madison cast Colin a quick look. His eyes met hers but
revealed nothing.

Madison turned back to the Dedhams, wondering if they
were going to bring tip Lilith. Her head bulged with questions, but she wasn't sure when to ask them or who to ask. Samuel was
in charge, but the Dedhams were her hosts. "Everything okay?"
Madison asked instead.

"Everything's wonderful, dear," Dodie told her. "What can
I get you for breakfast? Want me to scramble you a couple of
eggs?"

"Ah, nothing, thanks. I'm not very hungry either, and I had
some juice at Samuel's." Madison looked at the Dedhams like
they'd lost a wheel off their wagon. She was expecting a birdsand-bees talk about vampire justice, not eggs.

"Sit down," Doug told her, holding out a kitchen chair for
Madison, "and we'll tell you our news." He looked at Colin. "You,
too, Colin. You might as well hear this now. Samuel already
knows."

Colin took a chair and again exchanged looks with Madison.
He seemed as confused as she was about the Dedhams' behavior.
Madison lifted her shoulders in an exaggerated shrug.

The Dedhams took seats at the table. Dodie looked at Doug,
urging him to begin. "This morning," he said, "we're celebrating
Madison's new home."

Madison sat up straight with surprise. "My new home? Have
you found me a new apartment?"

"No, dear," Dodie said with a smile. "Something much
better."

"What are you guys talking about?" Madison felt like she'd
missed something.

"Here," Doug told her with excitement. "You're going to live
here."

Madison stood up in disbelief. "Here? With you? In a house
of vampires?"

Doug scowled. "You say that like it's a bad thing. I mean, after
all, haven't we been good to you?"

With an audible thump, Madison sat back down and put her
head in her hands. "Yes, of course. You and Dodie are the best.
I'm grateful to you for everything, but... ." In her mind, the
goodness of the Dedhams collided with the death of Lilith.

"No buts about it," Dodie said, with a jerk of her head to seal
the deal.

Madison turned to Colin. "Help me out here, will you?"

Colin held a hand up. "Don't get me involved in family
matters."

Getting no help from Colin, Madison looked back at the Dedhams. They seemed genuinely confused by her lack of joy.

"Listen," Madison started, "you've both been great. I mean, I'd
be dead if not for you. But I have a job and school, and I need to
find a new apartment-one that's close to both of those things."

"You can still work and go to school but live here," Doug told
her. "Rent free."

"That's a longer commute than I'd like to make," Madison
advised him. "Especially for the kind of money I make."

Dodie laughed. "What Doug means, silly, is you'll have a new
job and you can go to school next semester. There are several
good colleges not far from here."

Madison shook her head, still not understanding what they
were saying. "What job?"

"With us. With the council," Dodie told her, excitement building in her voice. "You can assist Samuel-be the council's connection to the living, sort of like Mike is with police matters. You
can start right after we clear up this nasty mess with the covens."

It was becoming clear to Madison what was going on. Knowing what she knew, Samuel meant to keep her close. "Samuel put
you up to this, didn't he?"

"No, he did not," Doug said with knitted brows. "You living
here was our idea. After seeing your apartment destroyed, we
were going to invite you to stay here until you got back on your
feet. But then Dodie thought why not have you stay permanently,
like you're really our family."

"We called Samuel this morning after we got back from our
duties," Dodie added. "We wanted to make sure it was all right
with him since you're, well, alive and all, and we have to be so
careful about that."

"But Samuel loved the idea," Doug joined in. "It was his
idea that you go to work for the council. He said we could use a
bright young woman like you." Doug beamed so bright, Madison
wanted to shield her eyes.

"It's not that I don't care for you two," Madison began. "I do.
You've been more like family to me these past few days than anyone I've known since my great aunt Eleanor died." She gave the
Dedhams a sheepish smile. "And it was fun introducing you to
people as my grandparents."

"So keep introducing us as your grandparents," Doug said in
a matter-of-fact voice.

"But to live here," Madison continued, "is another story.
I'm used to being out on my own. And I wouldn't want to be
underfoot."

Dodie waved a hand, letting Madison know it was no big deal.
"We sleep most of the day. You sleep most of the night. You could
even decorate your room any way you'd like."

Doug reached out and patted Madison's arm. "Tell you what.
Just give it a try for a little while-say, a few months. If it doesn't
work out, you can move into an apartment. We'll even help you
find a new one."

"But you should definitely take the job with the council,"
Dodie stressed. "They will pay you much better than that waitress job, and the hours will be more flexible when you need time
for school."

Madison laughed in spite of the confusion and darkness dulling her brain. "Mostly night work, right?"

"Not necessarily," Doug said in all seriousness. "There are a
lot of things Samuel and the council need help on during the day,
when we're all sleeping. That's why we need someone like you.

Madison looked at the Dedhams, moving her eyes back and
forth from one to the other. They really did look like pictureperfect grandparents. "Do I have to answer right now?" she asked
them, thinking about the events of the night before. "I have a lot
to think about."

Dodie clutched Doug's arm to stem her excitement. "No, dear,
take a few days. We know it's an important decision."

When the Dedhams went upstairs to retire, Madison walked
Colin out to his car. It had stopped raining, leaving the morning
air fresh and filled with the damp, musty scent of the surrounding earth and trees.

"So what do you think?" she asked him. "About me living here
and working with the council?"

Colin leaned against his car and considered his reply. "To be
perfectly frank with you, having you here has given the Dedhams
a spark I've not seen in them before. I'd like to see it continue.
And maybe it's time for you to have a new start and a loving family. Nothing wrong with that."

"And the job?"

"I heartily agree with that. We've talked from time to time
about needing a beater who can run interference for us. And
everyone you've met on the council likes and admires you." Colin
gave her a wide, genuine smile, the type of smile she had seen
him give Isabella at Bloodlust. "Trust me, the admiration of a
vampire is a difficult thing to come by."

Madison looked into Colin's eyes. "But what about last night?
Isn't that the real reason Samuel wants me to stay? He wants to
keep an eye on me because of what I know." She glanced at the
house. "Do they know what I saw?"

"Undoubtedly. Doug is on the council, so Samuel would have
told him this morning." Colin placed a hand on each of Madison's upper arms and held her directly in front of him. "Listen, I
know you're terrified by what you saw. The entire council knows
you're scared." He paused, then plowed on with blunt reality.
"The truth of the matter is, if we thought for a moment you were
going to talk, you'd be dead already."

She jerked away from him. "Is that supposed to comfort me?"

"What I'm trying to say, Madison, is that if an invitation to
live and work among us was extended to you, then it was authentic and not a trick. Vampires don't do things like that lightly."

Madison was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Who was that
other man there last night? Was he a vampire?"

"Yes. That was Eddie Gonzales, another council member. We
have to have a certain number of members present to carry out
an execution."

"And what about Lilith's body? Did you munch on it until it
was gone? Pick your teeth with her bones?" Madison shuddered,
then another issue that had been nagging her for days popped
out of her mouth. "And Bobby Piper's body-what happened to that? If we dug up Samuel's back yard, would we find dozens of
beater bodies?"