He picked up his vial of fast-depleting human blood.
Good for one, maybe two more applications.
He’d been foolish not to harvest more, and at that thought, his mother’s voice came to him. Rough and low, but rising above Perry Como’s smooth baritone.
“How could you be so foolish? So stupid? When your IQ is supposed to be so high. Near genius. Isn’t that what the school tests showed? But here you are, useless as ever, playing with rocks.”She tutted then, clicking her tongue in disgust.“Such a disappointment. You could have been something, but you’re not.”More tsking and shaking of her head as she reached for her pack of Marlboro Reds.“Such a goddamned disappointment.”
And there she’d done it. Taken the Lord’s name in vain. Not ever opening a Bible. Never stepping inside a church. Not once praying! If it had been up to her, she would have raised him as an atheist, but his father, often absent or lost in listening to his collection of precious records, had stepped in. With the aid of his paternal grandmother, God rest her soul, his father had seen to his Christian upbringing and his understanding of piety. Of atonement. Of retribution. Of the love and wrath of God.
His mother had never understood faith.
And so he’d taught her.
With her own knife.
That sharp little blade with its ram-horned hilt. Fashioned by her father, his grandfather, from the horns of a sheep the old man had slaughtered himself.
Now, he picked up the folding knife and caressed its worn handle.
Ahh, Mother, he thought, with a prideful sense of satisfaction.
You were right.
I wouldn’t be in this predicament if I’d thought ahead.
If I’d planned more carefully.
If I’d drained more of your blood when I’d had the chance.
Chapter 35
“You never told me about the funeral,” Lily said from the family room as she muted the television.
“Nothing much to say.” A lot had happened since Mavis Greenlee was put to rest. Nikki slammed the dishwasher closed and listened as the rush of water indicated the temperamental machine was running.
“No big ‘aha’ moments for you? You didn’t root out the murderer?”
“Nope. It was all very standard fare.” She thought about Westin Stark on the pulpit in his black robe and purple stole, hair neatly clipped. He had the look of a leader on him as he spoke of resurrection and everlasting life in heaven for Mavis Greenlee. For all who believed.
“So did the Partridge Family put on a big spread?”
“You mean the Birds of Paradise,” Nikki corrected, though she knew Lily was just being sarcastic. As usual. “Yes, it was nice. All in all,” Nikki had to admit, “the service was good.”
“But not fruitful for you in chasing down a murderer?”
“Well, that wasn’t exactly the intent of the funeral.”
“No, I suppose not.” Lily took a sip of wine. “I shouldn’t be so judgmental.”
“Amen to that.”
Drying her hands on a towel, Nikki walked from the kitchen to stare at the television.
Lily was sprawled on the couch, the girls outside with the dogs, running in the yard, while the sky was streaked magenta and violet as the sun set. She caught a glimpse of Chloe running and giggling over the grass, Arlo bounding after her, even Phee giving chase, her hair flying, her grin infectious as she caught her much-younger cousin. Chloe screamed happily, laughing, while Phee spun her around and Arlo, tail whipping from his still-shorn backside, barked and galloped to join in.
The scene in the backyard was heartwarming.
And in direct opposition to what was being aired on the local news.