Simon Green - The Dark Side of the Road

‘We’re beyond clues, now,’ I said. ‘I know why Walter was killed. And how.’

Leilah looked at me sharply. ‘You do? You know why somebody stuck a bloody big spear through him?’

‘That wasn’t what killed him,’ I said.

They both looked at the bite mark in Walter’s neck, even though it was something they clearly didn’t want to do.

‘Of course it wasn’t the spear,’ said Jeeves. ‘The blood only came from the neck wound. Nothing from where the spear went in. And there’s blood splatter on the wall, right there, at neck height, from where he was standing when he was attacked. The killer pinned him to the wall after he was dead. How much strength would it take, to lift a man that high and then drive the spear home?’

‘What the hell happened in here?’ said Leilah.

‘We need to get everyone back into the drawing room,’ I said. ‘I don’t think it’s safe for any of us to be out of sight of the others for long.’

‘Hear that,’ said Jeeves.

Back in the drawing room, Melanie sat slumped in an armchair, staring blankly ahead of her, lost in her own grief. At least she’d stopped crying. Penny started to go stand with her, and then changed her mind. She stood alone, Khan stood alone, Sylvia stood alone. No one wanted to be too close to anyone else. Jeeves and Leilah closed and locked the drawing room door and put their backs against it. And then, everyone looked at me. Because it was clear to everyone that I knew something.

I took my time looking round the drawing room, making sure everyone was there. I even counted them up twice, just in case the vampire was messing with my thoughts. ‘All right,’ I said. ‘Who left this room, after Walter did?’

There was a lot of people clearing their throats, and then not saying anything. It was obvious none of them were sure. They all looked confused and didn’t know why.

‘I suppose,’ Khan said slowly, ‘we were all arguing so much that no one noticed. I think most of us stepped out, at least for a moment, at one time or another. For various reasons …’

‘I left the room, for a while,’ said Jeeves. ‘I went down the hall to open the front door and check on the weather. See if it had let up any. But I told Leilah I was going to do that. And I was only gone a minute or two.’

‘That’s right,’ Leilah said immediately. ‘I can confirm that.’

‘The storm was just as bad,’ said Jeeves. ‘So I came straight back. Leilah was in charge here, all the time I was gone.’

I looked at Leilah, who shrugged, uncomfortably.

‘I let Sylvia leave, to use the toilet.’

‘I wasn’t long!’ said Sylvia. ‘I had to go!’

I looked at Melanie, but she was still too upset to respond. I looked at Khan, and he shrugged helplessly.

‘I don’t know, Ishmael. I didn’t go anywhere, and I don’t remember anyone else going anywhere. I know people came and went, but I wasn’t paying any attention. Which is odd. You would think, under the current circumstances, that I would be watching everyone like a hawk. Why didn’t I notice Walter was missing for so long?’

‘There is a reason for that,’ I said. Everyone looked at me then. Even Melanie. ‘The killer has been messing with our heads,’ I said. ‘Interfering with our thoughts. There is no easy way to say this, so I’ll give it to you straight. The killer is a vampire.’

I braced myself for loud arguments and angry disagreements, even a blunt refusal to believe, but in the end they all just looked at me. As though I’d made a stupid and very inappropriate joke. They’d all been through too many shocks and losses and emotional upheavals. And then Jeeves nodded, slowly.

‘I saw the bite marks on Walter’s throat. Human-sized.’

‘You mean … our killer is one of those head-cases who gets a kick out of drinking blood?’ said Leilah, scowling hard as she considered the idea.

‘No,’ I said. ‘Unfortunately, this is the real thing. A vampire. Blood-drinker. Undead.’

‘Oh, come on!’ said Leilah. ‘There’s no such thing as the real thing! There is no such thing as a vampire! It’s just a fairy tale, a horror movie … What are you trying to pull here?’

‘All right, that’s it!’ said Jeeves. ‘No more theories, and no more discussion. Leilah and I are the professionals here, so we are taking charge of the situation.’

‘Damn right!’ said Leilah. ‘No more deaths on our watch. And no more superstitious bullshit!’

‘I don’t know,’ said Khan. And just like that, everyone was looking at him. Because there was something in his voice. He realized all eyes were on him, and he shrugged uncomfortably. ‘Weird shit does happen. Strange things do exist. I know that because I have encountered them before. I used to work for Black Heir.’

Jeeves and Leilah reacted to that name immediately and looked at Khan with something very like respect.

‘We worked a case with two Black Heir field agents, once,’ said Jeeves. ‘A Muti black magic case, in the East End of London. They were … scary types.’

‘Very professional,’ said Leilah.

‘What’s Black Heir?’ said Penny.

‘You know all those secret departments that don’t officially exist?’ said Khan. ‘Well, even they don’t have high enough security clearances to know about Black Heir. It is an organization specially tasked to deal with … weird shit.’

‘Are we talking X-files?’ said Penny.

‘Very definitely not,’ Khan said firmly.

‘So … you’ve had experience with vampires?’ said Sylvia.

‘Of course not!’ said Khan. ‘Never met one in my life. Don’t know anyone who has. And I haven’t worked for Black Heir since the eighties. With Ishmael’s father.’

Melanie had been sitting slumped in her chair, only vaguely following what was happening, but suddenly she was sitting bolt upright, to stab an accusing finger at me.

‘You! It’s you! You’re the vampire! Has to be you … Because you’re an outsider! No one here knows you. What kind of a name is Ishmael Jones, anyway? Has to be fake … And besides; you’re different. I can tell. Everyone can tell!’ She glared around the room. ‘You must have noticed! The things he says, the way he acts …’

‘This is no time to be vindictive, Mummy,’ said Penny.

‘You like him, don’t you?’ said Melanie, smiling unpleasantly. ‘Unnatural child …’

‘Mrs Belcourt does have a point,’ said Jeeves, looking at me steadily. ‘Too many unusual things have happened around you, Ishmael. I don’t think we can trust you any more.’

‘Do you trust anyone here?’ I said.

‘No,’ said Jeeves. ‘But you stand out more than most. I’m not taking any more chances. I think the safest thing to do is to lock you up somewhere. Until my people arrive in the morning. Somewhere safe, and secure.’

‘No,’ I said. ‘That’s not going to happen.’

Jeeves and Leilah both turned their guns on me. Leilah was nodding quickly. ‘Has to be done, Ishmael. You’re the one trying to distract us, with all this nonsense about vampires. And saying you could smell blood … That’s not suspicious, at all.’

‘I’m the only one here who can save you from the vampire,’ I said.

‘Yes, well, you would say that, wouldn’t you?’ said Jeeves. ‘I think Leilah and I are perfectly capable of dealing with this. We are, after all, professionals. Now, be a good boy and do as you’re told, Ishmael. Or I’ll have Leilah shoot you somewhere painful.’

‘Love to,’ said Leilah. ‘Never did trust you, Ishmael.’

‘You’ve got a bloody nerve!’ Penny said loudly. ‘Where were both of you, when four people died? Including the one who hired you to protect him? My father trusted you … and what have you done to find his killer? At least Ishmael’s been doing something! I trust him more than I trust either of you!’