Forbidden Fangs

Chapter 14

Detective Myron Baker awakened to the glow of late-afternoon sunlight permeating his blackout curtains. He'd slept fitfully, with dreams interlaced with blood-sucking creatures of all sorts. Every manner of vampire that creative minds had produced across the years terrified him, even the sparkly new-age vampires that were just meant to be sexy. He rose and made coffee, going through his usual morning routine even though it was early evening. By the time he was showered and shaved the color of the light coming in the windows had shifted to a distinctly reddish hue.

Baker shoved his box of shameful secrets out of sight beneath his bed. He'd been poring over vampire lore for the past half hour while sipping his third giant mug of black coffee. He wasn't due at the station for another hour, but he wanted to get there before dark. He felt safer surrounded by a bunch of trained police officers with guns. When night came, he'd have to go out investigating again… but at least he'd have his partner with him. Between the two of them they could handle anything… couldn't they?

Strapping on his sidearm, the detective threw on a jacket and hurried out to his old brown truck. The engine started as reliably as ever, and he pulled out into the street. He could not help but feel wary as he watched the sun sink lower in the sky. He could not stop his thoughts from going dark with the sky. The night children would be rising shortly. He stopped at a drive-through for a dozen donuts, to share at the station. He ate two on the way there. Okay, he ate three. He had a weakness for the powdery jelly-filled ones. And stress made him hungry.

He parked in the lot out front and walked inside with an attempt at a smile on his face, carrying the donuts and offering one to the officer on reception.

“Really Myron?” She said, noticing the empty spaces. “Three donuts for breakfast? You've got to think about your heart!”

“No one asked you, Janice!” Baker blurted defensively. “For all you know, I bumped into three other officers outside!”

“But did you though?” She asked.

“No,” Baker said, looking down shamefully.

“I'm not judging,” Janice said, taking a chocolate donut for herself, “just concerned about you is all. We need you to stick around, Myron.”

“Thanks Jan. You, too.” He meandered past her desk.

“What are you doing in so early?” She called after him.

“Paperwork to catch up on!” He called back, hurrying onward. He exchanged greetings with a number of other officers and detectives and handed out the rest of the donuts, tossing the empty box in the recycling bin before doubling back to his desk. He busied himself looking like he was typing up reports, when in fact he had none to type. In his mind he was back to reviewing the ghastly sight of that young man's body. The puncture marks on the neck had been so neat and precise, like they could have been made by nothing other than a pair of fangs…

Time passed, and as it grew fully dark outside Pete arrived carrying two paper cups of black coffee. He passed one to Baker and sipped from the other.

“Any donuts left?” He asked.

“Sorry,” Baker said, “gave them all out an hour ago.”

“Rats,” Pete said, “what were you doing in so early?”

“Oh you know… paperwork…” Baker muttered.

“What? Didn't you stay late yesterday doing paperwork? You maybe need to streamline your habits there, Myron. It'll do you no good, burning the candle at both ends.”

“What are you, my mother?” Baker asked. That got a chuckle from his partner, who sat down at his adjacent desk.

“Well, since you've been here so long, I hope you can tell me what we're starting with today.”

“Checking into that boy's death,” Baker said, trying not to wince. “His parents are incredibly upset, of course. They live a couple towns over. They want to claim the body as soon as our coroner is done with it.” He let out a long sigh, staring blankly at his computer screen. “I thought we'd start by looking into local vampiric cults,” he said eventually. “If anyone would kill by draining the blood through two punctures in the neck…”

“... It'd be someone crazy enough to believe in vampires!” Pete said, and Baker made an effort not to wince again. He was no cultist, and he hated to be lumped in with them. He just could not ignore all of the proof… especially when it was sitting on a cold slab somewhere in the station's lab.

“Right.” He said at last. “So, I thought we could look into that.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Pete said, and took a long sip of coffee. “Why don't you take lead on this one? I did the last one, and I'm exhausted to be honest. I'm going to need to stop for more coffee. And donuts.”

“Great,” Baker nodded. “I'll take lead when it comes to asking people who think they are vampires about a murder. Just great.”