Vampire P.I., Double Trouble

Chapter 9: Tense Talks

*Nathaniel*

I usually do not take additional time to ensure my grooming is pristine, but I take particular care today to make sure not a stitch is out of place. My usual attire consists of wearing black, but somehow there is an additional somberness lingering in the air as I slip into my suit and tie.

It is not a hard thing to comprehend. The lingering feeling in the air which was contributed to by the death of my long-time close friend, Samuel.

I stare at my reflection and ensure the cuff links are fastened tightly by my wrist. These are the ones that Samuel gave to me after we had both turned our first century old. A smile tugs onto my lips as a reminiscing sensation fills my brain with memories.

Funny how something as simple as a trinket could have so much meaning.

Of all my possessions that I have kept over the years, I am particularly grateful that these two little bobbles managed to make it. Black squares with a single, silver square filling the bottom right corner.

Elegant.

Classic and untouched by time.

Simple.

These were a subtle joke when Samuel picked them out because these are the words he would use to describe me.

How fitting.

I exit my room after what feels like a decade of prolonging the inevitable, and I immediately spot Claire on the opposite end of the living room. She is looking out of the window on this dreary day. The grey clouds hang low in the sky and a light mist has covered the ground, dew saturating the grass and encasing the plants just outside on the window ledge.

Claire is wearing a simple black dress which flares out at the waist and falls just past her knees. The way it sits on her shoulders is elegant and appropriate while also complementing her frame perfectly. Hair pulled back into a half-up, half-down style, Claire is the picture of somber elegance.

She turns and catches me watching her, which makes a warm smile spread across her face.

“Ready?" she asks quietly. I nod and extend my arm, which she takes affectionately. “It's going to be okay. I'm here for you."

I lose the words on the way from my mind to my mouth but hearing her say this means the world to me. Instead, I smile, nod, and lead the way to the car. The umbrella guards the both of us as we quickly step over several muddy puddles on our way to the car and, after a thirty-minute drive, we pull into the parking lot of my friend's home.

A funeral home would not have been suitable for us vampires. Naturally, people would ask questions about how we acquired the ashen remains of our loved one. So, for vampires, we gather at one another's homes to enjoy one another's company.

I lead Claire into an old Victorian-style home that sits on the corner of a street in the old district of the city and instantly feel a wave of memories flood over me.

The entrance is filled with antiques and chandeliers, leather-bound books, and the elegance of the ages. I see a dozen faces I recognize immediately all in the main living room next to the study. Glasses of a thick, dark liquid are being passed around and there is no doubt in my mind it is blood.

I breathe in and scent both vampires and humans present in the home.

Good.

Claire won't need to be alone.

“Nathaniel, dear, how are you?" I look over and see one of my old-time friends, Amelia, step up to me. Her blonde hair has been elegantly tied up into a wave-like style on top of her head. It reminds me of the style from the 1970s, but she somehow manages to pull it off. She too is wearing black, though her dress is more slim fitting than Claire's dress.

“I have been in fairer condition," I say politely as I take Amelia's outstretched hand and kiss it. “Please, allow me to introduce my girlfriend and partner, Claire Knight."

“Pleasure to meet you," says Claire as she gives Amelia a nod. I can tell instantly that Amelia scents that Claire is human, but she says nothing about it. Instead, she returns the courteous nod and gestures to the living area.

“We… placed him in here if you wish to pay your respects," says Amelia as she steps away from both of us. I nod and guide Claire into the next room where I see many other faces.

I see Elise, Matilda, Sarah, Albert, Matthew, Silas, Agnes, Elijah, and Abraham all standing around a dark gray urn. My stomach flips and every part of me twists with a mixture of rage and sadness.

They all sense my approach and, naturally, each of them comes up and offers their condolences. I take time to introduce Claire to each one of them before introducing her to some of the other members of the makeshift vampiric family I had gathered over the years.

After an hour or so of pleasantries, Claire excuses herself to go to the restroom, and I elect to take the opportunity to talk to some of my close friends, Deanna and Troi, who found Samuel.

“It's so good to see you again," says Deanna, pulling her ebony hair to the side as she steps forward and dares to hug me. Troi extends his hand and shakes mine firmly. Three others step up and join our discussion.

“The same to you my friends," I mutter. “You found him?"

The both of them nod, somberness filling their eyes. We make small talk for several minutes, reminiscing about our fallen friend before I brace myself for the answers I have been dreading. “Any indication of who may have been present? Of whom committed the crime?"

“We looked around and could scent nothing out of the ordinary," states Troi. “It didn't even look like he fought back. There were no signs of struggle, and it was obvious whoever was there knew what they were doing. They spread garlic and a few other scents to obscure their scent."

“It's a tragedy," sighs Deanna. “Rarely do we experience the fragility of life."

“Speaking of which, your… how did you say… partner? A human?" prods Troi. “Bold move if you ask me, Nathaniel."

I bristle ever so slightly at his comment.

“How do you mean?" I ask, feigning ignorance.

“What Troi is trying to say," interjects Deanna, “is that you love deeply and fiercely, and humans are, to put it delicately, fragile and impermanent."

I clench my fists, though I don't remember doing it entirely, and stare at them.

“I know better than many of you, seeing that, out of our company present, I am the one who interacts with them on a high frequency," I state. I notice my tone grow cold when I address my friends.

“Then, and don't take this the wrong way Nathaniel, have you had that conversation with her? About changing?" asks Deanna. I have to pause and take a breath to keep myself from snapping some sort of response at her. What kind of question is that? “We just want to make sure you've addressed it with her."

“Of course," I say coolly. “We have discussed it at length, and, in full disclosure and transparency, I will not force this life onto her. Everything is ultimately her choice and it is something I admire about her. She is not considering the change lightly, and she ultimately has a choice when we did not."

Deanna reaches over and gently touches my shoulder.

“And that is all well and good, but just make sure that you don't give away more than you can afford to lose. If she chooses to stay human, then this scene of all of us dressed in black is going to come sooner than you think. Humanity is a temporary condition, and love alone cannot change that," states Troi.

My friends look at me for a moment as though I am someone to be pitied like I am blinded by love and not thinking rationally through the decision I made to be in a relationship with Claire.

“I assure you, I have taken everything into account. Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to Claire. She has been absent for too long," I state. I give a polite nod of my head and leave the living room, trying to maintain my calm demeanor, but my search doesn't last long.

I step just barely out of the room and see Claire standing on the other side of the doorway with her back against the wall. Curiosity and worry seize me.

Did she hear our conversation just now?