Free Dead Roses for a Blue Lady by Nancy Collins Page A

growth of beard, he nodded in the direction of the back booth.
    Judd had never been inside the Monastery before. It had a reputation as being one of the more sleazier — and unsavory — French Quarter dives, and he could see why. The booths lining the wall had once been church pews. Plaster saints in various stages of decay were scattered about on display. A madonna with skin blackened and made leprous by age regarded him from above the bar with flat, faded blue eyes. She held in her arms an equally scabrous Baby Jesus, its uplifted chubby arms ending in misshapen stumps. Hardly a place to party down big time.
    He walked to the back of the bar and looked into the last booth. All he saw was a paunchy middle-aged man dressed in a bad suit smoking a cigar and reading a racing form.
    "Excuse me...?"
    The man in the bad suit looked up at him, arching a bushy, upswept eyebrow.
    "Uh, excuse me — but I'm looking for Mai."
    "You found him."
    Judd blinked, confused. "No, I'm afraid there's been some kind of mistake. The guy I'm looking for is black, with dreadlocks..."
    The man in the bad suit smiled. It was not a pleasant sight. "Sit down, kid. He'll be with you in just a moment."
    Still uncertain of what he was getting himself into, Judd slid into the opposite pew.
    The older man lowered his head, exposing male pattern baldness, and hunched his shoulders. His fingers and arms began vibrating, the skin growing darker as if his entire body had suddenly become bruised. There was a sound of dry grass rustling under a high wind and thick, black dreadlocks emerged from his scalp, whipping about like a nest of snakes. Judd was too shocked by the transformation to do anything but stare.
    Mai lifted his head and grinned at Judd, tugging at the collar of his turtleneck. "Ah, yes. I remember you now. Sonja's renfield."
    "My-my name's not Renfield."
    Mai shrugged. "So, what brings you here, boychick?"
    "I'm looking for Sonja. I can't find her."
    "She doesn't want to be found."
    "I have to find her! I just have to! Before she does something stupid. Kills herself, maybe."

    Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) Mai regarded the young human for a moment. "Tell me more."
    "Something—happened between us. She feels responsible for hurting me. She sent me this letter a few days ago." Judd fished a much-folded envelope out of his back pocket and held it out to Mai. "Here, you read it."
    The demon took the letter out of its envelope like a gourmet removing an escargot from its shell. He unfolded the paper, noting the lack of signature and the smears of blood.
    Judd,
    I can never be forgiven for what was done to you. I was not the one who did those things to you. Please believe that. It was her. She is the one that makes me Mil and hurt people.
    Hurt you. I promise I'll never let her hurt anyone, ever again. Especially you. I 'm going to do something I should have tried years ago, before she became so strong. So dangerous. So uncontrollable. She's sated right now. Asleep in my head. By the time she becomes aware of what I'm planning to do, it'll be too late. I'm going to kill her. I might end up killing myself in the bargain, but that's a chancel 'm willing to take. I won't let her hurt anyone again, damn her. I love you, Judd. Please believe that. Don't try to find me.
    Escape while you can.
    "She doesn't understand." Judd was close to tears as he spoke. "I do forgive her. I love her, damn it! I can't let her die!" "You know what she is." It wasn't a question.
    Judd nodded. "And I don't care."
    "And why have you come to me?"
    "You know where she is, don't you?"
    Malfeis shifted in his seat, his eyes developing reptilian slits. "Are you asking me a question?"
    Judd hesitated, recalling Sonja's warning that he should never, under any circumstance, ask Mai a question.
    "Uh, yeah."
    Mai smiled, displaying shark's teeth. "Before I respond to any questions put to me, you must pay the price of the