Free Playing With Vampires - An Izzy Cooper Novel by Kendra Ashe Page B

he were listening to a conversation, or reading some kind of sign that was invisible to the rest of us.
    “You okay?” I asked.
    Tim nodded, which caused his glasses to slide down his nose. “I know the perp is probably a vampire … still, I can’t help but think there’s something more to these murders. Vampires tend to change the location where they hunt victims. It’s too risky to repeatedly hunt in the same location. With this guy … it’s almost like he can’t help himself … like he’s participating in some kind of ritual or something.”
    I didn’t know a lot about the habits of vampires, but I had to agree with Tim. Hunting in the same area every time seemed unnecessarily risky. There had to be a ton of other places on Mystique Island where this vampire could find a victim.
    “I watched the whole thing happen in a nightmare, I was having just, before you called me this morning,” I told him.
    This caught Ayden’s attention. “Did you happen to see who did this?”
    I shook my head. “That was the strange part. I could see what he was doing to the victim, but not him. It was a lot foggier than it is right now, but still, I should have been able to see him. It was like he was purposely blocking himself from being seen … as if he knew I was watching him.”
    Ayden’s mouth twisted into a frown. “Tim’s right. There’s more to these murders than a hungry vampire. I’ve seen a lot of vampire victims over the years, but none like this. They might tear the throat out to hide the fang marks, but this is overkill.”
    “But you do still think our subject is a vampire?” I asked.
    Ayden nodded. “There’s no doubt about that … but this vampire might be a little deranged. If I had to come up with a profile at this minute … I’d say we are dealing with someone who is disorganized and organized at the same time. The perpetrator shows traits of being disorganized with his random victims and blitz attacks, but he is meticulous in what he takes from them. He probably blends in well, and wouldn’t be noticed, which tells us that the locals are used to seeing this person around town. He is either a local himself, or here frequently enough that his presence doesn’t raise any eyebrows. Most likely he lives alone, and has a very low regard for women.”
    Suddenly I was reminded of the town meeting the night before.
    “I think it’s time we take some questions to Mister Dupree,” I told them.
    “Why’s that?” Ayden asked.
    I quickly related what had happened the night before, though I kept my voice down so no one would accidentally overhear. The last thing we needed was a pissed off vampire. If the townspeople discovered the new owner of the Marsh estate was a vampire, his business venture would likely fail, which could make for some bad feelings.
    “I don’t want you to go out there alone. Take Tim with you … and be careful,” Ayden instructed.
     
     

Chapter Eight
     
    It took three more cups of coffee and a breakfast burrito from the Bayside Grill before I was mentally prepared to return to the Marsh estate.
    For the most part, I’m not into the whole gloomy dark goth scene, which is exactly what came to mind when I thought of the Marsh estate.
    Imagine my surprise when we drove up to the front gates, and discovered the property was buzzing with construction workers, and the gloomy atmosphere was all but gone.
    True, Luna Road was still nothing but a dirt access road, but I’d heard the county planned to have it paved soon.
    All the overgrowth around the mansion had been clear away, and the gardens were well on their way to their former magnificence. In the spring they’d be stunning.
    “Wow! I can’t believe they’ve gotten so much done,” I commented.
    Tim was still wearing the same frown he’d been wearing earlier. “Something is wrong with this picture. If these guys really are vampires … why invite so much attention?”
    “Maybe they aren’t afraid because they don’t