Vampire Seekers

Chapter Three

The crime scene is as gruesome as Dani eluded to. It's no wonder both the Seekers and the united task force were called in. There is that much blood it runs down the trail, splitting into two streams around the stones before meeting again and pooling into a puddle.

Maria tiptoes around the blood. Careful not to contaminate the crime scene.

"Bloody hell. This isn't a murder it's a butchering." Maria comments. "This must be driving the vampires crazy." Danielle hums in response, lost in thought as they look at the grizzly crime scene.

Maria debates requesting a blood stand to be set up close by, but she thinks better of it. If there are any Sanguina vampires around then that would only escalate the situation. It would be like offering alcohol at an AA meeting.

Maria squats down to examine the body, or at least, what is left of it. She's heard plenty of threats to 'tear you limb from limb' but she'd never seen it done before. "Where's the rest of him?" She queries.

"There's an arm in a tree over there-" Danielle points up to a branch on a tree a few feet away. "One legs over by the second body but we think it belongs to this one. The head is over by the river."

Maria stares at Danielle. "I know," Danielle says, "The crime scene spans a big area. We've been here a few hours already and there's still a few pieces we're missing."

Maria's nose crinkles. She grimaces at the thought of whichever medical examiner pulls the short straw of having to put this human jigsaw together. "It doesn't make sense."

"When does it ever?" Danielle questions.

"It's just. I don't know. Doesn't something feel off to you about this case?" Maria asks, not sure whether to voice her doubts about the culprit being a vampire or not.

Danielle shrugs. "Some vampires feed without killing their prey. Some don't." 

Maria pulls a face before looking back down at the body. Her eyes scan the remains for any puncture marks but if a vampire sunk it's teeth in to this man, she doesn't see any evidence of it. 

"You should contact the Seeker branch in Noxfordshire. This scene is very similar to the string of killings they're had up there." Maria suggests, "Oh, and can you do me favour?"

"What, ask one of the in-laws to charm a necklace so your friend doesn't become a pain in the neck?" Danielle jokes, pretending to try and bite Maria.

"Well, thank you for that lovely offer. If she tries again I might just fork out for such a trinket." Maria laughs, they both know charms to ward off vampires don't come cheap. Otherwise everyone would have one.

"When you do you'll get a friends and family discount." Danielle says, winking at Maria.

"Aww.  You're so sweet." Maria says. 

"Shh, don't tell anyone." Danielle says, "I kind of like that guys think I'm some badass vampire slayer with a heart of stone."

"Pfft, what you on? Do they they think your an op Mary Sue from a stupid movie." Maria snorts. Her laugh, a sound that is a cross between a seal or donkey, is so absurd it almost makes Danielle chuckle. 

"What even is that?" Danielle asks. "That is ridiculous."

Maria struggles to stop laughing and her cackle has already drawn the attention of one forensic scientist who stares at her with worried eyes. "Is she asthmatic?" He asks.

Danielle howls out in laughter, "No, mate. That's her laugh." 

"Stop it." Maria cries, wiping at the tears of laughter pooling in the corner of her eyes. Her cackle dies down to a chuckle. "Its not that bad."