Exsanguination and Other Love Stories

VI. Bill Looks Down

"No," I said, after a long silence. "I didn't. But I can't afford therapy, either, and if you'd taken him apart in front of me I would have needed it."

"Oh, Bill," said Florian, "You'd have gotten used to gratuituous violence after a while, if you'd let me bite you." He paused. "I still could, you know. It might help you survive longer down there."

"No," I said. "And besides, couldn't you have told me there was something suspect about Azure Tech before I got on a plane to Austin, if you were so concerned?"

"I didn't know to do research until I got in touch with Florence," he replied irritably. "It's not like you left me a phone number. Besides, you know how my condition works, I needed him drawn out from under his own roof if I was going to do anything. What's the big difference between him and poor Momow, anyway? Sixty million dollars and an ostentatious suit?"

I didn't deign to dignify that with an answer.

Florian rolled his eyes, as if my silence was answer enough. "Women."

Below our feet, like a bright fish moving in the bottom of an aquarium, I saw something four-legged enter the atrium and weave its way between the potted trees. It was a collarless orange dog.

"Why would Mr. Blue want to kill my aunt?" I retorted, half-mindedly. "Where are you getting your information, anyway? She died of a heart attack while visiting a sanctuary for underprivileged circus cats. That's sort of a hard thing to manufacture. She was sixty-five. Look down there!"

Florian wrinkled his nose visibly under the silk handkerchief.

"I think it's a dog!" I exclaimed. I was very fond of dogs. I was very happy to see one all of sudden.

Also, it was much easier for my pride and my peace of mind to tell myself that Florian was exaggerating the danger waiting for me down there: easier still to believe that he wasn't trustworthy, that he probably just had some new scheme in mind which involved removing me from my current (vampire-proof!) surroundings. His loyalties, after all, were to his own story and his own spectacular progress through the world: not to any real person in particular and certainly not to me. That was just who he was.

Mr. Blue, I reasoned, was at least obliged to play by human rules. And even if he had had some history with Cordelia, I could see no reason why he should wish me harm. After all, I wasn't a witch, and thanks to Florian I now had nothing to my name that made me worth swindling, much less killing.

Besides, he'd promised me I could go out that evening. Worst came to worst, I only had to stay out of trouble until then.

"That dog looks like it's limping," I said, squinting. "I think it's hurt."

I began to walk purposefully towards the elevator.

"You're making a mistake, Bill," called Florian.

I ignored him blithely. I reached the elevator. The doors slid open soundlessly as I approached.

My last glimpse of my vampire, before the doors closed and it began to move down, was of him lifting his umbrella above his head, and taking a running leap off the side of the building. One last blinding flash of spangles in the morning light, and he was gone.

When the elevator opened on the ground floor, Mr. Blue was already there, scratching the orange dog underneath the chin. He didn't kneel down to do it, or even bend over. He just stood there and made it lift its chin up. A couple more minutes and that dog was going to have an awful crick in the neck.

"I'm glad to see you made it back, Sabilla," he said, stepping forward to greet me coolly, as though he had not just had his life threatened by a pleather-clad madman over breakfast. "Can I assume from this that you've elected to uphold our contract?"

"Yes," I said.

"A wise decision. Mr. Byron is a dangerous character."

I looked closer at the dog, which had followed Mr. Blue. It wasn't limping anymore.

"Do you know him?" I asked, carefully, kneeling down and holding out a hand. Closer up, the dog seemed like a mix of indeterminate origins – bright orangey red with a very pointy nose and ears, and a deep, narrow-chested build. It bounded over and began to slaver all over my face and neckline.

I hugged it blissfully. It had been two seasons since I'd last seen a dog. Cordelia's will had been very strict about not allowing anything evenly remotely canine near the house.

"That's enough!" said Mr. Blue, rather sharply, to the dog.

The dog whined and lay down by a nearby bench. As Mr. Blue seated himself, motioning for me to join him, it began to lick itself loudly in unmentionable places.

"I don't know Mr. Byron personally," answered Mr. Blue, "In fact, I had never met him until this morning. But I have reason to believe he was directly involved with the death of a close friend of mine. Your great aunt, in fact."

"But Florian doesn't – " I began, and stopped. What was I about to say? He doesn't eat people anymore? Or dismember them unless they really deserve it?

I don't know why I felt upset hearing aspersions cast on his character by someone else, either. But I did. I guess that meant there was still a part of me that wanted to believe he was really all theatre and no bite.

"I never said he ate her afterwards," said Mr. Blue seamlessly. "I'd been expecting him to make an attempt of some kind on my life ever since I started investigating. But you know he's not someone to be underestimated from personal experience, don't you, Bill?"

"You mean – " I began, rubbing the dog's belly absentmindedly (it had wriggled over from Mr. Blue's feet to mine, slowly and intentionally, as we were talking). "Wait a minute, what do you mean?"

"He's a vampire, and mentally unstable to boot. But don't worry! You're perfectly safe in here, Sabilla. And with your help, over the next few months, I can make sure he never hurts anyone ever again. I'll tell you more over dinner – there's not time to explain it all now. All of the resources of Azure Tech will be our disposal. And we also have... "

He glanced down at the dog.

"A dog?"

The dog got to its feet and began trying to stick its narrow snout down my neckline again.

Mr. Blue smiled magnanimously.

"A dog," he said.

"Woof, woof!" said the orange dog.

"I have something else for you," he said. "Before I go. Here."

And he handed me a ring of clattering keycards, each made out of sleek translucent blue plastic.

"What's this?" I asked.

"I've upgraded your security clearance," said Mr. Blue. "I'll be back at seven this evening. Find yourself something... professional to wear in the meantime – there should be something in 52 on the first floor."

"All right," I said meekly.

"Oh, and one last thing! You may open any door you like – it's all open to you. Even the front! I'll give you a special dispensation for today. But not 139B ."

"What's in 139B?"

"Do not open that door," said Mr. Blue, with no further explanation, and then he was gone.