The Scottsville Vampire Invasion

Chapter 10

I look down into Bobby Downey's miniature coffin. It's full of objects his family wanted him buried with. There's a baseball, a stuffed animal, a Toy Story DVD and a framed picture of him with his family. What's missing is Bobby.  

Dr. Albert was under the supervision of the coroner from a town up the road. Every second he was around this body, he was followed by another person. The body was released from the morgue to the funeral home last evening, without incident. During the night he vanished. Now I'm supposed to figure out how. 

"I dressed him last night and came down here to finish preparing him for the wake today, and I found the coffin like this."  

I turn around to the funeral director, Jim Persons. His family has been in the undertaker business in Scottsville for decades. He is tall, with slicked back black hair and glasses that hang just over his nose.  

"What security measures do you have?" I ask, taking out my pen and notebook. 

"Our big concern is that people will break in and steal the personal items. All the doors are locked and if there are expensive jewels or expensive items, we put them in a safe." 

"Any cameras?" 

"We're not on that big a budget." 

"Did you hear anything last night?" 

"Nothing." 

"Did you have any services last night? Could someone have attended one of those and then hung out and waited for you to leave?" 

"Last service we had was two days ago. We're booked for today. We have his service and then Ms. Hunter." 

When he mentions her name, I look up from my note pad. "Her body is still accounted for?" 

"I haven't checked. I got so caught up with this, I hadn't even had a chance to look." He turns and hurries out. I chase him down the hall, and he opens a room. There is an empty metal table in the center of it. He puts his hand up to his forehead, "Oh my God. She's also gone." 

"She was in here?" He goes in and I follow him. 

"Yes, I was going to take care of Bobby first and then prepare her."  

As we're talking, I hear a voice at the end of the hall. "Clark?" It's Josh and Bear. 

I step out and wave him in. They both enter, "You okay, Clark?" Bear asks me. 

"No. Both bodies are gone." 

Josh's eyes bulge out of their sockets. "Please tell me you're kidding." 

"Would I joke about that?" 

He doesn't respond. "Give us a minute to talk." I say to Jim. He leaves the room. I nod and pace. "I'm at a loss. I was sure this would prove Dr. Albert was behind all this. Now, either he didn't do it or someone's copying him, or something else far worse is happening in this town. If he didn't do it, then I've really been unfair. I raked that guy over the coals. I didn't have anything solid on him. Everything was circumstantial. I could have ruined his career. Just the hint of something inappropriate could really damage a person in his profession." 

"Clark, it was perfectly logical to think he was the guy. He still could be. Like you said, maybe someone was acting as a copycat," Josh says. 

He's just trying to make me feel better. "Maybe. I don't have a good feeling about this. I'm running out of explanations," I say. 

I check my watch. It's 9:15. The wake starts at 12:00. "I'm going to go to the Downey's to tell them what happened. Then get the word out that the viewing is cancelled. Half the town was going to come. Some of the businesses were closing for it. The county is going to want my head for this. "