Deathly Desire *english*

15

Miles had just left the subway station and was walking down the street towards home, when Dad already stopped his car next to him.

"Get in, baby brother!", Claire called and opened the door to the backseat. Miles climbed into the car, next to Claire, Logan was already sitting in the front seat.

"Where are we headed?", Miles wanted to know and Dad shortly replied: "To a club."

He did not say any more, so Logan added: "In this club – it's called Loop - they found a man dead. With bite marks and completely drained of blood."

They remained quiet for a while, until Claire noticed Miles' t-shirt: "What did you do?!"

Miles blushed and stuttered: "I, um, my shirt got caught in something..."

Claire raised her eyebrows in disbelief: "Oh, really?"

"Really!", Miles insisted and Logan passed him his jacket: "Put this on."

Before Claire was able to get into full interrogtion mode, Dad stopped the car next to a club with blue and green neon lights.

"Claire, Miles, you're staying in the car", Dad decided, before getting out of the car and slamming the door shut.

"Wha-", Claire wanted to protest, but he was already gone.

She scoffed angrily: "Really? This is what they needed me for?"

"Mhm", Miles just said. Had he really just come with them to watch from the car?

There were already a few cops standing in front of the entrance, when Logan joined them. Dad had a fake-ID and began asking some questions that Miles unfortunetly could not hear.

Claire opened the windows and signaled Miles to be quiet. Now they were able to hear the voices.

"-a private club, we will not be talking about our guests to strangers!", a man said with a strict voice.

"That's the owner", Claire explained.

"Listen", one of the cops was getting annoyed, "this is about murder!"

"That does not change anything about our promise to our guests", the club owner insisted.

Suddenly, Claire scoffed and opened the door.

"What are you doing?!", Miles hissed, but she had already gotten out of the car, so Miles hurried after her.

Great ... As annoying as it was to be sitting around in the car without doing anything, it probably was not the best idea to interrupt Dad and Logan, but Claire was unstoppable.

Dad and Logan stared at Claire, seeming everything but amused about her suddenly joining them.

"Oh my gosh, hiiiii!", she screamed and hugged the club owner, who looked at her surprised: "Claire?"

She gave him a wide smile, but then put on a serious face: "I heard what happened ..."

"A tragedy", the club owner shook his head.

"Yeah ...", Claire said and put her hand on his arms: "Listen, could you tell me what you know about it? I could really use the information for my next article ..."

The guy pulled a face and hesitated: "I don't know ... if people hear about it, nobody will want to come to our club anymore ..."

"Of course, I would not mention the name of your club!", Claire promised quickly.

"Also", she added, "maybe I can find out what's going on. I bet I'm a lot better at that than these idiots ..."

With that, she subtly gestured towards the policemen behind her.

Logan cleared his throat and Claire smiled at him innocently: "No offence."

"Okay, fine", the club owner gave in. He and Claire took a few steps away from the others and he began talking to her quietly, while the cops were waiting impatiently.

After a while, Claire thanked him, then she happily walked back to the street, Miles following her.

"Nice", Miles grinned, when they were sitting in the car again.

Claire made a bow, then Logan and Dad returned to the car, too.

"Are you serious?!", Logan scolded her, as soon as he had shut the door and Claire shrugged: "What? I got information, you didn't!"

He was about to fight back, when Dad interrupted them: "Claire, what did you find out?"

Claire smiled at Logan triumphantly, then told them: "The club owner said he saw some strange guys, that have never been to the club before, until tonight. And he believes they wore red contacts or something like that, because their eyes were glowing. Weird freaks. He wasn't sure if they have anything to do with the murder, but red glowing eyes and a bloodless body sounds suspicious, if you ask me."

"Good work, Claire", Dad said and Logan scoffed, but decided not to say anything against it.

When they were back at the penthouse, Mom was just coming out of Sammy's room.

"Oh, thank God, you're back!", she called out in relief.

"I have a plan", Dad announced and they all sat down on the sofas. "This weekend, we'll go to that club again, maybe the vampires will show up once more."

Claire frowned: "Dad, no offence, but aren't you a bit too old for that?"

"I'm not there to party!", Dad argued.

"But still, you'll seem weird", Claire insisted. "And Logan's a cop, people sense that, too."

"You are aware that I'm just pretending to be a cop, right?", Logan said, but Claire looked at him disapprovingly: "You still look like one, though."

He scoffed, but she continued: "The club owner knows me, same goes for the security guys, I could get me and Miles in."

"What?", Mom interrupted them. "No, you won't do that. Miles is not even 21!"

Claire rolled her eyes: "Come on, it's not like he's never drunk alcohol before!"

Mom gasped: "Of course not!"

They all turned to Miles, who put on an innocent smile and tried to sound honest: "Um, no, of course not. Oh my gosh, Claire, how can you say something like that ..."

Claire rolled her eyes again, while Mom watched Miles carefully. But eventually, Dad decided: "Okay, we'll have to do it like that."

"But-", Mom protested, but Dad shook his head: "There's no other way."

So the plan was set.