Vamparazzi

At my insistence, Leischneudel and I arrived at the theater unusually early the next evening. I was determined to be ready for the curtain tonight in plenty of time, without any of the panic-stricken rushing I’d wound up doing last night. I also wanted additional time to concentrate on my makeup, given that I was still black, blue, pink, and mottled.

My injured hand was a little stiff and sore, but I thought I would get by without needing stitches, as long as I was careful with it. I’d gone shopping today and found a brand of sturdy adhesive bandages that matched my skin tone; and the cut was on my palm, after all. So, although the bandage was anachronistic for a Regency-era play, very few audience members would see it.

Mindful of Daemon’s allergies, I had also purchased hypoallergenic antibiotic ointment and muscle balm. They were too expensive, but spending the money was certainly better than living through a repeat of yesterday’s performance.

Leischneudel was a wreck by the time we got inside the theater, and I was very grateful for the protection of the Caped Crusaders and my vampire posse. They hadn’t been sufficient, though. We had also needed several policemen to help our cab get through the agitated crowds, as well as several more to deal with unruly vamparazzi while we made a mad dash from the taxi to the stage door, surrounded by our vampire bodyguards.

Now, as planned, I was all made-up and dressed, well ahead of curtain time. This had a calming effect on my nerves, which was a blessing, all things considered. I was almost ready to go ask Leischneudel to lace me up when there was a knock at my door.

Tarr entered the dressing room. I ground my teeth together and wished I had bothered going to the door, so I could have kept him out of the room. He waltzed in now and flung himself into a chair as if he were a regular and welcome visitor here.

I tugged the neckline up, unsuccessfully trying to minimize the way it exposed my breasts to his gaze. “What do you want?”

“Man, those crowds are crazy today, aren’t they? It’s insane out there! I really think they might start rioting when Daemon gets here.”

I loathed Daemon, and even I was appalled by Tarr’s treatment of him in the “updated and expanded” account of the murder that was in today’s Exposé. Oozing with sleazy innuendo and unfounded speculation, it created the emphatic impression that Daemon had murdered Angeline, and it barely stopped short of calling on fans to commit vigilante justice before he killed again.

I thought that Daemon ought to sue Tarr and the Exposé . Thack had also read the piece and agreed that they damn well deserved to be sued; but he said he suspected a lawsuit might be fruitless. He thought the article was so shrewdly written that the Exposé’s lawyers had probably approved it. Besides, the story was selling so many copies of the rag and getting so much exposure, the Exposé might even, Thack suggested cynically, have run a profit-and-loss calculation and decided that paying Daemon a settlement would be worth what they gained from smearing him like this.

Thack hadn’t called me to gossip about the tabloids, though—all of which were spewing variations on the depiction of Daemon Ravel as a vampire gone bad. He had called to update me on the Lithuanian situation.

The Council of Gediminas, convinced that Benas Novicki had fallen in battle against a rogue vampire, was sending a crack specialist from Vilnius to clean up the mess here.

“I gather they rousted him out of bed for a briefing right after hearing from my uncle and then put him on the first available flight out of Vilnius. His name is Edvardas Froese,” Thack had said when we talked earlier today. “It sounds as if he’s a combination of Dirty Harry, D’Artagnan, and the Terminator, all rolled into one Lithuanian vampire hunter.”

However, the Dirty D’Artagnanator, as I thought of him, had one slight handicap: He didn’t speak English. So Uncle Peter was flying in from Wisconsin and would meet him at JFK Airport, acting as his guide and interpreter in our fair city.

I had relayed the information to Max. That was several hours earlier, and we were still awaiting more news. Now that the Exposé was encouraging vigilante violence and the natives were restless, the Vilnius vampire hunter couldn’t arrive soon enough, as far as I was concerned.

Although many things under heaven would have been a welcome distraction from my thoughts at the moment, Tarr’s speaking again was not one of them.

“Hmph. I’ll need to see Daemon as soon as he gets in. If he can smell this stuff, I might have to wash it all off.” That would be quite a setback to my whole “be ready early” strategy today.

“If he gets in.” Tarr grinned wolfishly. “Sure, I know, half the babes out there still want to sleep with him—even after everything that’s happened. What is it about that guy? Me, I just don’t see it. But by now, the other half of the loonies out there are ready to tear him apart.”

Based on the volatile behavior of the crowd when Leischneudel and I had arrived, I thought Tarr was right—the vamparazzi might well go berserk when Daemon got here.

I was repelled by the way the reporter was gloating about it; and even more revolted when I realized he was delighted that his “work” was playing a significant role in inciting the mob.

I said, “I really don’t think this is what Thomas Jefferson envisioned when he argued in favor of a free press, Al.”

“Don’t call me—never mind. Why are you here, Al?” Realizing that gave him an opening to ask me out again, I hastily amended, “I mean, at the Hamburg? You shouldn’t be here when Daemon arrives. All things considered, the sight of you today might actually turn him into a murderer. Are you willing to be strangled just for the sake of another headline?”

“I found out who Danny Ravinsky is.” Tarr’s toothy grin broadened. “I thought he might want to talk about it before I file my story.” When I didn’t rise to the bait, he prodded, “Aren’t you curious?”

There was another knock on the door, which Tarr had left open. My gaze flew eagerly to the doorway. Attila the Hun would be a welcome visitor now, if it meant I wouldn’t be alone with Tarr anymore.

“Victor!” I said, seeing the bald, anxious assistant hovering there. “Come in. I’m glad you’re here.” Aware of Tarr’s eyes following me everywhere, I said, “Could you lace me up?”

“No, Victor’s got it.” I presented my half-naked back to the befuddled assistant. “It pretty much works like shoelaces.”

“I’m wondering whether to phone Daemon,” Victor said anxiously as he started working on my laces. “What do you think, Esther? The mood of the crowd out there is so ugly, I feel I should warn him. But at the same time, I don’t want to distress him unnecessarily. And, after all, it’s not as if he can skip work tonight. The show must go on.”

“Well, he’ll have to come through that crowd, anyhow, Victor. So maybe telling him about it ahead of time won’t help or change anything.” As the assistant finished tying my laces, I added doubtfully, “Though if he wanted to avoid attention tonight, I suppose he could try coming through the fire exit on the other side of the stage.”

“There’s not as much police presence near that door,” I said, “but there usually aren’t many vamparazzi hanging out around there, either.”

“No, I think it is. I’ll call Daemon and suggest it.” Victor pulled out his cell and hit the speed dial. “He can phone me as his car pulls up, and I can be waiting right by the door to let him in.” He held the phone to his ear, then said a moment later in disappointment, “It’s going to voice mail.” He glanced at me. “Well, I’ll leave you to finish preparing. Thank you, Esther.”

“That guy gives me the creeps,” Tarr said to me. “No life of his own at all. Just exists to cater to Daemon’s every whim, twenty-four-seven, and is grateful for the ‘privilege.’ I swear, I think he’s in love with Daemon.” Tarr leaned forward and confided, “Between you and me, I think Victor leans the other way, you know what I mean?”

I went back to my makeup table, privately considering Tarr’s comment more seriously than I was willing to let him see. If Angeline’s killer was someone obsessed with Daemon, that didn’t preclude the person being someone Daemon knew—even someone close to him. Where was Victor when the girl had been murdered? I had no idea. No one had ever said.

Admittedly, I found it difficult to picture the high-strung, effeminate assistant as a rogue vampire prowling through the dirty, dark, spooky tunnels beneath the city, preying on other victims and also slaying an experienced vampire hunter in combat.

Then again, what did I know about rogue vampires? I supposed if you were endowed with mystical power and driven by your homicidal blood addiction, being high-strung and effeminate were probably just minor eccentricities.

“Oh, my God, I can’t believe what it’s like out there today!” Mad Rachel boomed, coming into the dressing room. “I swear it took me twenty minutes for my cab to get from the corner to the theater! People aren’t even staying behind the police barricades anymore!”

“In my bag. Why?” She dumped her hold-all on the counter and continued, “The cops have not got that situation under control. Something bad is going to happen out there. I can feel it!” Noticing that I was still staring openmouthed at her, she said, “What?”

“I have a lot of questions.” She pulled up a chair and sat down close to Tarr, which obviously startled him. “Do you really think we’re working with a killer? Because if Daemon’s murdered someone, then I’m calling Equity. I don’t think I should have to share the stage with him, do you?”

I noticed the open, partially empty bottle of champagne I had left sitting here the night before, and I seized on it as an excuse to flee the room. “I have to go put this in Daemon’s fridge. Bye!”

I made my escape, pleased to realize I wouldn’t have to go back in there before intermission, when I’d need to do a quick touch-up to my face. For now, my make up, hair, and costume were all ready. I’d go wait in Daemon’s room until he arrived, when I’d ask him to sniff my hypoallergenic self and make sure we were good to go. Then I’d go hang out in Leischneudel’s room until curtain. This strategy would also have the advantage of making it harder for Fiona to find me, if she were around. She hadn’t cornered me yet about the stain on my hem, and she might make the effort tonight.

Halfway down the hall, I realized I had left my cell in my dressing room, which meant that I wouldn’t be able to check for an update from Thack. Oh, well. I certainly didn’t want to go back in there to fetch it. Besides, I should be thinking about the show for the next few hours. The latest update on the Lithuanian connection could wait until I was finished with work.

I saw Bill approaching from the other direction, looking frazzled. I remembered my promise to Lopez and decided I’d better speak to the stage manager now about that door that led into the tunnel system.

“The cops really have their hands full. And I don’t know how we’re going to manage to open the house and get people seated,” Bill continued morosely. “The house manager says they’re about to have a riot in the lobby.”

“People are trying to break in to the theater out front,” he said. “And, actually, I think people have broken in back here. I’ve just called the cops and told them we need some of them inside tonight. We might have intruders backstage.”

I thought through the possibilities while he answered his call, which seemed to be a follow-up on his request for assistance inside the building. The only ways into the backstage area were through the front-of-house, which was still closed (but apparently under siege); via the unloading area, which was always securely locked if the crew wasn’t moving sets and equipment; via the backstage fire exit, which could only be opened from the inside; and the stage door, which was guarded.

Oh, no. Had I waited too long to follow Lopez’s instructions? Had the killer infiltrated the theater from below? Was he stalking the cast and crew even now, preparing to pounce, slay, and feast?

Bill ended the call with a demoralized sigh. “The cops understand our concern about the intruders, but they can’t spare anyone from duty outside the theater. Things are too out of hand out there, as it is. They’re going to try to shift more officers from other duties to the Hamburg, but that’ll take a while.”

“There’s an old ventilation shaft way at the back of the stage. We’ve just found a couple of rappelling ropes dangling down from it. They weren’t there when we reset the show last night, I know that much.”

“Whoa.” The ceiling there must be thirty feet high. “You’re saying that someone climbed onto the roof and rappelled down to the stage?”

“I have no idea. But it’s been dark for well over an hour, so I guess they were able to do it without being spotted.” Bill added, “That’s a long fall to the floor if someone doesn’t really know what they’re doing. I hope they chickened out and went away after dropping the ropes down.”

Bill said, “Look, if you see Daemon before I do, please warn him about this. If someone has broken in, then he’s bound to be the person they’re trying to see—or to harass.”

“Of course.” I started to add, “By the way, there is another way to get into . . .” But Bill was already halfway down the hall—and much too busy and stressed for me to show him the tunnel door right now, anyhow.

Hoping that Daemon would get here soon, I walked to his door, opened it, entered the room—and came to a surprised halt when I saw Leischneudel standing in front of Daemon’s little refrigerator, with the door open, revealing its empty interior. He was drinking a bottle of ruby red liquid.

My first thought was that he was so stressed-out by the hysterical vamparazzi tonight that he was filching Daemon’s last bottle of Nocturne, despite being a nondrinker. I started to hold up my open bottle of lukewarm, flat champagne, to offer it as an alternative . . .

But then I realized that wasn’t a Nocturne bottle he was now trying to conceal behind his back. It was one of the decorative little bottles in which Daemon kept his own blood.

I also saw, with a horrified chill that raced straight to the pit of my stomach, that the sticky red liquid clinging to Leischneudel’s lips and teeth wasn’t wine cooler.

“Oh, my God!” I dropped my champagne bottle as I gaped at him. It hit the floor with a heavy thud and spilled tepid bubbly all around my feet.

His mouth was bright red with blood. I uttered a horrified gurgle of disgusted fear when he unconsciously licked and smacked his lips while staring at me in quivering, guilt-ridden anxiety and trying to think of what to say.

“Keep your voice down,” he said anxiously. He set down the bottled blood and glanced into the hall to see if anyone had heard me. “Close the door.”

Taking all factors into account, I let out a bloodcurdling scream—which stuck ineffectually in my terror-constricted throat—and turned to flee. I slipped on the spilled champagne and flailed madly in the doorway, trying to get traction.

“Esther!” He was on me in flash, his arms around me as he dragged me back into the room, faster and stronger than I had expected.

Leischneudel slammed the dressing room door, shoved me against it, and pinned my arms to my sides when I tried to fight him.

I looked at his reddened lips and teeth, and I screwed up my face in disgust. “Oh, my God! You’re the killer! You murdered that girl! It’s you! How could . . . umph nnng!” My voice was reduced to panicky grunting when he covered my mouth with his hand and pressed hard, trying to silence me.

“Well, yes, I’m a vampire,” he said. “But I’m not a psychopath. All right, I have to drink a little blood now and then. But I certainly don’t go around killing people.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding, caught off guard by how normal he seemed—well, except for the blood on his mouth. I grunted inquisitively.

“No, of course not! How could you possibly . . .” His expression was shocked and hurt. “I don’t even kill spiders! You know that ... Well, okay, there was that one time—but it was really big and hairy, and it was in my tub, and it scared me.”

I was still breathing hard, torn between frightened suspicion of this newly exposed vampire and a desire to believe my friend. “Ung oong imayay?”

“What? Oh. Sorry.” He removed his hand from my mouth. “I guess I freaked out for a minute there. I was afraid you were going to run all over the theater screaming that I’m a vampire.”

“Stay back!” I snapped, seeing that bloody mouth coming within range of my jugular vein. “Don’t come near me!”

“You know where I was! Home in bed. Mimi woke me at six thirty, and we were at the twenty-four-hour clinic by seven. You can call and ask them!”

Based on what I had learned from Max about made vampires, I now recalled various revealing moments during the three months I had known Leischneudel—none of which had ever before struck me as noteworthy. In particular, I thought of his uncannily acute hearing.

He hesitated to answer my question, then let out his breath and nodded. “Yes, I’m a made vampire. And if you know about Lithuanians, then you know you mustn’t tell anyone, Esther! It’s very dangerous. They’d kill me!”

“I was born with a congenital immunodeficiency disease. And the older I got, the more things went wrong with me. In college, I couldn’t even complete the second semester of my sophomore year. I wound up dropping out of out school. I even broke up with Mary Ann. It was a very dark time for me, Esther.” He glanced hungrily at the bottle of blood on the other side of the room, and said, “And I began ... experimenting.”

“I know it’s no excuse, but I was very depressed and angry. Anyhow, one night, I got really drunk with this guy I hardly knew, and one thing led to another . . .”

“He told me it would heal me. Change me. Make me strong, and healthy. He was ... very persuasive.” Leischneudel paused. “You know how some things seem like a really good idea when you’ve had way too much to drink, but then you wake up the next day and wonder what you could possibly have been thinking?”

“At the time, I was just worried about AIDS,” he said. “It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later, when I noticed I had become obsessed with everybody’s blood, not just the blood I had drunk, that I realized something weird was happening to me. So I knew I had to face this guy again and find out exactly what he had done to me.”

Leischneudel nodded. “It turned out he was even more appalled than I was the morning after, when he woke up sober and realized what he had done. He was also terrified. He told me he wasn’t allowed to do this without special dispensation, and if anyone found out, we’d both be killed.”

“I was really shaken up at first,” he admitted. “Almost suicidal. But, of course, as soon as I went to Mary Ann in despair and confessed everything, she straightened me out.”

“The transformation did heal me!” he said. “It did make me strong and healthy. It completely changed my life! I got back together with Mary Ann and could be a real boyfriend to her. I also returned to college, finished my degree, graduated, and moved to New York to become an actor. I’ll be able to marry Mary Ann, be a good father to her children, and grow old with her while I spend my senior years doing character roles.”

Leischneudel’s blood-sticky smile was glowing with grateful happiness as he recognized his blessings anew. “And now I’ve got a major role in a sold-out Broadway show. Okay, it’s a show about an evil vampire who kills people, which is a little disturbing for me . . . And we’re mauled nightly by vamparazzi, which I find a pretty stressful.”

“But I think of myself as the luckiest guy in the world!” he said. “And if the price for all this is that I have to drink a glass of blood every week or two, I think that’s a fair bargain, even if I didn’t originally know what I was getting into.”

I glanced at the bottle he had pilfered from Daemon’s refrigerator. “Leischneudel, before you started stealing blood from Daemon’s stash, how did you get your—”

“I didn’t!” He flushed guiltily and amended. “Well, just this once. I shouldn’t have done it. But when you opened that bottle the other night and I smelled his blood, even before you took a sip—”

“I know. I wanted to tell you. Just like I wanted to tell the cops that the blood in those bottles was Daemon’s, not the murder victim’s. But then I would have to explain how I knew . . . And, well, how could I?” He gave me an apologetic look, then continued, “Anyhow, when I realized those bottles really did have blood in them, I stole one.”

I recalled that he had been transfixed for a few moments by the site of the stuff spilling onto the carpet, his eyes wide, his nostrils quivering. At the time, I thought he was just shocked, as I was, by our discovery.

“It was very wrong of me,” he said. “I was just so hungry . Mary Ann and I originally thought she’d visit this weekend, and she had left enough blood at my place to last until then.”

He sighed. “She was really stressing out about this research paper she’s got to finish, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to spend much time with her if she came here, anyhow . . . So I lied and told her I still had some of her blood left over, and I’d be fine if she didn’t come.”

“Daemon’s refrigerator was just too tempting,” he said. “Those bottles of blood right there. I thought Daemon wouldn’t notice if just one was missing. So that night, while he was onstage and no one was around, I snuck into his dressing room and stole this bottle.”

“That was the same night the police came—and confiscated the remaining bottles. So I was terrified after that. I had stolen something the police were treating as evidence in a murder case.” He admitted to me, “That’s why I couldn’t sleep that night, and why I called Mary Ann so early Sunday morning. I didn’t know what to do.”

“She was very disappointed in me,” he said sadly. “I had lied to her, and I had stolen. We had a pretty serious talk.”

“But Mary Ann didn’t think I should drink stolen blood. So I promised I would return it to Daemon’s refrigerator as soon as I could find an opportunity.”

I looked at the open bottle I had caught him drinking. “I guess you had a crisis of willpower at the very last ditch?”

“Yes.” I decided not to spoil his appetite by telling him that a crack Lithuanian vampire hunter was headed our way. I’d wait until he was done drinking. “You should never have brought that bottle back here. You should have drunk the blood and disposed of the evidence. Mary Ann is admirably moral and obviously very supportive, but she’s not very pragmatic.”

Leischneudel took several greedy glugs of the bottle, then sighed luxuriantly through blood-soaked lips. “Oh, God, I was hungry.”

“There’s something that still doesn’t add up.” I frowned, thinking it over. “There should have been more bottles when the cops confiscated them.”

He paused before his next sip. “I thought so, too. There were four bottles left when I took this one. I remember because, well, to be perfectly honest, that was why I took only one. I thought more than that would be noticed.”

He shook his head. “Mary Ann and I always, um, extract enough blood for me to get by between her visits. This weekend was just ... a mistake. One I won’t make again.”

“When he caught me drinking his blood,” I said, remembering now, “Daemon said something about how his supply was being pilfered.”

“Esther . . .” Leischneudel said slowly. “Are we saying there’s another vampire in this building besides me?”