Blood Red

While her temporary roomie stayed occupied, she went off and showered. Erika had all the sorts of shampoos and soaps that were advertised on TV and Kelli tried everything that was outrageously expensive. Erika was a wonderful girlfriend, but she’d stolen Mountain Dews and therefore had to suffer. When she was done, Erika helped her dye her hair a brilliant flaming red. It was a temporary dye but it looked a lot better than she had expected it to when it was done and dried and styled.

They were supposed to go to school, but played hooky instead. Marie and Rita showed up later in the afternoon and they all reclined in silent luxury while eating too much comfort food and watching a stack of rented horror movies to get them in the mood for the night to come.

Kelli put on the Elvira costume and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She barely recognized herself. Normally it was sweaters and jeans or a skirt. This showed a lot more flesh than she was comfortable baring. On the other hand, it showed off her cleavage nicely.

“Screw it. You only live once.”

After that, she put on the tattered robes of the zombie costume and successfully managed to hide the scandalous black outfit beneath it. She still preferred the zombie look, it was safer, but for once she would let herself go a little. What the hell? It hadn’t killed Erika yet.

Soon enough they were all ready to go and it was just a matter of waiting patiently. School wasn’t even out yet and they weren’t supposed to get started until five.

It was going to be a busy day. But she hoped it would be an exciting one.

She had no idea.

III

Ben drove, looking at Maggie out of the corner of his eye. She was staring out the front windshield and from time to time chewing on her lower lip.

He went back to paying attention to the road when a tractor trailer honked at him. He’d been drifting.

“You okay?”

“No. Okay isn’t on the menu right now, Ben.”

He nodded and took a right onto Van Buren Avenue.

It was the priest thing that was bothering her. He was certain of it. When he realized that most of what they were saying was going over his head and that a lot of it was stuff he shouldn’t even hear, Ben had pulled his invisible stunt and left the two of them to talk.

“Why the churches?” Maggie had asked. “Why the priests and ministers?”

Ben wasn’t stupid. He could figure out what she meant. He doubted sincerely that she’d gone to synagogue to study for a comparative religion course she wasn’t even taking, and he knew good and damned well that Tom had to have had reasons for questioning her being inside for too long.

Soulis had merely smiled. “Because faith causes us troubles. I don’t really know that I believe in God, Maggie, but I know that those with a powerful belief in him can inconvenience me. If their faith is broken, they are no longer a threat.”

“So you had me . . . cause a crisis of faith?”

“They sinned in the houses they raised to their god and they did it willingly. Most men do not like to admit their sins. Most hide them and keep doing what they’ve always done, even if they know they should seek absolution.”

“You’ve put too much thought into this.”

“More than you know.”

He pushed his thoughts away from the conversation.

“You’re not a monster, Maggie.” Ben spoke the words softly, knowing she would hear them.

She laughed. “Don’t be so sure.”

“So, okay, you have to drink blood now and then. There’s ways to work that out.”

“I don’t want to think about it.”

They drove in silence for a while. Maggie’s face reflected her warring feelings. He wanted to make it better, but had no idea how to do it. He was still a little off balance about the whole thing himself.

“He made me a freak.”

“He’s a freak.”

“Yeah, the same kind.”

“Maggie, you’re still the same person. There’s got to be ways around this.”

“Yeah, when I eat them I can leave their bodies in the sunlight and hope no one finds them.” She was justifiably bitter. Her hands clenched and relaxed, clenched and relaxed as she thought about the situation.

He was about to answer when they pulled up to the front of the complex. Detective Boyd was standing in front of his apartment. Holdstedter was near him.

“Shit!” Maggie hit the dashboard with her open palm. She left a very small dent.

“Calm down. Get some sleep. I’ll handle these guys.”

“Hi, Ben. Maggie.” Boyd was looking tired.

“I didn’t see your car.”

“We had a little mechanical trouble.” He pointed to a Mercedes Benz. “So we have to take Danny’s piece of shit.”

“He’s just jealous, because I have a car.” Holdstedter was looking at Maggie. She was looking at the ground.

“Was there something I could help you with?”

“Well, actually, yeah. We wanted to ask what you know about Jason Soulis.”

Maggie wasn’t looking at the ground anymore. She was looking at Ben and then at Boyd.

“What would you like to know?”

“Mostly, I want to know what he’s doing here in town and whether or not he’s got anything to do with the disappearances.”

“I just met him last night.”