It was a very dark cold night, the air was heavy with rain. The alley was narrow, the cobble stone walkway glistened from newly fallen rain and continuing mist. The walls of the buildings held the sound of my heart and my shoes, as I walked slowly toward the only light. I pulled up my collar to warm my neck and protect it from the people I saw.

It was a red light above a small non-descript sign that read 'The Main Artery'. The place was a small, but popular hangout for the local vampire population. I was here on business, not pleasure. My name is Slade, detective Slade of the metro homicide police. I needed information, the kind that came only from a place like this.

A series of gruesome bloody murders happened over the past few weeks, pointing at vampires as the killers. I knew this was false information, because vampires do not leave bloody corpses lying around. Instead, they drank all the blood and arranged the body in a reverent almost angelic manner. Although the bodies had fang puncture marks on the neck and thighs, the blood poured out all over the victims, who looked as if someone tossed them away like garbage. I heard the rustle of clothing behind me, moving quickly up the alley. A well-dressed couple passed me and entered the club. No light spilled out from the doorway, when the couple disappeared inside.

I followed the couple, walking quietly to the door. As I reached to grab the handle and open the door, my hand never made it. I felt a vise-like grip of another hand encompass mine. I stopped cold, as the other hand, which was deathly cold, released me. In front of me stood a giant of a man dressed completely in black. I looked into his pale unwavering face and knew he was serious about my not entering the club.

I fished my badge and credentials from my inner pocket. "Detective, Slade to see Gustaf. Can I get into the club, please?"

He shook his head in disgust, but did not move. He barred my way completely, he was that big. "Just a moment, sir." He said in a disgusted deep voice. He touched his ear and spoke in a foreign tongue.

A few minutes passed and another rather large bulky man totally in black came out. He walked up to me, looked me in the eye and said, "Detective Slade will you follow me please?" I felt I had no choice, so I got behind him and entered the club.

He led me into a dimly lit, sparsely decorated nightclub. A bar of sorts was to our left. It was small and had very little to offer for alcohol. Another giant of a man was mixing and serving drinks to the waitresses. Three scantily clad women carried trays of drinks to the tables to our right. The small tables mismatched with the chairs. No one seemed to mind this quaint decor. What interested the patrons were the two performers on the small stage. A man and a woman danced far apart seductively under two spotlights. As they danced, they tried to seduce each other and the audience. The couple was vampires and was very pale with shocking long white hair. Their smiles bared their fangs and they hissed at each other. As much as I wanted to stay and watch, I was here on business.

Past the bar was another platform almost at the level of the dancer’s stage. This was another stage of sorts, where the VIPs gathered. They were separate from the patrons and were on exhibit too. Most of them were vampire friends of the owner and master vampire, Gustaf. Standing at the entrance was another very large muscular man barring the way. Gustaf mumbled something, the man moved aside and let me pass. After I passed, he slid back into place.

Gustaf was an average sized man with no significant features. If he were on the street, he would be one of the invisible people. In here, he was the focal point of the club and vampires. He dressed like a pimp and held court from his spot here in the club. I was here to gather some information and enlist his aid. He was the one person in the city who had his finger on the pulse of the vampire community, if vampires had a pulse. If anything happened with the undead, he knew about it. I hoped he was willing to help solve these murders and relieve the pressure on his community. There were groups in the city, who wanted vampires banned from society and removed from all areas of influence in city social and political life. If he helped, it would go a long way toward soothing those pressures.

"Good evening, Gustaf. Business looks good tonight." I said making small talk.

"Detective Slade, it is nice to see you again.” He replied dancing around verbally. "What brings you here tonight?"

We verbally danced a while longer, testing how we connected. I had met him on a few occasions when vampires got out of hand. He helped keep the uneasy peace between the two societies. "As you may be aware, there have been a few gruesome murders lately of young women. There were signs left at the scene pointing at the vampire community as the murderers. I personally know that vampires were not involved, orders came down to ask for help from you." I softly said.

"No need to hide from me detective. I won't bite," he chuckled. "What made you feel that vampires were not involved?"

"The bodies were covered in blood and carelessly tossed aside, as if they were pieces of trash. I know that is not vampire style for killing." I quickly replied.

"What do you need from me?" Gustaf frowned.

"Have you heard of any conflict between vampires and humans where there were bad feelings enough to warrant retaliation like this?"

"No, I have not heard anything. We have our share of problems but none that warrant this."

I handed him my card and said. "Will you call me, if you hear or see anything unusual?"

Gustaf answered. "I will keep my ears open, detective." Of course, I may or may not tell you, he thought.

Gustaf offered me his hand signaling the meeting was over. I got up, shook his bony, hard, cold hand and left the club. Outside, the rain started coming down heavily. It became difficult to see, as I walked out of the alley.

"Detective, detective," I heard out of the darkness. I looked around, but saw no one nearby. I jumped, as a hand reached out and touched my coat. The hand belonged to the woman vampire I saw dancing on stage in the club. She pulled me closer into the darkness.

“Are you here about the so-called ‘vampire murders’?” She asked hesitantly.

I tried to see her face but darkness shrouded it. “Yes, have you got something for me?”

“I overheard two young vampires talking about some gruesome murders a few days ago. They laughed about them because the bodies looked like trash. These young vampires were part of a gang, when they were alive. They continued their gang activities, when they became undead.”

“Are you saying that a gang killed these women and vampires helped them?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes, that is all I heard. I do not know the vampires or the gang. I wish I knew more.”

“You have helped a lot. What is your name and can I call you some time?”

“Uh, uh maybe, I am Leona, but you can reach me at the club. We can pretend we are dating, if that is all right.”

Leona stepped into the light giving me a good look at her face and figure. She was tall, slim and curvy in all the right places. If she were alive, she would have men lusting after her. Inside I felt lucky she searched me out. I guessed I made a good impression on someone in that club tonight. She disappeared as quickly and quietly as she appeared. I wished I could do that, but not as a vampire. I exited the alley with a new spring in my step. I had my first solid lead in the case or at least a direction to start looking.

It was late, but I knew my partner was at her desk finishing the daily paperwork bundle. We were partners for the last five years and knew each other very well. We never dated each other and it never crossed our minds. I took out my phone and called her.

“Thirteenth precinct homicide detective Cameron speaking. How may I help you?” Connie answered.

"Hey! Slade here, need you to do something for me. Can you look up any apparent deaths of gang members by vampire attacks over the last six months?”

“Sure, you have a lead on the ‘Vampire Murders’?” Connie asked excitedly.

“Maybe, got a tip tonight about two gang members. They are new vampires but still run with the human gang. Check back with the crime scene photos and see how much blood really spilled there. Also call the coroner and ask about lividity marks on the corpses."

"Why lividity marks? What do you hope to get there?"

"When a person dies, the blood pools in the lowest parts of the body to the ground. I am betting there were no marks. A vampire drains the blood. With these murders there is somewhere in the city with a lot of blood around."

“OK, I’ll get back to you. Where are you headed now?” Connie inquired.

“I think I need a good cup of joe. I am heading over to DD’s where we go every night. Meet me there with the information.”

“Give me a half hour and I’ll be there. Order me my usual when you see me pull up. See ya.” Connie hung up and went in search of the photos. She started the incident search while she talked to Slade.

Slade got into his car, started the engine but sat there thinking a while before moving. Something bothered him about these murders, why the sloppy placement? Why was there blood all over? What did the girls all have in common? It all was too loose. Vampires killed, but not in the open and mostly the deaths were accidental. Occasionally there was a death, but new vampires traveled with their maker until training ended. All new vampires registered with the Vampire Registry after their training ended. Maybe these murders were the work of renegade new vampires who remembered their old ways. Slade thought, maybe Connie would find the gang members listed or the amount of blood was not much just a show. If those panned out, the Vampire Registry made a good next stop after DD’s it was open all night.

Slade pulled up in front of DD’s, surveyed the cars making sure the boss was not there and parked around back of the building. This Dunkin Donuts was one of the originals. It had the small counter with stools around it. Not many people sat at the counter, most came in got their coffee and a donut or two to go. The counter where Slade sat was pink, but most of it was the brown sub-surface from constant scraping of cups and plates. It was impossible to see the donuts below in the display case where the register stood because the constant scraping of boxes, bags and change scratched and marred the surface of the glass. The coffee and donuts were ever present and the best in the area. The place became the hangout for many detectives over the years.

Slade sat there drinking his second cup of coffee when Connie drove up. She got out of her car carrying a large folder and smiled when she saw Slade. Slade ordered her coffee and a Bavarian Crème donut, her favorite. Connie sat next to Slade, put her bag on the hook under the counter and plopped the folder next to Slade’s coffee. Before saying anything, she took a big bite out her donut and a big drink of coffee. A loud sigh breeched her lips and her whole body relaxed as if the weigh she carried slipped off.

She turned to Slade, looked him in the eyes and smiled with a look only lovers knew. She mouthed sarcastically, “ I love you.” to Slade. He returned the smile. She took another drink of coffee while she opened the folder containing the crime scene photos. The detectives saw so many gory photos that they were numb to eating and looking at them. The photos showed very little blood was present. It was more for just show and effect, which was just what Slade felt, when he suggested Connie look over them again.

Slade turned to Connie and said, “Sorry to keep you here tonight. This is the first break we have had and I want to follow it up.”

“That is alright. I did not want to go home tonight. My boyfriend is being such a jerk. He hates my job and wants me to quit. We argue about it constantly but he never gives up. I may just dump him. He is getting on my nerves.”

Slade’s phone rings disturbing the conversation. It is the captain,“ there has been another murder. Are you free to go there now?”

Slade answers, “Yes, Connie and I were just going over the facts from the other murders. Give me the address and we’ll get right over there.” Slade got the address and wrote it down. He gathered the photos, stuffed them in the folder, handed it to Connie and said, “Let’s roll. We got another body. ”

Connie moved her car around back, got out of her car and jumped in with Slade. As he pulled out, he thought, “Do I need lights and siren? Nah, it’s a dead body it isn’t going anywhere.”

As Slade drove up on the scene, he discovered they were the first detectives and police to arrive. Within minutes, six black and whites pulled in and blocked the area off from onlookers. The local TV station van rolled in with the latest anchorwoman of the year looking for a big story. All she got was the cold shoulder because she hated cops. Slade directed where to set the mobile crime lab geeks. Connie took detailed photos of the body and surrounding area. When she could, she took photos of the crowd of onlookers.

The body lay on a bed of leaves piled in the gutter. It was naked and looked as If it landed there from a moving car or truck. A bright red sheen of fresh blood covered her torso and fresh puncture wounds were on her neck and inner thighs. No blood seeped from these wounds. That was a first good clue here. The wounds were clean, which meant that a vampire had sucked the victim dry, before jettisoning her. She was young, in her early twenties, blond and reasonably healthy looking. She resembled the other victims in build, hair color, age and health. This killer targeted specific victims. Connie took the victims fingerprints on her cell phone PDA and sent them off to the FBI for processing. If she were in the system, her name would pop up. Slade looked at the crowd scanning for suspicious persons. The only one he saw was Leona, who waved when he looked at her. She tried to get his attention, but he carefully avoided her. He waited until the place got real busy and pulled Leona aside.

“What are you doing here?” He asked her.

“I heard about this at the club tonight just an hour ago. I tried to call you but got voice mail instead. I took a chance and came to see the scene.” Leona volunteered.

“What have you got for me, anything?” Slade asked.

“The same two young vampires talked about another murder tonight. They felt cocky, that they pulled off another one. I overheard them as they sat in the VIP section with Gustaf. They are on the club’s video surveillance monitor tonight.”

Slade shook his head. He knew Gustaf hid something. This did not bode well for the vampire undead world and the city. If the people found out that the pseudo leader of the vampires harbored known killers, the city would shut him down fast. Whoever trained these new vampires blew his assignment big time. What the police never released to the press was the fact that each of the dead young women was a victim of multiple rapes before she died. There were as many as six distinct semen samples taken from each victim.

After Slade talked to Leona, she disappeared back into the night. Connie walked up to Slade and asked, “Who was that you were talking to just now?”

“That was the informant who came forward with the gang member scenario. She came here to tell me that we might have video of the vampire murderers at a club. Did you check for lividity marks?" Slade said.

"Nothing seen for marks on her body. She was killed somewhere else and dumped here. At least we know the murders are related." Connie added.

“Well it looks like we have another one to add to the list. These murders don’t seem to get the attention they deserve. I am surprised some group has not demanded results. We have to shake something loose.” Slade spoke dejectedly.
“We need to get the pictures and reports from this scene and put them with the others. Then mix it all up to see what falls out. Maybe if Gustaf gives us the video, we will get a break.” Connie mused.

Slade mentally listed the questions asked and answered. Did vampires do these murders? Did they target a specific group of people and why? Instead of vampires killing alone, did a combined group as a gang commit the murders? Is Gustaf directly involved? There were so many questions, not many answers.