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Now, here’s the next chapter of Moonlight, Roses & Murder. We hope you enjoy the story!
Chapter 2
Selina walked back into the office and looked at Isabella. “Let’s drop Jeremy off, then we’ll tell the others what happened after we get home.”
Isabella nodded and walked over, gently shaking Jeremy’s arm. He was sleeping on the black leather sofa against one wall of the office. Selina walked past him and through the doorway to her private quarters.
The old storage rooms had been reworked into a marvelous living space and it was one reason they had purchased this particular property. It was perfect for the nights they didn’t want to drive all the way out to Port Townsend.
Selina looked over at the living area as she walked past it on her way to the bedroom. It was still one of her favorite spaces, she realized. All velvet and dark colors, which was typical of Victorian design, and a mahogany fireplace on one wall with bookcases on either side.
Walking into her bedroom, she picked up her purse and a few other items, which she’d rather the police didn’t find if they decided to search the property. She doubted it would happen but best to be prepared.
As Selina walked back into the office, she said, “Isabella, did you phone for the car?”
“Yes,” Isabella replied. “I didn’t think you’d want to drive tonight. It’s already after three.”
Selina nodded. “Let’s go out the main entrance. There’s no reason to go back through the alley.” And no need to be around any other social media types, she thought to herself.
Jeremy grabbed the gray duffel bag he’d brought in that night. “I’ll need this for tomorrow,” he said, referring to his day job as a coach’s assistant.
“Are you sure you’re up for it?” Selina asked.
“I’ll be fine,” he replied. “It was just unexpected. I really thought she was asleep,” he added, referring to the dead girl.
“The car should be here any minute,” Selina said as they walked up the front staircase. “There are a few things we should discuss on the way home.”
They walked out the front entrance and over to the black Mercedes town car. “We’d like some privacy,” Selina said to the chauffeur as she got in.
He nodded and put up the glass divider before they pulled away from the curb. Selina looked over at the flashing lights and saw more people standing around. “This is going to be all over the news,” she said quietly. “The girl lost a lot of blood when she was killed, and it obviously didn’t happen behind our club. There was no blood at the scene as you both know.”
She hesitated for a moment, then continued. “There were also two small holes or puncture marks on the side of her neck. No one noticed them until they moved her body.”
Isabella stiffened slightly as Jeremy looked confused. “Why would anyone do that?” he asked. “Were they trying to make it look like a vampire attacked her?” He shook his head. “What a pervert. He, um, he didn’t….”
Selina shook her head. “I don’t think so, Jeremy. Her dress was not torn, but we won’t know any other details until the police release them.”
“Here’s your stop,” Isabella said. “Have a cup of tea and get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
Jeremy looked over at Selina, then back at Isabella. “I was thinking of something a little stronger than tea. I’ll see you both tomorrow night.”
As he got out of the car and walked up to his apartment building, Selina looked at Isabella. “This is going to be trouble.”
Isabella nodded. “I know.”
The next afternoon, Selina walked down the stairs of their Victorian home and through the small parlor into the dining room. The girls were already eating lunch and watching the news. One of them had brought in their laptop.
“There she is,” Annalise said, looking up at Selina. “Show her.”
Genevieve nodded and started the video clip again. “It was all over the news this morning,” she said quietly.
Michela walked over and handed Selina a cup of coffee as she sat down to watch the clip.
“This is from our correspondent in Seattle, Washington. Last night, a young woman was attacked and murdered by what might be a vampire. If not, it’s someone trying to frame one of the undead.” The man laughed, which Selina found totally inappropriate.
“And this one…” Genevieve said, tapping a button and brushing her auburn bangs out of her eyes.
“Downtown Seattle’s Pioneer Square was the scene of a vicious and deadly attack by a vampire or an individual with serious mental and emotional problems. Police are advising all people, especially young women, to travel in groups and not walk alone until this killer is found.” The woman reporter added a bit breathlessly, “The Count may not be satisfied with just one victim.”
Michela rolled her eyes. “Seriously? What happened to real reporting?”
Annalise looked at Isabella. “This isn’t good.”
Isabella walked over and pushed one of the buttons. “It gets worse, Selina.”
“The body of a young woman was found behind a Seattle nightclub last night. Apparently, the victim of a vampire attack, which yours truly captured in these amazing photos.” There was a photo of the young woman and what seemed to be Detective Wright’s hand, grabbing at the phone. Then, they showed a photo of Selina in the black lace dress. “This is the owner of Luna’s, a club that caters to the weird and perverse nightlife of Seattle.”
“What?” exclaimed Michela. “We might be a little weird, but we don’t allow any perverts in our club. Not knowingly anyway.”
“There’s a bigger issue,” Isabella said, “and what are we going to do about it?”
“Hope that no one pays any attention and it all blows over,” Selina replied, looking at the laptop. “The likelihood of this story being seen outside of Seattle is remote, is it not?”
“Seriously, Selina,” Annalise said, shaking her head, blonde curls bouncing. “You need to get with the 2017 technology. This blog has gone viral.”
Selina looked down at the table, then back up at her girls. “I don’t see that we have any other choice. We’ll go to work as we always do and hope that no one who matters saw the blog.”
The girls looked at each other, then at Selina, who forced a smile and went back upstairs to get dressed.
“Nice one, Anna,” Michela whispered as she followed Selina out of the room.
Michela sat on the edge of Selina’s bed, watching her go through the clothes in her armoire. She had thought that armoire was like something out of a fairytale when she was little.
“What are you going to do?” Michela asked.
“Exactly what I said downstairs,” Selina replied. “Go about our business as usual. The chances of anyone seeing that blog in Europe have got to be pretty low.”
Michela knew Selina said that more for her benefit than any real conviction. “Always trying to protect us,” she said, walking over and hugging her, “but we’re not little girls anymore. And we can fight if necessary.”
“No,” Selina replied firmly. “Absolutely not. If it comes to that, we’ll relocate. I won’t have you girls taking any unnecessary risks.”
“They won’t want to leave,” Michela said, looking down at the floor, then running a hand through her black hair. “You know how long it took us to find this place.”
Selina smiled and gently put a hand on each side of Michela’s face. “There are many, many places we can go. We don’t have to work, but if we stop now, we’ll only look guilty.” She paused. “However, I will liquidate some of our investments.”
Michela nodded. “Probably for the best. I’ll start looking online for another location to get some idea what’s available.”
“Still my little helper,” Selina said. “The oldest of my girls and always the one to look out for the others.”
Michela glanced back at the armoire. “Wear the dark blue dress. You’ll look beautiful, and it’s less severe than the black.”
Selina nodded. “I think you’re right,” she said seriously. “Blue will make all the difference.”
Michela rolled her eyes and smiled as she walked out of the room.
When they got to the club, there was already a crowd by the front door. They weren’t going to be open for another hour, so they assumed it was all the talk about the murder. The police tape was still up, separating the crime scene from the rest of the alley. And there were two new security cameras installed above the door that Selina had ordered that afternoon.
As they got out of the town car, Selina and the girls walked through the back door into the club. No one bothered them, but the phones were ringing when they got down the stairs.
“I’ll get it,” said Isabella. “I’m assuming our response is no comment?”
Selina smiled. “Good guess.”
Genevieve started setting up the bar. As she was the head bartender, she would take care of everything until David showed up to man the other side.
Annalise walked up. “Brandon left a message saying he’ll be in early. He saw the line outside on TV a few minutes ago.”
“Good,” replied Genevieve. “You’ll need help with the tables.”
Selina walked over as they were talking. “Anna, call Marcus and ask him to come in early, too. Michela and Jeremy are going to need him with this crowd.”
Selina looked over at the stairs as Detectives Fuentes and Wright walked down. “I hope you don’t mind, but we have a few more questions,” Maria said. “Your back door was unlocked, so we thought we’d try to get this done before you open.”
Selina nodded. “Why don’t you come into my office?”
She looked at the girls and smiled as the detectives followed her over to the door by the bar. “If you need anything, call me,” Selina said as she closed the door.
Isabella shook her head as she listened to the last phone message. “They’re all asking the same thing,” she said to Genevieve. “Do we serve any blood with our Bloody Mary?”
“Oh, that’s tacky,” Genevieve replied, wrinkling her nose. “Maybe we should take it off the menu tonight.”
“No, leave it on,” Isabella said. “We’ll ask Selina when she comes back out.” They looked over at the office door, then back at each other. “Time to get to work,” Isabella said.
Selina closed the door and indicated that the detectives should sit on the sofa. She sat across from them in one of the chairs that could be turned towards her desk or the seating area. “How may I help you?” she asked.
Detective Wright looked at his partner, then over at Selina. “We found out the girl was at another club last night with two of her friends. She decided to walk back to the hotel by herself.”
“Not a smart idea,” Detective Fuentes said, “but usually more of a mugging risk than murder. Especially in this neighborhood.”
Selina waited to see what they wanted to ask her. Maria noticed she didn’t ask any questions but waited to be asked. Careful, she thought.
“We were wondering if you had any thoughts as to why someone would leave a body behind your club?” Nate asked, trying to ignore how beautiful Selina looked in the dark blue dress.
“I have no idea,” Selina answered truthfully.
“The hotel is a few blocks from here,” Maria said nonchalantly. “But the thing is…your club is not on the path between her hotel and the other club.”
“It makes us wonder,” Nate asked, “why the detour?”
Selina looked down at the table, then back up at the detectives. “Do you suspect me or a member of my staff?”
Maria was surprised by her direct approach. “Honestly, we don’t know at this time why she changed course. Or if she was left here for some other reason.”
“I see,” Selina replied. “My nieces and our other employees are all intelligent, hard-working people. They are also smart enough not to leave a body at our back door.” As the detectives exchanged a glance, Selina added, “And none of them have a reason to make me a suspect either.”
Nate looked over at Maria. She’d anticipated almost every one of their questions. “We appreciate you being so frank, Miss Bellerose,” he said. “Can you think of anyone, outside of the club, who might have a motive?”
“A jilted boyfriend, a competitor, someone with a personal grudge?” Maria asked.
Selina shook her head. “There is no boyfriend, I don’t know of anyone that has a personal grudge against me…and no competitors with this type of issue.”
“Any other club owners, who might want to make you look bad?” Nate asked. “Or who might dump the body here if they found it in another location?”
Selina hesitated. “Honestly, the only person we’ve had trouble with is Lou Williams, the owner of the Emerald City Blues Club. And that was nothing really.” She looked at the detectives. “He claimed our clientele was scaring off his regulars.”
“You’re probably not the only one, since he’s in the center of three other music and dancing clubs, as well as the alternative club down the street,” Maria said, causing Nate to raise an eyebrow. “I’ve been working this area a long time,” she replied.
Selina hid a smile, then continued. “The only other problem we’ve had is with a few of the neighbors. One walks his dog in the evenings and said we’re responsible for the neighborhood ‘going to hell’ as he put it.” She paused. “The other seems to be an artist of some sort, but I don’t know much about him.”
Nate nodded, writing down the information. “Do you know their names?” he asked.
“I believe the one with the dog is Mr. Jones and the artist is Mr. Paulsen. I don’t know their first names,” Selina replied. “If that’s everything, we open in fifteen minutes.”
Maria stood up. “Again, we appreciate your help, Miss Bellerose.”
Nate glanced around the office as he got up. Nice, he thought, even if it was a little more traditional than his taste. “One more question,” he said, walking towards the door. “Do you have any idea how that blogger found out about the murder last night?”
Selina shook her head. “No, I do not. The last thing we need is this kind of publicity.”
Maria wondered about that but nodded and walked out of the office. Nate followed her as Selina escorted them back upstairs.
When they opened the door to the alley, an African American man in his early forties stood there, looking very upset. “I told you this club is scaring off my customers!” Lou Williams exclaimed. “You need to think about closing this place and moving to another location. My blues club was here first!”
“Did you just threaten Miss Bellerose?” Nate asked, taking a step towards the man.
“I’m Detective Fuentes with the Seattle PD,” Maria said, “and I would encourage you to go back to your own club, sir.”
Lou Williams glared at Selina and stalked off. “Maybe a little more upset than I realized,” Selina said, looking over at Nate and smiling.
As she turned and went back into the club, Maria tried not to laugh at Nate’s expression. “Calm down, Romeo. She’s still a suspect even if not a very likely one.”
Nate nodded and followed Maria back to their car. As they got in, a dark gray Maserati Gran Turismo pulled into the alley and a man got out. He was tall, had dark hair, and was wearing a long, gray coat.
Nate got out of the sedan and walked over to him. “Can I help you? This is still a crime scene. No tourists allowed.”
“I’m here on official business,” the man said, reaching into his coat. As Nate’s hand moved closer to his jacket, the man smiled. “Relax, just showing you my credentials.”
Nate looked at the Interpol identification and asked, “What’s Interpol’s interest in the case? It seems unusual that a murder in Pioneer Square would draw this kind of international attention.”
“My name is Damian Salvadori,” the man said, “and I’m here because your case…I assume this is your case?” When Nate nodded in agreement, Damian continued. “It’s very similar to three cases we’ve had in Europe over the past six months.”
Nate took a step back. “Did the victims have the same marks?”
“Similar, but not exact,” Damian replied. “That’s why I’m in Seattle to see for myself.”
Maria walked up. “What’s all the excitement?”
“Mr. Salvadori is from Interpol,” Nate replied, looking over at Damian.
“I see,” said Maria, nodding. “And do you have anything besides the badge to show us that you really are, who you say you are?”
Damian smiled. “Of course. Let me get my file.” As he reached into the car, Nate took a long look at the Maserati and thought how much he’d like to drive a car like that. He didn’t realize Interpol paid so well.
Maria was also looking at the car, knowing that Interpol did not pay that well. “Thank you,” she said as Damian handed her the paperwork. “I appreciate you showing me your credentials.”
Damian nodded. “You’re the first one in the States, who has asked to see them.”
Nate looked at the ground as Maria glanced over at the Maserati. “Nice car,” she observed. “Is this standard Interpol issue?”
“Not exactly,” Damian said, looking somewhat amused. “I upgraded my vehicle since I have a little of my own money. Now, is there anything else you’d like to know?” Suddenly, the humor was gone, and Maria saw a much more serious look in his eyes.
“No, I think I’ve seen everything I need to see. Thank you, Mr. Salvadori.” Maria tapped Nate on the shoulder as she headed back to their sedan. Nate took one last appreciative look at the Maserati, then followed her.
Read another chapter next Thursday!
Thanks Lorri!