7 - Vampire the Masquerade
Jeanette and Therese
I headed out to visit the Asylum. The walk was not far, and I figured I could feed at the club. Mercurio had been right. The place was freaky. But the way I was dressed, in khakis and a golf shirt, made me think that I was the freak.
There was a horrible grunge band, that only knew two chords, I guessed, hammering away on the stage. And the crowd was a mix of Goth and Grunge, and every damned one of them was wired in a major-league way. Every one there was cooked. I found a Goth girl, led her to a dark corner, and fed. Next I went up to the balcony to get a good look around, and got the shock of the evening.
There was this super-hot blonde vampire hanging in the balcony. She had on a half-blouse, with a bra peeking out, that barely covered her over-sized chest. She was wearing a plaid micro skirt that showed her white panties. She had on plain white thigh-highs. Her costume was that of an over-sexed schoolgirl with a student body and community chest. I didn"t know if vampires had sex, but I sure as hell was tempted with this one.
"Well," she said with a smile, as she approached me, wiggling and jiggling, "what have we here? A nice scrumptious morsel has entered my club. You have a name?"
"I"m Randy," I said. "Who might you be?"
"I"m the finger down your spine in the middle of the night," she answered. "I"m the phone number on the men"s room wall to call for a good time. I"m a giggle wrapped in a package of fun."
"Helluva name," I said, trying to be cool.
"I ; am ; Jeanette!" she said, performing oral sex on the index finger of her right hand. "I think, Randy, if we ever hooked up, we"d be like a pair of fire hoses!"
"Fire hoses?"
"Sure," she said, and she jiggled her top for me. "We"d be squirting all over the place! Listen, duckling, I"ll catch up with you later. I have to attend to some business now."
I watched her wiggle down the stairs. You really couldn"t call it a walk. She disappeared around a corner. I shook my head to clear it. I moved downstairs and headed over to the bar. I waited for the bartender to approach.
"What are you drinking?" he asked.
"Sorry, nothing. I"m here to see Therese. About a bookkeeping job."
"Yeah, okay, that"s the first time I"ve heard that one," the bartender said with a grin. "Listen, I"ll cut you a break. Take the elevator over there around the corner. Beneath the balcony. Knock on the door and wait for Therese to let you enter. But if I hear of any trouble, I am going to send up the three bouncers and toss you out. I"ll buzz Therese to let her know your coming. Have a name?"
"Randy Davis. And thanks."
I headed over to the elevator and rode it up to the second floor. I could hear two women arguing through the door, but I still knocked. One was Jeanette, and the other voice sounded almost identical. Well, they were sisters. I stood quietly and waited. After a few minutes, the argument ceased, and I had about five minutes of quiet.
The door opened, and a very attractive blonde vampire bid me enter. She had on a navy business suit, and her hair was pulled back into a sensible bun. She was also wearing black-rimmed eyeglasses. She could have been Jeanette"s twin.
"You Therese?" I asked.
"Yes," she answered with a pretty smile. "Therese Voermann. Jeanette and I own the club. And you are?"
"Randy Davis," I said. "I"ve got a little job to do for Sebastian LaCroix, and I would like your help. I need to speak with Bertram Tung." After Jeanette, Therese was a not only a shocking contrast, but a bit refreshing.
"Tung and I are feuding," she said. "He attempted to meddle in some business affairs of mine. He"s in hiding. I really don"t know where."
"Damn!" I said. "I need to talk to him. He has information I need to complete the job for LaCroix."
"Hmmm," she said, touching her lips with her right index finger. "I"ll be willing to call of the feud with Tung if you will do me a little favor. Then you may speak with him."
"Depends what it is."
"I own controlling interest in the old Ocean Beach Hotel," she said. "I am remodeling it, and plan to reopen. However, I have a problem. There is a poltergeist, and the contractors refuse to do any work."
"A poltergeist?" I shook my head in disbelief.
"Oh, Randy," she said, laughing, "I forgot that you are new. There are a wide variety of creatures of the night, not just vampires. Poltergeists are just another species. Now, I need a personal item of the ghost to exorcise it. Would you be willing to go to the hotel and find it?"
"Will that get me to speak with Tung?"
"Yes, of course," she said. "I keep my bargains."
"Okay," I said. "The Ocean Beach Hotel. How do I get there?"
"Go tomorrow night," she said. "Here is the key to the front door. You can take a cab. When you find an item, bring it back. Okay?"
"Fair enough."
I headed back downstairs to look for Jeanette, but there was no sign of her. I took a walk around Santa Monica and then found an ancient yellow Checker cab. I had the driver take me downtown and located my Prius, all safe and sound. I asked the driver how much I owed him.
"It is free for you," he said. His voice had a Mid-eastern accent. "Prince LaCroix pays."
I said thanks and drove my car back to Santa Monica. Tomorrow I would head for the hotel.
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Madhatter