Bloodsuckers

By Wendy Gregg

Reynolds is a down on his luck private detective who spends his days touring dive bars. His life is as tepid as the old drunks sitting next to him until Lucille walks in to the bar. Someone is stalking her and it isn't just an ordinary person. It is a vampire with a grudge...something that Reynolds knows all too well.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trellis Publishing
• Release date: Jul 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201086695

Book preview

GRUESOME

TODD BOSLEY

Chapter 1

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Do I know you? Dana asked as a girl wearing a wearing a short leather mini skirt and sporting jet black hair approached her. She hoped the petite woman with the fishnet stockings and excessive eyeliner wasn’t planning to go inside the Stop & Fuel. Dana had just come outside to smoke a cigarette and hadn’t even got to light up yet.

Of course, you can find me on the Losers Report. the young woman told her.

Losers Report? What's that? Dana said as she put flame to her cigarette. She didn't really care but If the girl wanted to talk it would give her a chance to smoke some before the bars closed and thing got busy.

You don’t remember the Losers Report?

It sounds like a joke website from my high school.

Do you like jokes?

Who doesn’t like to laugh?

I have a good one.

Yeah? Tell it, Dana said as she brought her cigarette to her lips.

The girls hand shot out and shoved the lit cigarette into Dana’s mouth. The cherry burned the roof of her mouth and she coughed and gagged trying to get the cigarette out of her throat. She reached her hand into her mouth and managed to pull it loose.

What the fuck? she said between coughs, Why did you do that?

You didn’t think it was funny?

No.

Then you probably aren’t going to laugh at this part either.

Chapter 2

You’ll never believe who I think I just saw.

Who? Heather asked as she looked around to make sure there were no customers to interrupt her phone conversation with Tanya. It sucked having to work on a Friday. She was missing a party. If Dana had not gone missing she could be there, this was supposed to be Dana's shift. It must not have been that great of a party though if Tanya was calling her. Lame party or not, Heather figured it would be better than working the counter at the Stop & Fuel.

Remember that creepy little goth bitch from chemistry class? Tanya asked.

Carmen?

No, she was all into metal, not goth.

There’s a difference?

Uh yeah, big difference. The goth girl is here. You know who I mean.

No, I don’t.

That girl Candice slapped in the face.

It can’t be her.

Why not?

You don’t remember?

Remember what?

Candice slapped Glenda in the face.

Glenda, yeah that’s her name. Like the witch from that movie. How could I forget. She’s here.

That’s impossible.

Why?

Glenda hung herself while we were still in school. She like, died.

You sure?

Uh, yeah. It was kind of a big deal. How can you forget?

I don’t know, it’s not like we were friends.

Yeah. I guess, but you did know her. You put her on that stupid web page you, Dana and Devin put together.

The Loser Report?

Yeah.

We put a lot of people on that thing. It was just a joke anyway.

Yeah, well, she didn’t think it was funny.

Are you sure it was her who decided to neck herself?

Positive.

Wasn’t that some kind of auto-erotic sex thing and not a suicide?

She wrote a note in her own blood on the wall before she did it.

Well, that does sound kind of dramatic to do before masturbating. I swear it’s her though. Let me take a picture so you can see for yourself.

Fine, I’ve got a customer anyway.

After successfully selling a man a pack of American Spirit cigarettes and some lotto tickets Heather looked at the picture. The girl in the photo did look a lot like Glenda. In fact, she looked so much like her former classmate Heather wondered if she was wrong about the suicide thing.

The store was empty again and Tanya was no doubt enjoying the party, so Heather googled her high school yearbook and found a photo of Glenda. She was about to decide she was wrong about the suicide when she something to make her think Tanya was wrong instead.

Almost on cue her phone buzzed and Tanya’s number appeared on the screen.

Did you look at the picture? Tonya said as Heather put her ear to the phone.

Yeah.

It’s her. Right?

Sure looks like her, but no.

Because you think the little bitch offed herself?

Yeah, that and she looks exactly like she did when we were sophomores. She even has the same haircut. No one keeps the same haircut they had when they were a sophomore.

I don't know I still say it's her. Maybe I'll ask.

You'll feel stupid.

Wouldn't be the first time. Hey, I’ll call you later. We’re going to get out of her. This party blows.

It’s better than working.

Not much. If we go somewhere cool I’ll call you. Later.

Heather worked the rest of her shift and went home without hearing from Tanya. She texted her and got no reply.  It was late and she was tired anyway, she went home without trying to find her friend.

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Chapter 3

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When she heard the pounding on her apartment door the next morning Heather thought it might be Tanya. She opened the door a crack and saw Tanya’s twin brother Devin standing there. She went ahead and opened it all the way.

Is Tanya there? he asked.

No.

She’s not answering her phone. She was supposed to drive me to the shop to pick up my car.

She was supposed to call me last night and she never did, Heather said, You go by her place?

Yeah.

Do you still need a ride?

Yeah, but first I want to find my sister. The car will wait.

Come in, I’ll call Candace. I think they were at the party together last night.

Devin stepped inside. While Heather went to find her phone, he sat down on the couch and turned on the television.

Make yourself at home, Heather told him before going back to her bedroom.

Devin had turned the set up loud enough Heather could hear it from the bedroom.

Police have not confirmed the mutilated body of a young woman found under the bridge out on Route 18 is the work of the so called Vampire Killer. the tall blonde reporter said, The Vampire has terrorized the area since the dismembered body of Darlene Simmons was found in Castor Rock a month ago, followed by the brutal slaying of former middle school teacher Stan Morrison, his wife, and their beloved labradoodle Fenster in their home a month later. While they would not confirm this is the work of the Vampire sources say the victim does bear some similar mutilations as the other victims attributed to the Vampire.

The victim is unidentified at this time and police ask anyone who might know her contact them immediately. The victim is female, between nineteen and twenty-eight years old. She had short dark hair and blue eyes.

Sound like anybody we know? Devin asked as Heather as she returned with her phone.

Heather said, Be quiet, I want to hear this.

The victim had a tattoo of a dolphin on her right shoulder, the reporter continued.

Holy shit, Heather said.

What? Devin asked without looking away from the television.

Dana has a dolphin tattoo on her right shoulder.

Seriously?

Yeah.

That doesn’t mean it was her though does it? She’s not the only chick I know who digs dolphins.

She has short dark hair.

Still doesn’t mean it’s her.

I need to call the police.

Can you call Candace first.

Are you serious?

Yeah, we have a damn serial killer running around and my sister seems to missing. I’d kind of like to know she's okay.

All right, but then I’m calling the cops.

Heather called Candace and got no answer. She went ahead and called the tip number running across the bottom of the screen as the blonde television reporter continued to talk about the