Blood Red by Heather Graham Page B

don’t know where she went into the river?”
    â€œTech forensics are working on it, ebb and flow, all that,” Mordock told him. “But she hasn’t been dead that long. With the current and the river life, well, a body goes to hell pretty quickly when it’s in the water. But here’s something interesting—whoever tossed her didn’t really care whether or not she was found. She wasn’t weighted down. She was just dumped in the water.”
    Canady thanked the ME again and turned to exit the autopsy room. Mark followed him.
    In the hallway, Canady stripped off his gloves, staring at Mark. “Did you get what you were after?”
    â€œYes. Did you?” Mark, too, stripped off his autopsy-room paraphernalia.
    Canady studied him. “Not just one vampire but lots of them, eh?”
    Mark said cleared his throat. “She was used for some kind of a blood rite.”
    When Sean didn’t respond, Mark went on.
    â€œEvery cult has some kind of leader, a grand priest, whatever,” Mark said, studying Canady. “I get the impression you’ve dealt with cults before. That you know what I’m talking about.”
    â€œCome in tomorrow. You can have a sketch artist draw up a likeness of this man Stephan for me.”
    â€œThanks,” Mark said, then hesitated. Canady seemed to be a decent guy treating him with such apparent respect. But he was afraid for the man, as well. “The thing is…okay, these guys really think they are vampires. They go down if they’re hit with holy water, and they back away from crosses, and…unless they’re planning to make a victim rise from the dead, they cut off the head to keep the population from getting out of control. I’m just worried that your people…”
    Canady grinned. “My cops won’t know they need to stake the guy, is that it?”
    He didn’t know if Canady was mocking him or not.
    â€œYeah, something like that,” he said.
    â€œI’ll take care of it. Come by the station tomorrow, Mr. Davidson.”
    â€œThank you. Um, Lieutenant?”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œThey may not all be men.”
    â€œPardon?”
    â€œVampires. They come in both sexes.”
    â€œGotcha,” Canady said. “Tomorrow.”
    Mark hesitated. “Like I said before, he’s hiding out somewhere. He can move about by day, but it’s a better time for him to rest.”
    â€œI’ve warned local law enforcement to be on the lookout,” Sean told him. “And not just in this parish.”
    â€œOh? Great. Just so long as they understand that they could really be in danger.”
    â€I know my business,” Canady told him.
    â€œRight. Well, thanks.”
    As soon as Mark left the morgue, he hurried back to the bed and breakfast. As he pulled into the lot, he saw that Deanna and Lauren, wearing bathing suits and carrying bags that he assumed held lotions and magazines, were just going into their cottage.
    Lock it , he thought as the door closed behind them. Lock it! And don’t let anyone in….
    He decided they were safe enough for the time being and headed back to his car.

    Just when the world seemed all nice and normal…
    When Deanna and Lauren went into their cottage they found Heidi out of the shower, dressed and on her cell phone. She flashed them a smile and mouthed the word, “Barry.”
    They both nodded; then Deanna headed into the shower, and Lauren plopped down on the sofa, turned on the television and found the news.
    There was a police officer, a big handsome guy, talking to a sea of reporters, who were all struggling to get their mikes closer to the cop.
    â€œThe most important thing for anyone, but especially women, to remember is to use good judgment and common sense,” the cop was saying.
    â€œBut the victim was a known prostitute,” one of the reporters called out.
    â€œThe victim was a woman,” the