Family Matters

Private detectives must always be ready for the unexpected. Is Bella?

Spidery, cold fingers slid around Bella’s wrist causing her to shudder as she looked up to meet the cold, pale eyes of Archie McFadden. At least that was what he was calling himself at the moment. A faint smile hovered about his mouth, as if he was aware he made her skin crawl and found it amusing. He inclined his head in the direction of the building across the avenue. “The man entering now, the dark haired one,” he whispered faintly, “I’m certain of it.”

Bella squinted into the odd twilight that had fallen some minutes ago and found she could make out few features in the indicated man. “How can you tell from here? I couldn’t I.D. my own mother.” At the same time she edged away from McFadden, not that it made her feel any better. He’d appeared out of nowhere, less than ten minutes ago, causing her to jump violently and almost inject herself with the hypodermic of knockout juice she carried in her pocket. His creeping up on her was embarrassing and disquieting. She should have expected it though, she told herself. His habit of appearing and disappearing at strange times was not the only disturbing thing about him. There were his looks, on the surface much like everyone else, but he was perfect. He had an angelic appearance as though he'd walked straight out of a renaissance painting. His curling golden hair was worn long, confined in a ponytail. His skin was fresh and unlined. He was tall and well muscled, but lithe and trim. Bella almost expected him to hold his hands up and make some crazy announcement like, "Be not afraid!" Once past the looks things got really unnerving. The name he’d given had turned out to be an alias, while the address he’d written down for her was an abandoned building. The story he’d spun, that he worked on a top secret government project from which something important had been stolen, was impossible to check out. She’d never heard him speak in any tones but quiet whispers nor seen any emotion cross his face except that strange half-smile he gifted her with from time to time. He was always expensively and impeccably dressed, always had plenty of money, but no apparent income.

“I can tell,” he breathed. “He lives in an apartment above the shop.”

“Don’t you know his name?” Bella snapped irritably.

Again his mouth twitched at the corner. “I would have thought discovering his name was your job.”

Bella flushed and silently scolded herself for letting her unease show. She thought longingly of telling him she had changed her mind and couldn’t help him. She didn’t because he’d paid her in advance; some of which had already been spent, and because backing out now would get around. She was proud of her reputation for results and she wasn’t going to tarnish it, not when she’d finally started to make a name for herself as a P.I. “Stay here,” she ordered stepping out onto the sidewalk. The click of her shoes sounded unnaturally loud in the near deserted street. They had a sharp, short, rhythmic tap that, if not pleasant, was dependable and solid. It was a noise that went well with Bella, who was also solidly reliable.

She jaywalked, stepping over something slimy in the gutter, and strutted past the doorway opening onto a flight of stairs. Two men hovered on the bottom stair. One held a cigarette between thumb and forefinger. Smoke curled around him giving him a sinister appearance. The other slumped against the wall. His eyes were nearly closed and his hands were thrust into the pockets of his jeans. They effectively blocked the stairs. Bella groaned inwardly. The building was old, though well cared for, and the only access to the second floor was through the stairs. She’d only planned on dealing with one possibly violent individual, now she had three to contend with. Oh well, she told herself, that’s what I like about the job, lots of surprises.

The smoker turned small, suspicious eyes on her making it impossible to retreat. She met his questioning gaze, giving him her best smile. “Pardon me,” she eased forward indicating her intention to mount the steps.

The wall leaner came to life, jumping in front of her and throwing out a pale forearm. “Just where do you think you’re going?” he demanded exposing the whitest, straightest teeth Bella’d seen in a long time. She halted and glared.

The smoker dropped the cigarette and ground it out with the toe of his shoe before giving Bella a thorough look up and down. “You have the wrong address,” he said softly. “This building only has one apartment upstairs and they’re not expecting company.”

“That’s too bad.” Bella returned the once over glance and allowed her smile to deepen and widen. It was a tactic she’d practiced to the point of almost being guaranteed entry, just about anywhere, as long as a man was on the door. Smoker was completely unmoved, but Wall Leaner relaxed his stance slightly and licked his lips. Bella chuckled silently to herself. It was going to be easy after all. She let her fingers trail across the suit jacket to the large, black, plastic buttons. She unfastened the top one, shrugging one shoulder so that the material slipped away revealing the top of her lacy black camisole. “I was sort of hoping to be invited. Or better yet, start a private party for all of us.” Smoker’s expression changed to amused. Wall Leaner flushed and began to perspire. Bella unfastened the next button, sending Wall Leaner a knowing glance under her thick lashes.

Smoker took one peek at Wall Leaner, shifted his weight and addressed Bella. “Okay sweetheart, that’s enough. We’re not interested. Take it somewhere else.”

Damn, thought Bella. She’d been hoping to get Smoker close enough to use the syringe. Wall Leaner looked as though she’d be able to manage him in a fight, being smaller than Smoker and having less developed muscles. Oh well, at this point she’d take what she could get she decided. She unfastened the last button letting the jacket slide off her body. Hooking a finger in the collar, she swung it back over one shoulder. Wall Leaner’s eyes bugged out while Smoker’s face set firmly into lines of disapproval. The camisole was sheer and left nothing to the imagination. The hem brushed along the waistband of her pants, which were low and exposed the top of her bellybutton. A tiny black satin bow decorated her cleavage.

“I said that’s enough.” Smoker said harshly, taking a step toward her. Come on, Bella encouraged him silently.

“Now,” Wall Leaner interrupted, “let’s not be hasty. There’s no reason we shouldn’t enjoy ourselves a little.” Bella sent him a dazzling smile, getting a wink and a lewd grin in return.

“Right now,” Smoker growled mockingly, “in the stairwell?”

“Why not,” Wall Leaner moved past them to the doorway and looked out. “There’s no one around.”

“No,” Smoker snapped, his tone indicating the subject was closed. “Think of the mess.”

What does that mean, Bella thought as he came closer, taking her jacket from her and holding it so she could put it back on. She put her arm through the right sleeve and twisted slightly so she could get into the other sleeve, at the same time sliding the syringe out of her right pocket. Before Smoker realized what she was doing, she stabbed the hypo into his hip emptying the contents. He reacted by slamming her hard against the wall, causing her to drop the syringe when her head impacted the brick. Wall Leaner spun around astonished. Bella shook her head to clear it while Smoker started towards her. His foot came down on the syringe crushing it. Both he and Wall Leaner glanced down at it.

“What the hell is that?” Wall Leaner gasped. Smoker grunted and reached out for Bella. He staggered once, twice, and fell in a heap at her feet. “What the hell is going on?” Wall Leaner shrieked while Bella took advantage of the fact that the stairs were now open. He was after her immediately. She turned halfway up, kicking savagely sideways hoping to connect with his face, but he was expecting it and reached out, trying to get a hand around her ankle. She barely avoided being yanked off her feet and tossed down the steps like a Raggedy-Ann doll. Twisting, she kicked again this time landing it solidly in his mid-section. He staggered back, regained his footing and started after her again, his face convulsed with rage. Bella braced herself against the wall, intending to strike when he was off balance, but he moved so fast she barely registered anything except a blur. She was grabbed and pushed straight up the wall. Suddenly, a pale hand reached around and grasped Wall Leaner’s shirt from behind, wadded it up and lifted him several feet in the air, causing him to release his hold on Bella. She slapped down on the steps, staggered and almost fell, while watching Wall Leaner’s feet dangle in mid-air. The display of strength was astounding. So was the way Wall Leaner flew through air and landed with a horrible cracking sound. Bracing herself against the wall she peeked around her rescuer at the two prone bodies at the bottom of the stairwell.

Before Bella could get a decent look at Wall Leaner’s inert form, Archie had grasped her firmly by the arm and begun striding up the remaining stairs. Too stunned to argue, Bella stumbled along beside him to the small landing in front of a heavy wooden door. “I think you killed him,” she gasped.

“Hardly,” Archie growled. He turned towards her and Bella focused on his face for the first time since he’d appeared in the stairwell. His skin was shockingly white; the veins standing out fat and purple, with tiny beads of red trickling down his forehead like sweat. The two points of his canines protruded over his bottom lip. Immediately she jerked back trying to wrench her arm free. “Stop that,” he snapped baring his teeth and sending Bella into a panic. She thrashed against his grip until he wrapped himself around her so tightly she couldn’t move. Gasping, she forced down her fear and tried to remain still long enough for him to ease off, planning to break his hold on her and run. Instead of relaxing his hold, he started talking. His voice was soft and soothing, almost hypnotic. “I can’t let you go just yet, Bella. I need you to get into the apartment and invite me in. Then you may go, I promise.”

Liar, Bella screamed silently, knowing he'd promise anything to get her cooperation. It was embarrassing to realize she’d talked herself into believing him. Mainly, she’d reasoned, it must be partially true since she’d found so little evidence to either confirm or deny the story. He’d never described what had been taken. Invaluable, he’d said, and he wanted to get it back before it was missed. She should have known she berated herself, did know she admitted, but refused to care because of the money. Now, she was in this mess and maybe wouldn’t get out of it.

“Bella?” he asked, pulling back from her. She gathered herself to move when the door behind Archie burst open and the dark-haired man leaped out holding a double-barreled shot gun. Before she’d fully grasped the situation, she was reeling backwards. She stumbled over her heels and sat down, staring mindlessly as Archie planted one hand around the barrel of the gun and the other around the man’s throat. The man’s neck snapped loudly. Archie pitched him down the stairs, tossing the gun after him. Bella looked away in disgust and tried getting gingerly to her feet. She felt light-headed, and while she contemplated that, she was rudely snatched up and thrust through the now open door into the apartment.

Shaking her head and fighting waves of nausea, Bella glanced around her. No furniture adorned the room, which consisted of solid wood floors and soiled white walls. “Invite me in,” Archie demanded from the door. Bella spun around and focused on him. He looked worse; his hair had come loose. Dark red streaks ran through it making it hang in stiff spikes around his face. “Invite me in,” he shouted at her.

He can’t come in, Bella realized as his words suddenly made sense to her. Her body shuddered in relief and she took a deep breath noticing a slight darkening of the room. Well, she thought, more of a shadow. She turned her attention to a door opening off the main room that apparently led to a hall ignoring Archie’s now almost panicked insistence that she ‘ask him in’. A hint of motion registered in the corner of her eye, and whipping around she found a woman standing threateningly close. The woman was definitely one of Archie’s kind, though her appearance was more normal at the moment. She was smiling, exposing sharp white teeth.

“Stay away from her Claire,” Archie warned.

Bella stood frozen, staring at the woman who was looking her over carefully. “But she’s so delightful, and you did kill my human,” Claire pouted. “It’s only fair I get yours.” Bella opened her mouth, wanted to call to Archie, but before the words could form a hand closed around her throat choking off all her air. “They’re so tasteless when they’re dead. I’ll just wait until she’s passed out and I can take all the time I need to fully appreciate her flavor. You can stay and watch if you like, Archie.” Bella struggled, the need for air burning her straining lungs. A red haze flooded her vision turning Archie into a pale shadow. The shadow ripped the door from its hinges and splintered the wood into long jagged shards as everything faded to black. Somewhere far away, Bella heard someone cry out. The next instant she was tumbling to the floor, gasping, drawing air painfully through her bruised windpipe. Sound and sight were suddenly sharp and clear.

Bella turned her head and watched as Claire gripped her own arm tightly and shrieked at Archie who still hovered in the doorway. A large pointed piece of wood lay on the floor and splotches of dark red dripped off Claire’s fingers. She stopped shouting and reached a hand out toward Bella. “Come in,” Bella croaked just as nails brushed her neck.

Archie streaked across the room but Claire was faster. She abandoned Bella and crashed through the window into the night air. Archie was left standing by the shattered panes. He didn’t stay there long. Instead, he strode past Bella and disappeared down the hall. Bella could hear him opening and closing doors. Groaning, she rolled onto her knees and staggered to her feet. She got as far as the closest wall and slumped against it. The door slamming stopped and for a moment everything was quiet. Then a string of curses split the air. Archie’s agitated footsteps echoed down the hall. He burst into the room carrying a little girl. For a moment, Bella thought she was dead. Her skin was white and paper thin, but the child turned her head. Large eyes were open and filled with terror. “I told you they took something priceless from me.” Archie patted the child’s back comfortingly.

“My God,” Bella choked, “why didn’t you tell me?” But even as she said it she knew why. She would have referred him to the police and, when he refused to notify them, would have felt constrained to inform them herself. “What have they done to her?” Bella rasped, rubbing her now throbbing throat. The girl turned her head again, this time burying her face in Archie’s shoulder. On her neck were many tiny puncture marks.

“Unspeakable things,” Archie growled as Bella drew back in horror.

“Why? Why would they?”

There was a slight pause as Archie kicked some of the splintered wood out of his way. “Don’t you think it’s better if you don’t know too many details?”

“I wish I didn’t know as much as I do,” Bella exclaimed shaking her head trying to adjust to the new reality she’d been tossed into. So much had happened that things were taking on a dreamlike quality. In fact, the more she tried to rationalize it the more detached she felt.

“Claire was a friend once,” Archie growled. “It didn’t work out.”

“Right, a vampire scorned,” Bella thumped back against the wall. “I’m crazy,” she muttered. “I’m having hallucinations,” her voice started to rise in pitch. “This isn’t real.” Archie gave her an exasperated look and, still holding the child, crossed over to her. He took her arm and shook her. “You’re not real,” Bella told him. “Maybe, this is a dream.”

“Stop it,” he snarled, “You can’t get hysterical now, we still have to get out of here. Can you walk?” He started to the door without waiting for an answer leaving Bella to stumble along behind him.

“Why,” she gasped, “would they do that to a child? I mean, why would I dream such a thing, I like kids?”

“Why not,” he stepped over the ruined door.

Bella padded along behind him. “Maybe, I accidentally poked myself with the needle.” The girl peered over Archie’s shoulder. The terrible suffering she’d been subjected to showed clearly on her face. Bella swallowed hard, while chills traveled up and down her spine. “I’m not having hallucinations am I?”

“No,” Archie whispered.

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to understand,” his tone became softer and warmer, “you’ve done well. It’ll be over soon and you can forget all about this.”

“Right,” Bella said, knowing she would never forget a second of what had happened. She stared into the rounded eyes of the child who’d made no sounds at all. “Who is she?”

“My great granddaughter,” he stopped, eyes fixed on the stairs. Bella, concentrating on stepping over door fragments, almost ran into him.

Looking up, she saw his shoulders tense. “What now?” she muttered.

“How much was in that syringe?” he asked.

“Enough to keep an elephant out for hours.” Straining her ears, Bella heard a faint rustling. The stairwell was completely dark. Bella felt her heart leap into high gear. A few minutes ago the stairs had been brightly lit.

Archie stood a moment longer and then spun around, motioning Bella back into the apartment. Choking back fear, she did as he directed hobbling along as though she’d aged several decades in the last few minutes. Footsteps rushed upward. Archie put one hand in the small of Bella’s back and urged her along. She had a few moments to wonder exactly what Archie was doing as he prodded her to the window. He snaked an arm around her waist and lifted, holding her against one side while cradling the child on the other. Wall Leaner burst into the room and rushed across the floor with frightening speed. Bella had opened her mouth to tell Archie to let her go, but the sight of Wall Leaner changed the complaint to a scream that rose in pitch as Archie leaped from the window.

Bella grabbed onto Archie’s coat as the wind whistled around them and the ground flashed by beneath her feet. Her heart pounded and her breath came in short, squeaky gasps. Thankfully, it was over quickly and Archie was setting her down on the sidewalk outside the brownstone where she lived and worked. As soon as he released her, she sank down on the steps and put her head in her hands, concentrating on trying to breathe evenly. He hovered over her. “Don’t worry, stay in at night and come out only in the daytime for a while. They’ll lose interest in you soon enough. Be sure you don’t invite anyone you’re not sure about in. You’ll be safe.” Bella nodded without looking up and waved a hand in his direction, hoping he’d just go away. He continued to stand in front of her. Finally, he shifted the child and glanced around. “You should go in now.”

Bella jerked her head up and looked around too. “Are they coming here?”

“Probably not, but if you’d do what I told you to, you wouldn’t have to worry.”

“Sure,” Bella groaned and got to her feet taking the last few steps and putting her key into the lock.

“Thank you for your help, Bella,” he paused, giving the child a heart wrenching smile. “I’ve decided to quadruple your fee as a token of my appreciation.” Then he leaped into the air and was gone in a rush of air.

Bella turned the key, stumbled across the threshold and slammed the door behind her throwing the bolt. She leaned her forehead against the smooth wooden surface and tried not to think about what had just happened. With shaking hands, she checked herself out and decided she was going to survive after all, as the meaning of Archie’s words sank in. Shuddering slightly, she began to laugh. A hell of a way to make a million dollars, she thought and then, she began to feel better. In fact, she felt damn good, considering.