Jack Kursed Read online

  "Hey. Do you really think of me as a sister?"

  "Of course. We spent a hundred years together. We’re family, whether you want to admit it or not."

  "We haven’t talked in so long."

  He smiled. "Families fight."

  Jack saw that familiar look in her eye. They knew each other so well it was sometimes possible to communicate without words. He knew she was pleased. One hundred years apart or not, he still recognized all her habits, her twitches. He had no doubt she recognized his.

  He crossed his arms and smiled as he leaned in the doorway. The second worker had a cell phone to his ear as Tiffany bounced on her new bed. The walls were plain white, the floor hardwood, but it looked more like a kid’s bedroom than before.

  Spongebob Squarepants’ face was plastered all over Tiffany’s sheets. There was a dresser in the corner and a computer near the window. A small flat-screen TV was against the wall. A chest sat at the end of her bed, on top was her camera and photo-album.

  "It’s not much, but it’s a start," he said.

  Tiffany stopped jumping at the sound of Jack’s voice. She froze and covered her mouth, like she'd done something wrong. Her cheeks turned bright red.

  "I’m sorry," she said. "I won’t jump on the bed anymore."

  "I don’t care. Just don’t break it."

  Victoria leaned close to his ear. "Did you say this isn’t much? It’s probably more than the girl ever had."

  "Eh. The walls need to be repainted or something. Looks like an insane asylum in here."

  Jack signed a few forms and the workers showed themselves out. He watched Tiffany examine her room, Victoria standing in the doorway next to him.

  "You should have seen her," Jack said. "Took a half hour to figure out her size. Then it took another hour to convince her she could buy more than one shirt."

  Tiffany looked up at them. "I never bought clothes before. I just wore Sara and Carrie’s when they got too big."

  "I’m gonna make a pizza. Wash your hands. I don’t want your filthy little paws in my food."

  "Pizza!" she shouted, and darted past him into the bathroom.

  Jack laughed as Victoria and he went into the kitchen. He pulled ingredients out of the fridge. Pepperoni, cheese, sauce. As Victoria sat at the bar, she wished she could enjoy a meal with someone.

  "You’re that girl’s hero," she said.

  "Hero," he said with a smirk. "There’s that word again." He wanted to change the subject. "How’s that case of yours coming along?"

  She shrugged. "Boring, which is good for now. I don’t have any intel, which always sucks. Following a doctor of some kind, but I have no idea why. Seems harmless enough, except for his sexual appetite."

  He raised an eyebrow. "You had sex with the guy?"

  "No, you ass. I told you, I’m seeing someone. But I watched the guy have sex."

  "Even better. How are you over here now? You got people watching him?"

  "Of course."

  "I’m not sure what you’re in to, but holler if you need a hand."

  "So I can watch you kill everyone in your way? No, thanks. I think you’ll have your hands full with Tiffany."

  "She’s just a kid. How much trouble could she possibly get in to?"

  "Just wait. Anyway, you’re gonna have company in about five seconds."

  There was a knock at the door. Jack frowned. He didn’t like unexpected company or unannounced visits. He didn’t like company or visits in general.

  He opened the door to see Officer Derek Thomas, the police officer Jack met at the diner. He was dressed in slacks and a white button-down shirt, looking proper.

  "Mr. Jack Kursed," he said. "Good evening. You mind if I come in?"

  Jack smiled the biggest fake smile he could and stepped aside.

  "Officer Thomas. What a pleasant surprise. Come on in."

  After introducing Thomas to Victoria, Jack went back to the kitchen to continue making a pizza. He kept an eye on the officer as he scoped out the living room. Victoria sat on the couch, watching everything carefully.

  "So what can I do for you?"

  "I'm not sure if you heard. Andrea Simmons, Tiffany's foster-mother, was arrested today. Looks she was in to some pretty bad things."

  "I saw it on the news. Absolutely crazy, holding those girls hostage like that. You're wrong on one thing, though. I'm her foster-parent now."

  Tiffany ran down the stairs, but stopped halfway. The smile she wore turned into a frown at the sight of Officer Thomas. She squatted on the stairs and looked through the wooden supports like they were prison bars.

  "Please," she begged. "Don't send me back to Miss Simmons."

  "Go on upstairs, Tiffany, just for a little bit. I'll come get you when dinner's ready," Jack said.

  Tiffany turned and took slow steps up the stairs, hanging her head low.

  "Oh, and Tiffany."

  She stopped.

  "You will never see Miss Simmons again," he said with a smile.

  The girl returned the smile and vanished up the stairs.

  "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep," Thomas said.

  Jack glared at the officer, but said nothing, continuing to build his masterpiece.

  "It's funny, about all that," Thomas went on. "All the paperwork we can find says you are the legal foster-parent, that Andrea shouldn't even have had her. She says Tiffany ran away again, that she's the foster-parent. The whole thing's a mess."

  Jack shook his head. "Well, if she was in to drugs, it's a miracle she can remember her own name. Drugs are bad, you know."

  Victoria laughed shortly, but caught herself, turning it into a cough. Thomas stared down at her. His body language gave away his attraction for the vampire, but he was still not amused.

  "Simmons and I actually talked about me becoming Tiffany's foster-parent at the diner. You missed it because you were staring at the waitress's ass. Don't get me wrong, it was a beautiful ass. But Officer, you have to learn to multitask, do two things at once."

  "Don't insult me, Jack. Did you know the state won't let a single male adopt a female child, and vice versa. You can probably guess why. They're always conscious about stuff like that."

  "Until me. I'm a very special person."

  "Foster parents also don't deal with each other. Everything goes through the state. We have paperwork of Andrea releasing Tiffany, and you accepting her, all in a few hours. Andrea denies all of this."

  "And who says the state is slow?" he said with a laugh. His humor faded as his patience slowly eroded. "What are you saying, Officer?"

  "I'm saying something doesn't add up. I'd like you and Tiffany to come down to the station with me. We'll straighten everything out, figure out what's going on."

  "I'd rather not. Tiffany's seen enough police stations for a while. We're getting ready to eat dinner, enjoy a nice night in. We finally got her room together, if you want to see it. Spongebob Squarepants."

  Thomas smiled, but it was for appearance only.

  "Please, you can follow me down."

  "Shouldn't you be worried about other things? Like a crazy woman with guns and drugs in her house? Or maybe the two displaced girls she nearly killed?"

  "The guns were legal. They were registered in her name."

  "Wow. They let fosters carry guns?"

  "It's in the constitution."

  "Is it now? So that makes it all okay? You know, maybe you should go back to cop school, instead of bothering me. Tiffany told you she was abused, many times. You didn't believe her."

  "She also said she saw a monster in the alley. We were wrong. It happens. Even a dumb girl can be right sometimes."

  Jack's hands froze as he sprinkled shredded cheese. Victoria shifted uncomfortably on the couch, telling him silently to control his temper.

  "Excuse me?"

  "Please, get Tiffany and let's go to the station."

  Jack smirked and looked down to hide his rage, staring at his pizza. His lip twitched only for a moment
as he looked Thomas in the eye.

  "If I'm not under arrest, then I will politely decline your invitation to the station."

  "I can always make up a reason to arrest you."

  "Officer Thomas, you seem like a good man. Maybe not a good cop, but a good man. So, I'm gonna give you the chance to turn around and walk away. I'm sure you've got other things to worry about than messing with a young girl's life."

  "Did you...just threaten me? You've got thirty seconds to get Tiffany and get moving."

  "Jack," Victoria said, rising to her feet. "Just go with him to the station. I'll make a few calls, clear all this up in no time."

  He shook his head as he reached for his phone.

  "Not necessary."

  Victoria smiled as she listened to Jack's conversation. Thomas couldn't hear, but she heard every word. Jack engaged in small talk with a man named David for a minute or so before getting serious.

  "Look, about why I called," Jack said. "Remember what I said might happen?" He smiled as he held out the phone to Thomas. "It's for you."

  Thomas had a look of confusion as he accepted the phone. He was lucky to get five words in the conversation as his expression changed from surprise to fear. His hand shook as he handed Jack his phone.

  "That was the chief of police," Thomas said. "I've just been suspended."

  Jack faked a look of concern. "That's terrible. Maybe some time off will do you good. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get on with dinner. The door's right over there."

  Thomas said nothing else as he slowly left the house, walking like a zombie. Victoria shook her head at him as he slid the pizza in the oven.

  "I warn people all the time," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "I say, 'Don't fuck with me.' And they do. Then they end up with a bloody nose. Not my fault."

  Victoria laughed and joined him in the kitchen. "You're on a first name basis with the chief of police?"

  "I like to enjoy the quiet, and be left alone. But I know a lot of people. Plan ahead. That's what I always say."

  Tiffany ran down the stairs. She'd been listening at the top of the stairs and watching out her window, waiting for Thomas to leave.

  "We don't have to see Miss Simmons?" she said. "I can stay?"

  "Yup."

  The girl grinned and ran at Jack. He didn't have the chance to turn or move away as she tackled him around the waist, giving him a hug. Victoria burst out laughing at the pained expression on Jack's face.

  "Thank you," Tiffany said, over and over. "Thank you, thank you."

  "Okay, fine. Whatever. You're welcome," he said, looking at Victoria. "Could you get the hose and squirt this child?"

  "I'd love to," she said, holding up her phone. "But I gotta run. Just got a text from one of my many employees."

  "The case is moving?"

  "Yeah. The guy finally left his hotel room. He's just been settling in so far, but I want to follow him, study everything I can."

  "Tiffany, go hug Victoria goodbye."

  Jack stretched with relief when she finally let go of his waist and ran to Victoria. She knelt down and hugged the girl, mouthing words to Jack he read easily.

  Be nice to her.

  He rolled his eyes and nodded. After walking her to the door and saying their goodbyes he turned to see Tiffany sitting on the couch. She turned on the TV and scrolled through the channels.

  "Hey! You've got your own TV upstairs. The whole second floor is yours. This is my TV."

  "But I want to stay down here with you."

  He sighed. "Whatever."

  She settled on a cartoon on the Disney Channel, and Jack did his best to hold in a groan, collapsing on the couch next to her. He glanced at the child as she laughed at the TV. She looked up at him with eyes full of life, checking to see if he saw the same funny thing she did. She definitely had an infectious energy.

  He tried to put himself in her position, but found it impossible. He was too selfish and self-centered to be able to effectively empathize with others. Victoria was the closest person he could relate to. They had been friends for a long time, and shared agelessness, even though their conditions were different. But an eight-year-old girl would be impossible.

  "I know things have been crazy the past few days. But things will settle down a little now. That room upstairs, it's yours. You do whatever you want to it. Well, ask me first. Tomorrow, we'll enroll you in school. You'll be with other kids your age. I'll drive you to school, pick you up. "

  "It's okay. At least Miss Simmons can't hurt anybody anymore."

  "What did she do?"

  Her laughter faded slightly. "I don't want to talk about it. No one believes me."

  "I will."

  "You don't believe me about the monster."

  "Well, you got me there. Can I ask you a question?"

  "Uh huh."

  "Do you remember anything about your real parents, what happened to you?"

  "I said I don't want to talk about it."

  "Okay, okay. I know you've had it tough. But I've gotta ask, how are you so chipper, so happy?"

  "I used to be upset all the time. I'd hide in my room and cry. It was just as scary when Miss Simmons gave discipline to the others, because I never knew when she'd look at me."

  "That doesn't exactly answer my-"

  "I prayed. I prayed to God all the time. And then you came, and I know you won't hurt me. So now I'm happy."

  Jack laughed heartily. It had been a long time since he'd been a child, and in an entirely different time. He wondered if he was as naïve as Tiffany.

  "That's it, huh? You prayed, and all is well?"

  She nodded, and tilted her head to the kitchen.

  "Is that the pizza? It smells so good."

  Tiffany jumped off the couch and ran to the kitchen to watch the pizza bake through the oven window. Jack watched her. Her enthusiasm, toothless grin, and energy almost brought a smile to his face.

  "You're something else, kid."

  *****

  Victoria smiled as she left Jack's house and slid behind the wheel of her car. She thought back to Officer Thomas' face as he left the house, humbled and humiliated. Jack was ruthless, cunning, intelligent, not afraid to get his hands dirty, and would never hesitate to pull the trigger. For reasons she still wasn't clear about, he decided to make an orphan his pet project.

  She could think of no one better to care for her.

  Jack hadn't changed over the past century. It was almost refreshing, knowing there were some things that stood the test of time. Victoria, on the other hand, had changed a lot. She valued her privacy at one time, but now enjoyed spending time with her close friends. She missed Alex, Cindy, Alicia, and Jake. She looked forward to Alex and Cindy's wedding as much as anyone. Her thoughts even drifted to Kevin and his girlfriend Rachel, wondering how their graduation went.

  She wanted to get this case over with, so she could go back to her mansion and enjoy life.

  She was less than half a block away from the hotel. Dr. Collins left the lobby and climbed into a cab. Victoria couldn't ask for better timing. She quickly deleted a text from her contact giving her the cab license plate number.

  She followed the cab through town for ten minutes until it finally dropped him off at a bar. Groaning as she parked her car, she made a mental note to scream at Bradley the next time she talked to him. He told her this was an important case, but didn't have any other information. She left Baltimore in a hurry, and while it was great to reconnect with Jack, this case didn't feel all that important. It wasn't really even a case. So far, she watched Collins have sex with a prostitute and apparently stay in his hotel room all day.

  The bar wasn't too crowded, being a weeknight. Victoria didn't mind crowds or parties. She actually enjoyed the energy, the scent of blood, interacting with humans. She met her best friend Alex at a club. But the scene was sometimes an assault on her senses, even the small places. Conversations, heartbeats, the scents all mixing together.

  She sat
at the end of the bar and asked for water, the one liquid she could drink if she paced herself and went very slowly. The bartender enjoyed an eyeful, but the other patrons kept to themselves. Collins sat at the other end of the bar, drinking alone. She was tempted to sit next to him, maybe turn on a little of her charm, but decided it was better to hold back for now. After what she'd seen the night before in his room, distance was probably the best thing.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she watched another man enter the bar and sit next to Collins. They didn't look at one another, but did talk. She locked away the man in her mind, memorizing every detail. A little over six feet tall, somewhere in his forties, graying hair, steel blue eyes, dress pants and a checkered shirt. It didn't look like he belonged in a bar, but he blended in well enough.

  Victoria focused on her glass and concentrated her hearing. She tried to tune everything out, which wasn't an easy task. The blood pulsing in the man's veins next to her, the aftershave of the bartender, the lesbian couple kissing behind her, these were all distractions. Slowly, everything faded away, and two voices were all she heard.

  "So, where did you find this thing?" Collins asked.

  "You know the deal, Stan. Need to know, and you don't."

  "I'm not sure I'll be able to contribute to the project if I don't know where it came from."

  "Yes, you can. You just keep doing what you do, and we'll bring you in soon enough. Believe me, you'll want to see them with your own eyes."

  "Them?"

  The nameless man simply smiled.

  "I'm not sure how long I can live out of a hotel," Collins said.

  "We'll cover your expenses. Well, most of them. You hire a hooker or anything like that, and you're on your own."

  "I wouldn't do something like that."

  "Sure you wouldn't. Anyway, we liked what you've sent so far. It's been a real help. I'm telling you, we're gonna change the world, and make a lot of money doing it."

  "Hey."

  It was a third voice, directly behind Victoria. She managed to ignore it, until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  "I'm talking to you."

  Collins and his mysterious friend's conversation faded. The noise of the bar once again filled her ears. Her cheeks burned red in anger. She turned on her stool and looked into the eyes of suspended police officer Derek Thomas.