Sips of Blood Part 18

Sade glanced at his niece; his blue eyes had darkened into a storm-like gray.

"Did you want more money, monsieur?"

"How could I? I haven't done anything for you as yet."

"Except to travel around at my uncle's whim."

Sade brightened.

"Certainly, monsieur, you must charge me for the time it took getting here and leaving."

"I had planned on it."

Liliana couldn't decide whether her uncle had given a smile or a sneer as he turned away to walk over to the bar.

"You seemed to have enjoyed my cognac the last time you were here, monsieur. Would you like one now?"

"No, I have to be driving back to the city. If you find the papers, sir, give me a call and we'll figure out some way to get together.

"I look forward to this Friday evening, Liliana, and would certainly be glad to pick you up somewhere, unless you're driving in."

"Don't like to drive. The glare of the headlights bothers me."

"Then why don't you call me with the location of your employer, and I'll pick you up and take you home."

"Thank you, David. I'll speak to you later in the week. I'll get your number from my uncle."

She walked him to the door and waved goodbye while he drove his car back onto the road.

"Ma pet.i.te cherie, why make it so complicated?"

"What?"

"Waiting until Friday. I'm sure with your help we could have gotten him to stay for dinner. Ah! Je suis tres heureux pour toi."

"Happy for me, Uncle?"

"Yes, that you are returning to the fold."

"I'm merely meeting him for dinner."

"Oui, but he will bring you back here."

"And you will mind your own business."

"I will help with the cleanup."

"It won't be necessary, Uncle. I have far better self-control than you."

With his right index finger he rubbed her left cheek and crossed downward to run the same finger across her lips.

"When I made you immortal I gave you my blood. The hunger is always there, Liliana. Toujours."

Chapter 31.

Tap, tap, tap.

The chauffeur didn't budge.

Marie rapped harder on the window of the car.

The chauffeur moved a bit but did not waken.

Marie banged on the window.

Suddenly wide awake, the chauffeur seemed embarra.s.sed. He pushed the b.u.t.ton to make the window on his side open.

"Normally I don't sleep so soundly. I doze a little. What time is it?" He checked his watch and shook his head. "Is Mr. Winter angry?"

"He's beyond caring, I'm afraid."

"Did he call a taxi?"

"No, he doesn't need a taxi. It's so awful." Marie tried to cry, but it seemed impossible now after all she had been through. She, too, was beyond caring. "Mr. Winter is... dead. Come in and see for yourself."

The chauffeur lifted the cellular telephone and was about to close the window when Marie stuck her head inside the car.

"Whom are you calling?"

"Mrs. Winter."

"Do you think his wife really wants to hear this over the telephone? Especially since he... I'm sure you know."

"And I bet she does too," he answered.

"Still, it's a very delicate situation. I wish you would come in and take a look for yourself."

"I believe you."

"Then come in." She reached for the door handle.

"Please, I believe you, and I definitely don't want to see anything." He brushed her hand out of the way.

Marie admitted to herself she had not thought this situation out completely. The chauffeur should have been willing to dash into her house to at least check whether his boss was dead or simply in need of medical a.s.sistance. So much for loyalty.

Using violence on this man seemed so dirty, so s.a.d.i.s.tic. Violence should be consensual, and she had always managed to keep it that way in the past, but if she had to strong-arm this chauffeur, well...

"I a.s.sure you, madam, this is not completely unexpected."

"What do you mean?"

"His wife warned me that he had a congenital heart problem and told me to call her if something should ever happen. Her or Dr. Lowrey."

"Garrett's doctor?"

"No. I believe he's related to Mrs. Winter in some way. She especially did not want the police to be called if he should... experience a problem while visiting you."

"She knew about me?"

"Indirectly. You see, I think Mrs. Winter had hired people to report on her husband's activities."

"How do you know that?"

"She hired me. Mr. Winter always seemed too busy to worry about details. Therefore, all staff was hired by Mrs. Winter."

"I guess it wouldn't look good for Garrett to be found enjoying certain pleasures."

"No, ma'am." The chauffeur started to punch out the number and Marie allowed him.

She pulled her head back out of the car and patted her cheeks. Garrett's blood had proven to be the perfect medicine. The fact that she had been using his blood for some time probably helped in the healing process. This was not completely foreign blood that she had used. Her body had already adjusted to the chemical differences of Garrett's body.

Garrett waited, washed, dressed, and propped up in the salon.

She returned to the house after the chauffeur told her that Dr. Lowrey would be coming out, but no police.

Garrett looked so pasty white that Marie tried applying some makeup to his face and neck. He had closed his own eyes toward the end, enabling her to escape an accusatory stare.

"I'm sorry, Garrett. You know I tried to avoid this. Part of it is your fault for coming back before I asked you to. The majority of the blame, however, falls on my son-in-law, the ign.o.ble Marquis de Sade. I promise I'll find some way to destroy him."

The wounds on Garrett's b.u.t.tocks hadn't looked so bad after they were washed and dressed. At least they didn't look as if they would have caused his death. On the other hand, if the medical examiner found no blood, then there would be a problem.

A knock interrupted her thinking. Walking to the door, she stopped briefly to look at herself in the mirror. She actually looked refreshed, but she didn't want to look too good. She grabbed at a couple of strands of hair to give herself the halo of disarray. She sighed deeply, turned down her mouth, and opened the door.

"I'm Dr. Lowrey," the tall gentleman immediately said. "I believe Mr. Winter is in some distress."

"Not anymore. Come in."

She led him to the corpse. The doctor made some fluttering movements around the body, but was really only interested in Garrett's pulse.

"He is dead," he p.r.o.nounced wisely.

"I thought so."

The doctor's handsome face hid behind a facade of solemnity. His hands were large and quit hairy, with tufts covering each of his knuckles. He reached into an inside pocket and pulled out a pair of rimless gla.s.ses and put them on at the bridge of his nose. Presbyopia, she thought. Poor dear is getting on in years, although she judged that he couldn't be more than forty-five.

"Mr. Winter has many business connections and social obligations, madam. You realize also that it would be best for his family if he was discovered dead in bed. At home, that is."

The doctor's hands were sweating.

"Indeed I do, Dr. Lowrey. What do you suggest?"

The doctor cleared his throat.

"I'm sure we can trust the chauffeur, if we could get you to agree to our transporting his body elsewhere."

"Dare we do that?"

"Only three of us, four if you include Mrs. Winter, know about this."

"And I doubt Mrs. Winter wants to be included."

"This is a terrible shock for her."

"I would have thought she might have expected it, given the condition of his heart."

"His heart?"

"The chauffeur told me that Garrett had a congenital heart defect."

A light suddenly dawned on the doctor's face.

"Yes, that's right."

"One would think immediate cremation might be best in this situation. Then Mrs. Winter wouldn't have to go through all the distress of planning a long wake."

"I agree, madam. If you allow me to call the chauffeur, we'll remove his body right now."

Marie nodded. Her curiosity got the best of her.

"Dr. Lowrey, you're not related to Mrs. Winter, are you?"

"No. We've been friends for several years."

And lovers, Marie silently added, watching the doctor cross the threshold of the front door.

Several minutes later the awkward, uncomfortable chauffeur entered the house behind the doctor. The chauffeur looked around the place, no doubt stunned that naked people weren't hanging from chandeliers. He must have expected to see at least one naked body tied to a rack. But then, that's probably how he expected to find Garrett.

Marie looked at the corpse. It's never really a secret, Garrett.

"If there's any financial recompense that's due, I'm willing to settle it now." Dr. Lowrey reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out a thick roll of bills. None of them were in small denominations.