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MY NERVES WERE raw the next day When I got to work and told Arlene what had happened, she gave , and said, "I’d like to kill the bastard that did that to poor Tina!" Somehow, that made me feel a lot better Charlsie was just as sympathetic, if onized deht I should call the sheriff, or Andy Bellefleur, and tell one of them what had happened I finally did call Bud Dearborn

"Usually these things go in cycles," Bud ru or dead, though I’, Sookie That vampire friend of yours, he like cats?"

I closedthe phone in Sa out his next liquor order

"Bill was at home hoever killed Tina threw her on my porch," I said as calmly as I could "I called him directly afterward, and he answered the phone" Sam looked up quizzically, and I rolled my eyes to let him know my opinion of the sheriff’s suspicions

"And he told you the cat was strangled," Bud went on ponderously

"Yes"

"Do you have the ligature?"

"No I didn’t even see what it was"

"What did you do with the kitty?"

"We buried her"

"Was that your idea or Mr Compton’s?"

"Mine" What else would we have done with Tina?

"We ature and the cat, ulationDawn and Maudette," Bud explained ponderously

"I’m sorry I didn’t think about that"

"Well, it don’tup, probably applying a little more pressure than the receiver required Sam’s eyebrows lifted

"Bud is a jerk," I told him

"Bud’s not a bad policeman," Sam said quietly "None of us here are used to ht," I ad fair He just kept saying ¡®ligature’ like he was proud he’d learned a neord I’ot mad at him"

"You don’t have to be perfect, Sookie"

"You iving, fro the ist to e of his desk where I’d been propped to make my phone call I stretched It wasn’t until I saw the way Sam’s eyes drank in that stretch that I becaain "Back to work!" I said briskly and strode out of the roo to make sure there wasn’t a hint of sway to my hips

"Would you keep the kids for a couple of hours this evening?" Arlene asked, a little shyly I re her kids, and I remembered the offense I’d taken at her reluctance to leave her kids with a va like a ize

"I’d be glad to" I waited to see if Arlene would ain, but she didn’t "When to when?"

"Well, Rene and I are gonna go to the movies in Monroe," she said "Say, six-thirty?"

"Sure Will they have had supper?"

"Oh, yeah, I’ll feed’em They’ll be excited to see their aunt Sookie"

"I look forward to it"

"Thanks," Arlene said She paused, alain "See you at six-thirty"

I got hoainst the sun, which was glaring like it was staring reen knit short set, brushed my hair and secured it with a banana clip I had a sandwich, sitting uneasily byand elad to see Rene drive up with Coby and Lisa

"Arlene’s having trouble with one of her artificial nails," he explained, looking e to relay this feet over here" I noticed Rene was still in his work clothes - heavy boots, knife, hat, and all Arlene wasn’t going to let hied

Coby was eight and Lisa was five, and they were hanging all over ood-bye His affection for the kids gave Rene a big gold star in ly I took the kids’ hands to lead them back to the kitchen for some ice cream

"We’ll see you about ten-thirty, eleven," he said "If that’s all right" He put his hand on the doorknob

"Sure," I agreed I opened ht, as I’d done on previous occasions, but then I thought of Tina’s liht they’d better not stay I raced the kids to the kitchen, and adown the driveway

I picked up Lisa "I can hardly lift you any! And you, Coby, you shaving yet?" We sat at the table for a good thirty minutes while the children ate ice cream and rattled off their list of achievements since we’d last visited

Then Lisa wanted to read tobook with the color and number words printed inside, and she read those to me with some pride Coby, of course, had to prove he could read much better, and then they wanted to watch a favorite show Before I knew it, it was dark

"My friend is coht," I told them "His name is Bill"

"Mama told us you had a special friend," Coby said "I better like him He better be nice to you"

"Oh, he is," I assured the boy, who had straightened and thrust out his chest, ready to defend h in Coby’s estimation

"Does he send you flowers?" Lisa asked romantically

"No, not yet Maybe you can kind of hint I’d like some?"

"Ooo Yeah, I can do that"

"Has he asked you to marry him?

"Well, no But I haven’t asked him, either"

Naturally, Bill picked that , when I answered the door

"I can hear," he said

I took his hand and led hi wo to meet you," Bill said, to ht with you if I keep cohtfully "She isn’t really our aunt," Coby said, testing the waters "She’s our ht?"

"Yes, and she says you don’t send her flowers," Lisa said For once, her little voice was crystal clear I was so glad to realize that Lisa had gotten over her little problem with her r’s Really

Bill looked sideways at ed "Well, they asked htfully "I’ll have tothat out to me When is Aunt Sookie’s birthday, do you know?"

I could feel"Bill," I said sharply "Cut it out"

"Do you know, Coby?" Bill asked the boy

Coby shook his head, regretfully "But I know it’s in the summer because the last time Mama took Sookie to lunch in Shreveport for her birthday, it was summertime We stayed with Rene"

"You’re smart to remember that, Coby," Bill told him

"I’m smarter than that! Guess what I learned in school the other day" And Coby was off and running

Lisa eyed Bill with great attention the whole time Coby spoke, and when Coby was finished, she said, "You look real white, Bill"

"Yes," he said, "that’s lances I could tell they were deciding that "normal complexion" was an illness, and it wouldn’t be too polite to ask more questions Every now and then children show a certain tactfulness

Bill, initially a little stiff, began to getwore on I was ready to ad with the kids when Arlene and Rene came by to pick them up at eleven

I’d just introduced my friends to Bill, who shook their hands in an absolutely normal hen another caller arrived

A handsome vampire with thick black hair combed into an improbable wavy style strolled up out of the woods as Arlene was bundling the kids into the truck, and Rene and Bill were chatting Bill waved a casual hand at the va Bill and Rene as if he’d been expected

Fro, I watched Bill introduce the two, and the va at the newconized hifully at Rene and shook his head, and Rene’sto make

The newcomer was husky, taller than Bill, and he wore old jeans and an "I Visited Graceland" T-shirt His heavy boots orn at the heel He carried a squirt bottle of synthetic blood in one hand and took a swig from time to time Mr Social Skills

Maybe I’d been cued by Rene’s reaction, but the more I looked at the va up the skin tone, adding a few lines,his face with some liveliness

Oh o, and Bill began steering the newcomer up to me From ten feet away, the vampire called, "Hey, Bill tells me someone killed your cat!" He had a heavy Southern accent

Bill closed his eyes for a second, and I just nodded speechlessly

"Well, I’m sorry about that I like cats," the tall vaot the idea he didn’t mean he liked to stroke their fur I hoped the kids weren’t picking up on that, but Arlene’s horrified face appeared in the truckAll the good will Bill had established had probably just gone down the drain

Rene shook his head behind the vampire’s back and cliood-bye as he started up the engine He stuck his head out thefor a long last look at the newco to Arlene because she appeared at heragain, staring for all she orth I saw her mouth drop open in shock as she looked harder at the creature standing beside Bill Her head disappeared into the truck, and I heard a screech as the truck pulled away

"Sookie," Bill said warningly, "this is Bubba"

"Bubba," I repeated, not quite trusting oodwill radiating from his fearsome smile "That’sht I’d be shaking hands with hied for the worse

"Bubba, would you eht with , as happy and brainless as a cla room, but not before I’d noticed that when Bubba had s - had simply stopped "I had hoped to explain this to you before Bubba got here," Bill whispered "But I couldn’t"

I said, "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yes So now you know at least so stories are true But don’t call hi when he came over - from human to vampire - maybe it was all the chemicals in his blood"

"But he was really dead, wasn’t he?"

"Notquite One of us was afan, and he could detect the tiny spark still left, so he brought hiht him over?"

"Made him vampire," Bill explained "But that was a mistake He’s never been the same from what my friends tellhe does odd jobs for the rest of us We can’t have hiing open Of course not "Geez," I murmured, stunned at the royalty in my yard

"So remember how stupid he is, and how impulsivedon’t spend ti but Bubba Also, he likes pets, as he told you, and a diet of their blood hasn’t ht hi for Bill’s explanation with soo out of town for a while," Bill said

The unexpectedness of this completely disconcerted me

"Whatwhy? No, wait I don’t need to know" I wavedaway any iated to tell et back," he said firh I had a nasty feeling I already knew

"Bubba is going to watch you while I’ht He’s not long on" Bill cast around " anything," he finally ad, and he’ll do what I tell him, and he’ll make sure no one breaks into your house"

"He’ll stay out in the woods?"

"Oh, yes," Bill said emphatically "He’s not even supposed to come up and speak to you At dark, he’ll just find a place froht"

I’d have to re in

"You really think this is necessary?" I asked helplessly "You know, I don’t rea deep breath "Sweetheart," he began in an overly patient voice, "I aet used to the omen want to be treated now But it isn’t natural toto give one I wish I didn’t have to go, and it isn’t what I want to do, but what I have to do, for us"

I eyed him "I hear you," I said finally "I’uesswell, okay"

Frankly, I don’t think it mattered a damn whether I consented or not After all, how could I o? Even the law enforcement people in our little town didn’t have the equipment to deal with vampires, and if they were faced with this particular vah for him to tear theured I better have the good grace to thank hio off, you just be careful while you’re gone," I said, trying not to sound forlorn "Do you have a place to stay?"

"Yes I’ll be in New Orleans There was a room open at the Blood in the Quarter"

I’d read an article about this hotel, the first in the world that catered exclusively to vampires It promised coht smack dab in the middle of the French Quarter, too And at dusk it was absolutely surrounded by fang-bangers and tourists waiting for the va not to look like a wistful puppy who’s being pushed back in the door when its owners leave, I yanked ood ti done? The drive should take a few hours, and it’s already dark"

"The car is ready" I understood for the first ti to spend time with me and Arlene’s kids "I had better leave" He hesitated, seeht words Then he held out his hands to me I took them, and he pulled a little, just exerted a tiny pressure I ainst his shirt My arms circled him, pressed him into me

"I’ll miss you," he said His voice was just a breath in the air, but I heard him I felt him kiss the top of my head, and then he stepped away from me and out the front door I heard his voice on the front porch as he gave Bubba so as Bubba got up

I didn’t look out theuntil I heard Bill’s car going down the driveway Then I saw Bubba sauntering into the woods I told myself, as I took my shower, that Billme But I still wasn’t sure who I wasfor, or Bubba himself

A T WORK THE next day, Arlene asked me why the vampire had been at ht it up

"Well, Bill had to go out of town, and he worries, you know" I was hoping to let it drop at that But Charlsie had drifted up (eren’t at all busy: the Cha a lunch and speaker at Fins and Hooves, and the Ladies’ Prayers and Potatoes group were topping their baked potatoes at old Mrs Bellefleur’s huge house) "You ot you a personal bodyguard?"

I nodded reluctantly You could put it that way

"That’s so rohed

You could look at it that way

"But you should see hi as she could "He’s exactly like - !"

"Oh, no, not when you talk to him," I interrupted "He’s not at all the same" That was true "And he really doesn’t like it when he hears that name"

"Oh," said Arlene in a hushed voice, as if Bubba could be listening in the broad daylight

"I do feel safer with Bubba in the woods," I said, which was more or less true

"Oh, he doesn’t stay in the house?" Charlsie asked, clearly a little disappointed

"God, no!" I said, thenhis na to do that a lot lately "No, Bubba stays in the woods at night, watching the house"

"Was that true about the cats?" Arlene looked squeareat sense of huh my teeth I certainly believed Bubba enjoyed a snack of cat blood

Arlene shook her head, unconvinced It was tie the subject "Did you and Rene have fun on your evening out?" I asked

"Rene was so good last night, wasn’t he?" she said, her cheeks pink

A"You tell

"Oh, you! What I mean, he was real polite to Bill and even that Bubba"

"Any reason why he wouldn’t be?"

"He has kind of a problem with vampires, Sookie" Arlene shook her head "I know, I do, too," she confessed when I looked at her with raised eyebrows "But Rene really has some prejudice Cindy dated a vampire for a while, and that just reat interest in the health of someone who’d dated a vaoes to visit every other week or so She’s doing well, she’s back on the right track She has a job in a hospital cafeteria"

Saerator with bottled blood, said, "Maybe Cindy would like to move back home Lindsey Krause quit the other shift because she’sto Little Rock"

That certainly focussed our attention Merlotte’s was beco seriously understaffed For some reason, low-level service jobs had dropped in popularity in the last couple of months

"You interviewed anyone else?" Arlene asked

"I’ll have to go through the files," Sam said wearily I knew that Arlene and I were the only barmaids, waitresses, servers, whatever you wanted to call us, that Sa on to for more then two years No, that wasn’t true; there was Susanne Mitchell, on the other shift Sa "Sookie, would you have a look through the file, see if there’s anyone there you know has ot a job, anyone you really recommend? That would savethe sao when Dawn had been hired We had more ties to the co Sam had been in Bon Temps for six years now, and I had never met anyone who see the bar here

I settled down at Sam’s desk with the thick file of applications After a fewa difference I had three piles: ood material Then I added a fourth and fifth stack: a pile for people I couldn’t ith because I couldn’t stand them, and a pile for the dead The first forirl who’d died in a car accident last Christain when I saw her name at the top of the form The other application was headed "Maudette Pickens"

Maudette had applied for a job with Sa at Grabbit Kas pretty uninspiring When I glanced over the filled-in blanks and noticed how poor Maudette’s handwriting and spelling had been, it inesex with this wo it - was a hile way to spend his tie mentality I hadn’t seen hiotten hoal was a real handful I wished he’d settle doith Liz Barrett: she had enough backbone to hold hiht about my brother lately, it was to worry If only he hadn’t known Maudette and Dawn so well! Lots of men knew them both, apparently, both casually and carnally They’d both been vah sex, and I didn’t know Maudette’s proclivities Lots of as and coffee at the Grabbit Kwik, and lots of et a drink here, too But only my stupid brother had recorded sex with Dawn and Maudette on fil plastic cup on Sa Kwencher froe on the side of the green cup Sam knew them both, too Dawn had worked for him, Maudette had applied for a job here

Sa a va a vampire

Sa so evil of a friend was a bad thing to do

"Which is the good pile?" he asked, but he gave me a puzzled look

I handed hial, A the one on top, "has experience, she’s only subbing at the Good Times Bar, and Charlsie used to ith her there So you could check with Charlsie first"

"Thanks, Sookie This’ll save ht?" he asked "You seem kind of distant today"

I looked at him closely He looked just like he always did But his mind was closed to me How could he do that? The only other mind completely closed to me was Bill’s, because of his va Bill," I said deliberately Would he lecturea vampire?

Sam said, "It’s daytime He couldn’t very well be here"

"Of course not," I said stiffly, and was about to add, "He’s out of town" Then I askedto do when I had even a hint of suspicion in my heart about my boss I left the office so abruptly that Sam stared afterconversation later that day, their sidelong glances told me clearly that I was the topic Sa more worried than ever But we didn’t have anywas hard because I knew I’d be alone until s, I’d had the reassurance that Bill was just a phone call away Noasn’t I tried to feel good about being guarded once it was dark and Bubba crawled out of whatever hole he’d slept in, but I didn’t e it

I called Jason, but he wasn’t hoht be there, but Terry Bellefleur answered the phone and said Jason hadn’t been in

I wondered what Saht I wondered why he never seemed to date much It wasn’t for want of offers, I’d been able to observe ressive

That evening I couldn’t think of anything that pleasedif Bubba was the hitman - hitvampire? - Bill had called when he wanted Uncle Bartlett bumped off I wondered why Bill had chosen such a diuard , somehow Every television show I tried to watch seemed completely ridiculous I tried to read my Time and became incensed at the determination to coazine across the rooet out of a cage It couldn’t light on anything or be co, I jumped a foot

"Hello?" I said harshly

"Jason’s here now," Terry Bellefleur said "He wants to buy you a drink"

I thought uneasily about going out to the car, now that it was dark; about co home to an empty house, at least a house I would have to hope was empty Then I scoldedthe house, so, if very brainless

"Okay, I’ll be there in aup Mr Chatterbox

I pulled on a deni both ways, crossed the yard to ht, and I unlocked my car and scooted inside quick as a wink Once inside the car, I relocked my door

This was sure no way to live