'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 50

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Buck found himself following the uniformed man toward the table where Rob was now standing. He glanced around and saw that his brother, Shirley Sue, and Sarah had joined him in his journey toward the table.

Rob cleared his throat and shouted into the crowd, “Nothing to see here folks, just go back to enjoying your evening!” Dozens of heads snapped away from the direction of the two police officers, as though they had been released from a spring, and the music resumed from where it had left off. The partygoers shot the occasional glance toward the officers as they peered from a distance, trying to ascertain what could be so urgent.

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Rob said in a hushed tone. “Who’s gone, Jim?”

Jim’s face grew pallid, and the circles under his eyes seemed to intensify as he contemplated his response to Rob. “Aura, the dead lady,” his voice eked out. “The janitor found the door to her cold chamber ripped clear off its hinges. I took a look at the door and it was dented on the inside, like she pounded her way out or somethin’.”

“Jeez,” Rob said, mimicking Jim’s tone. “This must be some kind of prank.”

“That’s not all,” Jim said with an audible gulp. “Someone broke into the evidence room and stole that fancy knife of hers… No prints or nothin’.”

Rob cleared his throat and tugged on his collar. “I’ll go and check it out.”

“Want me to come with?” asked Sarah.

“No… Why don’t you folks stay here and enjoy the rest of the evening.”

With that, Rob, Shawn, and Jim said their farewells and filed out into the crowd toward the exit.

A shiver traced its way down his spine as Buck stood in silence. The weight of what he had seen earlier hit him anew. The soft yellow glow of those eyes… He shook the thought from his head. It had been an animal, nothing more than an animal. The most reasonable explanation was that someone was playing a cruel joke; after all, the vampire angle had been played up since the investigation had started.

Shirley Sue placed a hand on Buck’s forearm. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

Buck turned toward her and nodded. “Everything is fine,” he said, smiling at her.

The four friends returned to their evening of dancing and drinking. The thought of Aura, her knife, and the glowing eyes faded from Buck’s mind as the night wore on.