Cheyenne wasn’t sure just how luxurious the luxuryapartments were, but they were new. Looking up, she saw they offered amazingrooftop patios with views of the lower area of town, the steep slope down Swain’sLane, and Highgate Cemetery. The place seemed to be made up of a lot of angles,glass, and chrome. It was plain but almost squeaky clean, and the coffee shopon the ground floor was ultra-modern and encased mostly in glass, which allowedthem to see Clark Brighton easily before they entered. He was seated so theycouldn’t see his height. But his shoulders were broad and strong, and his hairwas only lightly peppered with gray.
“Coffee, my love? Or tea?” Andre asked.
“Coffee. I’ll go over with an introduction,” Cheyenne said.
Andre walked up to the counter to order, and Cheyenne headedtoward the man who hadn’t yet noticed her. He was concentrating intently onwhatever he was reading on his computer.
He looked up as he heard her coming, though. There was aconfused look in his eyes at first, but then he smiled broadly, rising to offerher a hand.
He was tall. Not quite as tall as Andre, but almost. A bigman. A strong man.
“You’re the American from the Krewe of Hunters, right?” heasked her.
“Just Cheyenne Donegal over here, Mr. Brighton. Trulygrateful to make your acquaintance,” she said, shaking his hand. “May I?” Sheindicated the chairs on the other side of the table from him. “Or may we.Andre Rousseau is with me. We’re eager to hear what you have to say. I mean,something awful is happening. Something out of the ordinary.”
“Someone who intends to listen to me,” Brighton said. “Yes,yes. Please. I keep trying to tell the police that ignoring the past isdangerous.”
“We all know ignoring the past is dangerous,” Cheyenneagreed. “And we’ve been doing all we can to steep ourselves in the history ofwhat happened here before. Do you think someone has really summoned a…vampire?”she asked.
He nodded. “Though a vampire can mean many things. Ourgreatest threat is those who would meddle in such awful creatures.”
“Satanists?”
“Yes, well, freedom of religion these days, you know. Butwho was Satan? Cast from heaven—the harbinger of evil and…can a person be aSatanist and not be evil? How is that, by the very nature of the devil’sexistence, possible? I’ve told them, I’ve told the police that the very earthis crying.” The expression on Clark Brighton’s face said that he was serious.
“What?”
“Several times now, and right before one of the kidnappedgirls is found, dead and drained of blood. The earth itself cries. As ifcalling out to all that’s good and holy in the world to help.”
Andre walked over, bearing three cups of coffee and a papersack brimming with creamers and sugar.
He quickly set them down and offered Clark Brighton a hand.“Andre Rousseau—”
“Don’t be so modest. You’re Special Agent Andre Rousseauwith the FBI’s legendary Krewe of Hunters,” Clark said, rising to take Andre’shand. “And this unbelievably lovely young lady is Special Agent CheyenneDonegal. I am glad to make your acquaintance, truly glad. I’ve just begunspeaking with Cheyenne here.”
“He was telling me that he heard the earth cry,” Cheyennesupplied.
Andre arched a brow. “The earth, sir?”
“I was trying to tell the law officers that they’re notdoing their duty. I truly fear Satanists are taking a secret stand here.”
“Do you believe they’ve caused a vampire to rise?” Andreasked seriously.
“I say again, as I did to your lovely partner earlier,define vampire!” Brighton looked as if he wanted to pound the table inhis vehemence. “What I believe is that they are seeking blood. They must haveit! They are the vampires themselves!”
“Sir, wouldn’t they have been noticed? It would be difficultthese days for them to use the cemetery as a site for rituals, wouldn’t it?”
Clark Brighton waved a hand in the air. “Have you evernoticed, sir, criminals don’t obey our laws? That’s what makes them criminals.Trust me. There are ways into the cemetery at night. There is always a way,especially with an area that large. But I don’t know if they’re using thecemetery. They are here, though. I sense things, hear things in the air. In thenight. I am a special person, as you two are special people, and I have sensesothers do not. I tell you, the earth itself is crying. And it lets out moansand wails, right before another of the victims is found. You will look intothis, won’t you?” He leaned forward to gaze intensely at them.
“We’re not here officially,” Cheyenne reminded him.
Clark stared at her hard and slowly smiled. “But you’rehere.”
“We will listen for when the earth cries, sir,” Andreassured him. He hesitated. “Is there anything else you can tell us?”
Brighton shook his head, his expression sad. “I wish I sawmore, but all my vision has allowed me so far is misty shapes. The warning camewith those cries from the very ground we walk upon, from the air, and from thenight. It’s only when all else is silent that you can hear them.” He was quietfor a minute. “Late, late at night, I’ve stood out on my balcony, and I haveheard the earth. I promised I would listen.”
“Mr. Brighton, you may rest assured that we, too, willlisten,” Andre said earnestly. “I promise you.”
He rose then, and Cheyenne followed.
“Thank you so much.”
“No. Thank you,” Brighton told her. “And, you,” he said toAndre.
Andre nodded grimly. He set a hand on Cheyenne’s arm, andthey walked out together.
“Flake, but I believe you were right. Out of the mouths offlakes.”
“Well, we’ve heard it now from the living and thedead. The earth is crying.”
“Think Inspector Adair will believe us?” Cheyenne asked.
“I think we need maps, old and new, but I also believe we’relooking at the high end of the lane. Possibly someone digging when the cemeterywas planned. We might be looking for a basement, but I don’t think so. Ibelieve there is a subterranean catacomb, storage space, original throughway—somethingunderground that the killer is using for a lair. There’s no way he’spuncturing throats and taking the time to bleed someone where he could be seenor caught.”
“We need to talk to the inspector.”
“Adair and
