Isaiah looked just as shocked as Kenzie. It had been nearly two years since they’d last seen each other, and now here he was, in Starlight Shores, his hair lighter and his muscles more defined, standing in front of her and Jillian, apparently her best friend’s new boyfriend, a fact confirmed when Jillian’s face lit up, with the sun…
“The sun!” she hissed.
Jillian looked at her friend skeptically and asked, “Yeah, what about it? And what the hell? Do you two know each other?”
Kenzie realized her slip. She stammered, “Uh, the sun’s just extra bright today. It was feeling a little hot on me, so it surprised me. And, yeah, I met Isaiah in Bridgeport…”
Isaiah shot her a look that clearly said not to reveal too much. As if she had to be told that.
“Oh, right,” Jillian comprehended. “You went to Bridgeport a couple of years ago for a case. I guess I never thought you might have met my boyfriend there. Bridgeport’s pretty big.”
“It’s quite the coincidence.”
Isaiah spoke for the first time. “It’s good to see you again, Kenzie. You grew your hair out.”
“Yeah, and you dyed yours.”
“I thought it was time for a few changes.”
Of course he did. She’d told him to live his life better, since he was technically getting a second chance at it, and it appeared that he was taking her advice.
But still. He was a vampire. And he was dating her best friend? Sure, her new guy wasn’t one of the crime-breaking sleazebags she’d dated in the past, but this wasn’t exactly preferable.
“Jillian mentioned she’d be here for her best friend’s birthday,” Isaiah continued. “But I never imagined it would be you.”
“Yeah…I never imagined you’d be my best friend’s new boyfriend.”
“You two didn’t fight in Bridgeport, did you?” Jillian asked, clearly worried.
“No,” they both said at once.
“Good. That’s a relief.”
Isaiah suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Shall we go inside?” he asked.
Kenzie knew what that meant – the sun was getting to him. So the three shuffled inside, sat down, and ordered some drinks and cookies.
“So,” Jillian began, “Isaiah, we’re going to see Cadie Berry in concert tonight. Want to come with us?”
“Sure, but pop music’s never really been my thing. I prefer rock and metal. The Heavy Metal Titans of Doom are playing at the Hoi Polloi Event Center in a couple of days. You should see them.”
“Okay, so you come with us tonight, and we’ll go with you to see your band.”
“We will?” Kenzie asked.
“Sure, why not? I wouldn’t mind hearing some new music.”
“Jill…”
“It’s okay,” Isaiah said. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. And besides, Jillian, you told me you’re here for Kenzie’s birthday. I think she should have some say in what activities take place.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ve just missed you, that’s all.”
“I’ve missed you too, but I’m sure we can balance some things out.”
Kenzie looked away. Her best friend was dating a vampire. It sounded like a misguided attempt at a horror comedy movie. But she only saw the horror.
So when Jillian excused herself to go to the bathroom, Kenzie took the opportunity to set Isaiah straight.
“Listen,” she hissed at him from across the table, “Jillian is my best friend, and she has been since we were eight. I look out for her, and I care about her.”
“Are you trying to convince me to break up with her? You know, she did say that she had a best friend she’d love for me to meet, and that she always looked out for her, but I never in a million years imagined it would be you.”
“She’s had bad relationships before, but this? You could kill her. You drink blood for crying out loud!”
“A little louder, Kenzie. I don’t think they heard you in Barnacle Bay.”
“Wow, when did you become a smart ass?”
“You told me to live some more. I thought I’d give myself a little upgrade to keep up with the times.”
“Yeah, okay, whatever. When I said live, I didn’t mean start dating my best friend. This is dangerous.”
“Kenzie, I care about Jillian. I wouldn’t hurt her.”
“Maybe not on purpose, but you’re inhumanly strong, you drink blood, and you can’t even go out in the sun. Jillian lives in Sunset Valley. She loves the beach and the sun. How will you explain that to her? You can’t be out in the sun for longer than probably ten minutes.”
“There are ways around everything.”
“Like what? You tell her you burn easier than anyone else in the world? That’s the understatement of the year.”
“There are very strong sunscreens available.”
“Uh huh. And what about your diet? Don’t you think she’ll notice that you never eat or drink anything?”
“I can do that, and I do in her presence. It’s not hard.”
“Seriously? That’s your plan? To keep lying to her and pretending to be something you’re not?”
Isaiah rested his elbows on his knees and looked her in the eye. “I know this may seem sudden, but I feel as though Jillian completes me. I care about her and I won’t hurt her. And as for the sun issue, she might find it odd, but how do you think she’d feel about her best friend if she was responsible for breaking us up?”
“You’re trying to blackmail me?”
“You said she hasn’t had the best luck with men and that you look out for her. That could imply that you’d do anything to keep her from getting involved with another bad one.”
“So you’d run to her and tell her it was my idea that you two break up?”
“It wouldn’t be unbelievable, would it?”
Kenzie narrowed her eyes. “You’ve become a cocky prick, haven’t you?”
“Confidence is something to be admired, not chastised.”
“Fine, but let’s get one thing straight. If you hurt her in any way, that stake you gave me? I’ll put it to use and will personally enjoy stabbing it through your heart.”
“You still have it?”
“I never know when it might come in handy. Am I clear?”
“Crystal.”
Just then, Jillian returned from the bathroom. She had no idea about the conversation that had just transpired between her best friend and boyfriend, but it would be better if she never did.
The rest of the day was as awkward as the beginning. Kenzie tried to get past the fact that her best friend was dating a vampire, but she couldn’t help it. The most infuriating frustration was that she couldn’t tell Jillian the truth.
Obviously, vampires weren’t supposed to exist, and no one was aware of their presence. Kenzie had stumbled upon that discovery in Bridgeport accidentally and she’d promised to keep the secret. She couldn’t tell Jillian the truth about Isaiah. He had friends that would probably hunt her down if she did that, and Isaiah himself wouldn’t be too happy either.
Still, she hated to just sit back and watch her best friend get closer and closer to a creature of the night. She didn’t find it the least bit suspicious that he kept having to dart inside while they were walking down the town’s boardwalk to suddenly use the bathroom. His excuse was that he’d drank too much coffee. Kenzie rolled her eyes inconspicuously.
Before long, it was time to prepare for the concert. The three headed to the Binder Clips Center to get good seats, and Kenzie’s day just got better and better as she saw Austin and Cheyenne already there.
Jillian, the social butterfly that she was, skipped to where they were sitting, Isaiah at her side. Kenzie reluctantly followed.
“Hey you guys,” she said with a wide grin. “Good to see you again!”
“You too,” Austin replied. “Who’s this?” He indicated Isaiah.
“Oh, this is my boyfriend, Isaiah. Isaiah, this is Austin, and his girlfriend Cheyenne.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Isaiah said politely. They all shook hands. Austin seemed to notice Kenzie standing there and he nodded her way. “Hey, Kenzie.”
“Hi.”
The lights were already pretty dim, and the stage was set up with a candy theme. Cadie Berry was well-known for incorporating candy and sweet items into her acts, though she would occasionally switch it up with other themes. She also loved dying her hair various colors, but with the different colored lights in the venue, it would be hard to determine what color her hair actually was tonight.
More introductory conversations ensued as Kenzie remained quiet, her eyes fixated on the stage, waiting for one of her favorite singers to appear. She was grateful that Austin and Cheyenne had gotten good front-row seats and had saved some for her, Jillian, and Isaiah. When Cadie appeared at last, the crowd hushed, and she began her song.
Cadie didn’t just sing – she danced too, and she’d even randomly strike poses and flourish for adoring fans who were taking her picture. So many camera flashes were going off, it was a miracle she could see anything to keep performing.
She sang two more songs before she stopped to dazzle the audience. Onlookers were still cheering when she left the stage for a brief intermission. Stagehands switched a few candy props with new ones, and Cadie came back with matching attire. This time, she sang while playing her guitar, and spectators were waving their cell phones in the air and throwing flowers at the stage. Kenzie was cheering too, as were Jillian and Cheyenne. The guys were just watching, only there for their girlfriends’ benefit. It was blatantly obvious that they couldn’t care less about the singer they saw on stage.
When the concert was over, it was almost ten. Everyone was a little tired, but they decided to go to MN8, where the famous Elijah the Enigmatic was performing again. The stage was set up with a dark, gothic theme this time. The tables in the club only had enough room for four people, so the group split up with Austin and Cheyenne at a table and Kenzie, Jillian, and Isaiah in a nearby sofa and chair. Conversation wasn’t as easy, but it sufficed.
As an opening act, there were aspiring singers, acrobats, and magicians on stage. Some of them had real talent, others would be better off finding another pastime. When Elijah finally appeared, he said that he’d try to make someone disappear.
The crowd gasped appropriately, and once again several people shot their hands up in the air to be picked. Kenzie wasn’t among them this time. She was feeling slightly exhausted after the busy and surprising day.
Elijah picked a young woman with obvious breast implants to be his volunteer. She was pretty but looked snobby. Such was the case with most pretty girls, in Kenzie’s experience.
“I know how this trick works,” Cheyenne said proudly. “Anyone want to know the secret?”
“I do!” Jillian said, a little too enthusiastically.
“Okay. Well, the magician asks the volunteer to step inside the box, and then after he closes the door, this hidden platform under the stage lowers, so the volunteer goes underneath the stage. So when the magician opens the door again, no one’s there. Then the platform rises back up, and voila! The volunteer has magically reappeared.”
“Wow, that’s neat. Half these tricks are so simple once you know how they actually work.”
“How do you know so much about these tricks?” Kenzie asked. It was the first real question she’d asked Cheyenne. But she was happy to answer by politely, but slightly awkwardly, responding, “My ex-boyfriend had this pipe dream of becoming a famous magician. He was always telling me how tricks work, even though that kind of kills his potential career if you ask me. How is anyone supposed to be amazed if they know all the secrets?”
“I guess he thought that would make it more interesting for you.”
“I guess so.”
By the time this conversation was over, Elijah was announcing that his volunteer would step into his box of mystery and vanish.
But he never got that far.
Elijah opened the door to the box, only to be greeted with a horrific sight. A second body spilled out of the box, her lifeless corpse sprawled across the stage, a pool of blood making its way across the floor.
A scream resonated through the audience and someone in the back row made a gagging noise. Isaiah had to excuse himself, claiming to be sick, but Kenzie knew the real reason – he couldn’t stand being so close to so much blood.
“Someone call the cops!” a masculine voice boomed.
“Call the paramedics!” someone else added in a high-pitched shriek.
Kenzie was already on her cell phone. She reported what happened quickly and was instructed not to leave. She already knew that. She also knew the next step – to make sure no one else left either.
“No one move!” she yelled over the panicked crowd. “The police and paramedics are on their way!”
“Why shouldn’t we move?” Jillian wanted to know as she stood up. “This is making me sick!”
“They’ll want to talk to all of us to get statements. All we have to do is explain what we saw.”
“How could this have happened?” Cheyenne asked aloud. “Excuse me for stating the obvious, but that’s not how that trick is supposed to work.”
“And I highly doubt it’s part of the show,” Austin added.
Jillian gaped at Kenzie and saw the look on her face.
“Oh, no. Not again. Why is it we can’t have one damn vacation without something going wrong?”
“That’s the story of my life,” Kenzie replied with a shrug. “Something’s not right here.”
“You aren’t seriously going to investigate this, are you? It’s your birthday celebration! And besides, you can’t. You don’t have your permit yet.”
“Elliott won’t give me a bad recommendation. I can talk to the chief. Or at least to Elijah and see what he knows.”
Jillian threw her head back and sighed. Austin looked at her and said, “I think Jillian’s right. There’s probably nothing to worry about.”
“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation,” Cheyenne contributed. She was staring at the stage in awe-struck horror as she said this, as though she didn’t quite believe it, and that she expected the girl to suddenly come alive again as though it were all a joke.
Kenzie just shook her head. “I can’t just sit here and wonder what’s going on. We just saw a person die onstage. In fact, she didn’t just die. She was murdered.”
“How do you figure that?” Austin asked.
“Do you see all that blood? No way could that have been an accident or suicide. Plus, she was obviously planted in that box.”
“Or maybe it’s nothing more than a big coincidence. A very gruesome one, but still just a coincidence.”
“Hopefully that’s the case. But my gut tells me there’s more to it.”
“I’m sure if there is more to it, the cops will figure it out,” Jillian insisted. “Why do you have to do it? Do you feel obligated to? Kenzie, it’s…”
“What?”
“It’s not your job anymore.”
Kenzie resisted the urge to lash out a dramatic retaliation. She knew it wasn’t her job now. Her current job was to get a permit to get a new career. And surely Jillian was right – someone would tell the chief what they saw, which would be what everyone else witnessed. She didn’t have to worry about such things anymore. It wasn’t up to her.
Still, as everyone parted ways for the night, Kenzie couldn’t help but feel a heavy burden weighing upon her shoulders, as though telling her that she had to try to find out what was going on.
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