The Ultimate Venue was packed when Kenzie and Jillian arrived. They were lucky to find a halfway decent seat. The stage was set up to look like a circus, and there was already a balance ball and giant ring placed. Kenzie assumed that had to be the giant ring of fire.
It was only three in the afternoon, but somehow it felt much later sitting inside the venue. It was dark in there and the only light came from the bright ones on the stage.
It also felt later because Kenzie looked like she was going out to a fancy eight o’clock dinner. Jillian had gone all out with her styling, both to cheer Kenzie up and to make her look great for her early birthday celebration.
Too bad she wouldn’t be spending it with all her friends.
Isaiah showed up because Kenzie had insisted that Jillian invite him as well to keep the peace and apologize, and they tried to keep it subtle by only holding hands and wrapping their arms around each other, but still, sitting amidst them and several other happy patrons, Kenzie was stabbed once again with pangs of guilt.
It was still very suspicious that Cheyenne and Elijah’s stories were so drastically different. But it was entirely possible that Elijah had been lying the whole time. Still, what would his motive for that be? To throw her off the trail of something else? Like what?
It was crazy. Why couldn’t she ever just leave things be? Whenever even a hint of something didn’t match up, she had to drive herself crazy trying to solve it. Even when it wasn’t her job anymore, she couldn’t stop. Was she obsessed? Was it habit because she’d been doing it for so long? Or was it just a part of who she was?
Before Kenzie could contemplate that any further, the acrobat, Marnie the Magnificent, appeared onstage. She waved to the audience and thanked them for coming. She then began her performance, twirling a fire baton and juggling razor-sharp knives.
The crowd cheered violently, and some flowers and stuffed animals made their way to the stage. Marnie then jumped on top of the giant balance ball and walked around the stage as though it were attached to her feet. But that was nothing compared to her touching the scorching ring of fire and running around inside it, spinning it across the stage while holding onto it, then even jumping over it. It was incredible.
The show went on for two hours. By the time it was finished, the stage was littered with all kinds of tokens of appreciation for the performer. Kenzie and her friends waited for the rest of the audience to pour out before starting to leave themselves. The hustle and bustle didn’t sound appealing to anyone.
When they were safely outside, Kenzie sprung a little bombshell.
“I think we should go see Elijah after all,” she announced.
Jillian halted in her tracks so fast that Isaiah nearly yanked her arm out of its socket when he kept going. He looked at her too and both of their faces were bewildered.
“Why?” Jillian was finally able to ask.
“I’m curious to see if anyone spills out of a box during his performance tonight.”
“What if they do?” Isaiah inquired. “What will you do about it?”
“I’ve got some ideas. Please?”
Jillian looked at her skeptically. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to see if Cheyenne’s there?”
“No, I just want to see what happens.”
“I don’t know if that’s the best idea.”
“Well, I don’t exactly need your permission, Jill. I can go alone.”
“I don’t want you to go alone.”
“Okay,” Isaiah cut in, “let’s not stand here and argue the whole time. Why don’t we just go and see what happens. I bet nothing will, but it’s worth a shot.”
Jillian exhaled sharply and said, “Fine, but let me use the bathroom if we’re going to another venue. I’ll be right back.”
When Jillian was gone, Kenzie was left alone with Isaiah. She couldn’t meet his eyes. He chuckled under his breath.
“Something amusing?”
“You’re uncomfortable.”
“I thought you couldn’t read minds.”
“You forget, I can. But it takes a lot of strength to do so. I don’t bother with it. But it’s obvious that you’re feeling a little coy right now.”
“Gee, you think? I walked in on you woohooing with my best friend. I saw you naked for crying out loud! And when did you get tattoos?”
“I’m glad to hear your view was confined to the top portion of my body. I got those tattoos not long after I lightened my hair and started traveling. I told you that I thought it was time for a change, and you told me to live. A halfway fresh start was better than nothing. I wanted to get out of Bridgeport and see other parts of the world. Of course, that’s no easy feat, considering my limits with the sun.”
“Yeah...do you talk like you’re from the 18th century when you’re with Jillian? She might pick up on that.”
“I’ve been trying to keep up with the modern times, but sometimes I slip. Not often, mind you.”
“Uh huh. Look, just so you know, just because I’ve seen your naked ass, that doesn’t mean anything changes. If you hurt Jill, I’ll kill you.”
“I didn’t expect that to change regardless of what you saw. And I told you, I won’t hurt her.”
“She’s got a fragile heart. And it’s been broken so much it’s probably held together with glue. And for crying out loud, are you insane, by the way? You could have killed her!”
Isaiah frowned. “You’re saying I could have killed her by being intimate with her.”
“Duh. You’re supernaturally strong and you were...I don’t even want to think about it much less talk about it. How do you know next time, if I let there be a next time, you won’t break her bones?”
“If you let there be a next time? Kenzie, the decision’s up to us, not you.”
“I know that, but I do look out for my best friend.”
“You’re not her mother. She did happen to mention that sometimes you can be very overprotective of her.”
“What is this? Turn on Kenzie day? First Austin and now Jill? Why do they have to tell their other halves about me?”
“Probably because their other halves are curious about whom their friends are.”
“Ugh! Just, I don’t want to see Jillian hurt, and I sure as hell don’t want to see her killed. And especially not by woohoo.”
“I think I can control myself.”
“It didn’t look like it to me. It looked downright...rough.”
Isaiah let out a loud guffaw. “I’m sorry about that, but if you must know, it’s been a while since I’ve had the touch of a good woman.”
“Thanks for sharing. I assumed you were a virgin, since things were much more modest in the early 1900s.”
“Yes, but I’ve also lived through and beyond the 60s.”
“Gross. I hope you used protection, and you better not give Jillian any diseases. Actually...can vampires reproduce?”
“Yes, but it’s very complicated. It’s easier for a human female to conceive a male vampire’s child, since his body is so much stronger than hers. However, it’s difficult for a female vampire’s body to, shall we say accept, a male human’s donation.”
“What if they were both vampires?”
“That’s much more rare. Vampires’ bodies are essentially a harder shell of their former human bodies. They’re more protected against antibodies and things like that, so...well, I think you get the picture.”
“I wish I didn’t.”
“You asked. And yes, I did take all necessary precautions, even back then, and I did so today as well.”
Kenzie looked toward the sky, which was slowly beginning to blanket Starlight Shores in stars. Jillian finally returned from the bathroom, oblivious to the awkward conversation her boyfriend and best friend had just endured with each other.
Finally, they headed toward Los Suenos Private Club. The interior was pretty extravagant. Tables were facing the stage, which was already set up in a science fiction theme. Kenzie recognized the box of danger and the box of mystery right away. She wanted to go onstage and check the latter out to see if anything was inside it that shouldn’t be, but without a proper detective license, there was no way she’d be allowed even backstage. She scanned the room but didn’t see Austin or Cheyenne anywhere. She didn’t know if she should feel relieved or even more bereaved.
When the show began, Elijah once again started with the small parlor tricks, leading up to his grand finale. Kenzie, Jillian, and Isaiah watched Elijah from their table as he performed trick after trick.
Eventually, he announced that instead of burying himself alive in the box of danger, he’d perform what he called a watery grave. He’d fill the entire box with water while he was inside it and miraculously come out unscathed. This caught the attention of every onlooker in the club.
Elijah stepped into the box and allowed it to fill with water. Kenzie couldn’t restrain a shiver as she watched the water get higher and higher in the small enclosure.
The water soon clouded over and no one was able to see Elijah anymore. But suddenly, he appeared again, right next to the box as the water drained out of it. He had a triumphant look on his face and the crowd went wild.
When this had happened before, Kenzie had cheered like a maniac. Now, she just hoped there would be no unexpected surprises.
Suddenly, her cell phone rang.
“What the heck?” she groaned. She looked down at the caller ID and saw that it was Austin.
“Keep an eye on the show,” she told Jillian and Isaiah. “I’m going outside where it’s quiet.”
She answered the phone and rushed outside to the small bar area. Once she was there, Kenzie said, “I can hear you now. Sorry, I was at a show…”
“Cheyenne’s gone.”
“What?”
“She was supposed to meet me at the karaoke bar an hour ago and she isn’t here yet. That’s not like her.”
“Okay…I’m sorry but what do you want me to do?”
“You’re a detective. Find her.”
Kenzie’s eyebrows arched. “Uh…you said it wasn’t my job anymore, Austin. You told me to stay out of it. Now you want me in on it?”
“Cheyenne confessed last night. I guess you were right about one thing. She did know Elijah.”
“She told you that?”
“Yeah…Elijah is her magician ex-boyfriend like you said, but he wasn’t hitting on her last night. Look, there’s too much to talk about here over the phone. Can you meet me at the coffeehouse?”
“I’ll be right there.”
Kenzie snapped her phone shut and went to go back inside. But Isaiah burst out the doors instead, his expression livid.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked.
“That bastard performed a disappearing trick,” Isaiah growled, “and used Jillian as a volunteer. I told her to stop but she wanted to see if anything happened while she was onstage. As soon as she was gone, he said he’d make himself disappear. He hasn’t come back, and it’s obvious that he isn’t going to.”
Kenzie furrowed her brow in confusion, but then it dawned on her.
“This was all a ploy,” she hissed. “He wasn’t going to just make himself disappear. He’s trying to cover his own ass!”
“And he has Jillian.” Isaiah’s voice was tainted with malice.
“Yeah, and Austin called me. Cheyenne’s missing.”
“What?!”
“Come on. We have to get to the karaoke bar and talk to him. Before it’s too late.”
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