All Together Dead

meet?” I suggested. “Flea market?”
    Barry had no idea.
    The fourth night of the conference was the last, and the first half of it was marked “Free Time for Everyone in Rhodes.” Some of the suggested activities: seeing the Blue Moon dancers again, or their more explicit division, Black Moon. The difference wasn’t spelled out, but I got the definite idea that the Black Moon employees did much more sexually oriented performances. Different dance teams from the studio were listed as appearing at different venues. The visiting vampires were also advised to visit the zoo, which would be open at night by special arrangement, or the city museum, ditto. Or they could visit a club “for the particular enjoyment of those who enjoy their pleasures on the darker side.” It was called Kiss of Pain. Remind me to walk down the other side of the street from that one, I told Barry.
    You never enjoy a little bite? Barry touched his tongue to his own blunt canines so I couldn’t miss the implication.
    There’s lots of pleasure in that, I said, because I could hardly deny it. But I think this place probably goes a little beyond a nip in the neck. Are you busy right now? Because I have to do some legwork for Eric, and I could use some help.
    “Sure,” Barry said. “What’s up?”
    “We need to find archery places,” I said.
    “This was left for you at the desk, miss,” said our waiter, who dropped a manila envelope on the table and retreated as if he suspected we had rabies. Evidently our silent exchanges had freaked someone out.
    I opened the envelope to find a picture of Kyle Perkins inside. There was a note paper-clipped to it in Bill’s familiar cramped handwriting. “Sookie: Eric says you need this to do some detective work, and that this picture is necessary. Please be cautious. William Compton.” And just when I was thinking about asking the waiter for a phone book, I saw there was a second sheet. Bill had searched the Internet and made a list of all the archery practice places in the city. There were only four. I tried not to be impressed by Bill’s thoughtfulness and assistance. I’d done with being impressed by Bill.
    I called the hotel garage to get one of the cars brought by the Arkansas contingent. The queen had assumed ownership of them, and Eric had offered me one of them.
    Barry had run up to his room to get a jacket, and I was standing by the front door, waiting for the car to be brought around and wondering how much I should tip the valet when I spotted Todd Donati. He came over to me, walking slowly and somehow heavily, though he was a thin man. He looked bad today, the scalp exposed by his receding hairline gray and damp looking, even his mustache sagging.
    He stood facing me for a moment, not speaking. I thought he was gathering his courage, or his hopelessness. If ever I saw death riding on a man’s shoulder, it was on Todd Donati’s.
    “My boss is trying to interest your boss in hooking up,” he said abruptly. If I’d imagined how he’d open our conversation, it had never included that line.
    “Yeah, now that she’s a widow, she’s attracting quite a lot of interest,” I said.
    “He’s an old-fashioned guy in a lot of ways,” Todd Donati said. “Comes from an old family, doesn’t like modern thinking.”
    “Um-hum,” I said, trying to sound neutral but encouraging.
    “He don’t believe in women making up their own minds, being able to fend for themselves,” the security chief said.
    I couldn’t look like I understood what Donati was talking about, because I sure didn’t.
    “Even vampire women,” he said, and looked at me squarely and directly.
    “Okay,” I said.
    “Think about it,” Donati said. “Get your queen to ask him where the security tape is that shows that area in front of her room.”
    “I will,” I said, having no idea why I was agreeing. Then the ailing man spun on his heel and walked away with an air of having discharged his duty.
    Then the car came around, Barry hurried out of the elevator and came over to join me, and any thinking I might have done about the encounter faded in my fear of driving in the city. I don’t think Eric ever considered how hard it would be for me to drive in Rhodes, because he just didn’t think about stuff like that. If I hadn’t had Barry with me, it would have been nearly impossible. I could cope with the driving, or I could look at the map the parking attendant loaned us, but not both.
    I didn’t do too bad,