Deadlocked: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel

tone, I noticed Horst was tensed for action. So was Pam.
    There was a long silence. It was what I imagine is the definition of the word “fraught.”
    “Your Majesty, if I did this thing, it might have been for several reasons,” Eric said, and I began to breathe again. “I am sworn to you, and I’m loyal to you, but I can’t stand still while someone is trying to kill my people for no good reason—and without previous discussion with me. Victor sent two of his best vampires to kill Pam and my wife.” Eric rested a cold hand on my shoulder, and I did my best to look shaken. (That wasn’t too hard.)
    “Only because Pam is a great fighter, and my wife can hold her own, did they escape,” Eric said solemnly.
    He gave us all a moment to contemplate that. Horst was looking skeptical, but Felipe had only raised his dark eyebrows. Felipe nodded, bidding Eric to continue.
    “Though I don’t admit to being guilty of his death, Victor was also attacking me—and therefore you, my king—economically. Victor put new clubs in my territory—but he kept the management, jobs, and revenue from these clubs exclusively for himself, which is against all precedent. I doubted he was passing along your share of the profits. I also believed he was trying to undercut me, to turn me from one of your best earners into an unnecessary hanger-on. I heard many rumors from the sheriffs in other areas—including some you brought in from Nevada—that Victor was neglecting all other business in Louisiana in this strange vendetta against me and mine.”
    I couldn’t read anything in Felipe’s face. “Why didn’t you bring your complaints to me?” the king said.
    “I did,” Eric said calmly. “I called your offices twice and talked to Horst, asking him to bring these issues to your attention.”
    Horst sat up a little straighter. “This is true, Felipe. As I—”
    “And why didn’t you pass along Eric’s concerns?” Felipe interrupted, turning his eyes on Horst.
    I anticipated watching Horst wriggle. Instead, Horst looked stunned.
    Maybe I’m just getting cynical from hanging around with vampires for so long, but I felt a near certainty that Horst had passed along Eric’s complaints, but that Felipe had decided Eric would have to solve his issues with Victor in his own way. Now Felipe was throwing Horst under the bus without a qualm so he could maintain deniability.
    “Your Majesty,” I said, “we’re awful sorry about Victor’s disappearance, but maybe you haven’t considered that Victor was a huge liability for you, too.” I gazed at him. Sadly. Regretfully.
    There was a moment of silence. All four vampires looked at me as if I’d offered them a bucket of pig guts. I did my best to look simple and sincere.
    “He was not my favorite vampire,” Felipe said, after what seemed like about five hours. “But he was very useful.”
    “I’m sure you’ve noticed,” I said, “that in Victor’s case, ‘useful’ was a synonym for ‘money pit.’ Cause I’ve heard from people who serve at Vic’s Redneck Roadhouse, for example, that they were underpaid and overworked, so there’s a big staff turnover. That’s never good for business. And some of the vendors haven’t been paid. And Vic’s is behind with the distributor.” (Duff had shared that with me two deliveries ago.) “So, though Vic’s started out great and pulled business from every bar around, they’re not getting the repeat customers they need to sustain such a big place, and I know that revenue’s fallen off.” I was only guessing, but I was accurate, I could tell by Horst’s face. “Same thing for his vampire bar. Why pull customers away from the established vampire tourist spot, Fangtasia? Dividing doesn’t mean multiplying.”
    “You’re giving me a lesson in economics?” Felipe leaned forward,picked up one of the opened TrueBlood bottles, and drank from it, his eyes never leaving my face.
    “No, sir, I would never do such a thing. But I know what’s happening on the local level, because people talk to me, or I hear it in their heads. Of course, observing all this about Victor doesn’t mean I know what happened to him.” I smiled at him gently. You lying sack of shit.
    “Eric, did you enjoy the young woman? When she came through this room, she said she’d been called to service you,” Felipe said, not taking his eyes off me. “I was surprised, since I was under the impression you were married to Miss Stackhouse. But the young