The Book of Death (Bourbon Kid 4)

place. Vampires and werewolves were concealed behind every bush, tree and
statue in sight. If the Bourbon Kid came in through the front gates at the end
of the driveway (and she suspected he was pig-headed enough to try it) he
wouldn’t make it far before the entire undead army swarmed all over him.
    The only two vampires out in the
open were Lionel and Nate from the Panda clan. They were standing guard on the
front gates to make it look as if the Casa was operating as normal. But behind
them was an army of over a thousand, all concealed in the dark.
    She stepped back inside the
building and closed the large double doors behind her. On the reception desk in
the entrance hall was a female member of the Panda clan. Jessica didn’t much
care for her, if truth be told. She looked stupid sitting there at the desk
wearing a bright red baseball cap with her face covered by the two large black
patches around her eyes. Not many females ever joined the Panda clan simply
because of the awful eyeliner.
    Jessica called over to her.
‘You, Panda Girl.’
    ‘Yes ma’am.’
    ‘I’ll be up in my father’s
office if you need me.’
    ‘Yes ma’am.’
    Panda Girl watched on as Jessica
flew up the staircase on her right, vanishing out of sight within half a
second. She didn’t like Jessica much either. Being referred to as Panda Girl
had been annoying the first time it had happened, but Jessica had done it so
many times that everyone in the Casa de Ville now called her that.
    Jessica had only been gone for a
minute when the phone on Panda Girl’s desk rang. Rather than pick up the
receiver she reached over and pressed a button to take the call on speaker.
    ‘Reception, who is it?’ she
asked.
    ‘Lionel on the gates. Got a cop
here called Sanchez Garcia. Says he’s come to see Jessica.’
    ‘She’s not seeing any visitors
at the moment. Tell him to come back tomorrow.’
    ‘Hang on.’
    Panda Girl waited while Lionel
had a muffled conversation with someone else in the background. Eventually, he
came back on the line.
    ‘This Sanchez fella says he’s brought
her a book she’s been looking for.’
    ‘Is it The Book of Death?’
    ‘He’s not saying.’
    ‘What’s this guy look like?’
    ‘A fat version of the guy from
the TV show CHiPs, except he’s in a car, not on a bike.’
    Panda Girl sighed. ‘Okay, send
him on through. Tell him to park up around the back and come to the front
doors. I’ll deal with him.’
    ‘Okay.’
    The line went dead and Panda
Girl dialled the number for Rameses Gaius’s office. The call went through to
his answer phone, so she left a message.
    ‘Jessica, this is Panda Girl on
reception. Got a Sanchez Garcia on his way up the drive. Lionel on the front
gate says he’s brought a book for you. Call me when you get this.’
    A couple of minutes passed
before there was a knock on the front doors. Panda Girl hauled herself up out
of her chair and made her way over to the peephole to see who was outside. She
peered through it and saw a chubby fellow in a highway patrol outfit. He had a
black satchel over his right shoulder. He fitted the description that Lionel
had just given her. She opened the door.
    ‘You’re Sanchez Garcia?’ she
asked.
    ‘Yes I am, thank you,’ he
replied.
    ‘You’ve got something for me?’
    ‘No. I’ve got something for
Jessica.’
    ‘What is it?’
    ‘It’s The Book of Death,’ he
said holding up his satchel.
    ‘In that case, you can leave it
with me.’
    Sanchez shook his head. ‘I’m a
friend of hers. She’ll be pleased to see me. Plus she said there’s a fifty
thousand dollar reward for the return of this book.’
    Panda Girl sighed. ‘Fine. Come
on in.’
    ‘Thank you, my good man,’ said
Sanchez as he brushed past her on his way in.
    She closed the door behind him.
‘My name’s Panda Girl!’ she snapped.
    ‘Of course it is. Where can I
find Jessica?’
    Panda Girl pointed to a crimson
coloured sofa at the back of the foyer next to a door that led into one of the
dining rooms. ‘Take a seat there,’ she said. ‘I’ve left a message for Jessica
to say you’re here. She’ll call for you when she’s ready.’
    ‘Fair enough.’
    Sanchez wandered over to the sofa,
admiring the paintings on the walls all around the foyer. ‘Nice place you’ve
got here,’ he remarked.
    Panda Girl ignored him and sat
back down at her desk with her back to him. The phone rang just as she sat
down. She reached over and pressed the speaker button