The Sookie Stackhouse Companion

back. Out in the parking lot, Sookie feels another presence and ducks just as a shot rings out, creasing her shoulder. She wakes up in the hospital to her brother’s voice and later gets a visit from Detective Andy Bellefleur. Bill arrives to watch over her and spends the night.
    THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3. Sookie is released from the hospital the next morning and is mystified to find that her bill has been paid. She is just realizing that she has no way to get home when Claudine’s brother, Claude, arrives to take her back to the duplex. Tara comes to visit, and Sookie is horrified when she learns how Mickey is controlling her terrified friend. Tara begs Sookie not to interfere. When Tara leaves, Sookie realizes that she has only one alternative, and she calls Eric, who comes over immediately. Sookie tells Eric the full story of Tara’s problem with Mickey. She is not surprised that the price for the favor is the truth of the time they spent together. Sookie tells him all they did and what he promised her while he had amnesia. After a few minutes of stunned silence while he processes the information, Eric calls Mickey’s maker, Salome, and asks her to deal with Mickey, since he is acting against their laws and without permission in Eric’s territory. Eric is beginning to get amorous when a furious Mickey arrives with a beaten Tara and attacks, striking Eric with a rock. Sookie is able to revive Eric but is forced to let Mickey into the house when he threatens to kill Tara. Mickey attacks Sookie, but she is able to rescind the invitation. He is forced to leave and answer his maker’s call. Eric calls Salome back to inform her of Mickey’s disobedience and then calls Bill to help repair the apartment.
    FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4. Sookie and Sam realize that the shooter has to be a supernatural being of some kind. They decide to investigate the sites of the earlier shootings after work with Sam in bloodhound form. They are searching the alley across from the Sonic, where the first shooting took place, when they are interrupted by Andy Bellefleur. As Sookie is arguing with Andy, Sam barks to let them know someone else has arrived. Sweetie Des Arts, the new cook at Merlotte’s, is in the alley with a rifle pointed at them. She confesses to being the shooter, admitting that she has murdered many other shifters in retaliation for being attacked by a bitten Were, which causes her to partially shift each full moon. She plans to kill Sookie and the dog, but when Sweetie hears a noise and turns to fire, Andy is able to pull his gun and kill her. Sookie rushes over to see whom Sweetie shot and finds a seriously injured Dawson, whom Calvin had told to follow and protect her. Sookie is able to keep him alive until the ambulance arrives.
    SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5. Alcide comes by the duplex in the morning to invite Sookie to the Shreveport packmaster contest, but she is too weary to appreciate his presence and sends him away, telling him to leave the invitation. After finding a note on her door from Sam telling her not to come in for her evening shift, she decides to visit Calvin, who has been released from the hospital.
    Sookie prepares a chicken dish and biscuits to take to Calvin, and she is surprised to find a crowd already at his house to welcome him home. After being introduced around, she is led to his bedroom, where he is eating the food she prepared for him. As she is leaving, she finds Patrick Furnan—the other contestant for Shreveport packmaster, who has also been visiting Calvin—waiting for her with a strange warning about her being unprotected. Once in her temporary home and able to relax, Sookie considers the shifter shootings and calls Andy to question him as to whether all the bullets matched.
    SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6. Alcide calls to tell Sookie that the packmaster contest is being held that afternoon in Shreveport. When she arrives at the deserted industrial park, she is relieved to see Claudine and Claude in attendance and stands with them. Before the contest begins, Sookie is surprised to see the handsome bald man she had noticed at the funeral and realizes he is the referee, finally “hearing” that his name is Quinn. As the contestants perform the second of three tests, Sookie realizes that Furnan is cheating. She calls out her accusation, and the contest is halted. When investigation proves her to be correct, the pack sends out the non-pack members, so they can vote on whether the contest will continue to the final