Heart of the Vampire: Episode 3 Read online

  Heart of the Vampire

  Episode 3

  Tasha Black

  13th Story Press

  Copyright © 2020 by 13th Story Press

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  13th Story Press

  PO Box 506

  Swarthmore, PA 19081

  [email protected]

  Cover designed by Sylvia Frost of The Book Brander

  Contents

  Tasha Black Starter Library

  About Heart of the Vampire: Episode 2

  Episode 3

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Curse of the Alpha - SAMPLE

  1. Chapter 1

  2. Chapter 2

  3. Chapter 3

  4. Chapter 4

  5. Chapter 5

  6. Chapter 6

  7. Chapter 7

  Tasha Black Starter Library

  About the Author

  One Percent Club

  Tasha Black Starter Library

  Packed with steamy shifters, mischievous magic, billionaire superheroes, otherworldly alien mates, and plenty of HEAT, the Tasha Black Starter Library is the perfect way to dive into Tasha's unique brand of Romance with Bite!

  Get your FREE books now at tashablack.com!

  About Heart of the Vampire: Episode 2

  True Blood meets Knives Out in this steamy paranormal romance by USA Today bestselling author Tasha Black.

  IMPORTANT NOTE:

  The episodes of Heart of the Vampire must be read in order:

  Heart of the Vampire: Episode 1

  Heart of the Vampire: Episode 2

  Heart of the Vampire: Episode 3

  Drucilla Holloway is desperate to finish writing her novel, desperate enough to take a job as a night clerk at a haunted hotel on the top of a snow-covered mountain, just to get some peace and quiet.

  But when she arrives at Hemlock House, Dru is immediately distracted by an unshakable sense of danger. Dead animals keep appearing in the snow, someone is sneaking around in the tunnels under the hotel, and everyone seems to have something to hide.

  But no one at Hemlock House is as mysterious as Viktor Striker. He’s wildly gorgeous with a disarming smile. But something is haunting him, and Dru is determined to find out what it is.

  At first, she thinks Viktor may be in some kind of trouble. But it’s starting to look like he is trouble.

  A Continuing Story:

  Heart of the Vampire is told in three installments, or episodes, like a TV show. Each episode includes a cliffhanger to entice the reader to tune in for the next one! If you’re not a fan of the serial format, be sure to join my mailing list at TashaBlack.com to be informed when a complete bundle is available!

  In Episode 3:

  The murderer is on the loose and the hunt for the treasure is on! Will a dark secret from Viktor’s past push Dru away from him for good, or will she be able to accept him for the monster that he is? Find out in the startling conclusion to Heart of the Vampire.

  Episode 3

  1

  Dru stood frozen, feeling the world around her spinning out of control.

  Everything that had been charming about the Victorian hotel and the snow-covered grounds now seemed menacing to her.

  It turned out that even the groundskeeper’s cottage had an entrance to the underground tunnels beneath the hotel. And now the murderer had escaped down into them.

  The forest all around gave cover, if Johnny had made it that far. If not, the nooks and crannies of the old hotel would provide ample hiding spots. And the rumble of the generator that was now powering the place would cover the sound of quiet footsteps.

  The killer on the loose had every advantage.

  And Dru was a sitting duck.

  A hand closed over her shoulder.

  She gasped, and then realized it was only Hugh Channing, the local theatre director, who up until now had been the amateur detective in charge of the case.

  “Sorry I scared you,” he said. “It’s just that we need to talk.”

  “Sure,” she said, swallowing and willing her heart to stop pounding in fear.

  “Walk with me,” he suggested.

  She glanced back at Officer Wagner, who was conferring with Chester and Zander.

  “I feel like we should stay with the group,” she said.

  “We won’t go out of their sight,” Channing offered. “But I don’t think you want to discuss this in their earshot.”

  Dru turned back to him.

  His expression was wary, but serious.

  “Fine,” she said, wondering what he could possibly have to say that she didn’t know already.

  The killer is mad at you, because you figured this out?

  He was about to kill you before we ran him off?

  Your life is in danger?

  Dru was well aware of all those things.

  “I know about Viktor,” Channing said, throwing her completely off balance.

  “Wh-what about him?” she hedged.

  Maybe Channing just meant that he knew she had been seeing Viktor. There was probably some policy to stop staff and guests from fraternizing.

  “I know…what he is,” Channing said, his voice dropping.

  Dru’s heart dropped to her stomach.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said coldly, breaking eye contact.

  “I saw the way he moved when he went to help you, and what happened to him in the sun. And I stayed outside his door after you shut yourselves in,” Channing said quietly. “I wanted to make sure he was going to be okay. He shouldn’t have been okay. He was very badly wounded.”

  “I don’t know what you think you saw—” Dru began.

  “I’m going to be starring in a musical version of The Lost Boys next fall,” Channing said. “You can’t fool me. I’ve already been doing my research.”

  “What do you want me to say?” Dru asked. “What you’re suggesting is ridiculous.”

  “I’m trying to say that I know he’s a good man, in spite of being… you know,” Channing said. “He risked his life to save yours. I saw it.”

  Relief flooded Dru’s veins.

  “You know he didn’t have anything to do with Thompson’s murder,” she said quickly.

  “Of course I know that,” Channing told her. “But things are going to get intense now that there’s a real officer of the law here.”

  Dru nodded, feeling deflated.

  “I wanted you to know that I won’t reveal his secret,” Channing told her. “And if there’s anything I can do to help you, let me know.”

  “Thank you,” Dru said earnestly, though she doubted there was anything he could do to help.

  “I wonder if he would chat with me after all this blows over,” Channing said dreamily. “His input might give me a real edge at the Lakey Awards this year. I’ve been nominated and denied seventeen years in a row. They say I’m the Susan Lucci of the Poconos regional theatre.”

  “Let’s hope this is your year,” Dru said, wondering how he could think about anything beyond getting out of this hotel alive.

  They had stopped about halfway between the abandoned wing of the hotel and the groundskeeper’s cottage, and Dru could see that the others were heading their way.

  “Hold up,” Officer Wagner called.

  She and Channing stayed where they were as they approached.

  “Let’s try to stick together,” Wagner said sternly.

  Dru nodded like a chastened child.

  “Happy to, Officer,” Channing said.

  “Good,” Wagner replied. “I see people are beginning to wake up.” He nodded toward the hotel.

  Sure enough, Dru could see lights were turning on. It must be eight by now and people would have been waking up anyway, but the roar of the generator and the lights going back on would have woken them regardless.

  Not to mention the gunshot.

  “We’re going to gather everyone together,” Wagner said. “And we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”

  “Get to the bottom of what?” Dru asked. “We already know what happened.”

  “Do we?” Wagner asked, turning to her.

  “Brian Thompson, the man who was murdered, was in witness protection,” she explained. “His real name was Little Nicky Costello, and he testified against the mob. Johnny was in the mob too. He had every reason to kill him for squealing.”

  “That’s an interesting theory,” Wagner allowed. “But it sounds like the only thing you have to support it is a grainy newspaper photo and a little imagination.”

  “We had no power and no access to th
e internet,” Channing put in.

  “My partner and I will look everything over,” Officer Wagner said. “You’ll help us with access to the hotel records, Miss Holloway?”

  “Call me Dru, and sure,” she replied. “I’ll help in any way I can.”

  “Excellent,” Wagner said, nodding crisply.

  He set off cheerfully toward the hotel, the others trailing in his wake.

  It was going to be a long day.

  But at least she would have something to keep her mind off her imminent murder.

  2

  Dru stood in the hotel lobby, watching the guests file down from their rooms. Zander was back on duty at the desk, and she didn’t envy him his task.

  “We want to check out immediately,” Jeffrey Wilder told Zander anxiously.

  Jenna and Angie, his wife and daughter, stood behind him. Jenna put her arm around Angie and Dru was amazed to see that the teenager was frightened enough not to shake it off.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Wilder, but the road isn’t clear—” Zander began.

  “No one can leave,” Officer Wagner said. “This is still a crime scene.”

  “Not this again,” Oscar Hawkins said as he walked past them to find a seat at the fire.

  Dru noticed that Oscar had his camera with him, even though she doubted he was planning to go bird-watching when there was a killer on the loose.

  “What did he mean by that?” Officer Wagner said.

  No one answered.

  “What did you mean by that?” he asked Oscar.

  Oscar shrugged in a don’t-look-at-me way.

  “After the murder, we tried our best to collect some information,” Dru offered. “We didn’t know how long it would be until the police came.”

  “What kind of information?” Wagner asked.

  “We took a lot of photos of the crime scene,” Dru said. “And we asked everyone what they had seen and heard. I took notes.”

  “I see,” Wagner said, nodding. “I’d like to see these pictures and notes. But first we need to have a little talk.”

  He clapped his hands together loudly, and the room quieted.

  “This hotel and its grounds are officially a crime scene,” he said loudly. “That means no one can come or go for the time being. We’re going to get to the bottom of this. But for now, I’m asking each of you to go to your rooms and lock yourselves in until you hear from me that it’s time to come out.”

  There was a communal groan at that.

  “This is for your safety,” Wagner said. “I will interview each of you later. My partner is still supervising the crew removing the tree, and it looks like that is going to take some time.”

  “Some of us are hungry,” Tyler Park said loudly.

  On the other side of the lobby, Dru’s friend and fellow desk clerk, Hailey, grinned. She had a pretty obvious crush on the outspoken snowboarder.

  “The young man at the desk will see to it that rations are brought to your room,” Wagner said. “Any questions?”

  Hailey looked a little disappointed at that. She probably wanted to bring Tyler his rations.

  “When can we leave?” Melody Young asked. The local newspaper photographer was standing beside Mayor Tuck, her arm around the mayor’s curvy waist in a protective gesture.

  Dru realized she probably wasn’t the only one who had found romance at the snowed-in hotel.

  “You can leave when we get to the bottom of this, and not before,” Wagner said sternly. “Do I make myself understood?”

  Young nodded, with a perturbed look on her face.

  “Okay then,” Wagner said. “Off to your rooms, all of you. Someone will be around with food shortly.”

  Dru watched as the guests shuffled off to their rooms.

  “Show him the crime scene photos I took,” Channing told her, handing her his phone.

  “Thanks,” Dru replied, taking it.

  He nodded and gave her a significant look as he headed upstairs. She had no idea what it was about.

  It was odd to watch the man she had begun to think of as a detective turn back into a regular guest now that the police were here. It seemed like he should be the one down here, explaining everything to Wagner.

  She took a deep breath and approached the front desk.

  Hailey arrived just before her.

  “I’m also a desk clerk,” Hailey said to Wagner. “Hailey Woods. I’d be glad to help with the meals.” She smiled up at him.

  Hailey’s striking, goth beauty had always seemed almost magical to Dru, and she expected Wagner to fall instantly under her co-worker’s spell.

  “Excellent, Miss Woods,” Wagner said, not seeming to notice Hailey at all beyond her offer of service. “Take the young man with you. Stick together.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said.

  Hailey gave Dru a look as she and Zander headed for the kitchen.

  “Now, Miss Holloway,” Wagner said, indicating the two easy chairs by the fire. “Let’s have a seat.”

  Dru joined him, feeling nervous, though she had done nothing wrong.

  “I’d like to hear everything, beginning with the night of the murder,” Wagner said. “And please don’t leave anything out.”

  “I don’t have my notepad with me,” Dru said. “So I don’t have any notes on what everyone said.”

  “I don’t care what everyone said,” Wagner said dismissively. “At least, not yet. I want to know what you remember.”

  “Okay,” Dru said. “Well, it was the night of the comet.”

  “What comet?” Wagner asked.

  “Helsing’s Comet,” Dru said. “It’s been all over the news. You can see it well from up here, so the hotel was full.”

  “I see,” Wagner said, noting it down.

  “It was my shift, so I was outside handing out binoculars,” Dru went on.

  “Who else was outside?” Wagner asked.

  “Well, everyone,” she replied. “I mean, not everyone, I think Mr. and Mrs. Wilder were… in their room.”

  It was probably best to leave out what she assumed they were doing.

  “That’s the man who wanted to leave just now?” Wagner asked, eyes narrowed.

  “Well, yes, but they didn’t hurt anyone,” Dru said. “They just wanted some alone time.”

  Wagner raised an eyebrow.

  “They meant to reserve two rooms,” Dru explained. “One for them and one for their daughter. But they mistakenly reserved only one.”

  “So you believe the Wilders were having sexual relations in their room during the murder?” Wagner asked, his pen hovering over his notepad.

  “Please don’t write that down,” Dru said, feeling miserable.

  “Miss Holloway,” Wagner said.

  “It’s Dru,” she told him.

  “Dru,” he allowed. “This is a murder investigation. Every detail, no matter how small or embarrassing, is important.”

  She nodded, pressing her lips together.

  “Who else was missing?” Wagner asked.

  Dru thought back.

  “Their daughter was outside, so were the mayor and Miss Young,” she said. “And Howie, Zander and Hailey, of course.”

  “You mean Howard Pembroke?” Wagner asked.

  “Yes,” Dru said.

  Wagner noted everything down carefully.

  “Who else was outside?” he asked when he was finished.

  She thought back.

  “Hazel and Honey Van Buren were there,” she said, “They’re the ladies who live permanently in the Amethyst Room. They were with Zander.”

  He wrote it down.

  She tried to picture the hotel log in her mind to account for each guest. He would probably ask her to pull it out in a minute anyway.