The Death Thief

Betrayer

"You know, it's a good thing I have you here after all. Not sure how I would have gotten in without you."

We stood outside the hotel, which had far too much activity bustling through its lobby for a late afternoon. Staff dressed in well pressed uniforms pushed carts stacked with linens and tableware out through the doors, which had been propped open so that the spring breeze whistled through them.

"You're still worried that Spencer will be upset with you?" I asked, not paying her too much mind as I tried to sneak a peak at a passing fruit tray. My breakfast may have been a substantial one, but the day waned and I had spent most of it on my feet, walking from one side of the town to the other. My stomach was starting to complain.

"Not anymore," said Calista with her chin held high and her hands upon her denim clad hips. "He only worried because he thought I'd strangle you in the middle of the night to take my room back. Once he sees we're on speaking terms, he won't be bothered anymore."

"Right, because we both know you aren't going to do that," I said with a nervous laugh.

"Exactly, now come on." She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the entrance, maneuvering past a bellhop who was returning with a now empty cart. Just inside the door, floating a little ways above the lobby floor was the ghostly hotel keeper with his hands wringing with excitement.

"Jerome," he called to the bellhop's back, "please go get another stack of chairs, I think we're still short by ten. You probably will have to make two trips." Jerome gave him a wave of acknowledgment while Calista dragged me over to Spencer.

"Good afternoon Mr. Spencer," she said with a polite smile as she thrust me forward.

"Ah, Ms. Cross, have you been out with Ms. Nightgrave today?" He looked between my tired eyes and Calista's bright smile, his posture as stiff as it could be considering he was nothing but semi-transparent vapor.

"Uh, yes," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I caught up with her at her work today. I thought we could come back and finish our conversation here."

"Oh, friends now?" he said, his pale face becoming round and soft as his tension slipped away. "Well, I suggest you take it to your room, we'll be quite noisy for the next hour or two while we move stuff out for tonight."

"What's tonight?" asked Calista, her eyes gazing towards a cart full of chafing dishes and cans of Sterno as it headed towards the door.

"We're catering Dr. Fair's announcement tonight," he answered with a happy clap of his hands, which made no sound whatsoever. "We still have a couple hours before it starts but we have so much to set up. Tables, chairs, decorations..."

"That sets it at about sunset then," she said, turning to the grandfather clock posted by the sitting area. "Dammit, of course it's at sunset." She balled her hands into fists and marched out the door, almost knocking over Jerome's teetering stack of chairs.

I looked to Spencer and found him following after her with disappointed eyes. "She's going through a lot right now," I said, watching her through the large windows to make sure she didn't get too far ahead of me. "But, I don't think she means any harm."

"Never make that assumption in this town," said Spencer with a sigh. "I hope this doesn't ruin the event, I was cheated out of Ms. Nightgrave's conversion, I don't want to lose this one too." The air surrounding me suddenly took a frightening chill and I clasped my arms over my chest to fight off the shiver. It didn't pass until Spencer drifted away with a somber moan.

With a shake I pulled myself together and headed out the door to find Calista pacing along the sidewalk.

"What happened? Did I miss something?"

"I didn't want to believe," she hissed. "I thought maybe I was wrong, but the time proves it. That bastard betrayed me!" She stopped pacing and stamped her foot as a roar of frustration ripped through her. A few members of the hotel staff stopped to watch, but moved on after a moment and went right back to setting up the grand event.

"Who? Gregory? What does the time mean?"

"He's announcing after sunset, which means he's being sponsored by a vampire. Zombies aren't taking anyone, he's certainly not going with a ghost, and werewolves do announcements before dawn because they can get a bit restless as the moon's rising. It has to be a vampire and there's only one vampire that would take him."

"Who?" I asked, while rubbing the side of my temple. "Antonov certainly isn't going after a man, Everett swears Kyra isn't taking feeders, and Derosiers only takes women out of love for Matias." I then turned to face her, my eyes locking with hers, her stare hard as she pinched her lips in a thin line. "Except she must know Matias didn't love her. To take a new male feeder would certainly be one way to get back at him. Is that what you think?"

"I don't think," she spat, "I know that's what she's doing."

"I wonder how long she had this planned," I mumbled, thinking back to how Gregory gushed about his coming conversion. "I wonder how and when she found out about you and Matias."

"Isn't it obvious?" Calista hissed, drawing her arms across her chest and staring down the street towards the park. "I wasn't lying to you that night, you know? I really did trust Greg. I really did go to him when I had no one else to talk to."

"That's why you suspect he betrayed you," I said with a sigh. "He ratted you out."

"He didn't just rat me out," she said through gritted teeth. "He was the one that killed me."