shifters – Anna-Violetta Books

Anna-Violetta Books ~ December 13th

We have big news! We’ve combined all three parts of our series back into one ebook…and it’s FREE today!

We also put our other series back into single books, so no more reading the first part for free, but we will be serializing a few chapters in the future.

And now, back to Moonlight, Roses & Murder. (Notice the new cover.)

Chapter 7

“My father took me to Florence when I was seventeen years old,” Selina said, smiling at the memory. “I was so excited since I’d never been to Italy before. He was going on business, and I begged him to take me with him.”

“We lived in Paris and my mother did not want to go. He needed someone to accompany him, and I finally convinced him it should be me.” She looked down at the floor. “That was the biggest mistake of my life.”

“We arrived and stayed at a business partner’s home. It was beautiful, so large and impressive, right in the middle of Florence.” She started to pace as she continued. “Angelo De Lamorte,” she said bitterly. “The name should have told me something, but I was so naïve.” She looked at Damian, then went back to pacing.

“He was older, but so handsome and charming. He seemed to find me quite captivating, and I was enamored with him. My father didn’t mind as a marriage between us would solidify his business interests in Italy.” She stopped and sat back down in the chair. “It was on the last night of our visit that I found out who Angelo really was. Or what he was.”

She clenched her hands into fists, then relaxed them, holding them together in her lap. “We had just finished dinner, and I was sad that we were leaving. When Angelo said that he had something to show me, I looked at my father wondering if Angelo was going to propose. My father nodded and said he’d go into the library and have a cigar while Angelo walked with me out in the garden. He had such a lovely garden behind his home. He showed me the cake and coffee service, which had been laid out on the table under a huge pergola. He said it was for our celebration.”

Selina stood up and started pacing again. “I don’t talk about this, although I still dream about it sometimes.” She took a deep breath and continued. “Angelo said I was lovely, so young and so pure. That being pure was the most important thing. Then, he looked at the cake and said he wasn’t sure he could wait that long.”

“As he came over and took my hand, I really thought he was going to propose. I didn’t love him, but he fascinated me, and I knew my father would approve. As I smiled, he lifted my hand and kissed my wrist. Then, he got this strange look. I’ll never forget it. He….” Selina stopped and walked out of the room. “I’ll be right back,” she said over her shoulder.

Walking down to the kitchen, she poured herself a large glass of wine, then decided to get one for Damian. She walked back upstairs and into the guest room, offering him one. As he hesitated, she said, “Relax, I only drug people once in a weekend.” She took a small sip from each glass then held them both out.

“All right,” he said, seeing how upset she was, “I’ll take one.” She handed him the glass, then downed the wine in her own.

“As I was saying,” she continued, starting to pace once more, “Angelo kissed my wrist, then got this strange look. It was as if his eyes almost glowed. Suddenly, he shoved me against the table, hard. I think I screamed as he ripped the front of my dress and grabbed my shoulders. I thought he was going to force himself on me, but instead he kissed my neck. He kissed it and murmured something about purity…and then he bit me. I was in shock. I remember pushing him, trying to get away, and begging him to stop.”

“As he held me tight, I felt myself growing weaker and looked up at the pergola, which seemed to be spinning. I dimly heard my father shouting, then Angelo let go of me and turned around. I almost fainted but managed to grab hold of the table. Angelo yelled at my father to leave while he could. My father grabbed him and tried to pull him away from me. Then, Angelo picked my father up and threw him across the garden. His strength was unbelievable.”

“I heard my father yell my name and tell me to run. Angelo walked over and kicked him, then leaned down and stabbed him with a dagger that he’d pulled out of his coat. He stabbed him over and over again, then took the dagger and licked it off, smiling at me. He slipped it back into his coat and walked over to me, saying he wouldn’t need to use it on me. My blood was too sweet to waste in such a way.”

Selina sat down. “I reached behind me on the table and felt something sharp. It was the knife we were supposed to have used to cut the cake. As Angelo grabbed me by the shoulders, I stabbed him as hard as I could. I tried to run, but I barely stumbled my way out of the garden and into the street. As I felt myself starting to faint, a woman ran up and caught me. I thought she must have been an angel and that I was dying.”

Damian said nothing, waiting for Selina to continue. “When I woke up, I was in a dark room lying on a cot. It was not very comfortable, and I was in a lot of pain. The angel, although now I wondered about that since I hurt all over…she helped me sit up and gave me something to drink. She told me it would help and to go back to sleep.”

Selina got up and walked back and forth again. “Damian, she saved me. Her name was Apollonia and she saved my life. What was left of it. She told me that she watched Angelo’s house as often as possible, trying to find a way to stop him. That he’d turned her years earlier, but she had fought the urge to feed on others and would teach me to do the same.”

She stopped and looked at him. “Being a vampire is a terrible curse and one that should never be done to someone against their will. He wasn’t planning to turn me; he was going to kill me. By getting away, I was now infected with the same disease that had made him what he was. Apollonia told me some people made the choice to become vampires, but for those of us who did not it was a terrible burden.”

“So, you’ve never fed on a human?” Damian asked surprised.

“No, never,” Selina replied, “but the desire was there. It’s more of a coldness, which you feel all through your body and you crave the warmth that you know their blood will give you. Apollonia helped me through the worst of it. She told me that she believed God would forgive us since we had not chosen this path. As long as we resisted the urge, it would eventually pass, and we would be able to rejoin the living. She was so sure…but that’s not quite how it worked out.”

Selina stopped talking and looked at Damian. “I really need another glass of wine,” she said, “and if you’re up for it maybe you’d like to come downstairs and have some lunch.”

Damian watched her walk out of the room and let out a low whistle. What a story, he thought as he carefully got out of bed. He was pretty sure she was no longer a threat, but where did Diana fit in and what did she have to do with these murders? Or was there a connection? Damian put on his shirt very slowly and got up to follow her.

“Your turn,” Selina said as Damian walked into the kitchen.

“Fair enough, Damian replied, “but first, what year did you go to Italy?”

Selina looked down for a moment, then back up, holding his gaze. “I traveled with my father to Florence in the spring of 1787. I know that sounds incredible, but…”

Damian held up his hand. “No, actually it does not. I think it will make it easier for you to believe what I’m going to tell you.”

Selina nodded and sat down at the kitchen table, forgetting all about lunch for the moment. When Damian hesitated, she smiled and said, “Go ahead. I want to know.”

Damian sat down across from her. “I’ve been a vampire hunter for a long time. I apprenticed in Milan, Italy in the year 1839. I was sixteen and chosen for my lineage and my size.” He paused and smiled. “I was very tall for that era.”

“We considered our work a holy calling from God,” he continued, “to rid the world of demons that stole the lives and possibly the souls of others. I did this for nine years until the Italian revolutions of 1848. My teacher and mentor, Alessandro Cabrini, did not believe our work was finished, but I did. I was ready for a change, and I’d seen enough death even if it was for the good of humanity. And that was the year I met Beatrice de Campo. She was beautiful, kind, intelligent and had a wonderful sense of humor. I fell for her completely, and all I wanted was to get married and have a family.”

Damian stopped and looked around the room. “You mentioned some more wine?”

Selina got up and poured them each a new glass, which she brought over and set on the table. “Do you wish to choose first?” she asked seriously.

Damian shook his head and took the one on the right. “As you said, one drugging a weekend is more than enough.” He drank some wine as Selina sat back down at the table. “Where was I?”

“You wanted to get married and have a family,” Selina said with such sadness, Damian almost reached over and touched her cheek.

“Right,” he said, taking a breath. “Beatrice was more than happy to get married in Milan, but I knew her family was in Clusone. I convinced her we should go there to get married. We decided to travel by coach with some friends. She had written to her parents, who would put us up at their home and then the wedding would be the following week.”

Damian stopped and took another sip of wine. “We got a late start because Alessandro wanted to give me a gift. He said he could not attend the wedding, but he wanted me to have something very special to remember all of our work together. It was a silver cross with a lion’s head on top, hanging from a silver chain. It was the symbol of our order and I told him I would never forget all that we’d accomplished. I thanked him and hurried back to Beatrice and our friends.”

He paused and looked down for a moment. “It happened when we were about two kilometers from Clusone. A tree had fallen across the road and it was too heavy to move. We sent the driver back to the last turnoff, telling him to take the detour and meet us at the house. It would take at least an hour to make the trip by road since it wound around the other side of the foothills. Beatrice was so excited to see her family that we decided to walk the short distance instead.”

“It was late afternoon and the weather was beautiful. We were enjoying ourselves, talking about the wedding and the feast we’d have afterwards when we heard the growling. I looked over and saw a pack of what I thought were wolves coming out of the foothills. Wolves were not uncommon, but with a large party like ours they never should have approached us.”

He rubbed his hand over his face. “They walked toward us, growling with their ears flattened back. I told Beatrice and her friend Nora to get behind us while my two friends, Alberto and Lorenzo, stood on either side of me. We did our best to protect the women, but the wolves attacked with such precision I couldn’t believe it. We pulled out our weapons, but all we had were knives. No crossbows or guns.”

“As the wolves ran towards us, I swung at the first one drawing blood while Lorenzo managed to deflect the second. Alberto ran at the third, but a fourth one knocked him down and landed on him, grabbing him by the neck. The wolf shook him and threw him aside. Lorenzo and I did our best to stay between the wolves and the women, but they charged again knocking us down while one grabbed Beatrice and a second one joined it. I ran at it, throwing my knife. It hit the animal, but another took its place. Beatrice tried to fight them off, but it was over in seconds. My lovely Beatrice was dead on the ground.”

“I turned to see the wolves moving in on Nora, who picked up a large stick and threw it at the wolf closest to her. It jumped up and knocked Nora to the ground, biting her on the arm. I turned and made a grab for Alberto’s knife, which was lying nearby. One of the wolves lunged at me and I felt its teeth tear into my shoulder. I thought we were all dead until it saw the silver cross around my neck. Suddenly, the wolf released me and took off for the mountains with the others following behind. I thought the reflection might have scared it since the sun was starting to set.”

He drank some more wine. “Alberto was killed during the attack, but Lorenzo was only injured with a bite to the leg. He crawled over to Nora, saying she was alive but unconscious. I had already reached Beatrice and was holding her, crying like a baby. She was my whole life and she was gone. Then, I looked over at Nora and Lorenzo, realizing we had to get help, or we’d all be dead.”

“I got to my feet and walked up the trail. Lorenzo stayed with Nora, holding his shirt on her arm, so she wouldn’t bleed to death. It must have been fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours. I finally saw a farmhouse and made it to the door. The farmer helped me and quickly rounded up his neighbors to go back and get Nora and Lorenzo. We survived the attack, but we were never the same. The three of us healed very quickly, but when the next full moon arrived, we changed into wolves.”

Damian stopped and slowly got up. He walked over to the sink and splashed some water on his face. “It took a lot of time and effort to learn to control what we had become. I thank God that we didn’t kill anyone in the process. Eventually, I returned to Milan and told Alessandro what had happened. He said he’d heard about the attack and was sorry for my loss. It was only later when I finally hunted down the werewolves responsible for our attack that I learned he was the one, who had hired them.”

Selina put her hand over her mouth. “How horrible!” she said as she stood up and walked over to him. “Here, let me help you back to the table. You should rest.”

“I still heal very quickly,” Damian said. “A benefit of the curse I’ve lived with for over a century. It’s also slowed my aging, but I do look about ten years older.”

Selina nodded. “I look older, too. I was seventeen when I was attacked, but vampires age about five years for every century. Whether we drink human blood or not.”

Damian looked out the window. “I’ve got to get out of here for a while. Can you go outside without any ill effects?”

Selina nodded. “Yes. Bright sunlight gives me a headache, but with the clouds today…I would enjoy a walk in the garden.”

Damian took her arm. He was actually going to escort a vampire through a garden on a Sunday afternoon. As they walked outside, he decided to wait to ask her about her girls until after dinner.

Anna-Violetta Books ~ November 20th

Have you ever read a paranormal spy story?

Secret agent Jazzmyn Storm met the man of her dreams while in Romania. At least, she thinks she did. All she can remember, after being found floating in the Black Sea, was that she was on assignment…and now she’s missing a month of time.

With no answers to what really happened, her only clues are in her dreams. A mystery man with an incredibly sexy accent, whose name she can’t remember…but whose touch she can’t forget.

As she tries to piece together that missing month, she realizes the answers are in Romania. Jazzmyn defies her superiors and goes back to uncover what happened, who this mystery man really is…and maybe even the truth about herself in this paranormal suspense.

This story balances paranormal espionage and suspense with fade-to-black/closed door romance.

And now, here’s the fourth chapter of Moonlight, Roses & Murder.

Chapter 4

Selina woke up to see four women staring at her. She smiled. “What is it, girls?” She still called them her girls, although they were quite grown up.

“It happened again,” Michela said, looking sad. “Another young woman murdered, but this time with a red rose by the body.”

“And puncture marks,” Annalise added, frowning. “This is bad, isn’t it?”

“Of course, it’s bad,” Isabella replied. “Don’t be stupid, Annalise.”

“Hey, she was just asking,” Genevieve said, defensively.

What had she been thinking about them being all grown up, Selina wondered? She raised a hand. “Enough,” she said. “Yes, this is bad, but more for those young women than for ourselves.”

Michela nodded. “Selina is right. We need to get our priorities straight.”

“And just what are our priorities?” asked Genevieve. She didn’t want to move again. She had finally met someone she really liked.

Selina smiled. “You. Each and every one of you has always been my priority.” She hugged each of them. “Now, go and set the table and let me get up. I’ll start brunch in a few minutes.”

“Pancakes?” Annalise asked, hopefully.

Michela mussed her hair with one hand. “You’re such a kid,” she said, smiling.

The girls walked out of her bedroom and closed the door behind them. Selina let out a breath and laid back down for a moment. Why did this have to happen? Things had been going so well. Now, to possibly have to relocate again. They’d had plenty of time three years ago to decide where they wanted to live. This time, they might not have that luxury.

She got up and changed into a long, purple dress with a matching belt and mid-length lacy sleeves. Not very domestic, but at least her sleeves wouldn’t be in the pancake batter. She knew she should start wearing more modern clothes, but she loved her old ones. They were still in good shape and they felt familiar.

As she walked into the small kitchen, she saw some blueberries sitting on the counter. “Where did these come from?” she asked, smiling.

“Annalise saw them yesterday and thought they’d be perfect for our next brunch,” Michela said. “That girl has an amazing love for blueberries and pancakes. Combine them and she’s good for the day.”

Selina nodded. “And you feel the same way about chocolate chip cookies.”

“Everyone feels that way about chocolate chip cookies,” Michela replied, shrugging.

Selina started some bacon and made the pancakes. She didn’t cook as much as she used to, and she found herself enjoying it.

No one said anything about relocating until after they had finished eating. As Isabella picked up the plates, Selina looked around the table. “We need to decide what we should do,” she began, “and if we want to move again.”

“I vote no, unless absolutely necessary,” Genevieve said.

“I want to stay, too…if we can,” Annalise replied. “I think Brandon is pretty cute.”

“You think all boys are cute,” Michela said, pulling her curl.

“Hey, I’m not a little kid anymore,” Annalise replied, then laughed.

“Well, I vote we leave,” Isabella said as she sat back down. “The sooner, the better.”

Michela nodded. “I’m with Isabella. It’s not worth risking our safety to stay here, no matter how much we like it.”

Selina looked around the table. She’d had a pretty good idea how this would go and wasn’t surprised she had the vote that would decide their future. They’d done it this way for a long time.

“I’ve thought about this since yesterday morning,” Selina said, “and I think we should stay…for now.” As the girls started to talk, she held up her hand. “However, I think we should find a suitable location in case we do need to move.”

“These murders are horrible,” Selina continued, “but they don’t have anything to do with us. The last one was a few blocks away, which shifts suspicion away from us and back to Pioneer Square. As sorry as I am for the victims,” she added, “I am glad that we were not the target.”

The girls nodded, then got up. “So, does this mean we can have the guys over for the weekend?” asked Annalise, all smiles.

Michela rolled her eyes, although the guys were fun to have around. “You and your cute boys.”

“Actually, I was thinking…” Selina stopped as the phone rang. “I’ll be right back,” she said, walking into the living area. She had a cell phone but liked having a separate line in the townhouse.

“Um, Selina, we have a problem,” she heard Brandon say.

“Brandon, where are you?” Selina asked.

“Here in the club,” Brandon replied, “and I’m not alone.”

Damian took the turn too fast even for the Maserati. He had wasted the last three hours driving down to Olympia to interview Andy at his parents’ house. The kid looked like a possible suspect in the first murder, but it turned out he’d been behind the club getting sick. And he had been in Olympia last night, which meant he hadn’t been responsible for the second murder.

Damian took another curve and told himself to slow down. There wasn’t a lot of traffic on I-5, but he didn’t need a speeding ticket. He still had other suspects to interview when he got back to Seattle. He also had some questions about the first murder and thought another visit to Selina’s club might be a good place to start.

Selina hung up the phone and turned around. “I want you to stay here,” she said. When they started to say something, she added, “I mean it.”

She walked thorough her office and into the bar, where she saw Brandon standing with some men she did not recognize. She smiled and asked, “May I help you?”

“Let the boy go,” a woman’s voice instructed. As she stepped into view, Selina couldn’t help a small gasp. “Hello, Selina,” said the blonde woman. “It’s been a long time.”

“Brandon, go wait in the back,” Selina said, knowing he’d go through the office and into the townhouse. As he hesitated, she said, “Stay there until I come to get you.”

He nodded and walked into the office. Selina turned and looked at Diana Dupre, who she hadn’t seen in some time. “Diana, what brings you to Seattle?”

“So, we’re going to be friends?” Diana asked. “You seem to have gotten yourself into a little situation, Cherie.”

“This has nothing to do with me,” Selina said. “Why are you here, Diana?”

“Two deaths that look like a vampire attack?” Diana replied. “They had to send someone.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you,” Selina said, walking towards the stairs. “Perhaps you and your friends should leave.”

“Not very nice, Selina.” Diana smiled adding, “And after all I’ve done for you in the past.”

“All you’ve done for me?” Selina exclaimed. “You’re right, you’ve done more than enough…so I’ll ask you again to please leave.”

“I was invited in,” replied Diana.

“Not by me.” Selina pointed to the stairs. “Leave. Now.”

Diana looked around at the others, five good-looking men and a striking brunette all dressed in gray or black suits. “We’ve been uninvited. Time to go.” She looked back at Selina and smiled. “But I’ll be back, should the trail lead here again.”

Selina watched the group walk up the stairs, then followed them up and locked the door.

Damian had just parked his car and was walking up to the club when he saw the others leaving. All of them dressed in gray or black suits, Italian and expensive if he had to guess…and wearing sunglasses on a cloudy day in Seattle. Looks like I finally found the vampires, Damian thought to himself. He smiled as he turned and walked back to his car. He pulled out and followed the others when they got into their black limousine.

Damian watched the limo park in front of the hotel and seven people get out. Five men, a hot brunette and a gorgeous blonde. Like I said, he thought to himself, female vampires are always beautiful.

He parked across the street, then walked back over to the lobby. “My friends just came in and I’m supposed to meet them for a drink, but I’d like to send up some champagne first,” he said to the front desk clerk. “Can I do that here?”

“Of course,” the clerk replied. “Who is the party?”

“The five guys with the gorgeous brunette and blonde,” Damian said smiling.

“Oh, Miss Dupre’s party,” the clerk replied. “I expect that would be a bottle of Dom Perignon you wish to send up?”

“Nothing, but the best for Miss Dupre,” Damian agreed. “I’ll wait for them in the bar.”

The clerk nodded and picked up the phone. Damian walked over to the lounge, waiting for a room service waiter to ask for the champagne. He doubted any hotel would trust kitchen employees to be responsible for Dom Perignon, so it would most likely be kept with the bartender.

And there he is, thought Damian as the young man took the champagne over to the elevator. “Just a moment,” he said, grabbing the elevator door as it started to close.

The kid nodded and Damian rode up to the seventh floor with him, then got out and headed down the hall in the opposite direction from the waiter. He glanced over and saw him knock on the door at the end of the hall. Damian turned and went down a side hall, then came back about five minutes later and walked over to the door.

Selina had been surprised to see Diana. Who was she kidding, she’d been shocked. And having her in town was another reason to consider moving. As she walked back into the office, she saw Brandon sitting on the sofa.

“The girls asked me to wait here and let them know if you didn’t come back in five minutes,” he said. “Sorry for letting them in. The blonde lady said she’d like to come in, and I told her we were closed. I was just getting my cell phone, which I forgot last night, and she said she’d come with me.”

Selina nodded. “Diana has a strange sense of humor. We were friends before the girls and I moved to Seattle,” she explained. She smiled at Brandon. “It’s almost time to open. Do you need to go back home before your shift starts?”

“No, I’m good,” replied Brandon. “Selina, I really am sorry.”

“It’s all right,” she assured him. “Why don’t you start getting things ready for tonight while I talk to the girls.”

Brandon nodded and went out to the bar. Selina walked into the townhouse, not looking forward to the girls’ reaction as she gave them this latest information.

When she told them, the girls all looked at each other, then started talking at once. “Are you kidding me?” demanded Michela. “Diana is in Seattle, and we’re all just sitting here?”

“Relax,” Annalise said. “If she’d wanted to hurt us, she could have done it a long time ago.”

“Annalise is right,” Isabella replied, surprising Michela. They usually saw eye to eye on these things, being the oldest.

“So, you’re okay with Diana Freaking Dupre hanging out in our club?” Michela asked, exasperated.

“Everyone, just calm down,” Genevieve said, looking over at Selina. “What do you think?” she asked.

“I think Annalise has a point,” Selina replied, “but you were all much younger then. She didn’t see you as a threat and now she might. I honestly don’t know what she would do if she thought you could harm her.”

“We move tonight,” Michela said.

“You only have one vote,” Genevieve reminded her.

“Girls, sit down and take a breath,” Selina said. “And Michela, please go get my laptop. It’s time to find another location.”

Damian could hear people talking, mainly a woman’s voice and correctly guessed that she must be Miss Dupre. He was considering whether to walk in and confront them or wait until they left the hotel when he heard something behind him. He turned just in time to see a man swing a champagne bottle at his head.

Damian ducked but still received a glancing blow, then the three guys were on him. Damn, he thought. He hadn’t considered that they might be watching out for him. They’d probably paid the clerk to tell them if anyone asked about their party.

As he took a swing, he realized they were too fast for him. Or he was too slow. He was getting hit a lot more often than he was landing any punches. He felt himself sliding to the floor, then they started kicking him. This was definitely not one of his better days, he thought as he felt another sharp pain in his side.

Damian looked over and saw a man stepping out of the elevator. So did the others, who took off. Still not wanting to be exposed as vampires, he thought. The man looked over, then backed into the elevator, probably on his way down to tell security that someone was being attacked on the seventh floor.

He decided it was a good time to get the hell out of there. Damian managed to get up and make it to the other elevator, taking it down to the parking level. As he got out, he held his side and walked across the street to his car. He moved as quickly as he could, but he was pretty sure one of those vampires had cracked a few ribs.

Damian turned the key and tried to think where to go. Police were no good. They’d want him in the hospital, and he hadn’t met anyone else. Selina was the only one he could think of as he drove back to her club. He parked in the alley and walked up to the back door, bent over and still holding those ribs. It was locked, so he took out his cell and called the number of the club. Just as someone answered, he said, “Back door,” then passed out.

Selina was scrolling through properties for sale in Ireland when Brandon came into the townhouse. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said, “but we may have another problem.”

Selina set the laptop down and followed Brandon up the stairs. Damian Salvadori was passed out in her alley. “He called the club and when I got up here, he was like this,” Brandon explained.

“Help me get him up,” Selina said somewhat exasperated. “I’d call an ambulance, but we don’t need the police here again,” she said more to herself than Brandon.

As they lifted him, Damian groaned. “Someone really did a number on this guy,” Brandon observed.

“So, it would seem,” Selina replied. She had a pretty good idea, who that someone might be. “Let’s get him inside.”

Read Chapter 5 in our next post!

Anna-Violetta Books ~ October 19th

We just added a drink recipe to the end of two of our series, thanks to our recent Kickstarter campaign. Today, we’re going to share the one from our current serialized story, Moonlight, Roses & Murder. Enjoy!

Steampunk-Style Bloody Mary

½ tablespoons lemon juice
½ tablespoon honey
6 ounces chilled tomato juice
2 shakes Worcestershire sauce (about 1 teaspoon)
2 dashes Tabasco (about ¼ teaspoon)
Dash of celery salt (optional)
Ground pepper to taste (optional)
1.5 ounces vodka
Ice cubes
Garnish with 3 green olives on toothpick

Combine lemon juice and honey in cocktail shaker. Add chilled tomato juice and ice, then shake 10 – 15 seconds until cool.

Add Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco, stir and taste. (Add celery salt and/or ground pepper if desired.)

Fill Rocks glass with ice and add vodka. Pour Bloody Mary mix into glass and stir. Garnish with green olives and whatever else you like.

(Image courtesy of Pixabay)

Next week, we’ll share our recipe from Memoirs of a Secret Agent!

And now, here’s the next chapter of Moonlight, Roses & Murder.

Chapter 1

Selina Bellerose looked up as one of her employees walked into the office. Jeremy was her head bouncer, and he usually came in making a joke or complaining about a difficult customer.

“Selina, we’ve got a problem,” Jeremy said seriously.

“What is it?” she asked, brushing her long brown hair over her shoulder. When he hesitated, Selina said, “Just tell me, Jeremy.”

“You’d better come look for yourself,” Jeremy replied, walking out of the room.

Selina nodded, following him out of the office and through the now deserted club. As they walked up the stairs to the rear entrance, Jeremy stopped and looked back at her. “It’s not pretty.”

As they stepped into the dim light of the alley, she could see a figure lying on the stones. “It’s a girl.” Selina walked over to the very still young woman, who was dressed in a beige and brown Steampunk outfit with her hair done up in pigtails.

“She’s older than she looks,” Isabella said, standing next to the body. Her assistant manager paused and added, “Or at least she was. She’s dead, Selina.”

“Have you called the police?” Selina asked, turning to Jeremy.

Jeremy and Isabella exchanged a look. “Call them,” Selina said. Walking back into the club, she added, “And stay with her until they arrive.”

Isabella nodded as Jeremy pulled out his cell phone.

Selina walked back down the stairs, looking around the club. This was going to be trouble, she thought. Trouble she didn’t want or need. She walked into her office and started moving papers and a few other items into her safe.

Detective Nathaniel Wright looked around the crime scene. He was in his early thirties and had been a detective for almost three years, so he knew this case was going to attract some attention. The victim was young, pretty and had lost a lot of blood. She was also wearing a Steampunk costume, which had very little blood on it. As he went over the crime scene, it was obvious the murder hadn’t happened in the alley.

He looked over at his partner Maria Fuentes. She was in her late forties and easily the smartest detective he knew. She had a way of getting people to relax and tell her much more than they would normally admit to the police. She looked like the average mom, but she’d solved more cases than any other detective in the Seattle PD. He had learned a lot from her.

“What do you think?” he asked Maria.

“I’ll let you know in a minute,” she replied, walking over to the young woman standing behind the club. She had dark blonde hair, tied up with a blue velvet ribbon and was wearing a blue and white, Victorian style dress. “Excuse me, it’s Isabella, isn’t it?’ she asked, recalling that two people had called in the murder. “Do you have a moment to talk?”

Isabella nodded, looking back over at the handsome, young African American detective, then down at the dead girl. “Of course,” she replied. “Would you like some coffee or anything?”

Maria shook her head. “Thank you, but we need to stay with the body until the forensics team gets here.” She pulled out a small notebook and a pencil. “Did you find the victim?”

“No,” Isabella replied, “Jeremy found her when he came out here to dump…” she paused and swallowed. “When he brought the garbage out.”

Maria edged over a little, so that she was blocking the view of the body. “And then he went back into the club and got you?”

Isabella nodded. “I told him to find Selina and I would wait with the young…with the body.”

Maria looked up. “Did he tell you she was dead?”

“He said she didn’t seem to have a pulse,” Isabella replied, “but he was only out here a moment.”

Maria nodded. “Then, you called us right away.”

“As soon as Jeremy brought Selina up,” Isabella replied. “She’s the owner and we thought she should know.”

Maria was used to this type of thing. Some people called immediately, others were in shock and had to be told to call, and a few didn’t want the police involved. She’d give this young woman the benefit of the doubt for now.

“Where is Jeremy?” Maria asked. “I’ll need to speak to him and the owner.”

“Of course,” Isabella said. “I told them I would stay with her,” she looked back towards the body. “I would stay until you arrived.”

Maria nodded. “Why don’t you ask Jeremy to come out here. You’re free to go home if you like.”

Isabella turned and went into the club. Maria looked around, then back over at her partner. Finally answering his question, she said, “I think someone murdered this young woman and staged her body behind the club. What I want to know is why?”

“Her ID was in her pocket,” Nate said, glancing down at the ruffled skirt. “Says her name was Hailey Elizabeth Brockner.” He shook his head. “Looks like she was here for the Steampunk Convention. Why these kids want to dress up like freaks is beyond me.”

“They seem to enjoy it,” a soft voice said behind them. Turning, they saw a beautiful woman in her early thirties. “She was quite lovely,” she said, looking down at the young woman on the ground.

Nate cleared his throat. “And you are…”

“Selina Bellerose,” the woman replied. “I am the owner of Luna’s Nightclub. I understand you wish to speak to Jeremy.” She looked over at Maria. “He’ll be right up…he’s in the men’s room.”

Maria nodded. “It’s not easy finding a dead body.”

“Or to see them on a regular basis, I would imagine. Selina looked from Maria to Nate. “Can I get you anything? Maybe some coffee?”

“We have to wait…” Nate began.

“I’d appreciate a cup,” Maria replied, surprising her partner. She turned to Nate. “Wait for the forensics team, then meet me inside.”

Nate nodded as Maria followed Selina into the club. The owner was gorgeous, he thought to himself, even in that weird, black lace dress. He smiled for a moment, then looked back down at the victim and shook his head.

Maria followed the owner, Miss Bellerose, down the stairs and into the club. It was quiet now, looking more like a very large Victorian parlor than a nightclub. They walked over to the huge L-shaped mahogany bar, which took up one end of the space. Black metal stools with matching leather cushions offered plenty of seating. Edison-style lighting hung from the ceiling, reflected in the large mirror behind the bar. Shelves full of sparkling liquor bottles were lit up by more vintage fixtures.

“Very nice,” Maria said, looking around at the mahogany paneling that covered the lower two-thirds of the walls and the old brick above. A large mahogany fireplace took up most of one wall with benches on either side. Small tables and chairs were pulled up to them for additional seating. Maria smiled. “I would have loved to have had a club like this when I was a Goth girl.”

“We do have some Goth clientele, especially the Romantigoths,” Selina agreed. “They love the Victorian feel, but Steampunk seems to be the most popular at the moment.”

Maria nodded, thinking of the body outside. “Do you remember seeing the young lady in your club tonight?”

“No, but I was in the office most of the evening. Did she have a stamp on the back of her hand?” Selina asked. “Ours will show up under an ultraviolet light.”

“We’ll know more when forensics gets here,” Maria said, looking at her watch.

Selina poured two cups of coffee. “Cream or sugar?” she asked.

“Black is fine,” replied Maria, picking up one of the coffee mugs.

As she started to sit on the barstool, Selina smiled. “Let’s go to one of the upholstered benches,” she suggested. “They’re much more comfortable.”

Maria followed her to one of the red leather benches along the wall. “This is better,” she agreed, sitting down. “Did you have trouble with any of the customers this evening?”

“No,” Selina replied. “And I would have been notified immediately if there had been. We had a large crowd for a Thursday night, but it was mostly college kids and convention people.” She paused. “The girl seemed very pale. She must have lost a lot of blood.”

Maria nodded. “And I’m guessing you noticed there didn’t seem to be any in the alley.”

Selina shrugged. “I didn’t look very carefully, but one would imagine there would be a lot of blood around the body if she had been killed there.”

“You’re not going to play amateur detective on this, are you?” Maria asked.

“Hardly,” Selina replied. “I just want to make it clear that my club does not attract that kind of violent element.”

“How long have you owned the place?” Maria looked around. “It seems more like a Victorian parlor than a nightclub.”

“Almost three years,” Selina replied. “It was pretty rough when we bought it. A lot of hard work and a very good designer got us to what you see today.”

“Us?” Maria repeated. “Is there a co-owner?”

“My nieces and I purchased the club,” Selina said, reminding herself not to share so much information with a police detective.

“How old are your nieces?” Maria asked. “Just for my own notes.”

“They are 22, 24, 25 and 27. They were my older sister’s daughters, and I’ve had them for quite a while.” Selina paused. “My sister was killed in an automobile accident several years ago.”

Maria nodded. “And do they all work at the club?”

“Yes,” Selina replied, “but only Isabella was here cleaning up with Jeremy. Everyone else went home after the club closed and there was no body in the alley at midnight, I assure you.”

“You close early for a club,” Maria noted. “Is that typical?”

“We close at midnight during the week,” Selina replied, “but on Friday and Saturday we stay open until 2 am. The club is closed on Sunday and Monday.”

Maria wrote it all down. Selina wondered if she was always so thorough. “I’d like to speak to Jeremy now,” Maria said, looking up.

Selina nodded and walked over to a door next to the bar, which Maria hadn’t noticed before. Selina went through it and came back a few moments later with a tall young man, who was built like a football player.

“Jeremy, Detective Fuentes would like to speak to you,” Maria heard Selina say as they walked back over. Selina had a hand on Jeremy’s arm, who still looked a little pale.

“What time did you find the victim?” Maria asked, indicating that Jeremy should sit down.

“About twelve thirty,” Jeremy replied. “Sorry, I’m not usually so upset, but she just looked like she was sleeping. I walked over to see if she’d passed out, and then I realized…she was cold.” He looked up at Selina. “Too cold.”

Selina nodded. “It’s all right, Jeremy. Tell the detective what happened after that.”

“I checked for a pulse.” He looked over at Maria. “We learned to do that in college. Check our pulse rate while working out.” He shrugged and shook his head. “She didn’t have one.”

“So, you came back into the club and told your boss,” Maria said. “Then, what happened?”

“I brought Selina back up and she told us to call you. To call the police. And to stay with the girl…with the body until you arrived.” Jeremy looked down. “She was a pretty girl, wasn’t she?”

“Yes,” Maria agreed. Turning to Selina, she asked, “And what did you do while the others were waiting for us?”

Selina kept her muscles relaxed. “I came down to check the video tape in my office. To see if the young woman was outside tonight, standing in line to get in.”

“And did you see her?” Maria asked.

“No, but we don’t have any cameras in the alley.” Selina sighed. “I didn’t think we’d need them.”

Maria was about to respond when Detective Wright walked into the club. “I take it forensics finally showed up?” Maria asked.

“It’s been a busy night,” Nate replied. “Apparently, they had a crime scene in Wallingford to deal with before they could get here.”

Maria nodded. Looking over at Jeremy, she said, “Thank you for your help. You’re free to leave.”

“Go wait in my office with Isabella,” Selina said. “We’ll drop you at your apartment on our way.” Jeremy nodded and walked back through the door by the bar. “If there’s nothing else, I would like to get them home.” Glancing from Nate to Maria, she added, “I can give you a copy of the video if you like.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Maria replied. “And if I could get your address and phone number, in case we have any other questions?”

After she wrote down the information, Selina walked over to her office. A few minutes later, she returned with a thumb drive that she handed to Maria. “Here’s what we have from the front door security cameras. I hope it helps.”

Selina escorted the detectives upstairs. When they opened the door to the alley, one of the men working on the body said, “Detective Fuentes, we have a problem.” Maria walked over with Nate as Selina followed a few steps behind. “We turned the body over and found this.”

The man moved back to show them. “The coroner should be here any minute, but it looks like she hit her head…then someone did this.” He indicated the two punctures, which were just a few inches apart.

Selina looked down and closed her eyes. When she looked up, all she saw was the flash. “Get out of here,” Nate yelled, pointing at the man holding the phone. “No pictures at a crime scene. Show some respect.”

“Are you saying someone bit her on the neck?” the man asked. “My blog followers are going to love this!”

Selina looked at the man, who was wearing a long, dark overcoat and realized he was probably one of the Steampunk bloggers attending the convention. As she turned to go back into the club, she hoped he had merely taken a picture of the crime scene and not one of her.

Read Chapter 2 in our next post!