Chapter 14

“So, what to do next? Oh, yes ... I know what!” I grinned as I appeared at the Bon Temps Sheriff’s Department just after dusk.

“Excuse me, but the Sheriff’s Department is closed for the day,” Rosie, clearly in a rush to get home, tried to shoo me away from the door.

“Rosie, look at me,” I called her by name, causing her to stare directly at the stranger who knew her on sight.

The cute blonde police dispatcher wasn’t ready for what I did next, even as I glared intensely at her.

“Rosie, Rene Lenier is the actual serial killer behind the murders of the fangbangers. His real name is Drew Marshall and he is only posing as a Cajun. Even his accent is fake. Work closely with Jason and Sookie Stackhouse as well as Sam Merlotte in exposing Drew Marshall as a sick and twisted murderer. He killed Adele Stackhouse as well as Maudette Pickens, Dawn Green, and his own sister, Cindy Marshall. He has a deep hatred for all vampires and fangbangers. For tonight, though, receive my blood and do my bidding,” I instructed Rosie, offering her my blood as a means of control.

The glamoring effort paid off rather handsomely, as she gladly received my blood and eagerly gave me hers to drink in turn. I had yet another happy minion, ready to serve me, now. Of course, that was the moment when Deputy Kenya Jones happened to walk outside the Sheriff’s Department office and catch me offering my blood to Rosie. She glared daggers at me and walked over to me as if to bust me giving the police operator an illegal substance (which V was, even if just my own). I smirked and began to glamor the deputy as well.

“Kenya, you no longer care about police work or wish to be a deputy, let alone Sheriff. You want to seduce Sheriff Bud Dearborne and convince him to retire and run away with you. You will quit the force first thing tomorrow and attempt the seduction. But first, drink some of my blood and give me some of yours,” I glamored Kenya next and exchanged blood with her, too.

The more residents of Bon Temps shared blood with me, the more I could influence, control, or manipulate. My plan to move Bud Dearborne out of the way a little faster and expedite the rise of Andy Bellefleur was underway and the fewer obstacles, the better. Once I had Andy in place as Sheriff and sped along the demise of Drew Marshall, I could advance my agenda for Bon Temps and this particular universe. It didn’t hurt if I knew where everyone was at all times and my blood was a homing device for any and all who used it.

Kenya and Bud didn’t know it, but I had just saved them from infamy and grisly deaths. Even if Bud was a vampire-hater, he didn’t deserve for his entire law enforcement career to go down in disgrace. At least not yet. Once he got mixed up with the Imperial Wizard ... or Dragon or whatever, then it would be too late. This way, that would never happen and his legacy could remain intact.

Far from finished with my fun, I raced my way to the Bellefleur residence and knocked at the detective’s door. I had more mischief to cause and if I succeeded, the direction and path of the town might go very differently indeed. It was already changing as it was, thanks to my own interventions, but there was so much more to do with it. I grinned as Justen and Damon stood behind me, along with my entire retinue of admirers, mostly ladies, mostly mortal.

Andy answered the door and I grinned as I glamored him, “Detective Bellefleur, you know one person who respects you for your authority and office. Namely, that’s me. Now, let me inside.”

“Come inside ... what’s your name, sir?” Andy gruffly invited me inside.