Death Becomes Him - 35

At that moment the door was flung open. A gorgeous young woman stood there, glowering at them, and more specifically Phillip. “Company?” she said.

Phillip was on his feet instantly, going over to greet her with a hug and a kiss. “Safe company, my dear,” he told her. “You should know I’d have no other kind.”

She bristled for a moment before nodding. She was tall for a woman, verging on five-nine, with auburn hair and a slender build. Her eyes were amber flecked with green.

“Gentlemen, this is Sienna Whelan, my fiancée.” Phillip introduced her to Trent and Rory then nodded to the chair. When Sienna sat, he dropped down on the floor beside her, resting his arm on her knees while watching the others with a hint of amusement.

It only took Rory a moment to figure out why and he laughed. “I guess we were both wrong, Trent. Werewolves do exist.”

Sienna smiled and nodded. “There aren’t too many of us around here, but yes, we do exist. So… what great meeting of the minds have I missed?”

Laughing, Phillip gave her the details of Rory’s plans for his ‘Ghost and Vampire’ tour company.

When he finished, she tapped her lips, glancing at each of the men in turn. Finally she pointed to Trent. “Between the two of us, we should be able to handle anything that has to be done during the day.”

“I agree. I do have a job but to some extent I’m my own boss on a day to day basis so unless it’s time consuming I see no problems on my end.”

“Then that’s covered.”

Phillip chuckled. “Don’t mind her. She’s a female and a werewolf and so tends to try to take over whenever possible.”

“Philippe!” Sienna actually turned his name into a growl while smacking his arm. “I am not that bad.”

He smiled up at her. “I know, my love. I was just teasing. You only do it, humm, once or twice a day?”

Rory looked at Trent and grinned. “True love personified.”

“Gentlemen,” Sienna said firmly after bending to kiss Phillip, “if we can continue. When do you plan on starting this up?”

“I’ve done it before, although it’s been a few years,” Rory replied, “so I know what needs to happen, such as finding a good printer for advertizing flyers and tickets and arranging for costumes once I’ve hired people.”

“The costuming won’t be a problem if you’re willing to go with my idea,” Phillip told him. “Most of my friends and acquaintances have things in their closets that would work.”

“Fantastic.”

“I’ll get in touch with the printer who does work for the hotel,” Trent said. “They’re good and reasonably priced. Just come up with a layout and verbiage for the flyers.”

Sienna spoke up, again. “I can design them. It’s what I do.”

“She’s an excellent graphic artist,” Phillip told them proudly.

“I am,” she replied immodestly. “Do you want to work on that tonight?”

“If you do,” Trent said, “I’ll have to leave you to it. I’m tired and have to be up at my usual time tomorrow, well this morning.”

“Why don’t we wait until tomorrow evening then,” Phillip replied. “I’ll get in touch with some of my people to see who might be interested in working for Rory. How many would you need?”

“Last time I did this, I had eight employees who worked rotating schedules. That way they didn’t burn out.”

“Very good. I’m sure I can find that many who are willing.”

“How the hell many of you are there in the city?” Trent asked.

Sienna chuckled. “You’d be shocked if he told you, I’m sure.”

“New Orleans is one of the vampire capitals of the world,” Phillip pointed out.

“In books, yeah. I didn’t know that was actually true.”

Rory hugged him. “You didn’t believe vampires even existed until a few months ago.”

“All right, good point.” Trent stood, stretching. “If one of you would let me out, I’m going to head home.”

“We both are,” Rory said, getting up as well. “We’ll be back tomorrow night though and if it’s all right with you, Sienna, we can work on the flyers then.”

“That would be fine.”

Rory thanked her, and Phillip, then he and Trent left.

Death Becomes HIm - 34

“You own the building?” Trent said in surprise.

Phillip nodded. “I have for over a century. Not, of course, as ‘me’ all that time. I am as far as anyone is concerned the grandson of the original owner.”

“The Realtor doesn’t know you’re living upstairs?” Rory asked in disbelief.

“He’s human, and easily controllable. He repeats the story I gave him whenever a perspective tenant for the shop asks.”

Trent’s mouth tightened. “Do you do that often? Use your ability to control people?”

“Only when it’s in my best interests. I’m not a villain. Most of us aren’t. However we do have to protect ourselves. For instance”—he looked at Rory—“how are you going to explain why you are only around at night if one of Trent’s friends should ask.”

“The tours take place at night, well into the night if things work out the way I hope. So I sleep during the day while Trent is at work.”

“At your age you can’t tolerate any sunlight. That could present a problem for you.”

“Actually, thanks to Emily’s blood and her age, I can already be out in it before sundown as long as I’m well covered.”

Phillip smiled sourly. “I wish my Sire had been an ancient. That would have made my life easier. Ah well, what was, was and there’s not changing it after two centuries.” He paused for a moment then walked to the door hiding the stairs. “Come. I’ll show you my home.”

Trent and Rory both evidenced surprise when they got upstairs. Although small in area, the apartment, for lack of a better word, seemed almost spacious. There was a living room with a miniscule kitchen off to one side. The windows were covered with heavy drapes over closed shutters. At the far end were doors leading to a small bathroom and a much larger bedroom.

Trent studied the furnishing then turned to comment on them. Phillip beat him to it, saying with a laugh, “You expected a Victorian sofa and chairs, scrollwork on the bookcases and fireplace, and dark, heavy wainscoting and cornices?”

“To be honest, yes,” Trent agreed. “This is quite modern.”

“Just because I’ve been around for two centuries doesn’t mean I have to, shall we say act my age. I move with the times. It keeps me feeling young.”

Trent could see that reflected in the modern paintings hanging on the pale beige walls, the surprisingly comfortable looking leather sofa with its matching armchair, and the rugs of very contemporary design on the hardwood floor, one in front of the sofa, the other under a small, glass and chrome dining table.

Rory looked at the rugs, then at Trent. “We need a couple of those in our living room.”

“Something to—consider,” Trent replied cautiously. He was not nearly as fond of modern furnishings as Phillip seemed to be. He much preferred his older, homey sofa and chairs and the off-blue carpet and paler off-blue walls, with standing book shelves along one of them. Still, it was Rory’s home now too, so if he wanted to make changes he had a right to, as long as they both agreed on them.

“Sit, please,” Phillip said, taking the armchair. When Trent and Rory did, Phillip tapped his fingers together, looking at Rory. “You will need employees for your venture.”

“No kidding,” Rory said dryly. “That’s next on the agenda, once I do a bit of cleaning up downstairs and get some chairs and what have you.”

“Were you planning on hiring humans?”

“Like I have a choice?”

“Actually, with my help, you might. I for one am bored with doing nothing at all. I do know the city quite well, and the stories that abound about what is haunted and by whom.”

“You’re volunteering?” Rory asked in surprise.

“Sure, why not? I also have some friends who might be willing to lead tours. I know you’re too young to realize it yet, but a vampire’s life can become very tedious after a while.” Phillip chuckled. “It’s not as if we can hold day jobs and then go home to a wife and family.”

“I never thought about that,” Rory admitted, getting a confirming nod from Trent.

“You will in time I’m afraid. Until then, running these ghost tours is the perfect excuse to be out and about, enjoying life without having to spend it in clubs or bars. How were you planning on handling the fact you wouldn’t be around until dusk?”

Rory explained and Phillip nodded with approval. “Clever, and no one needs to know it’s the truth.”

“It does add a bit of spice to everything,” Trent pointed out, “and is something none of the other tour companies are doing. It will take good advertizing but that’s easily dealt with.”

Death Becomes Him - 33

As soon as he was inside, Rory walked quickly to the back of the shop, going into the office. Standing in the center of the empty room, he opened his senses to what he thought he had felt. He wasn’t all that surprised when a figure materialized in front of him. Bowing his head slightly, he said, “Greetings.”

The man, or vampire actually as Rory was well aware, nodded. “Thank you.” He studied Rory for a brief moment. “You are a young one.”

“Still a fledgling according to my maker,” Rory agreed. When asked, he told the vampire who she was.

He looked suitably impressed then introduced himself. “I am Philippe Robicheaux.”

Rory grinned. “That’s quite a mouthful.”   

“Which is why, when I’m out and about, I go by the name Phillip Roberts, just as Émilienne Charpentier calls herself Emily Carpenter.”

Now it was Rory’s turn to study Phillip. He was of average height, perhaps five-ten, with medium length blond hair held off his face with a metal clasp. He appeared to be in his late twenties. His eyes were blue, his lips sensual, his build fairly muscular Rory thought, although it was hard to tell as he was wearing sweats at the moment. That surprised him so he asked why.

“I like to run,” was Phillip’s reply. “By the way, shouldn’t you go get your—friend? He must be wondering if a ghost has kidnapped you.”

Rory snorted. “You’ve been eavesdropping.”

“Of course. This is my home. Well, upstairs is.”

“You live…” Rory started to say, then held up one hand. “We’ll continue this momentarily, once Trent is here too.”

He hurried outside to find Trent pacing impatiently.

“So, are there ghosts?” Trent said. “There must be something. You’ve been in there long enough.”

“Oh there’s definitely something, or to be precise someone. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

Trent’s eyes widened. “So you’ve finally met a ghost face-to-face?”

“Nope. I’ve met the upstairs neighbor. He’s far from a ghost, although”—he put his arm around Rory’s waist, urging him inside—“he’s not quite human either.”

Trent sighed. “Why am I not all that surprised?” He grinned. “I hope he’s not a werewolf. After all, they don’t exist.”

“In point of fact, they do,” Phillip said, stepping out of the office. “However I’m not one.”

“Trent, meet Philippe Robicheaux, aka Phillip Roberts, vampire.”

When Trent held out his hand as if meeting vampires was an everyday occurrence, Phillip shook it.  

“You don’t seem terribly surprised,” Phillip commented.

“I live with Rory. I spent time at a chateau with the woman who turned him and with some of her friends. No, I’m not the least bit surprised.”

“Humm. Most humans would run for the nearest stake rather than commit themselves to being friends with one of us,” Phillip said with a tight smile.

Trent grinned. “I suspect most humans aren’t in love with a vampire. I happen to love Rory, and once I got used to the idea of what he was…”

“Which took him a while,” Rory put in.

Trent shrugged. “An hour maybe, although it didn’t do much good since you decided to vanish into the moonlight.”

“That sounds like an interesting story,” Phillip said. “But for a later time. Now, I want to know what your plans are for this shop. I’m not exactly wild about people coming in and out at all hours of the day and night. It tends to disturb my… life.”

Between them, Rory and Trent explained what they had in mind. Phillip listened, nodding thoughtfully at times. Then he snapped his fingers. “You were the one who owned the tour company four years ago. I should have recognized you before now.”

“That would be me,” Rory agreed. “Did you live upstairs then? I was under the impression it was vacant. The Realtor said the building’s owner wasn’t interested in doing anything with the space and kept it locked so trespassers wouldn’t get hurt and sue him.”

Phillip grinned. “It was the best reason I could think of at the time, and I used it when I changed Realtors soon after your company—folded for lack of a better word.”

Death Becomes Him - 32

Rory and Trent met the Realtor at the building as planned. He gave them free rein to check out the space, which didn’t take long. It was basically one room with a bathroom and a small office through two doors at the rear. A third door along one wall of the main room led to stairs going up to the second floor, which was vacant according to the Realtor. Whoever had rented the shop space last had lined the walls with built-in shelves, leaving the area in the center open. There was track lighting with, the Realtor pointed out, all new bulbs.

“I think this will work well for what we have in mind,” Rory said, glancing at Trent.  

“You’re the boss, I’m just the money man,” Trent replied with a grin. That, to some extent, was the truth. He had money saved he was willing to loan Rory to pay the upfront costs like the first month’s rent and security.

‘Loan’ was the operative word at this point, despite his telling Rory he’d just give it to him. That had not sat well with his lover.

“I’m not going to become your kept ‘boy’,” Rory had stated adamantly. “I will make this work and pay you back every cent.”

Trent had instantly agreed. He totally understood where Rory was coming from. In some ways, Rory had been exactly that for the last four years while living with Emily, only without sex thrown into the bargain. He knew it had to grate on him at some level despite his having no real choice in the matter at first.

The Realtor was more than happy when Rory suggested they go back to his office to deal with the paperwork involved. When they got there, Trent took over to the extent of using all his information, personal and monetary, to fill out the lease. After all, to all intents and purposes, if the Realtor were to check, Rory was dead and buried in a grave a thousand miles or more from the city.

Once everything was settled and money had changed hands, the Realtor gave Trent the keys to the building. “If you need me for anything, feel free to call. And don’t forget to transfer the utilities to your name,” he added with a smile.

“Of course not.” Trent chuckled. “I do manage a hotel, and own my home; I know the ins-and-outs of things like that.”

The moment they’d left the Realtor’s office, Trent said with more than a trace of amusement, “I’m betting you want to go right back to your new building to search for ghosts.”

Rory grinned. “That thought did cross my mind.” Then he sobered. “There is something there although I couldn’t figure out what. I suspect it was staying well hidden because of you and the Realtor.”

“That means it probably won’t show itself if I’m there with you?”

“One way to find out,” Rory replied.

When they got to the building, Rory unlocked the front door. “Why don’t you wait out here for a minute? I’ll see if what I think I felt is still there or if”—he chuckled—“it was just my imagination.”

Trent nodded, leaning against the wall to wait.

Death Becomes Him - 31

For the next week, Trent worked during the day as always, then came home and spent as much time as he could with Rory until exhaustion forced him to go to bed. The shipping company delivered everything they’d sent home from France, which made Trent quite popular when he distributed gifts to all his employees.

Late Wednesday afternoon, after awakening, Rory made a call to the Realtor handling the building that used to house his tour company. To his surprise, the rent hadn’t gone up as much as he’d feared. When he asked, and he did, why it was vacant, the Realtor’s only reply was that he couldn’t seem to keep tenants for more than the length of their six-month lease. He suggested, although Rory didn’t quite believe him, that for some it wasn’t a good location and for others it was too small a space for what they had envisioned.

Sounds like something is going on with it. It’s a prime location, or was when I rented it. Have things really changed that much since I’ve been gone?

With that thought in mind, he set up an appointment with the Realtor to look at the building the next evening, explaining that his business partner had a day job and would only be available then. When Trent came home, he told him what he’d done.

Trent’s first question was, “Will you be able to run the company only after dark? Last time you were there during the day, or at least the afternoon, to sell tickets for the tours.”

“True, but I can set up things up differently. Maybe hire someone to do that, or”—he rapped his fingers on the table pensively—“play off what I am. Go the whole ‘spooky’ route. Something like, ‘Since this business is owned by a vampire, it is open from after dark until midnight’. Done tongue in cheek of course. I really don’t want to scare people off. Then I’ll dress all in black, pretty much the way I did before, but add dark glasses. After all according to some myths vampires are sensitive to bright light.” He snorted softly. “As if.”

Trent nodded. “That could work. Where are you going to find decent tour guides?”

“I’ll start by seeing if any of my old ones are around and available.”

“They might not be willing to chance working for you again,” Trent pointed out. “When you disappeared it left them high and dry.”

“Yeah.” Rory sighed. “I’ll figure something out. The first thing is to find out if there’s some reason other than what the Realtor said for his having trouble keeping tenants.”

“You think there might be?”

Rory nodded. “Most people hang on to a spot in the Quarter once they get one. It’s a money-making area and you know it. His losing tenants so fast tells me there’s something going on, whether he’s aware of it or not.”

Trent chuckled. “Maybe it haunted.”

“If it is, I never felt it.”

“Still…” Trent looked skeptically at Rory.

Rory smiled wryly. “I know, I know, you’re still not convinced it was anything but my fertile imagination.”

“Let’s just say I’ll believe it when I see one.”

“Maybe,” Rory replied, grinning, “you will tomorrow night.”