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[New Scarlett MacAleister)
? ?
? ? ? ? ? ?Scarlett parked
her bike outside Eddie's BBQ. Her keen sense of smell took in
the delicious odor of the barbecue coming from the stovepipe
on the back of the place and she remembered family picnics
when she was a girl growing up in Chicago. Sometimes she
missed things like food almost as much as she missed family
and friends who were long gone.?
? ? ? ? ?As a vampire who had
been reluctant to feed on people to survive, save for the
occasional criminal or scumbag whom she was going to kill
anyway. She survived off blood stolen from blood banks in the
area and sometimes bought in the Raconteur underground. It was
not an ideal way for a vampire to survive, but it was a way of
life she had grown used to.
? ? ? ? The redhead walked
into the BBQ joint and found Jimmy Buffet music playing on a
jukebox. There were only a handful of people in the place,
mostly around the bar having a drink. She sauntered up to the
bar and took a chair as Eddie turned from talking to another
customer and greeted her with a biug smile.
? ? ? "Good evening, pretty
lady," he said, pouring on the charm. "What can I get you?"
? ? ? Alcohol did nothing for
Scarlett, but she had loved it in her mortal life and at times
she would have a glass, even though it no longer had the same
affect. Still, in order to fit in at human establishments she
sometime would partake. A glass or two would be fine -- much
more than that and it would make her ill. Even vampires had
their limitations, or so it seemed.
? ? ?"A glass of merlot?" she
asked.
? ? Eddie laughed, "You are
quite the lady, ordering wine in a BBQ joint."
? ? "You seem quite worldly,"
she smiled. "If you don't have any..."
? ? He raised his hands, "Say
no more dear lady, merlot coming right up."
? ? As he poured her a glass,
she looked around the restaurant and saw very few people here.
It was a weeknight and the place was close to shutting down
for the night. She took the glass and smiled at the bartender,
"Cheers," she said, raising her glass.
? ? "So, I'm Eddie and this
is my place," he smiled. "I'm going to jump to conclusions
here and take a guess that you're not here to check out the
wine in my BBQ place?"
? ? Scarlett smiled and
reached into her jacket, pulling the photo of Billy Wright
from the pocket. She placed the photo on the bar and looked at
Eddie, "Recognize him?"
? ?Eddie looked at the photo
and slowly nodded, his mood suddenly turning sad. "That's
Billy. You police?"
? ?"P.I.," she said. "The
family of a young man in New Orleans hired me to look into his
murder. The case is similar to Billy's murder. Do you know
anything about Billy? Who might have wanted him dead?"
? ?Eddie took a deep breath and slowly shook his head, "The
boy got himself on the wrong track. It's a shame. But I didn't
into his business. Sorry."
? ?She sensed he was holding
back. Scarlett sipped the wine and slowly nodded, "Know anyone
who might?" Eddie looked up and across the room at a pair of
men sitting at a table....
Scott