Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 03

"Twelve," Grace said. She sorted through the mountain of papers in her file cabinet, frantically searching for the one she needed.

Ted approached, holding a plate of eggs and bacon.

"Breakfast?" he asked, amused.

Grace grabbed a handful of bacon and took a bite, leaving the rest on the plate.

"That's right, twelve," Joe said over the phone, unsure what Grace was getting at. She pulled a folder from her cabinet and slapped it on her desk.

"I have here an invoice, dated December 5, 2009, listing the transport of thirteen coffins to Catherine's house. Thirteen! It looks like we're one short."

"I don't see how this helps us," Joe said.

"It means there's something in Catherine's house we haven't found yet. We find it, maybe we find what brought Lukas back there."

"Grace..."

"I'll see you there." Grace hung up. She looked up at her husband, who stared back at her. For the first time, she was suddenly aware she was naked.

"Shut up," Grace said.

* * * * *

"We never actually went down into the basement," Paul LeClair said. "We were too disturbed by what happened down there. Now I kind of wish we'd taken a closer look."

He seemed to be stalling for time. Grace could tell Paul really did not want to go down into the basement. Her heart ached for the poor widower.

"We don't know for sure if anything's there, Mr. LeClair," Joe said. "My partner's acting on a hunch, that's all."

"Well, anything that might help you find the son of a bitch who killed my wife," Paul said. His face sank when he realized he couldn't delay the inevitable. He led Grace and Joe down into the basement, and was shaking as he went.

"You don't have to come down with us if it makes you uncomfortable, Mr. LeClair," Grace said.

"I'll be all right," he said. The house was eerily silent except for their footsteps. Paul was grateful for the company of the two detectives, as he hadn't had any visitors all day.

He flicked on a light switch, and illuminated the dim cellar. The wine shelf concealing the hidden passage had been removed, giving the detectives a clear view down the corridor.

"Let's go have a look," Grace said. She took the lead; Joe followed, while Paul remained a safe distance behind. She made her way to the end of the wall, and opened the large metal door leading to Catherine's washroom.

After turning a switch, the lights flickered and illuminated the large dank washroom. The sturdy chain still hung over the empty bathtub, which sat ominously in the center of the room, stained with the blood of thirty-eight virgins.

Paul gasped.

"I have to get out of here," he said, cupping his hand to his mouth. He hurried out of the basement and rushed upstairs.

Grace and Joe searched the room, examining every corner. The screams of Sarah Wainwright echoed in Grace's head, and she said a silent prayer for all of the other girls who'd met their end in this room.

"We're not finding what we need here, Grace," Joe said. Grace glared back at him.

"There's something here. We just have to find it."

"Where?" Joe threw up his arms. "We searched this place inside and out after the arrest."

"Where were the other coffins?"

"In the storage room back there. It's empty now."

Grace proceeded to the washroom exit and Joe reluctantly followed. She stopped outside the first door on the left and pointed. Joe nodded.

The storage room was empty as Joe assured her. Grace shined a flashlight around the room, inspecting every corner. Only cobwebs and footprints in the dust remained. Still, Grace could not get over the feeling she and Joe were not alone in this room.

"Evidence took all of them out. There's nothing left in here," Joe said.

Indeed, the room was empty. But she had to be certain. Grace shined her flashlight across the floor, and stopped.

"Does that look like a bloodstain to you?" she asked.

Joe knelt down and examined the dark spot on the concrete floor, near the edge of the wall.

"Yeah." he said. "Looks like it leaked out from the wall."

Grace knelt next to Joe and examined the concrete wall. She ran her fingers between each brick, and realized they were not held together with mortar.

"It's a false wall," Grace said.

"You got to be kidding me."

Grace pulled the wall apart, brick by brick until she uncovered a secret compartment behind it. She shined her flashlight inside.

"Take a look," Grace said.

Joe ducked his head and peered inside the hidden room. There was a wooden coffin.

"Shit. You were right."

Grace shot Joe a defiant stare and attempted to crawl into the small compartment. She stopped.

"I can't," she said, clutching her belly. "Get it out for me?"

Joe crawled on his hands and knees into the compartment and pushed the wooden coffin. He grunted. It was heavy, definitely not empty. Joe grabbed the coffin by the edge with one hand and the side with the other and yanked it hard, sliding the heavy casket across the concrete floor and out through the false wall. It took three hard pulls, but he finally slid it out into the storage room. He stopped, panting.

"Something's inside, that's for sure."

Grace wasted no time opening the lid. She pulled the coffin open and peered inside, and gasped.

Joe looked into the coffin and felt a pit form in his stomach.

"It's him," he said.

There, in the coffin, was Lukas Balko. His hair was snow white, his skin dark gray. He did not breathe or twitch as Grace shined her light across his face. Still, Joe was compelled to take his pulse.

"Nothing," he said. "He's dead. You found him, Grace."

* * * * *

Grace was greeted with applause the next time she walked into the station. Everyone, from every department, had gathered around and clapped loudly the moment she stepped inside.

Captain Pillar stepped forward, and extended his hand.

"Fine work, Harker," he said, shaking her hand. "You're a credit to the force."

Grace reluctantly shook his hand back.

"We, uh, still have a lot of work to do," Grace said. She looked at the crowd of faces; coworkers, friends, acquaintances, all happy for her.

"Of course," Pillar said. "But you found your man. A six-year-long manhunt ends today. That's commendable."

Grace blushed and thanked the captain.

"Now you can take your maternity leave without this hanging over you," Joe said, chuckling.

An officer held up her hand, and Grace high-fived her.

"Go Grace!" another officer shouted.

"Excuse me," Grace said.

To everyone's surprise, Grace hurried away to a walk-in storage room, and slammed the door. She let out a long breath, and cried silently to herself.

They were going to close the case. She knew they would. They would close the case, and Lukas was still going to be out there, because he wasn't just dead. He was undead. She couldn't prove it, but she knew it was true.

She took out her phone and dialed her husband. The phone rang seven times before he answered.

"Hello?" Ted said, panting.

"I just want you to know, I won't be coming home tonight," Grace said. "We had a breakthrough on a big case, so there's a lot of work to do. I'll be here all night."

"Okay, I'll take Kayla out for burgers when I get home."

"You at the gym?"

There was a pause.

"Yeah. Just got a set done. About to hit the showers," Ted said, still sounding a touch out of breath.

"Don't push yourself too hard. How are you feeling?"

"Great. I think I might be beating this thing."

"Good. I'll see you in the morning."

"See you, too. I love you."

Grace hung up her phone. There was something off about Ted's voice. Grace couldn't place it, but his voice seemed higher pitched than normal. She could tell there was something he wasn't telling her. Most likely he wasn't being upfront on the real status if his health. He'd been assuring her for months he was getting better, and was instead growing gradually worse.

Grace decided she'd have a talk with him when she got home, in the morning.

She was thumbing through a copy of her newly purchased book, The Kiss of Death: Twenty-One True Accounts of Succubus Seductions, when Joe Pratt stopped by her desk carrying a bag of takeout Chinese.

"Nothing like a little light reading after a long workday?" Joe smirked.

"You might find it enjoyable if you ever tried it," Grace shot back, then smiled. Joe held up the bag.

"Brought you some late lunch," he said. Grace immediately slammed shut her book.

"You are a lifesaver!" she said. Quickly, she tore open the bag and dug into a container of chicken lo mein.

"Guess that was the right call," Joe chuckled. "Pregnant girls sure love food."

"We also have an acute sense of smell. That cologne you're wearing reeks," Grace mumbled between bites.

"Does it really?" Joe asked, sniffing himself. "I'm meeting my girl after work. The saleslady at Macy's said this stuff was guaranteed to drop her panties. Well, not in those words, but-"

"Your girl? Not 'a' girl?" Grace asked, feigning confusion.

"Yeah, smartass," Joe said, taking a seat beside her. "We've been going out a few weeks now. I like her a lot."

Grace looked up at her partner.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Joe Pratt?"

Joe grabbed an egg roll from the container and took a bite.

"Her name's Erika. I met her barhopping. But- she's not the kind of girl that normally does that. Her friend made her go."

Grace smiled.

"Well, I can't wait to meet the girl who made Joe Pratt decide to settle down. She must be one special lady."

Joe gave her a slight nod of agreement.

"And she's got the finest little ass, too." He grinned.

Grace rolled her eyes, realizing she was talking to the real Joe Pratt after all. She took another bite of her food.

"Ted been doing any better?" he asked.

Grace's expression immediately turned to a scowl.

"I'll take that as a no."

Grace let out a long sigh, and Joe braced himself for a rant.

"The man barely has the energy to get out of bed, but somehow can make it to the gym every other night." She slammed her food container on her desk.

"You don't think he's... stepping out on you, do you?"

Grace shook her head.

"Ted's just not the type. Any other guy I could see it, but Ted's always been on the level with me."

Grace regaled Joe with a story from three years earlier. Ted attended a bachelor party for one of his college roommates. Dewey Whitton, the groom's brother, had gone all out for the party. Las Vegas suite, open bar, with four exotic dancers, two of whom were Playboy centerfolds. During the party, one of the playmates offered Ted a complete package. Her and him, alone in the bedroom, anything he wanted. Ted simply held up his left hand, said "married" and walked out. Dewey approached Grace at the wedding the next day and told her "you've got a hell of a man" and told her what happened.

To Grace, it simply wasn't possible, even in light of all of Ted's peculiar behavior, that now he might be pruning a neighbor's bush. She had the kind of unshakable trust in her husband that most women couldn't dream of having.

"Ouch!" Grace clutched her side painfully.

"You okay?" Joe asked.

"Just pregnancy pains. I'll be fine." She rubbed her belly and winced. "I try to ask Ted, I BEG Ted, to rub my belly for me, and he can't go ten seconds before claiming he's too tired."

Joe glanced around, and saw the station was emptying out for the night.

"If you want, I'd be happy to."

Grace looked at him.

"I don't know if that'd be a good idea."

"Just offering." Having finished his food, Joe rose to his feet. "Enjoy your dinner. I'll see you in the morning."

As he turned to leave, Grace stopped him.

"Joe?" He turned to face her.

"Could you?"

He nodded. He returned to his chair and slid up to Grace's side. She lifted her shirt, exposing her round and full belly. Joe rested his palms on her, and gently kneaded her flesh between his fingers. Grace let out a relaxed breath.

"That does feel good," she muttered.

He rubbed his hands around and about, gently caressing away her aches and pains. Grace sighed, pleased to finally be able to indulge and relax for the first time in ages. As Joe continued rubbing her, he soon felt a kick from the nestling baby within.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Joe asked.

"I'm not telling you if I wear thongs to work."

Joe smirked.

"Is your husband circumcised?" he asked, running his thumbs around her belly button.

"Yeah."

"You ever done it with an uncut guy?"

Slowly Grace nodded.

"Only if you count... Balko." It was painful saying his name.

"I don't. Sorry, didn't mean to bring that up."

"Why do you ask?"

Joe sighed.

"Erika. She's- well let's just say, not a fan of the foreskin. She wants me to get mine removed."

"Tell her to jump in a lake," Grace said. "There's plenty other tail out there."

Joe shrugged.

"She's not the first girl to say that to me. Plus, I actually kind of like her. A lot. I'm actually thinking about doing it."

Grace let out an amused giggle.

"You really have changed!" Grace laughed. "I can't believe YOU, of all guys, would cut off part of your dick just to please a chick! You dumped that one girl, Roxie, or Rozzie, because she didn't like your shirt!"

"I know. I just- want to know what you think."

Grace took another bite of her lo mein.

"I think you should do what you want."

"Of course. But, I'm asking you, as a woman, what do you prefer?"

Grace folded her hands.

"Cut."

Joe nodded. "My sister said the same thing."

"It is a popular opinion," Grace said. "But it's your choice."

His phone chimed. He took it out and read it.

"It's her. She's downstairs waiting for me. Want to meet her?"

Grace sat up and pulled her shirt back down, concealing her belly.

"I really have a lot of work to do here. Rain check?"

"I'm sure you'll get a chance."

He got up from his chair as Grace thanked him for the lunch, and watched him leave the station. Quickly, Grace gathered her belongings and crept out of the station as well.

"Go home, Harker," Captain Pillar said, as he passed her in the hallway. "You've earned a night of rest."

"Right behind you, Captain," Grace said. With her book under her arm, she discarded her takeout box in the trash and made her way to the exit. Rather than take a right to the parking lot, Grace took a left: to the station morgue. She flashed her badge and the attendant let her in.

The cool air of the morgue sent a tingle up her spine when she entered. The fluorescent lights flickered above her, illuminating the cold room. Grace put her nervousness out of her head as her shoes clicked on the hard tile floor below, echoing down the hallway.

There were three bodies laying out on examination tables. One was a victim of an armed robbery. Another was Marianne LeClair. The third was Lukas Balko.

Grace pulled the sheet back from Balko's body, and stared at the killer's corpse. The preliminary report listed his cause of death as heart failure. Grace was not so easily convinced.

He still had the crucifix-shaped scar on his chest as he had the last time she'd seen him. While he looked significantly older, and much less alive, he did look to be the same man who attacked her in the shower eight months earlier.

Grace stepped away and walked towards the other bodies. Only one table over lay the body of Balko's most recent victim: Marianne LeClair. Almost without thinking, Grace nudged the table holding Marianne's body, putting a few more inches of space between the killer and his victim.

She pulled back the sheet covering Marianne's body, and gasped at what she saw. Just like Riley Pierson, Balko's previous victim, Marianne's skin had gone pale white after just a few hours. Her blonde hair had lost its luster, and had become stiff and brittle. Her lips, fingernails, even her nipples, had become as colorless as the rest of her body. Grace stared at Marianne, reflecting on what a beautiful woman she had once been.

Grace pulled the sheet back over Marianne's body, and turned her attention back to Lukas. An inspection inside his mouth showed normal teeth; nothing that matched the deep fang marks on Marianne's neck. She hoped that Lukas' autopsy would uncover some clue as to how this was possible.

"Chilling, isn't it?" a voice said.

Grace jumped as she turned to face Dr. Newbern, the attending doctor. He held up his hands.

"Didn't mean to startle you!" he said. "Just here to put the bodies away."

She watched as Dr. Newbern put Lukas, Marianne, and the robbery victim's bodies into separate refrigeration units.

"I'm closing up for the night. You coming out?" he asked.

"Right behind you, doc," Grace said.

She waited for him to leave, and took a seat on the stool next to the morgue door. Grace stared unflinchingly at the refrigerator door that held Lukas' body. She drew a crucifix from her purse and laid it on the table next her. No matter how long she stared, the refrigerator door did not budge. Grace remained where she was.

She sat in that stool for the entire night.

* * * * *

She must have nodded off, because when she opened her eyes, the refrigerator door was open, and Lukas' body was gone. Her heart skipped three beats, and she reached for the crucifix she'd left nearby. It was also missing.

Her heart raced as she scrambled to her feet. Not only was Lukas missing, she could see Marianne and the armed robbery victim were no longer in their units either. Instead they both stood across the room, staring at her. Their dead eyes, devoid of pupils, glowed in the darkness.

Grace reached for the light switch, but found none in sight. She turned the doorknob, and found it was locked.

Marianne and the other dead man walked towards her, slowly, one step after another, directly towards Grace. As they stepped out of the shadows, she caught a glimpse of the face of the dead man. He looked chillingly like Officer Benny Mitchel. Her former partner.

"No!" Grace screamed. "Get away from me!"

She flipped over an empty table, blocking their path towards her. She turned and ran.

"Grace!" she heard Marianne moan. Grace ran faster. She'd taken only two steps before feeling something grab her hair, and she couldn't move.

Struggling, Grace reached for her gun, and noticed not only that it was missing, but that her shirt was stained with blood. Lifting it, she found to her horror, a large gash ran all the way from the top of her belly to her pelvis, and was sewn together crudely with stitches. Her swollen pregnant belly was now flat.

"Oh my God!" Grace cried with horror.

She turned to face the person or thing that was grabbing her hair, and found it was Lukas, who had blood and gore dripping from his mouth and covering his chin.

"How do you like that?" Lukas hissed.

Grace screamed. Lukas grabbed her by the throat and held her down on an examination table. Marianne and Benny held down her arms while Lukas produced a dagger in his hand, that seemed to materialize out of his flesh.

"No! Oh God, help me!" Grace wailed.

"He can't help you now!" Lukas growled.

Struggling and screaming, Grace lay helplessly as Lukas plunged the dagger into her chest. She could feel it sink through her rib cage and directly into her heart, and felt pain and agony overtake her entire body.

"Grace!"

Grace opened her eyes. Joe stood in front of her. The lights were on. Lukas and the other bodies were still locked away. She looked to her left, and found the crucifix still in its place. Her belly was full and pregnant once again.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Joe asked. Grace stared back at him, confused. "Were you here all night?"

She nodded. Joe shook his head, exasperated.