Blueblood: A Dark Southern Aristocracy - 39. He Isn't Who He Claims

“Okay, he may not exist?” I asked.

“Aliases are common,” Mark said folding his arms over his chest. “All he needs is an ID, which he can get with an address where’s he receiving mail.” He said as Stan was again typing. Mark looked over at the screen. “Do you know this area of…” he looked closer. “…John’s Island?”

I gave a shrug. “I know the island, but I’ve not been there in a while. It’s developing very quickly.” I thought about it for a minute. “When Mom was growing up on the neighboring island, she and most others thought John’s Island was a little remote. A lot of farms and kind of…where the hicks lived. Now it’s become chic. Everyone’s moving there. Maybe he moved there?”

Stan gave a doubtful look. “Maybe, is this him?” The image of a man I had never seen was on the big screen. This man was heavier and not the man we met.

I shook my head. “Absolutely not! Is he the one that lives…where you say?” I shook my head again. “I mean…is that the man that lives there?”

Stan nodded. “According to the records.”

“I need to find who this man is. I mean, the one who was dating my mother.” I said out loud in thought. Then I thought about Mom. “This is going to be upsetting for Mom,” I said a little mournfully.

Mark nodded. “But she needs to know before it gets too serious.”

I nodded getting up. “She was the one that told me about her suspicions. Still…” I looked at Stan and Mark. “I’ll tell Colin, but I won’t say anything to her yet.” I shrugged but grinned at them. “Carry on.” I waved at them. “Feel free expressing affection, but like I said the last time I walked in and you were…doing something like you were…PG, guys.”

Mark grinned a little evil. “With you…maybe we’d dare an R?”

Stan reached back swatting Mark lightly, not enough to hurt, but Mark jumped back with a grin.

“Very mature, Mark,” Stan growled. He looked at me. “I’ll do another search with the name. Does your mother have a picture? We can do the facial recognition if she does.” Then patted the computer again. “With Buddy here, it will take half the time. He’ll breeze through the Facial Recognition Program.” He smiled and now rubbed the surface.

Mark’s eyes rolled. “Do you want to alone with Buddy? Just remember, no body fluids on the computer.”

Stan ignored him as he nodded to me. “If she has even one on her phone, I can do the search. I’ll do all I can.”

I smiled walking over to them and hugged them both. “Thanks, guys.”

I went back to our apartment. Entering, I saw Colin watching TV. He watched occasionally and since we were watching Willie now, he had started doing it a lot more. He smiled as I came over.

“What did you find out?” He asked turning the TV’s volume down.

I sighed. “There is a David Braun, but the man we met wasn’t him.”

Colin nodded. “Your mother suspected this…or at least suspected he was hiding something.”

I nodded. “Stan’s doing a more thorough search.” I looked around the room. “Is Willie asleep?” I asked not seeing anyone else.

Colin shook his head with a grin and waved back to the balcony. “It seems the McGees are very charming people.”

I looked to see Willie with my mother sitting on the couch we had out there. They weren’t physically close, but Mom was giving Willie her undivided attention as she listened carefully. Her arm was over the back as she was turned to face Willie a little. Willie was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as he was saying something quietly. I couldn’t help myself as I grinned. “You know that’s the other reason I invited her up here?” I said to Colin.

Colin’s eyes grew a little. “Hoping to get them together?”

I gave a shrugging nod. “Not together, but…” I waved at them. “…together. Mom’s a great lady. I knew if anyone could bring Willie out, she could.”

“As in therapy?” Colin asked.

“Being a friend is therapy.” I nodded. “He’s family, so is she.” I sat by Colin. “I would trust Willie with my mother and I haven’t known him that long. There would be problems if Willie got involved with Mom.”

Colin nodded. “Same as it was for us. She’ll age, he won’t.” He looked back at Willie. “I don’t know if he remembers how to…” Colin grinned bring two hands together and the fingers touched and did something with his hands that told me exactly what he was saying. “…you know.”

I raise a finger to Colin. “One more time, this is my mother. She doesn’t just…” I did the same with my hands as Colin did. “…you know,” I said pointedly. “I’m thirty and you’re…older.” I grinned. “Can’t you say what it is?”

Colin chuckled as he leaned closer kissing me. “Because it is your mother, I didn’t just say sex.” He looked at Willie. “I wonder, if it’s like riding a bike, you never forget.” Then he looked at me. “You haven’t forgotten how to do…you know, have you?”

I grinned. “Want to find out?” I looked back at Mom and Willie. “I think they’re okay out there.”

Colin smiled rising, taking my hand. “Let’s see if you remember.”

There’s only one thing as good as love after dark. Spontaneous love in the afternoon! Neither of us had forgotten how to…you know.

I’m happy to say it was a few hours before we cleaned up and went back out to the great room.

Mom and Willie had left the balcony and were watching TV. Mom smiled at us as we came back in. “William has something to say.”

My eyebrows rose. “William?” I grinned.

Mom chuckled. “Willie just is so…juvenile sounding.”

Willie smiled and nodded. “I decided to have George do that…” he did a circle toward his own head with a finger. “…thing to get the shrapnel out.”

Colin and I sat near him. “Okay,” I said.

Colin nodded. “You know George is good at…pretty much everything medical.”

I smiled at Willie. “We’ll be right there. You won’t be alone.”

Willie chuckled. “And I’ll be awake!”

I grinned. “Yes, you will be.”

Colin smiled also. “We’ll set a time with George.”

I nodded at my mother and mouthed a thank you. She just smiled and shrugged.

“You are right, Devon,” Willie said. “I was running away from it all. It was easier than facing what happened. Maybe if I have this procedure, I can handle it better.” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

I smiled. “It might help, yes, but in order for this to work, you will have to be able to talk to…whoever you trust.”

Willie grinned at me sheepishly. “That would be you, Devon. I feel I can tell you anything.”

I wanted to make sure he knew. “I’m not a therapist. I’ve not had the training.”

Willie chuckled and shrugged. “You got me to see what I was doing. Clearly, that was what I was doing for a century. You were right about my going underground. The lapses I had there were lighter, but managed to confuse my memory.”

I smiled bigger. “That’s great, Willie! How’d you come to realize that?”

Willie looked at my mother and smiled at her. “She helped me see that.”

Mom smiled. “I just told him what you may have done. He came to the decision himself. About what you were trying to do and having the shrapnel removed.”

“I trust you, Devon,” Willie said.

“This will still take time. Those memories are buried so deep, they will be hard to get out.”

Willie nodded. “I know.”

Colin smiled slapping his knees. “This is great!” He stood up and rubbed his hands together. “I say…let’s eat!”

I rolled my eyes. “We were going to eat anyway.”

Colin nodded. “Now we can enjoy it more! More reason!” He waggled his eyebrows. “What about trying something, Willie?”

Willie looked curious. “Like what?”

“Maybe go to Vamps?” He said hopefully. “Maybe try to be with other people?”

Willie looked uncertain. “What if it triggers another episode?”

“If it does, Willie. We’ll deal with it.” I said quietly. “It’s a member’s only restaurant. There won’t be many there. If you feel like something is happening…”

Willie frowned. “I don’t know until I’m in an episode.”

“We’ll deal with it,” I said. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

Willie looked at Mom. “Let’s do this!” He chuckled. “I hope I remember my table manners.”

I chuckled. “You’ll do fine.”

Willie was a little self-conscious, but he did well. He did look often at the few other customers. The other customers didn’t notice or care that Willie was there. Most I’d seen before and worked either at VUN or somewhere else in the building. These customers may not have been aware of what Vamps really was, but it was very good and to be allowed in was sought by many. It was a pleasant meal, but I sensed Willie was getting more upset as the meal progressed. Finally, I suggested we go back to the apartment. Willie had to excuse himself to relax, but Colin went with him to be sure he was okay.

“What did you find out about David?” Mom asked out of the blue.

I nodded and thought how the best way I should say it. “It’s questionable.”

Mom turned me around to face her. “What does that mean?”

“Stan is this great guy on a computer. Our computer here is linked with the computer at the FBI.” I began. “I saw where David Braun lived.”

Mom nodded. “So, he is who he says he is?”

I frowned and shook my head. “No. The man I saw on the computer, who has the account at the bank in Atlanta, isn’t the man you introduced.”

I was not surprised that she wasn’t too upset. She nodded. “And we have no idea who he is?”

I smiled. “Do you have a photo of him?”

At first, Mom shook her head, then brightened. “Wait, I do!” She smiled getting her phone out. “Janice…you remember her? A friend I knew was at this party with us…she took a picture of us and then sent it to me. David…or whoever he is…doesn’t know about it.” She pulled up the pictures on her phone and handed me the phone and showed one of her and that man together. It was a good picture of his face.

I smiled. “This should do the trick. Can I send it to my email?”

Mom nodded. “Sure.”

“I’ll send it to Stan. He will use the computer we have and do a face recognition.” I said smiling. “He claims it should be faster.” I shrugged. “We’ll see.” I did what I said and handed the phone back. Looking at her, I felt sorry this had happened. So, I said. “I’m sorry.”

Mom gave a small smile back. “I’m a big girl. It will be fine.” Then she added putting her hand on my arm. “I’ll be fine.” She assured.

I sent the image to Stan with a note this was the man we had met as David Braun. “And thank you for talking to Willie.” I chuckled. “Or, should I say, William.”

Mom laughed. “I just felt…calling him that was more respectful. The name William gives that sense of pride.”

I nodded. “We all love Willie.”

“I know.” Mom smiled. “I just wanted Willie to understand, I see him as a man. I just asked if he liked what his life was before? Was it better now and would it be better if he got the shrapnel removed.” She smiled. “He decided it could get better.”

I hugged her. “Thank you.”

Before we got more involved with who the man was, we scheduled Willie with George. George prepped Willie and had gotten two others that worked with him to assist. This time George looked very much like the doctor he was with the mask and scrubs. And it began. He made a small incision and talked with Willie the whole time. He had Willie’s head in a contraption that kept Willie’s head completely still. Colin, Mother and I waited. It was the worst six and a half hours before George came out of his lab with a tired sigh, but smiled. “I got them out.” He said wiping his face with a cloth. “He’s still awake if you want to see him. He’ll need time to recover, but I think we’ll see some improvement soon.”

We visited with Willie a few minutes and then left him to sleep a while. After we’d done that, Colin and I went down to the Control Room. Stan was still at the computer when we arrived.

“You have an apartment here,” I said smiling. “Don’t you ever go home?”

“I am!” Stan said and gave a thin smile. “I found out who he is.” He handed us a tablet. He ran a finger over the screen’s surface. “His name is Stephen Benedict. He is from Charleston.”

I looked at the man’s image and it was the man we thought was David Braun. I read the information on the screen. “Do we know who he works for?”

Stan frowned. “His employment was the problem. The company he’s employed by is a dummy corporation. What’s also interesting is that a dummy corporation’s owner is also unknown.”

Colin looked at me. “You’re thinking what I am, aren’t you?”

I nodded. “We’ll be finding out who this other vampire is in Charleston.”

Colin grinned and nodded, but worried more. “You know, whoever it is like you said, has been around a long time and knows how to cover tracks.” He looked at me seriously. “I can’t help but feels like we’re being guided.”

“You think David…or rather Stephen did it on purpose?”

Colin suddenly looked up as he realized more. “My god, if he’s working for this vampire, there could be others.” His eyes grew as he realized even more. “The reason we can’t find out where this vampire hunts…is because it doesn’t.”

“You think people are giving their blood willingly?” I asked.

Colin nodded and began to pace in that circle again. “The reason we’re not finding victims is that there aren’t any.” He turned to me. “Just like Burke has those sheep which gives that blood to be consumed…this vampire may have people who give their blood. They aren’t bitten so no venom given or needed and no other vampires are created. There are those that willingly give their blood to this vampire. No hunting needed.”

I nodded. “I see that. You think we’re being led?”

Colin gave a shrug. “I don’t know if it was on purpose, but this guy, David or Stephen, could be a link.” He looked at me suddenly. “It could also be a test.”

“A test? To see if we get it?” I asked.

Colin nodded. “We need to get back to Charleston.”

Mark came closer. “You’ll need back up.” He said firmly. “Stan and I will go as well.”

Colin smiled but shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”

Mark pulled up his shirt to show the cut across his abdomen. “I know that all too well. It is dangerous and not just for me, but you two as well.”

Stan nodded coming up behind Mark. “That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” He agreed standing just behind Mark. “I know Shelly and Chuck will want to come as well. Perhaps even George and Burke. We all should go.” He put his hand on Mark’s shoulder. “We should all do this.”

Colin smiled at me. “I’ll make the arrangements.”