91 The Casual Encounter

"Finding someone is so complicated; I'm not a damn detective." Anton poured himself a glass of whiskey as he headed towards Ed Thompson's house. However, as soon as he reached the outskirts, a different guy was coming out, and it was the same one who was in class when he mentioned looking for Ed.

"How curious; are you a friend of Ed Thompson?" Anton looked at the guy, who seemed to be his age, so he spoke more confidently.

"We probably know each other. Do you need something?" The guy named Charley Brewster looked at Anton with a bit of suspicion and a very nervous tone.

Anton noticed all these indications, so he asked, "Is something wrong? You seem very nervous, so I'd like to know if everything is okay."

"I'm fine. Who are you, and why are you looking for Ed?" Charley asked, with a vigilant look at Anton.

"I don't like to be impolite, but I believe your friend is involved in something that concerns me. If you're related to him, we can talk about what I'm investigating." Anton said, handing Charley a business card.

Charley nodded, taking the card, and said, "By the way, you can call me Charley."

"Alright, Charley. Let me make things simple; tell me if you've heard about the strange investigations your friend has been doing on the internet." Anton didn't seem very serious when he said this, as he didn't truly believe it was related to a vampire. However, as soon as he asked this question, Charley's face seemed to change several times, and he mumbled, "Are you his friend?"

"You're not understanding me, but I think you will if your friend disappears. You can call me and tell me exactly who he was investigating before losing contact with him." Anton said, handing Charley his personal number.

Watching Anton walk away, Charley, from the corner of his eye, noticed a guitar case on the passenger seat and quickly distanced himself from his friend's house because he had found something sinister.

Returning home very late at night, Charley remembered how his friend believed the night before that his neighbor, named Jerry, was a vampire and that he killed people only at night because it was the time vampires went hunting. Everything would have continued like a bad joke if Ed had not disappeared without a trace, making Charley worry. After investigating more about his neighbor, the suspicious things surrounding him made Charley believe that he might be a damn vampire.

While thinking about all this, Charley returned the trash container to the back of his house. As he was returning, Jerry appeared very subtly at the backyard door.

"Hello!" Jerry greeted Charley while staring at him with a mocking smile.

"Hello..." Charley was scared. He didn't want to show it, but he wanted to run when he saw Jerry acting very strangely in front of him.

Jerry asked, seeing how Charley became nervous, "Can you do me a favor?"

"What favor?"

"Well, there's a girl I invited for a beer, and it turns out I don't have any in the fridge." Charley nodded, still nervous, and said, "Wow, that's a big problem."

"Give me a few, and I'll repay your mother and you double as soon as I restock tomorrow. What do you say?" Jerry didn't move from the patio entrance, as if there was a magnetic field that prevented him from entering.

"Sure, wait, and I'll see if we have any beer in the fridge." Charley remembered his friend's words not to invite a vampire into his house because, once invited, he wouldn't be able to enter. Jerry understood that Charley knew he was a vampire just by feeling the beating of his heart and all the other signs of being disturbed. He knew he had to kill him now. For the moment, the only way to do it was if Charley invited him inside; otherwise, he would have to find some other method.

"That's fine."

"Just give me a moment." Charley entered his house through the back door, and Jerry followed very slowly. Listening to the steps and feeling that sensation of being present to a predator made Charley even more scared. However, he didn't lose his composure and said, "Let me see if we have some. My mom is one of those women who always buys without alcohol."

Jerry nodded his head; his handsome and very white appearance were something that could make any woman tempted to invite him home. His eyes and gaze were very dominant, and his subtle movements were filled with maturity, thanks to his rich experience.

Looking at Charley, Jerry focused on observing his house. Every detail is essential, especially when he needs to know everything about his victims.

"You have a nice kitchen." Jerry pointed at Charley and said, "The furniture is good."

Charley nodded and said, "Thanks."

Every second was more suffocating; the feeling of being watched by a predator made Charley lose strength in his hands, and he accidentally dropped a beer.

Crack!

This sound made Jerry's expression change. He looked at the mess and asked, "Do you want me to help you pick that up?"

"No, no, no, I'll do it." Charley said, being completely sure that Jerry was a vampire.

Just seeing that he didn't enter his house was more than enough to know. Vampires need an invitation, so Jerry couldn't enter the house no matter what happened.

"I'm sorry there aren't six beers." Jerry took courage, approached the back door of Charley's house, and handed him the beer box. When he saw that Jerry was reaching out to take them, Charley pulled his hand back inside the house.

Jerry didn't say anything, but his penetrating gaze focused on Charley's foolish actions. He only made the desire to kill him grow, but maintaining composure, he said, "The woman I invited home was hard to convince. Some women need to... We have to dominate them."

Looking into the distance inside Charley's house, he said, "Your father left home, didn't he? Your mother didn't say it exactly, but it shows, right? The abandonment—I smell those things. I see that you endure many things being just a kid, living alone with your mother, and your girl Amy; she's very sexy, so surely many guys are dying to sleep with her, and your mother too."

Jerry smiled subtly, staring at Charley, looking for him to make a mistake, and asked, "Don't you see it? Well, maybe you do, but she shows too much. Your duty is to take care of them. Are you ready for that?"

"Yes, I'm sure..." Charley was very scared, but he still responded.

"That's good because there are many bad people out there, Charley. Everyone has to take care of their business. Thanks for the beers." Jerry said it with a cold smile.

Charley, who knew Jerry was giving him a death sentence, closed the door. His heart was beating very fast, and his sweaty hands were trembling. Only now did he know that his neighbor was a damn vampire.

"I'm in trouble..."