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I was left standing with my mouth open.

Do him proud indeed.

Chapter 4

HALF THE PATRONS of Merlotte’s thought Bill had had a hand in the markings on the women’s bodies. The other 50 percent thought that some of the vampires from bigger towns or cities had bitten Maudette and Dawn when they were out barhopping, and they deserved what they got if they wanted to go to bed with vampires. Some thought the girls had been strangled by a vampire, some thought they had just continued their promiscuous ways into disaster.

But everyone who came into Merlotte’s was worried that some other woman would be killed, too. I couldn’t count the times I was told to be careful, told to watch my friend Bill Compton, told to lock my doors and not let anyone in my house. . . . As if those were things I wouldn’t do, normally.

Jason came in for both commiseration and suspicion as a man who’d “dated” both women. He came by the house one day and held forth for a whole hour, while Gran and I tried to encourage him to keep going with his work like an innocent man would. But for the first time in my memory, my handsome brother was really worried. I wasn’t exactly glad he was in trouble, but I wasn’t exactly sorry, either. I know that was small and petty of me.

I am not perfect.

I am so not-perfect that despite the deaths of two women I knew, I spent a substantial amount of time wondering what Bill meant about doing him proud. I had no idea what constituted appropriate dress for visiting a vampire bar. I wasn’t about to dress in some kind of stupid costume, as I’d heard some bar visitors did.

I sure didn’t know anyone to ask.

I wasn’t tall enough or bony enough to dress in the sort of spandex outfit the vampire Diane had worn.

Finally I pulled a dress from the back of my closet, one I’d had little occasion to wear. It was a Nice Date dress, if you wanted the personal interest of whoever was your escort. It was cut square and low in the neck and it was sleeveless. It was tight and white. The fabric was thinly scattered with bright red flowers with long green stems. My tan glowed and my boobs showed. I wore red enamel earrings and red high-heeled screw-me shoes. I had a little red straw purse. I put on light makeup and wore my wavy hair loose down my back.

Gran’s eyes opened wide when I came out of my room.

“Honey, you look beautiful,” she said. “Aren’t you going to be a little cold in that dress?”

I grinned. “No, ma’am, I don’t think so. It’s pretty warm outside.”

“Wouldn’t you like to wear a nice white sweater over that?”

“No, I don’t think so.” I laughed. I had pushed the other vampires far enough back in my mind to where looking sexy was okay again. I was pretty excited about having a date, though I had kind of asked Bill myself and it was more of a fact-finding mission. That, too, I tried to forget, so I could just enjoy myself.

Sam called me to tell me my paycheck was ready. He asked if I’d come in and pick it up, which I usually did if I wasn’t going to work the next day.

I drove to Merlotte’s feeling a little anxious at walking in dressed up.

But when I came in the door, I got the tribute of a moment of stunned silence. Sam’s back was to me, but Lafayette was looking through the hatch and Rene and JB were at the bar. Unfortunately, so was my brother, Jason, whose eyes opened wide when he turned to see what Rene was staring at.

“You lookin’ good, girl!” called Lafayette enthusiastically. “Where you get that dress?”

“Oh, I’ve had this old thing forever,” I said mockingly, and he laughed.

Sam turned to see what Lafayette was gawking at, and his eyes got wide, too.

“God almighty,” he breathed. I walked over to ask for my check, feeling very self-conscious.

“Come in the office, Sookie,” he said, and I followed him to his small cubicle by the storeroom. Rene gave me a half-hug on my way by him, and JB kissed my cheek.

Sam rummaged through the piles of paper on top of his desk, and finally came up with my check. He didn’t hand it to me, though.

“Are