Mind Sweeper by AE Jones Page A

he was losing it. I almost called in a psych eval on him.”
    “What stopped you?”
    “I started to think about all of the weird cases and the excuses he has given me over the years, and I realized the existence of the supernatural made some kind of twisted sense.”
    “So what was the first thing you did when you realized he was telling you the truth?”
    “I went on the Internet to do research.”
    I shook my head. “A lot of what you find out there is bull.”
    “I figured that out the first time Jean Luc walked outside during the day and didn’t burst into flames.”
    “Yeah. He can’t stay out too long during the day, but he won’t combust. Don’t try to stake him, either. It doesn’t work. Although it does piss him off.”
    “What about garlic or crucifixes?”
    “Nah.”
    “So what is the truth about vampires?”
    “They drink blood and live for a really long time. They are sired by other vampires who gain strength from the connection, so only certain vampires are allowed to sire.”
    “Like Sebastian.”
    “Right.” Now I was creeped out.
    He walked down the aisle and stared at a broadsword. “What about demons?”
    “Each clan is different. There are twelve modern clans I’m aware of on earth. Each has their own distinctive features and powers.”
    “What does Misha look like?”
    “My understanding is that a Shamat has reddish-orange skin with black eyes, but I’ve not seen Misha’s demon side. He doesn’t show it in public.”
    “And Doc Miller?”
    “I don’t know if Sabrina has a demon side that is visible. A succubus’s ability to siphon life force out of humans is unique.”
    “What else do I need to know?”
    “A lot. The most important thing to remember is that supes are like humans. They’re both good and bad. Vampires can be noble like Jean Luc, or power-hungry like Sebastian. For demons, the really bad ones are normally not allowed on the planet, which is a good thing.”
    “Too bad we can’t say the same thing for humans.”
    “Amen, Brother Dalton, amen.”
    A voice interrupted my sermon. “Hello?”
    I hollered, “Hey Doc, we’re back in the shelves, we’ll be right up.”
    We walked through the door. Doc stood in the morgue, dressed to kill in a short black dress with spaghetti straps and three-inch sandals. I didn’t dare check out Dalton’s reaction.
    I glanced at the clock on the wall. “Ah, Doc, it’s one o’clock in the afternoon. Where are you going dressed like that?”
    “I have a date. He wants to take me to Baltimore for dinner, so we’re going on his jet.”
    “What he wants is to take you to bed.”
    She grinned. “Well, duh. Now what can I do for you?”
    “We need to get Misha and Jean Luc on the phone first.” I entered the number on the speaker phone and clicked on the monitor. After a few seconds, Misha’s face flashed on the screen.
    “Hey guys. Wow, Doc, you look great.” Misha turned away. “Jean Luc, hurry up so you can see Doc, she’s smokin’.”
    Jean Luc’s face appeared. “Misha is correct. You are beautiful.”
    Doc smiled. “Thanks. As much as I enjoy all the compliments, I have a plane to catch. What do we need to talk about?”
    I filled the group in on the conversation Dalton and I had with Doyle. Misha almost shot coffee out of his nose when I told him about my threat to go to Coleen if Doyle didn’t help us.
    When I finished my summary, Dalton launched the first question. “How do these straends work, exactly?”
    Doc frowned. “It’s a metal piece in the shape of an eight or infinity sign. It’s placed at the base of the neck. Small tentacles extend from it, insert under the skin, and link to nerve endings. It causes excruciating pain, especially if the person lies.”
    “And why is everyone so hot to find Hampton’s head?” Dalton countered. “Can he be brought back to life?”
    Jean Luc shook his head. “No. Once a vampire loses his head, there is no reanimation.”
    “Then what can you do with a