Chapter 5 - Questions and the Nouveaux Riches

"Hey," Spike said. "I need to talk to you."

"You can't be more boring than these machines," the young vampire said. "OK."

Spike led the boy out to the parking lot and leaned against the Viper. "I'm Spike. Something's come up."

"Tom Rivera. Like what?"

"So tell me what happened tonight. For one, how did the Slayer get over here?"

"She drove, what you think she flies?"

"She doesn't have a car," Spike said. "What'd she look like?"

"Blonde, blue eyed, cute. I thought you knew her?"

"We're sort of friends. I don't think you saw her tonight. Get in. Someone want to talk to you."

"No. I remember about you now, Spike. You can't kill humans, so you get off on killing your own kind."

"You'll be safe," Spike said.

"Yeah," the boy said. "I will be. I'm not going with you."

Spike hit him, then hit him twice more before Tom could react to the first blow. Tom slumped down beside the car. Spike tossed him into the trunk.

"Don't argue with your elders and betters. I may not be able to touch humans, but I can still handle you."

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Spike hauled the still unconscious vampire out of the trunk. Slinging Tom over his shoulder, he

+walked around to the front door. Ann opened it.

"Come in. And bring your friend," she stepped back into the foyer.

"Oh, sod off on that, will you?" He carried the boy in and laid him on the floor.

She bent over Tom. "Just hit him?"

"Yeah. He didn't want to talk to me."

"Before or after you hit him?"

"Before."

"You need to work on your powers of persuasion."

"I haven't got a good reputation with my peers anymore."

"You should work on that, too. After all, your peers are as immortal as you are. You're going to be meeting them forever," Ann said. She produced a small aerosol can. Opening Tom's shirt, she sprayed the boy's throat and face. He opened his eyes. "Hi," she said gently. "I'm Ann and you're safe."

"He said I would be, but I didn't believe him."

"Spike was right about that. Come on in and sit down. Can I offer you a drink?"

"I'd like one. My name's Tom Rivera. Thanks."

"Why does he believe you and not me?" Spike complained

Ann smiled and walked into the living room.

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"Harmony's my prisoner," Ann said calmly.

"Eric's Harmony?" Tom stared at the frozen Harmony, then back at Ann.

"Apparently. These are some friends of mine: Willow, Gang Long, and Tara. Oh, and this is the Slayer."

"Her?"

"Buffy Summers. I'm the Slayer."

"Are you sure?" Tom asked. He looked at Ann, who nodded; at Spike, who nodded; then back at Buffy.

"Yes, I'm the Slayer," Buffy said impatiently.

"Hi. I'm Tom."

"So if she's the Slayer," Spike said, "who'd you see kill Eric tonight?"

"The one I saw, she was really pretty, nice face, sort of delicate, blue eyes and hair like silver, smooth and long, much nicer that this Slayer's. Oh, but dark brows and lashes." Buffy bridled.

"Interesting," Ann said. "Can you tell us what happened tonight, from the beginning, please."

"Well, Eric had gotten expelled from Stanford, for being a vampire. His parents haven't decided what to do about him yet, so he was just hanging out with us whenever he could. He brought two eight packs of Cambells--the canned blood? Maybe you know? Oh, you do--and some vodka and whisky."

"Who is us?" Spike asked.

"Ethan, who's a vampire and Troy, who's just a human hanger-on. We were above the clubhouse parking lot, arguing whether we should troll for girls or go to town and visit the pool hall, or both, when the Slayer, or at any rate, this girl, showed up. She was driving an open BMW, the one all the girls like."

"Oh," Willow said. "The Z-3?"

"I think so."

"What color?" Tara asked.

"Silver, like her hair."

"Ooh," Tara breathed.

"No," Ann told her.

"License number?" Spike asked.

"What do you expect?" Buffy snarled. "SLAYER 1?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," Spike said.

"I didn't notice."

"What happened then?" Ann asked.

"She got out of the car, and said: `Hi, Eric, I've been looking for you.' Well, she was really cute, and he was sort of happy to see her. She was taller and a little older than the Slayer, and dressed more like you than like her. She pulled a stake out of her belt. Ethan backed away from her, and tripped over the sidewalk. She stepped over him, and staked Eric. Troy was really freaked, but she didn't even notice. Just tossed him out of her way, got back in her car and left."

"She knew Eric by sight?"

"Eric stood up and held his arms wide. He said he was really glad she found him. Poor turkey."

"How did she sound?" Ann asked.

Tom thought: "Busy," he decided. "Things to do."

"Interesting. Then what?"

"Ethan drove Eric's car home, and went in to tell his parents. Troy and I went over to the casino. I saw Spike and talked to him and that's all."

"What was she wearing?"

"Pants, jacket, out of denim, regular blue."

"Did she say she was the Slayer?"

"No, but who else could it be? Well, that's what we thought, anyway."

"I'm interested," Ann said. "If you see her again, or her car, tell Spike or call and leave a message here. This is the number."

"Sure. I mean, one vampire killer around is bad enough without new ones cropping up all over."

Ann laughed. She plucked a rolled map out of the air and spread it on the low table. It stayed flat. "Show me where all this happened, Tom."

"The casino's here. This is the crossroads--some local shops, gas, taverns, mostly human. Over here is the gated ghetto."

"Is that what you call it?" Willow asked. "I like that."

"What is it?" Ann asked.

"It's a development for richies," Willow explained. "Monster homes, big lots, narrow roads, private police. No entry for most people."

"Nouveaux riches, indeed," Ann said.

"Cordy wanted to date one of the boys from over there, but his parents didn't let him."

"Eric lived here, Ethan lives out here, I live over here, and Troy lives over at the crossroads."

"Do any more vampires live there?"

"A bunch of them. Eric grew up with most of them, which is why he didn't run from Harmony, which is why he got changed."

"None of them feed off humans?"

"Not allowed." He felt their surprise. "Most of their servants over there are humans, like my mom. They don't want to have to keep changing their maids, or have to pay off a bunch of survivors, or get sued by their neighbors, so all the humans around there are off limits."

"How'd you become a vampire, then?" Buffy asked.

"That happened before my mom went to work over there."

"Thanks, Tom. You've been a great help. Do you have any change?" Ann asked.

"Yeah?"

"Show me."

Tom pulled out of handful of quarters and chips. Ann touched them. "Use them carefully, they're lucky. Shall I send you back to the casino or do you want to go home?"

"The casino. I mean, my car's still there."

Ann waved him back to the casino with a warm smile.

"That was interesting," Spike said.

"But hardly helpful," Buffy said.

"Unless you're getting the blame for some fake Slayer's murders," Ann pointed out. "Can you ask Rupert to ask the Council how many kills you're credited with lately?"

"I suppose."

"And you might want to be a brunette tomorrow."

"If the opposition is looking for a blonde, that's not a bad idea, Buffy. We could do henna," Willow said.

"Upstairs, my bathroom," Ann said. "Everything you'll need is there. There's henna if you want it, or a selection of commercial products."

"I'll call Giles first. He's watching Mom and Dawn."

"You can use the phone up in my bedroom."

The girls went upstairs. Ann unfroze Harmony.

"Harmony, I want you to sit there and write down every name you mentioned, with as many details as you can remember."

"You think one of them is the cause of the shooting?" Spike asked.

"She insists she hasn't done anything else. Buffy's just been Buffy, preoccupied with her mother's health and other personal problems. I can see one of Harmony's victims getting revenge for being changed, or one of their parents doing the same. We'll need to catch the hired killers and ask them about who and why, but that's for tomorrow. Harmony can start helping us now."

"But I spent over six weeks in Palo Alto," Harmony wailed. "I can't remember everything."

"Try," Ann said coolly, handing her a pad and pen.

"What sort of details?"

"Last names would be nice."

"Harm, what did they look like, what did they drive, what fraternity did they belong to, that sort of thing."

"Oh. Why didn't she say so?"

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(Chapter 6)

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