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and left a note on his body that read, ‘Death to all debtors’.”
    “Again, you are ignoring the possibility that Fieldman had Michael killed and left that note.” Marcus turned to speak directly to Quince. “Jared confronted Fieldman, but the man has a bevy of cronies who swore they were with Fieldman at the time of the murder.
    Fieldman is mortal, but he obviously knew of Michael’s secret. He sent his henchmen well prepared to deal the death blow to a vampire.”
    “This is sheer conjecture,” Marek blurted. “And how do you propose to wring a statement of guilt from this mortal? We can’t accuse him in public, now, can we?”
    Marcus shrugged. “No, but we can accuse him here, in this chamber.”
    “Again I ask,” Marek hissed with impatience, “just how do you propose to do that?”
    Marcus didn’t answer right away, but paused for a moment as if listening, then he smiled. “Ah yes, Joseph has arrived. The answer to your question is about to be revealed.”
    The doors to the council chamber were swung open and Joseph appeared, holding by the scruff of the neck an overweight, shivering, and very terrified mortal man.
    “Joseph, perfect timing,” Marcus exclaimed as his friend dragged the gibbering man in front of Quince and Marek.
    Joseph marched straight up to stand before Quince. “This is Bernard Fieldman, Sire. I have brought him here so that you can hear his confession from his own lips.”
    Quince let out a loud guffaw. “You flew him here, Joseph? Can the man speak, or have you scared him speechless?”
    A ripple of laughter ran through the assembled vampires, while Fieldman looked close to fainting.
    BLOOD LURE
    J.P. Bowie
    45
     
    “I think I can coax some words from him.” Joseph shook the quaking man. “You have something to tell everyone here, do you not? Speak clearly so all can hear you.”
    “Just a moment!” Marek stepped forward. “A confession coerced from a man obviously terrified for his very life cannot be used to defend Jared Lantos. I will not allow it.”
    “ You will not allow it?” Quince glared at Marek. “Do I have to remind you that only I allow or disallow here? Joseph has gone to a lot of trouble to bring this man here. The least we can do is hear what the man has to say. Now…” Quince leant forward and bared his fangs at Fieldman. “What do you have to say, mortal?”
    Fieldman shrieked and tried to break free from Joseph’s grip. Failing, he sagged his bulk against Joseph and started to weep.
    “Did you kill Michael Berés?” Quince bellowed, getting a squeak of terror from Fieldman.
    “Sire, I must object,” Marek interrupted.
    “ Silence .” Quince waved a dismissive hand at Marek. “The mortal will answer. Now what is it, yes or no?”
    “I didn’t mean to,” Fieldman snivelled. “I wanted my money, that’s all. He was stalling, threatened me, bared his teeth at me, said he would drain me dry—”
    “He’s lying,” Jared said. “Michael had his faults, but he would never say those things.
    The only truth this man has spoken here is that he had Michael killed. The rest is lies.”
    “So…” Quince beckoned Andrew over. “Here is your brother’s murderer. I think you owe Jared an apology, don’t you?”
    “So it would seem.” Andrew’s face was set in stiff lines, nor did he look at Jared as he muttered, “I apologise.”
    “Hardly sincere,” Marcus murmured.
    “But what to do with him?” Quince mused aloud. “Do we want his blood on our hands?”
    “Please, no,” Fieldman whined, but no one was listening.
    “Actually…” Joseph released the quivering fat man who sank to his knees in front of him. “The mortal is also guilty of many other murders. Some poor souls who owed him money, and could not repay him. He, uh, confessed this to me before I brought him here. So far he’s managed to cover it up, but if we were to furnish the police with the proper information, it would lead to his arrest and ultimate