BILL : “Is Sookie all right?”
ERIC : “We ask each other that a lot, don’t we? Yes, Sookie is fine. She had to invite him in because he had her friend, but once they were both inside she rescinded his invitation. I’ve already let Salome know that he is on the run.”
BILL : “She’ll have him soon.”
ERIC : “Undoubtedly. Right now, we need supplies to repair the window for the night.”
BILL : “I’ll be there shortly.”
Phone: Eric calling Bill.
ERIC : “Bill, have you heard anything about Sookie in an alley with a naked man?”
BILL : “Yes.”
ERIC: “And?”
BILL : “And what? Sookie was in an alley with a naked man. And the woman who was shooting the shifters. I assume the naked man was a shifter as well. There was also a dog, so Sam was there, too.”
Phone: Eric calling Bill.
ERIC: “Bill, are you in Bon Temps?”
BILL: “No, I’m with Selah in Clarice.”
ERIC: “I need information from your database.”
BILL: “I have my laptop. Give me a few minutes.”
ERIC: “Look up Charles Twining.”
BILL: “Charles? Didn’t you . . . ?”
ERIC: “Now, Bill.”
BILL: “Charles Twining. His sire was . . . Eric, his sire is dead, but he is pledged to Hot Rain.”
ERIC : “Goddammit!”
BILL : “How could you have sent him to Sookie without checking him out?”
ERIC : “I did. I called Russell. He thought Charles had been at his home. Fucking idiot!”
BILL : “You or Russell?”
ERIC : “I’m sending Bubba to Merlotte’s to warn Sookie.”
BILL : “I’ll return to Merlotte’s immediately.”
ERIC : “No. She just needs to stay clear of Charles until I deal with Hot Rain. Killing Charles after Long Shadow’s death would not go well for either of us. I’m calling his ruler now to advise them that he has gone against the ruling and sought revenge.”
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2005. Sookie is out in her yard at midnight raking up bush clippings with Bubba when a black limousine pulls into her drive. Bubba immediately vanishes into the woods, and Sookie can only hope that he has left to find Bill, her nearest neighbor, as she faces the large man who emerges from the limo. From his brain pattern Sookie can tell that the man is some sort of supernatural creature. The stranger, Mr. Cataliades, informs her that she is the beneficiary of a legacy from her cousin Hadley, who had not only become a vampire—and personal favorite of Sophie-Anne Leclerq, Queen of Louisiana—but met her final death a month prior. Mr. Cataliades summons his driver, a vampire named Waldo, from the car at Sookie’s request. Bubba returns with Bill, who joins Sookie in questioning Mr. Cataliades and Waldo as to the circumstances of Hadley’s death. Waldo claims that he witnessed Hadley’s murder at the hands of members of the Fellowship of the Sun, but Sookie soon suspects him of doing the deed himself, an accusation confirmed by Mr. Cataliades. He reveals that Sophie-Anne has realized Waldo’s duplicity and sent him on the trip to Bon Temps so that Sookie can stake him. She refuses, telling him she will send Waldo back to the queen instead. Heartbroken that his queen knows of his betrayal, certain her torture will make him wish for death, Waldo attacks Sookie, knowing that Bill and Bubba will stop him and put an end to his existence. As Waldo flakes away in Sookie’s yard, the queen herself steps from the limo. She questions Sookie as to the events of the night, wondering if Sookie set it all up to play out just as it did. Sookie carefully responds with enigmatic one-word answers, and the queen and Mr. Cataliades are soon on their way back to New Orleans.
The Secret Dialogues of Bill and Eric
Phone: Eric calling Bill.
ERIC : “Bill, Bubba has told me that Sophie-Anne was at Sookie’s house, and the two of you killed a wrinkled, red-eyed vampire. What the hell is he talking about?”
BILL : “Sophie-Anne was at Sookie’s house, and Bubba and I killed a wrinkled, red-eyed vampire.”
ERIC: “Bill . . .”
BILL: “Cataliades arrived to inform Sookie of her cousin Hadley’s death.” ERIC: “The queen’s favorite was Sookie’s cousin?”
BILL: “Yes.”
ERIC: “Why wasn’t this information in your vaunted database?”
BILL: “Including information about the queen’s favorite didn’t seem like a good idea, Eric.”
ERIC : “I see your point. A red-eyed, wrinkly . . . Wait, you and Bubba killed Waldo?”
BILL : “Yes.”
ERIC : “May I ask why?”
BILL : “He killed Hadley. The queen brought him here so that Sookie could exact vengeance.”
ERIC : “But you did it instead.”
BILL : “Sookie could not bring herself to do it and was sending him back to the queen. He attacked her, and I took care of it for her.”
ERIC : “I thought Sophie-Anne was there.”
BILL: “She was. She remained in the car until after we staked Waldo.” ERIC : “Interesting.”
BILL : “Indeed. Sookie knew she was in the car. I cannot help but feel that Sookie was actually in control of the situation more than we realized at the time.”
ERIC : “It wouldn’t surprise me. She has unexpected depths.” BILL: “Indeed.”
MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2005. Sookie spends the early part of the day at Alfred Cumberland’s studio in Shreveport, posing for photographs with Claude, who is building his portfolio for the Mr. Romance contest. She is pleasantly surprised to see Maria-Star Cooper, the Were she took to the hospital after the skirmish with the witches at Bill’s house, fully recovered and working as Al’s assistant, although Sookie experiences a flicker of pain when she realizes that Maria-Star and Alcide Herveaux are now dating.
After the photo shoot, Sookie hurries home to work the evening shift at Merlotte’s, where she speaks briefly with Bill Compton, who asks if he can accompany her to New Orleans when she travels there to wrap up the estate of her late cousin, Hadley. Catholic priest Dan Riordan and Episcopal priest Kempton Littrell are also in the bar for their biweekly dinner, and Sookie is disconcerted when the priests call her away from Bill’s table, telling her that they were concerned that she was consorting with an “imp of hell.” Before leaving the bar, Father Riordan informs her that he has been contacted by the Pelts, who are searching for information about Debbie and want to meet with Sookie. She denies their request.
TUESDAY, MARCH 15. Quinn walks into Merlotte’s shortly before last call and tells Sookie he’d like to speak with her about both business and pleasure, and she agrees to let him follow her home after closing. He tells her that he’s wanted to see her again and asks her on a date. She happily agrees. He then tells her that the vampire Queen of Louisiana has asked him to request Sookie’s services for her own use at the upcoming vampire regional summit. The queen outranks Eric, who has also requested Sookie’s presence. She unhappily acknowledges to herself that she will have to deliver the bad news to Eric. She and Quinn end their meeting by planning their date for the following Friday.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16. Pam calls Sookie at Merlotte’s and informs her that Eric wants to see her on Friday night. Sookie declines, telling Pam that she already has plans. Pam is gleeful that she gets to let Eric know that not only has Sookie refused his summons but she has a date. Andy Bellefleur stops Sookie on her way back from the phone call to ask a favor: He is proposing to his girlfriend, Halleigh Robinson, and wants Sookie to hide the ring box in Halleigh’s food order. Sookie unabashedly eavesdrops as Halleigh finds the box and eagerly accepts Andy’s proposal.
As Sookie is washing dishes at home after work, she realizes that there is something out in her woods when all the night cries from the insects and frogs come to an abrupt stop. She locks her doors but holds her ground, refusing to panic. Only when the sounds resume outside does she relax enough to sleep.