The Sookie Stackhouse Companion Read online

  Jason begins to come into the bar nearly every day to talk to Sookie. He tells his sister that the police have questioned him two more times and that he has spoken to a lawyer. Sookie asks why the police keep questioning him, and Jason confesses that he makes videos of his sexual encounters with women, including the two deceased, and that the police found copies. Jason asks Sookie to “listen” to see if she can find out if anyone who comes into the bar is the murderer.

  Arlene asks Sookie if she can babysit for her the next night but angers Sookie when she decides that she cannot leave her children in the company of a vampire. To release her frustration, Sookie digs a hole in her backyard, telling a watchful Bill that she will plant a tree. After she calms down and they make love, he informs her that Eric has ordered him to bring her to Fangtasia. Sookie doesn’t want to go but realizes that she must obey for both her sake and Bill’s. Bill has her take his blood to strengthen her for the encounter.

  SUNDAY, JULY 25. When Bill and Sookie arrive at Fangtasia, Eric reveals that someone has embezzled from the bar. He wants Sookie to use her gift to identify the thief. She promises to willingly help him now and in the future if he promises to go to the proper authorities rather than taking justice into his own hands. He agrees, and she interviews the human employees, discovering through one of them that the embezzler is the bartender, Long Shadow. Before she can inform Eric, Long Shadow attacks to keep her from speaking and is staked by Eric. As Long Shadow dies, his blood gushes out all over Sookie. Bloodlust begins to infect the vampires, so Sookie grabs Bill and flees for home. She has Bill drop her off at her house to spend the rest of the night alone.

  MONDAY, JULY 26. Deciding to stay away from vampires for a while to remind herself that she is human, Sookie cannot help but notice that having Bill’s blood again has changed her, enhanced her. Her hair, eyes, and complexion are brighter; she is stronger and faster. When she gets to work, her fellow employees notice the difference in her as well. As the lunch crowd rolls in, she does as Jason asked and listens to the thoughts floating in the bar. She doesn’t pick up anything about the murders of Dawn and Maudette but does hear a group of men thinking about their involvement in the Monroe fire. Thinking that she might pick up more from the night crowd, she heads back to Merlotte’s in her casual clothes and sits at the bar next to an unusually alone Jason.

  Bill enters Merlotte’s with a young woman in tow and informs Sookie that Eric sent her over as a reward and that Bill needs to send her back. Jason volunteers to drive her back to Monroe so that Sookie and Bill can talk, and Sookie takes Bill to the pond on Jason’s property, not wanting to go to either of their houses. She confesses her fear of Eric and the other vampires who could use her love for him and her family to control them. Bill ponders their situation and tells her that he may have a way to get around Eric’s dominion.

  Bill goes to his own home to make phone calls, and a nervous Sookie cautiously scans her yard before hurrying into her house. Suddenly something hits her front door, and she immediately calls Bill, who rushes over to find Sookie’s cat Tina dead, strangled, on the front porch. Sookie bursts into tears but finally calms enough to bury her pet in the hole she previously dug in the backyard. Bill spends the night with a mourning Sookie.

  TUESDAY, JULY 27. Sookie notifies Bud Dearborn about the death of her cat, and he tells her they may have to dig the pet up to check if the method of strangulation matches Dawn and Maudette. Arlene once again asks Sookie to babysit, this time not mentioning Bill, and Rene brings Arlene’s children, Lisa and Coby, over after work before getting ready for his date with Arlene. The children meet Bill, accepting him without many questions, although Lisa does suggest that he bring Sookie flowers occasionally, and the unusual foursome enjoy their evening. Another vampire arrives just as Arlene and Rene are packing up the kids, and Sookie is stunned to meet the Man from Memphis. Bill introduces him as Bubba and tells Sookie that Bubba will be watching over her while he goes to New Orleans for a few days. He warns her to never call Bubba by his real name, explaining that something went wrong with the turning and that Bubba is a few bricks shy of a load. He also likes pets, especially cats, and not in a healthy way. He is, however, loyal and obedient. Bubba strolls off into the woods as Bill says good-bye to Sookie.

  WEDNESDAY, JULY 28. Arlene and fellow waitress Charlsie Tooten are impressed that Bill got Sookie a bodyguard while he is out of town, and Arlene comments on Bubba’s resemblance to a certain musical icon. Sookie assures them that Bubba isn’t like him at all once you get to know him, an honest truth as Bubba is no longer of the same mind.

  Sam tells them that he needs to hire a new waitress. He asks Sookie to go through the applications he has on file. She reads Maudette’s application and reluctantly becomes suspicious as she realizes that her brother isn’t the only man with a connection to the murdered women. Sam knew them both as well. Sookie remains uncomfortable with her boss for the rest of the day and finds herself nervous and restless once she gets home. Terry Bellefleur calls from the bar to let her know that Jason is there and wants to buy her a drink, so she drives back over to Merlotte’s, parking in the employee lot and taking a moment to pat a stray dog on the head. Terry denies having called her. Since the dog is still out back, Sookie decides to take him home for company for the night. She names him Dean, and he watches attentively as she gets ready for bed. She initially makes him sleep on the floor but doesn’t push him back off the bed when he climbs on as she is falling asleep.

  THURSDAY, JULY 29. Awaking the next morning, Sookie is stunned to find a naked Sam in bed with her. He confesses that he is a shapeshifter and can turn into any animal he wants. He admits that he wanted to guard her overnight. He planned on being out of the house before she woke, but he overslept. Sookie realizes that shapeshifting is definitely supernatural and accepts that vampires are not suffering from a virus. She understands that Bill is really dead, but she loves him anyway.

  Sam has to return to being a dog when Andy arrives to let her know that another woman has been murdered. She persuades the exhausted detective to rest in her old bedroom, and Sam shifts back to human form so that Sookie can sneak him back to the bar. They are stunned when they arrive to find Jason unconscious in his truck and covered in blood. Panicked that he is seriously hurt, Sookie has Sam call an ambulance for her brother. The police, believing that Jason killed the latest victim and then got drunk, arrest him at the hospital. Sookie leaves a message for Bill at his New Orleans hotel and then contacts lawyer Sid Matt Lancaster about representing her brother.

  Later that night, Sookie hears Bubba shouting. When she calls out to him, he tells her that someone was in her yard.

  FRIDAY, JULY 30. Jason makes bail. He is too ashamed to even speak to Sookie. She sits in the bar, doggedly listening into the thoughts of the patrons until Sam sends her home. She is washing her face when she hears something outside and goes to the door to yell for Bubba. He doesn’t answer. She calls 911, but her phone is dead. She decides to run to Bill’s house, figuring his phone will be working. She looks in the hall closet for an old gun Adele kept there but finds it missing. Sookie is horrified to realize that the killer has been in her house. She creeps out her back door and is stunned when she finally gets a peek into the killer’s mind. It is Rene Lenier, and she reads in his tangled thoughts that his first victim was his own sister, who was dating a vampire despite her brother’s protests. Rene catches Sookie and begins to beat her, but he is surprised by her strength when she fights back. She falls to the ground, and he straddles her, trying to hold her while he feels around for his rope to strangle her. Sookie’s left hand is free. She is able to get his work knife off his belt and stab him. When he falls to the ground, she stumbles to Bill’s house and calls 911 before losing consciousness.

  SATURDAY, JULY 31. When Sookie wakes up in the hospital, she finds that Rene has confessed to everything. She has visitors and flowers from the Merlotte’s employees, from Sid Matt and his wife, and from Eric. She dozes and awakens to f
ind Bill at her side. He considers killing Rene, but Sookie tells him to let the law deal with the killer. Bill promises to take care of her at night when she is released. She turns down his offer of blood and asks him what he accomplished in New Orleans. He announces that he is the new investigator for Area Five, Eric’s area. This puts Bill and, thereby, Sookie under Eric’s protection. As Bill looks forward to getting back to normal, a collie looks into the room before continuing down the hall, and a smiling Eric floats past the hospital window.

  The Secret Dialogues of Bill and Eric

  To: Eric Northman,

  Sheriff of Area Five, LA

  Dear Eric,

  With the permission of Sophie-Anne Leclerq, Queen of Louisiana, I will be returning to claim my ancestral home in Bon Temps.

  Sincerely,

  William Compton

  TO: WILLIAM COMPTON

  DEAR BILL,

  LONG TIME NO SEE. AS YOU KNOW, THE VAMPIRES IN MY AREA PAY THEIR FEALTY BY WORKING AT FANGTASIA. PLEASE CONTACT PAM TO SET UP YOUR SCHEDULE.

  ERIC NORTHMAN

  To: Eric Northman,

  Sheriff of Area Five, LA

  Dear Eric,

  I understand that your vampires may offer a tithe as an alternative to working at Fangtasia. I have other obligations and fear I will not have the time to dedicate to your club.

  Sincerely,

  William Compton

  TO: WILLIAM COMPTON

  DEAR BILL,

  A TITHE IS ACCEPTABLE, BUT I WOULD MUCH PREFER YOUR TIME AT FANGTASIA. AS A FORMER CONFEDERATE SOLDIER YOU WOULD BE QUITE A DRAW. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE WORK TO DO FOR THE QUEEN, BUT SURELY YOU CAN SPARE ME, YOUR SHERIFF, SOME OF YOUR VALUABLE TIME AS WELL.

  ERIC NORTHMAN

  To: Eric Northman,

  Sheriff of Area Five, LA

  Dear Eric,

  Please find enclosed my certified check for six months’ tithe.

  Sincerely,

  William Compton

  Phone: Eric calling Bill.

  ERIC: “Bill.”

  BILL: “Eric.”

  ERIC: “I need you to bring your human to Fangtasia tomorrow night.”

  BILL: “Why?”

  ERIC: “I need her services.”

  BILL: “Eric, you know she is mine.”

  ERIC: “Of course, Bill. There will be none of that.”

  BILL: “Then why?”

  ERIC: “It is enough that I am sheriff and I order you to bring her.”

  BILL: “Eric . . .”

  ERIC: “Bill, you know it will be much better if you bring her willingly. You wouldn’t want me to have to send someone to get her, would you?” (Silence.)

  BILL: “We will be there.”

  Phone: Bill calling Eric.

  BILL: “Eric.”

  ERIC: “Bill.”

  BILL: “I received your gift.”

  ERIC: “And you’re calling to thank me. It was my pleasure, Bill.”

  BILL: “I’ve sent her back unopened.”

  ERIC: “You didn’t like her?”

  BILL: “I have no need for her.”

  ERIC: “I see. I’ll have to find some other way to show my appreciation to you and your human.”

  BILL: “That’s not necessary. I’ll consider your absence in our lives reward enough.”

  Phone: Eric calling Bill.

  ERIC: “Congratulations on your new position as Area Five Investigator, Bill. I had not realized you had such aspirations.”

  BILL: “I thought it wise to secure a position.”

  ERIC: “Technically, you now work for me.”

  BILL: “Technically, I work for Sophie-Anne, as do you.”

  ERIC: “Yes, I suppose you are right.” Pause. “I understand your human has captured a killer. She’s quite resilient.”

  BILL: “Indeed she is. Don’t float around her windows anymore, Eric. It makes her uncomfortable.”

  Living Dead in Dallas

  Timeline

  TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2004. Sookie calls Portia Bellefleur to come to Merlotte’s and get her brother, Andy, who has gotten drunk after a particularly bad day at work. Leaving his car in the parking lot, Portia drives Andy home.

  WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. When she gets to work in the morning, Sookie notices that Andy’s car door is open. She discovers the body of the bar’s short-order cook, Lafayette Reynold, in the backseat. She blows her own car horn to get Sam’s attention, and he calls 911. The police arrive and question Sookie, who tells them that Lafayette bragged about attending a sex party a few days earlier. She and Sam privately discuss whether someone from the orgy could be responsible for Lafayette’s death. Terry Bellefleur, Andy’s cousin, comes in as a fill-in cook and informs them that Lafayette’s neck was broken and that there is evidence of sexual assault.

  Summoned to Fangtasia by Eric, Bill and Sookie begin to argue in the car on the way to Shreveport. When the car suddenly dies, an angry Sookie gets out. Bill tells her he is going to get a mechanic and leaves the car unlocked for her, but she resolutely begins to trek back to Bon Temps. She hears movement in the woods beside her and calls out, figuring she might as well know what she is dealing with. Much to her surprise, a woman steps from the woods, a feral razorback hog by her side. She identifies herself as a maenad and tells Sookie that she needs a message taken to Eric Northman. Sookie is able to turn away just as the maenad slashes at her, catching her on her back instead of her face and chest. Sookie is in agony as she falls to the ground.

  Bill returns and rushes a mortally wounded Sookie to Eric for help. Dr. Ludwig, a supe herself, is called in, and after cleaning Sookie’s wounds with her tongue, the doctor instructs the vampires to drain Sookie’s poisoned blood and replace it with transfusions of real and synthetic blood. Sookie passes out and wakes to find Pam watching over her. After cleaning up, Sookie waits in Eric’s office with Bill until Eric, Pam, and the new bartender, Chow, finish closing the bar. Eric informs them that he is sending Bill and Sookie to Dallas so that she can use her “gift” to help the vampire leader of Area Six solve a problem. Sookie has no choice but to consent, per her agreement with Eric. She brings the conversation to a stop when she asks why a maenad is in the woods, and the vampires explain that maenads feed off the violence associated with alcohol and, therefore, are very interested in bars. They expect tribute from those who profit from drink.

  THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23. Sam agrees, albeit reluctantly, to give Sookie the time off to go to Dallas. He initially reacts with laughter when she solemnly warns that there is a maenad roaming the woods, but he quickly sobers when Sookie shows him her scars. He gently kisses her back, and then he kisses her more deeply on the lips. She briefly responds to his warmth but then pulls away, and they try to resume their conversation. Portia comes into the bar with a request from Andy for Sookie to “listen” for information because he is a suspect in the death. Sookie agrees, but for the sake of her friend Lafayette, not for the Bellefleurs.

  FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24. Arriving at the airport in Dallas, Sookie heads to the cargo plane Bill traveled on, waiting for his casket to be unloaded. She is accosted by a man dressed as a Catholic priest who attempts to pull her away with him; however, just then Bill’s coffin appears, and the lid opens as Bill wakes. The “priest” runs as Bill rushes to Sookie’s side, and they consider the meaning of the incident as they make their way to the Silent Shore Hotel, where Sookie is startled and delighted to realize that the hotel bellboy, Barry, is also a telepath, although very unschooled. They are met at the hotel by Dallas vampire Isabel Beaumont, who waits while they check in and freshen up before taking them to the home of the sheriff of Area Six, Stan Davis. Stan tells them that one of his nest mates, Farrell, is missing, and Stan wants him found. He brings in humans known to have been in the vampire bar where Farrell was last seen. By reading their memories, Sookie is able to tell that Farrell entered a bathroom with another vampire. She also realizes that the “priest” from the airport was in the bar as well. Bill steps away to use
a computer and returns with the identity of the second vampire based on the description Sookie elicited. Stan is appalled to realize that Farrell was probably kidnapped by Godric, aka Godfrey, an ancient vampire who has become a renouncer and plans to meet the sun in a ceremony arranged by the anti-vampire Fellowship of the Sun.

  Sookie asks how the “priest” could have known that she would be at the airport and suggests, in writing, that Stan’s house is bugged. She locates the bug under the table, and the vampires drop it into a bowl of water after acting out a little scenario for the listener’s benefit. Isabel’s human companion, Hugo Ayres, offers to escort Sookie to the Fellowship to gather information.

  Stan, angry about the bug, asks if there are any strangers visiting the house, and Isabel brings in Leif, actually Eric, who came to Dallas to watch over Bill and Sookie. Leif/Eric denies planting the bug, and Sookie points out that the bug had to have been there for a few days in order for the listener to know when she and Bill would be flying in. Isabel takes Sookie and Bill back to their hotel, where they attempt a little romance but are interrupted by Eric.

  SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. Sookie is watching the news while waiting for the front desk to procure her clothing that will serve as an appropriate disguise during her visit to the Fellowship. She is dismayed to see a segment on the execution-style death of Bethany Rogers, whose mind Sookie read the evening before and whose body was later found in a Dumpster behind the Silent Shore. Pushing aside her tears, she gets ready for her assignment by donning a wig and frumpy clothes and meets Hugo in the lobby. They come up with a cover story as they drive to the Fellowship, where they meet the director, Steve Newlin; his wife, Sarah; and Polly Blythe, the ceremonies officer. The Newlins and Polly take Sookie and Hugo on a tour, leading them down to the basement. Sookie hesitantly follows Hugo, trying to be reassured by his casual acceptance of what is going on, but finally she tries to escape and is pulled back down the stairs by Gabe, another Fellowship member who is guarding the area. The couple is then locked into a small room. Injured and in pain, Sookie concentrates on reading Hugo’s thoughts and discovers that he is the traitor. She confronts him. He tells her that he betrayed the human race when he became enthralled with Isabel. Sookie pushes him to tell Gabe that the gig is up, that she knows of his betrayal of the vampires, to test whether they will let him go. As she already suspected, the Fellowship has no intention of allowing Hugo to live, and Gabe takes Hugo to the room where Farrell is chained. Gabe returns to torment Sookie, trying to rape her, but is stopped by Godfrey. Sookie begs Godfrey to let her out, challenging him when he tells her that Steve Newlin’s plan is to tie Sookie to Farrell and put them out for the dawn. Godfrey is reluctant to force others to do what he has willingly chosen, and he helps Sookie escape. Unable to use the phone, Sookie reaches out with her mind to the telepath Barry the Bellboy, frightening him with the contact. She pleads with him to let Bill know that she is in danger. A shapeshifter working undercover in the church, Luna Garza, manages to get Sookie out of the church and informs her that the shifters of Dallas have been monitoring the Fellowship. Sookie lets her know that the vampires will probably attack as soon as the sun sets to retrieve Farrell. Luna debates whether or not to leave but hops in her car when they hear an alarm raised in the building. Sookie jumps in, and they take off. Sarah and Polly follow by car, ramming them and causing Luna’s car to overturn. Sarah and Polly attempt to get to Sookie and Luna, but there are too many witnesses to the accident. The police and an ambulance are called. Once at the hospital, Luna has a shifter doctor examine Sookie, delete her records, and then spirit them both out to a waiting ride. Sookie is blindfolded, driven to the hotel by two Weres, and delivered to the front door. Eric, standing outside, is startled by her sudden appearance and calls Bill, then takes her up to their room to start cleaning her up.