“Joseph! Come and get rid of him.”

He called out loudly, his voice devoid of any emotion, and his personal valet, Joseph, arrived, carrying large black bin bags and cleaning equipment. He went about his business with his brushes and disinfectants in a matter-of-fact manner, as if he were mopping up spilt coffee rather than a human corpse. He was neither shocked by the sight of the body nor did he show any emotion; all he did was place it in a bag, clean up the bloodstains, and then leave as calmly as he had entered.

Alistair watched his servant’s back as he left and called him back to say:

“Joseph, could you look for some more donors?”

Joseph replied in a voice made hoarse and deep by age:

“I apologise, sir, for what I’m about to say, but don’t you think you’re going a bit too far?”

“Going too far? What do you mean?”

“I mean that you’ve killed a third person this month. Don’t you see that this might draw attention to you? Especially as the government is watching you. I’m sorry, sir, but I have a family and I don’t want to go to prison for helping you.”

Alistair sat down on the nearby sofa, licked the blood from his lips, and rubbed his chin as he thought aloud:

“You’re right. The police aren’t so stupid as to fail to notice the disappearance of three people wanted for the same reason. Joseph, I need a solution! I can’t stop myself from thinking about that delicious blood; all humans taste ordinary except for these ones. I need a plan that’ll keep me out of the police’s sight.”

“Sir, you could make a deal with someone to sell you their blood, or you could order from the blood bank as you used to.”

“For goodness’ sake, Joseph! You know I need a medical condition that allows me to take blood; they won’t give it to me for no reason. Besides, no human being would agree to what I’d do to them—even if I offered them millions, they’d be afraid, or in the worst case, they’d report me.”

Alistair sat alone in the reception room, whilst his servant went out to bury the body in the garden near the other corpses. When Joseph returned inside, he asked his master what he required.

“Would you like some tea, sir?”

“Some tea would be helpful to clear my mind.”

The servant made his way towards the palace kitchen. The palace was a sumptuous Victorian mansion that had been passed down through the Grey family from generation to generation; its walls exuded opulence, whilst its stones held secrets that should never be seen by human eyes!

“Here is your tea, sir. Would you like some milk?”

“No, just tea.”

Alistair took the elegant teacup and sipped it calmly, pondering over and over what he should do: how could he secure a steady supply of blood without arousing suspicion?

“Tell me, Joseph—do you think there are people who would be quite willing to become a permanent source of blood for me?”

“Frankly, sir, the world is a big place. There are people who enjoy being flogged, and some who enjoy killing. We humans are strange creatures; we’re not all the same.”

“I see.”

“Do you have a plan in mind, sir?”

“An incomplete plan. I need a fool — the sort you mentioned.”

“Would you like me to find one for you?”

“That would be fine, but listen, I want him to be a respectable person — someone who doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink alcohol, and isn’t elderly. And remember, his blood group must be O-.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll check the hospital’s donor records.”

“Check all the hospitals.”

Joseph nodded in agreement, then headed towards his private office, leaving Alistair alone with his cup of tea.

“Humans really are strange. Do they like being skinned? Well, I’ll skin them! Do they like being killed? I’ll kill them!... But I must keep this one… I must keep him because I’m wasting my resources; this delicious variety is rare, and if I kill them all… there won’t be a single one left in London.”

A few minutes later, Yusuf returned and stood before his master.

“Sir, I have found the perfect person.”

Alister replied wearily:

“Speak. I’m listening.”

“She’s a university student. Her name is Juliet Sinclair.”

“A university student?”

“Yes, sir. She’s a student at the University of London, studying English literature.”

“That doesn’t interest me, as you know.”

Yusuf sighed and continued:

“Sir, you’re planning to keep her alive, aren’t you? This information is essential.”

Alister replied with feigned interest:

“Ah, I’d forgotten… Carry on.”

“Anyway, sir, she’s donated blood twice to leukaemia patients; that’s why she doesn’t have any tattoos.”

“Great! Carry on.”

“Well, she lives in student accommodation, so she’s probably quite far away from her family.”

“Good. Right, how did you find all this out?”

Yusuf replied in a calm voice:

“I bribed one of the nurses at the hospital to give me information about the donors.”

“You’re worth every penny I pay you, Joseph… Right, Juliet Sinclair… what a lovely name.”

The following morning, Alistair Grey made his way to University College London and walked in as a donor to the university.

“Mr Grey! Hello.”

The Vice-Chancellor spoke as he shook Alistair’s hand firmly.

“To be honest, I wasn’t expecting you. We’re honoured to have you supporting our university.”

Alistair smiled, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes, then said:

“It’s an honour for me, Professor Hawthorne, to support the development of the young minds who will lead tomorrow’s world.”

Hawthorne chuckled lightly and said:

“You really are a great man, and it’s fortunate that someone with your mindset still exists.”

Alistair felt an overwhelming urge to kick him — he’d been preventing him from scoring his goal — but he gathered his composure and continued:

“Please, Professor Hawthorne, might I have a tour of the English Literature Department?”

The professor was taken aback by Mr Gray’s request, but he smiled and gestured towards the department

“Certainly, Mr Gray, I can show you round…”

Alistair interrupted him:

“No, thank you. I’d prefer to walk on my own.”

Alistair headed towards the Faculty of Arts; the students looked at him in surprise, then went back to what they were doing. It was unusual to see a well-known London businessman walking alone through the university courtyards. Alistair stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a stunning young woman – it was Juliet Sinclair! She looked exactly like the photograph — in fact, she was even more striking than he’d imagined. She looked like a deep red rose amidst a field of jasmine. Her black dress and gothic make-up made her seem out of place amongst the students.

“I’ve finally found her!”

To be continued...