Mallory Reads "Fairy Dust"

Welcome to the first Southern Vampire Mysteries’ Short Story. Charlaine Harris wrote several short stories that coincide with the regular book series. This first one, Fairy Dust, falls right after the events of Dead to the World and gives us an insight into Claudine and her family.

The story begins with Sookie on her nightly shift at Merlotte’s. Claudine comes in to the bar and asks for a favor. Sookie is already irritated with Bill (she’s having to pick up his mail for him while he is out of town) and Jason (who is supposed to help her move furniture but keeps backing out). Also she owes property taxes. Though she could just take care of that with the money she got for keeping Eric.

Sam says fairies love attention, and Claudine is no exception. But tonight she only wants to talk to Sookie. She says she has a job for our favorite telepath: reading the minds of some humans. Claudine says they are guests of her brother Claude. Who knew she had a brother? Anyway, since Sookie needs the money, she accepts. I don’t understand why she needs money since Eric gave her $50,000 not too long ago but whatever.

Sookie agrees to go to Claudine’s after work. The fairy leaves (without tipping, as per usual) and Sam asks what’s up.  She explains and he asks if she wants him to go with her.

Sam is a friend, the kind of friend you sometimes have fantasies about. X-rated.

Why not make the fantasy a reality? Just sayin.

She politely declines, saying she can handle Claudine. The fairy picks her up, gives some fashion tips, and they drive to her place, a ranch-style house in the suburbs. Claude looks a lot like his sister.

If Claude had put on his sister’s clothes, he could have passed for her; it was eerie. His hair was shorter, but not by a lot; he had it pulled back to the nape of his neck, but his ears were covered. His shoulders were broader, but I couldn’t see a trace of a beard, even this late at night. Maybe male fairies don’t have body hair? Claude looked like a Calvin Klein underwear model; in fact, if the designer had been there, he’d have signed the twins on the spot, and there’d have been drool all over the contract.

Claude leads them into the living room where he has a man tied to a chair and gagged. They think the man may have murdered their triplet, Claudette.  Sookie ungags the man and tells him that she is going to read his mind. He is worried about what will happen if they think he did it. Claudine says they will kill him and eat him. It is unclear whether or not she is joking.

I should have accepted Sam’s offer.

Always accept Sam’s offer!

She wants to know if there are any other suspects. There are. Another man and woman are tied up in the kitchen. When Sookie asks why they’re sure their sister is dead, they tell her Claudette came to them in spirit form and told them. Some sort of fairy death ritual. Also their bodies fade away when they die. No corpse.

Claudette seemingly met her end at Hooligans, a strip club where she and Claude worked. Claudette was taking money at the door, Claude was dancing. The dude tied to the chair was also dancing. His name is Barry. Well, actually it’s Ben but his stage name is Barry Barber cause he likes to shave people. No comment.

The other two suspects are Rita, owner of Hooligans, and Jeff, the bouncer.  All three of these people had disputes with Claudette.

Here are the facts:

Claudine was at home cooking dinner. She works at Dillard’s.

There are two shows at Hooligans.

Claude and Barry are in both shows.

After the first show, Rita collected the money from Claudette to put in the safe.

Jeff was sitting near Claudette, ready to take bouncer action.

Claudette vanished soon after the second show started.

Rita hates Claudette because she was leaving Hooligans for another strip club and taking Claude with her. More money, Claude says.

Jeff and Claude used to date and Claudette had a hand in their breakup. (Also, Claude is gay, which is sad cause he’s so good looking.)

Claudette ruined Barry’s act by shouting out an insult about his privates.

So, now that we have the facts… Sookie starts asking Barry questions and also reading his mind. She finds out that he and Claudette had been sleeping together for a while and then one day Claudette just decided he was inadequate… or something meaner. Barry says that during the time between the two shows, he shaved two people. On his way to his first shave, he saw Rita with the money pouch and Jeff at his usual perch. He also saw Claudette but didn’t talk to her. He shaved a woman and a vampire named Maxwell Lee (who Sookie knows apparently…I don’t remember this name but oh well…). He never saw Claudette again.

Next they move on to Rita, who is locked in the pantry and very unhappy. She calls them all names but finally calms enough to answer questions. She last saw Claudette when she came to get the money bag from the first show. That seems to be the truth, though Sookie can tell that Rita is happy Claudette is dead. She really wants Claude to stay at her club. He uses his magic to benefit her and she doesn’t want to lose that.

Jeff comes last. Unlike the others, he wasn’t gagged. Jeff says he was forced to work with Claudette, even though he doesn’t like her. He sat and watched her take money. The only time he had to take action all night was during the second show when a lady got a little too excited. When he came back to his post, Claudette was gone. He asks Rita if she’d gone on break and checked the bathroom for her, but when he went back to the booth he saw glitter. Fairy dust, as it were. (Remains of Claudette.) He claims he has no idea what happened to Claudette, which Sookie deems as the truth.

They assemble all the suspects in the same room at Sookie’s request. She goes over everyone’s stories again to confirm them. Claude says he went for food between shows, while Barry shaved people, Rita collected money and put it in the safe, and Jeff checked to make sure everyone had cleared out after the first show. Then Jeff went back to his post, Claudette was there with her new cash pouch.

Claudine is eating an apple and this gives Sookie an idea.

She asks Jeff if Rita brought a second money pouch to Claudette when she took the first. He doesn’t remember and Rita insists there were two pouches in the booth that night and she just came and took the one from the first show. But Barry says he saw her carrying something when she came to collect the money. Rita starts to freak out mentally.

But what is so important about a pouch? Well, nothing. Unless it was coated in lemon juice. Claudette, her siblings reveal, was super allergic. Now, I’m not sure why Sookie drew this conclusion so quick. I just don’t think I would have come up with such a theory, but it turns out to be correct.

Claude demands Rita sign the bar over to him and Claudine. Rita refuses, saying they have no proof. Also, Jeff did not even know Claude was a fairy. Bless his heart. Claudine puts the mojo on Barry (I guess so he won’t remember anything) and sends him on his way. Claude gives Jeff and kiss and Claudine whammies him, too. They opt not to spell Sookie and give her her money.

Claude magically produces a contract and Rita signs it. She goes to leave and they tell her she better start running.

“You better run. You owe us money and a hunt for the death of our sister. We have the money, or at least the means to make it.” He pointed at the contract. “Now we need the hunt.”

Oh snap. Claudine tells Rita if she can dodge them for a year, she gets to live. But if they find her… well, they won’t use lemons to kill her.

Gulp.

That’s it for short story numero uno. Next up, another short story!