Bell Book & Vampyre

He had fed early that evening so that he would have as much time as possible to implement Plan B.  The sun had not been fully set more than ninety minutes when he appeared.

She was at her computer already.  Did she never leave the thing?  Just before he spun her chair around, he noticed she was surfing online instead of working on her latest book.  She grinned up at him and said, "You left your hat here last night cowboy.  Is that a hint you are also wanting to park those silver tipped boots under my bed too?"

He laughed and said, "Yes, and if you would just quit gritting your teeth so, and scream what you mean, I would have them parked under there for eternity."

Then he lifted her to her feet, and wrapped his arms around her.  Held her against his body for a moment, then unwrapped one of his arms from around her.  Tilted her chin up with his hand, and kissed her.  He let her lick and suck both his fangs for a moment, the gathered her up in his arms and headed for the couch.

When they were comfortably settled in there usual positions he noticed a new pile of papers on the coffee table.  But this wasn't a manuscript.  He reached for the papers but she pushed him back and said, "Wait, you can see those later, but first I better tell why are our little nightly romps are about to be interrupted."

He leaned back, looked down at her with a frown and said, "What do mean interrupted?"

"Well, I'm about to have to go out of town for a few days.  Maybe even longer.  There is something I have to take care of.  Those papers on the coffee table are some research I've been doing on some unsolved murders."

His frown turned to a scowl and he said, "Wait a minute!  You are not fucking playing journalist and getting yourself involved in any murders.  Or were you intending to put poor sweet Nancy out of job?  That's how you got yourself handcuffed to that tree by that knife wielding psycho, wasn't it?  Were you playing journalist, or detective?  And you are not, I repeat not, leaving here to go traipsing off to go chase murderers."

She arched one eyebrow and said, "Listen sport, the days when vamps like you could boss witches like me around, are like, long dead and gone.  And I guess you could say I was "playing" detective.  See, what I didn't mention when I told you about that little episode, is that the knife wielding stalker wasn't quite human.  He was stalking me because I had discovered what he really was.  But I don't have time to go over that story with you in full right now.  Joseph and Mikey will be here soon, I need to brief you on this mission before they get here."

Before he stop himself he grinned wickedly and said, "Isn't that supposed to be "debrief" my little angel agent?"

She just grinned back up at him and said, "No James, you don't wear briefs.  Remember.  Besides, that's what I do after the mission is over."

Then she said, "But seriously, I am going to be leaving here for at least a few days.  Now cut the macho vamp shit, and let me explain why I have to go."

She took a deep breath and said, "There is a series of murders along one stretch on an interstate highway, that is not being committed by a mortal murderer.  I fear they are the work of one of your kind.  The victims are decapitated, or have their throats cut very messily, in order to destroy any evidence of fang marks, and to explain the loss of blood when the bodies are found.  They are also being mutilated in other ways to hide fang marks are not on the victim's neck."

He scowled down and her and said, "Yes, I've seen some of my kind do similar things before.  They are not just feeding.  They are enjoying the kill.  They either have not learned to control their feeding habits yet.  Or worse, they don't want to control it."

She nodded her head, and continued, "The authorities in this case think that the women are being killed somewhere else, and dumped in the woods along that highway.  But that's not what is really happening.  Those women are being killed very close to where they are being found.  By one of the worst of your kind.  I'm going to track him down.  Then he, we are pretty sure it is a he, will either be rehabilitated, or destroyed."

He scowled down her, and snarled, "To hell you are!"Then in a voice that dripped sarcasm he said, "What are you going to do my pretty witch, wander the woods, and wait for your vampyre radar to go off, and your panties to get damp? "

Then he snarled, "And just what the fucking hell do you mean rehabilitate him?  Do fucking tell me just exactly how you were going to go about rehabilitating him?  And am I another one of your rehabilitation programs?"

She scowled back up and him and said, "No I wasn't going to wander around in the woods and wait for my vampyre radar to go off.  It doesn't work anyway on creeps like this.  And I don't do the rehab thing.  I'm just the tracker.  Or a part of the tracker team really."

She leaned over, kissed him deeply, then said, "No darling you are not being rehabilitated.  You are strictly pleasure, not business."

Then Kassie leaned back said, "Look time is running short, let me finish what I have to say.  As you know I am a true witch.  I am one of the few people on this earth who has the resources to track a vampyre.  I have tracked a variety of creatures over the years, centuries if you count my past lives, including vampyres such as this one.  It is my job so to speak.  Part of what I am here on this earth for."

Then she leaned over, kissed him gently on his scowling forehead and continued, "With any luck, I'll track this one to his lair fairly easily, let the other part of the team step in and take over, and catch the next flight back."

"Now, two of the members of the other part of the team, and yes Joseph is one, are coming over tonight so we can synchronize our watches and all that shit."  Grinned and said, "Mainly just to bullshit for a bit to be honest. We will be leaving tomorrow morning.  I will be returning as soon as I can though."

Then she leaned over and kissed him, licked his fangs, and said, "Believe me honey, I'm going to be trying to get this wrapped us as fast as I can, so we can continue our little midnight rendezvous."

He scowled down at her and said, "Well you better start thinking of me as a part of the fucking team my pretty one, because I'm going with you."

She frowned and said, "You can't.  First of all I'm leaving in the morning.  Not a good time for you.  And secondly, I can't allow that.  I can't take even the slightest chance of you having to wind up killing, be killed by, one of your own kind."

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Can't allow?  Now who is being bossy!  And I have no qualms about killing my own kind when it is a vampyre like the one you think is responsible for those killings.  Especially if you are at all in harm's way because of the vampyre in question."

Then he scowled again and said, "I am, as far as I know, the oldest vampyre to be walking this earth.  I did not get to be this old, without being able to take care of myself.  If you are determined to go around acting like a vampyre slayer, you bet your apple ass I am going to be around to take care of you."

She actually giggled, which deepened his scowl, and said, "I told you honey, I just track them.  I leave the slaying to others.  You can wind up, like, breaking a nail or something trying to do the slaying."

Then she grinned wickedly and said, "I only like to get close enough to like, break a nail on a vampyre, if I'm fucking him."

He continued scowling down at her though, and said, "Well I intend to be around to insure that you don't get near enough to this one, to break a nail, or anything else."

She sighed and said, "Well if you are determined to play nocturnal bodyguard, I guess there is nothing I can do about it."

She looked at the clock on the wall and said, "Joseph and Mikey will be here in a few minutes.  They know about you, but I have not told them your true name.  They know you by the name you currently use, when you conduct business with mortals."

Then she grinned and said, "Let's get in a little quick necking time before they show up!"  Pulled his head to her own, and began kissing and licking his fangs.  Her other hand was busily unbuttoning his shirt.

He moaned when she started sucking his left fang and drawing her nails gently back and forth across his abdomen. The hand that had been resting on her shoulder began to travel over that shoulder, and down into the top of the red cotton sleeveless shirt she was wearing.  His other hand had been resting on her knee, it began slowly traveling up her leg.

The hand that had been slipping down her shirt began gently massaging her right breast.  His other hand was just starting to undo her jeans when he heard a car pulling into the driveway that led to her house.  And heard Precious begin to bark.  He raised his head from kissing her and said, "Company is coming dear."

Kassie leaned back against his arm, grinned and said, "Yep.  Let me go shut Precious up, and let them in.  Button your shirt back up, and errr, try to do something about hiding that cross you are currently bearing babe."

Then she swung her legs off of him, and got up from the couch.  She went to the front door, opened it and yelled, "Precious, shut the fuck up!  That is Joseph and Mikey."

The vampyre heard her, shook his head and thought, "And she kisses her mother with that same mouth."  Then he thought of some other things she did with that mouth, and grinned.

Just then a candy apple red Porsche came screaming into the driveway.  It skid to a halt directly in front of the door, and both of it's two doors opened. A tall black headed man stepped out of the driver's side.  He was dressed in black silk trousers, a black silk shirt, and fine tooled black boots.  Adorning the collars of his shirt were white embroidered skulls.  He wore his long black hair tied back in a pony tail.  His features were finely chiseled.  Some Spanish blood obviously flowed through his veins.

The big blonde man that stepped out from the passenger side was also dressed in black.  Though he wore a black business suit.  White shirt.  Skinny black tie.  Well polished black shoes.  And a pair of black framed dark tinted sunglasses.

As she looked at them walking towards her, she thought that the creature sitting on her couch, was going to fit in with the team really well.  As the two men made it to the door she grinned and said, "Well if it ain't two of my favorite boys in black."She opened the door wide, stood aside and waved them in. "Ya'll come on in.  I got somebody on the couch I want you to meet."

The driver of the car laughed and said, "On the couch Kassie?  Have you been analyzing that poor creature?"

Kassie grinned, hugged him as he came through the door, and said, "Well, yeah,  You could call it that Joseph.  Especially if you are a shrink or an attorney!"

Then the blonde man in black tapped his friend on the shoulder and said, "Out of the way long hair.  You get to see her all the time.  I haven't seen her since that little incident with the werewolves in Washington.

Joseph let go of her, and stepped on into the room.  The huge blonde man in black picked Kassie up in a bear hug, spun around with her, and said, "How's my favorite blonde doing?"

Kassie giggled, hugged him back, and said, "I'm wonderful Mikey.  How's my favorite M.I.B.?"

The blonde man put her back down on her feet and said, "I'm doing dandy as candy honey."
Kassie grinned, stepped in front of them, crooked her finger, and said, "Come with me boys."

Both men happily followed her into the living room.  As they entered the room the vampyre sitting on the couch stood up.  As always, he wore snug fitting black silk trousers.  And as he had been doing since his second meeting with Kassie, was wearing black boots with silver tips.  His shirt was blood red though.  And no skulls adorned it's collar.

He nodded his head at the the man in black silk trousers similar to his own, grinned and said, "You must be the pet attorney.  Kassie's told me about you."

Then the vampyre's grinned widened, showing his fangs fully, and he said, "Nice work on those love cuffs.  But did you know she slips them when she gets too excited?"

Kassie blushed.  Mikey roared with laughter.  Joseph looked at the vampyre, grinned, and said, "Yeah I found that out one night.  But I'm working on a pair right now she shouldn't be able to slip.  I'll let you know when I'm finished with them."

Then Joseph gave an evil grin that made even the vampyre raise an eyebrow in a salute to the nastiness behind it, and said, "And if they work."

Kassie looked at her pet attorney, grinned and said, "You didn't tell me you were working on another pair of love cuffs for me!"

Then she looked at her long toothed lover, saw the snarly fang bared face he was wearing, back at her pet attorney, and said quickly, "But I better pay you for those."

"And I'll tell you if they work, Rover."  The vampyre said with a snarl.

Mikey roared with laughter again.  Kassie giggled.  And the attorney and vampyre studied each other.

Then Mikey crept up behind Kassie, and whispered just loud enough for all to hear, "Hey blondie, while they are settling this, let's say me and you go through the red door, and debrief each other like we did after that werewolf case."

Kassie blushed furiously, and giggled again.  The attorney and vampyre turned and scowled at the big blonde man in black.  Then Kassie grinned and said, "I've got a better idea.  Let's all get comfortable in here, and debrief, I mean brief Drake on this mission."

"Mikey and Joseph, you pair pull up a chair round that coffee table.  I'll go get you a cold beer and me a cola, then we'll see about getting this mission accomplished."

When she returned to the living room she handed the two men in the chairs a beer.  Then sat her cola down on the coffee table.  She walked over to the computer and picked up a wooden box.  She returned to the couch, sat down beside the vampyre, and sat the wooden box on the table.

The vampyre looked at the box, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Kassie!  Surely you are not going to that while you are planning a mission.  In front of an attorney and a M.I.B agent?"

The attorney and M.I.B. agent both reached for the box at the same time.  The attorney was just a hair quicker, and he flipped open the lid on the box, grabbed three hand rolled cigarettes, and said, "No, she is going to do it with us, Vlad."

The vampyre scowled and said, "As you well know Rover, I currently go by the name of Drake Stone.  None but Kassie knows my true name.  But I have been known by many other names throughout the centuries.  My legends are many.  And far older than the legions of hell.  I had already walked this earth for centuries, when the Aborigines of Australia were at the dawn of their culture, and I became the legend of Yara-Ma-Yha-Who.   The Greeks called me Vrykolakas.  The Japanese sometimes called me Kappa.  Never Godzilla or Mothra."

"Vlad Tepes, the man who many say Stroker's Dracula is based on, was not even a gleam in his father's eye, when I was taking my second gourmet tour through that part of Europe.  I watched the beginning of the building of Stonehenge.  And danced with the witches the eve of its completion.  I was in the Egypt five thousand years before the first pyramids were built."

Then he grinned at Joseph and said, "And I am far far older than the demon who sired you.  In fact, I think I fucked his grandmother one night when she was still a young succubus."

Mikey looked back at the vampyre and said, "Wow dude!  I hope Kassie don't kill your ancient ass in that red room of hers.  You need any Viagra, you let me know."

The vampyre grinned at Mikey and said, "Thanks anyway, but I'm holding up just fine buddy.  Especially when I can keep her delicate little mitts off my balls."

Kassie suddenly dissolved into a fit of giggles.  She doubled over and began giggling so hard she was gasping for breath.  Then vampyre looked at her in concerned alarm, and patted her on the back.

Joseph started laughing and said, "Don't worry Drac, I mean Drake, she does that sometimes.  She'll get her breath back in a second, and tell us what she was thinking that bent her over like that."

Kassie finally regained her breath, raised up still laughing, and said, "A Vampyre on Viagra!  That's better than those fucking Panda's being on it, and watching Panda porn together!"

They all started laughing.   When the laughter died down, Mikey looked at the vampyre and said, "And I didn't know you guys did succubuses.  I thought you only did witches and vampyres."

"I was drunk on the blood of an intoxicated mortal I had fed on at the orgy.  In the dark, I didn't notice the difference"

The vampyre grinned wider, shrugged his ancient shoulders and said, "Shit happens."

Mikey doubled over laughing.  Joseph grinned and said, "I hear that!  You should see some of the things I've woke up to the next morning after a bottle or two of tequila.  Make you want to gnaw your fucking arm rather than move it, and take the chance on waking them up."

Kassie, who had been partaking of the sacred herb again with her usual irreverent enthusiasm, dissolved into giggles, and starting choking on the smoke she had been holding in her lungs.  The vampyre reached over, patted her on the back, and said, "Damn, I'm going to have a bad case of the fucking munchies later."

Then Drake grinned at both the men sitting in front of him and said, "After a night with my sweet Kassie, sometimes my fangs twitch at the sight of a Twinkie."  Kassie giggled and choked harder.  And the attorney and blonde man in black both laughed.

Then the vampyre said, "But enough of this idle chatter concerning my name, age and sexual escapades with Joseph's kinfolk.  Kassie seems determined to track down one of my kind who she has taken an exception to because of his abominable feeding habits.  Which I will agree are most unsavory and unnecessary.  His kind give all of us a bad name.  She assures me she will only be tracking the creature, and not trying to slay it."

He paused for a moment, glared at Joseph and Mikey, and continued, "However, I also know that she somehow wound up handcuffed to a tree limb in the backyard by some not quite human knife wielding psycho stalker.  I intend to accompany her on this little jaunt of hers, to insure that she does not wind up food for that loathsome creature she insists on tracking down."

Mikey grinned and said, "Hey, don't blame us on the stalker thing.  I was tracking down a fucking illegal alien in New York.  She did that one on her own.  Well almost on her own.  She had Fanny Mae and that stupid fucking elf.  Oh, and Precious.  But she should have at least told Joe what she was up to!"

Kassie looked guilty then said, "Hey, I was about to tell Joseph what I had found out, when that son of bitch turned up and handcuffed me to that tree."

Then she shook her head sadly and said, "Besides, compared to what we are going to be up against on this mission, that psycho is a piece of cake."

Mikey nodded his head and said, "Yeah, the profile on this one makes Hannibal look like a real nice guy."

Joseph nodded in agreement and said, "We better make damn sure we go in loaded for bear when we take that blood sucking son of a bitch out."

Then he looked at the vampyre sitting next to Kassie, grinned and said, "No offense."

The vampyre grinned back at him, fangs clearly showing, and said, "None taken."

Mikey said, "But first we have to find him.  That's where Kassie comes in.  We are flying to near where we think his lair might be tomorrow.  Kassie will go in, with us as back up of course, and try to track him to his lair.  Once she has pin pointed his lair, we will take over.   Send her back to base camp, and go have a little chat with that dude about his table manners."

Joseph nodded his head and said, "If he comes along peacefully, we will take him to some friends of ours, and get him in a rehab program.  If he doesn't want to come along peacefully, we will cap his fucking ass.  And donate the body to some alien friends of ours, who love doing cadaver research on different species."

The vampyre nodded, turned to Kassie and said, "Now my pretty one, would you like to explain to me just exactly how you are going to track this creature down without the aid of your incredible," and the vampyre leaned over and whispered in her ear, "not to mention edible," raised back up and said "vampyre radar."

Kassie blushed, exhaled, giggled and said, "I'm going to enlist the aid of a few friends in the forest.  Oh and Fanny Mae, and that stupid elf, are also going to be along to help me."

Mikey shook his head, groaned, and said, "Oh no!  Not that stupid fucking elf.  I don't mind Fanny Mae.  Yeah she is a bimbo even for a pink faerie.   But Bo Bo makes her look like a damned genius.  Why does she still hang with him after he burned her little wings off?  And whatever happened to that pig that you stole those wings off of?"

Kassie giggled and said, "Well it was an accident.  And Fanny Mae keeps him around because he is apparently a stud in bed when it comes to pleasing blonde bimbo faeries in blue suede boots.  Fanny says as long as he stays away from fire from now on, they're cool.  And last I saw, that pig was on the tube wearing sunglasses and hawking an online coupon site."

Joseph exhaled, and said, "And the little porker is making more money wearing those cheap sunglasses, than he ever did wearing the wings."

Mikey grinned and said, "Cool! I didn't realize that was the same pig."

Then Kassie said, "But back to current business."  Looked up at the vampyre sitting next to her, and said, "Joseph, Mikey and me, already know what we need to do.  And Fanny Mae and that stupid fucking elf, are scouting the mission location right now.  They will have a report for us in the morning when we arrive."

Then she looked at Mikey and said, "Since Drake insists on playing nocturnal bodyguard, we will have to make arrangement for him now."

The vampyre draped one arm around Kassie's shoulder looked down at her with a grin and said, "I'll make my own travel arrangements my pretty.  Simply make sure I have a hotel room that I can draw the shades closed in."

Then he looked at Joseph and said, "If Kassie cannot track the creature the first day she is there, I will track him that night."

Mikey grinned and said, "Cool.  We could call this mission, To catch a Vampyre."

Then Mikey leaned over, picked up one the pages lying on the coffee table, handed it to the vampyre and said, "Here Drake, this is a map of mission location.  We will be in the Hilton.  Kassie will be in room 666."

Then he grinned at Kassie and said, "I'll move, and give him the other room adjoining yours."

Mikey looked at the vampyre and said, "That will make your room 668."

The vampyre glanced at the page, tossed it back down on the coffee table, looked at Mikey and said, "Be sure the staff knows that room is not to be cleaned, nor am I to be disturbed, during daylight hours."

Mikey nodded his head and said, "Will do."

Joseph looked at the vampyre, grinned wickedly and said, "You know Drac, me and Mikey usually sandwich Kassie between us on dangerous missions to keep her safe.  Guess you'll be the bottom half from now on when we are all on a mission together."

The vampyre scowled, and said, "Well don't break out the fucking mayo for this mission, or any other, Rover.  The only thing Kassie is going to be sandwiched between from here on out, is me and mattress on the bed."

Mikey grinned wickedly and said, "Well fuck, there goes the midnight snack bar."

Joseph looked at Mikey, shook his head and said, "God dammit, Mikey, you really will eat anything."  And all of them started laughing.

Then the vampyre looked at Mikey, then Joseph, and with a very cold grin said, "When it comes to snacking on Kassie, you pair can consider the snack bar, permanently, one might even say, eternally, closed."

Mikey looked at Joseph grinned and said, "Good thing we lined those twins up for us tonight."

Joseph laughed and said, "Damn sure is."

Kassie started laughing and said, "Is that the pair where one is a fire eater, and the other is sword swallower?"

Joseph and Mikey grinned, and nodded their heads happily up and down.

Then Joseph said, "They can't suck the chrome off a trailer hitch like Kassie can, but that sword swallower does give new meaning to the words, deep throat".

Mikey laughed and said, "And her sister gives new meaning to the words, fire down below."

Kassie laughed and said, "You pair are incorrigible."

The vampyre laughed and said, "A fire eater and sword swallower.  I think you pair are in for a very interesting evening."

Mikey grinned, looked at Kassie and said, "Yeah, ain't we though."

Looked at the vampyre and said, "Real interesting!"

Then Mikey grinned wickedly and said,  We could bring the twins back here and have an orgy.  Be just like old times for you Drac, I mean Drake."

The vampyre grinned wickedly and said, "No, I think I'll pass on the orgy tonight.  But you are welcome to bring your pretties round for a late night snack when they have worn you to frazzle.  Kassie does give me a bad case of the munchies."

Mikey laughed and said, "No way dude.  We are keeping our pretties away from you when you've been boffing Kassie."

Joseph grinned wickedly and said, "Speaking of boffing Kassie."  Paused for a moment as the vampyre scowled at him, then continued, "Why don't we call this bullshit, I mean briefing session over.  So Drac, I mean Drake, can do that before the sun rises, makes him go limp, and burst into flame."

The vampyre grinned and said, "Sun light does not make me go limp, or burst into flames.  Direct sunlight is very painful to my eyes, even with the darkest tinted sunglasses.  It does tend to weaken my powers the longer I am in it.  But under the right conditions, I could survive even a full day in the sun.  Though it would take me several weeks to regain the full use of my powers after such a long exposure."

Mikey looked at the vampyre and said, "I've heard rumors that older vampyres were not affected by sunlight as much as younger ones.  Is that true?"

The vampyre nodded his head and said, "Yes, that is true.  I can stand direct sunlight for longer periods than any other vampyre I know of.  But these young ones born in the last five centuries or so, do tend to get limp and go up in smoke, when exposed to sunlight for even very short periods of time."

Mikey asked, what about crosses and stuff?  Do they affect all vampyres the same?"

The vampyre grinned and said, "No, they do not.  You could put a Christian cross up in front of me, and I could take it from your hand, then shove it down your throat, without even warming my hand.  As Kassie can attest, I can even cross my heart in earnest truthfulness."

Kassie giggled and said, "Well, he can cross his heart.  But I dunno about the earnest truthfulness part."

The vampyre got a look of mock hurt on his face and said, "Kassie, how could you say that?  You know I meant ever word I said."

Then he looked back at Mikey and added, "Holy water blessed by a Christian ritual doesn't even sting me.  Though water blessed by a true witch is a different story.  As for garlic, my sense of smell is so acute, that I do find the odor of garlic very offensive.  Though if I were hungry enough, it would do nothing more than make me wrinkle my nose, if I wanted to feed on someone who was covered on it."

Mikey grinned and said, "But a stake through the heart would do the trick."
The vampyre grinned back and said, "Yes.  A stake driven through my heart would do the trick.  As would decapitation."

Then he asked, "Do you have any idea how old the vampyre you think is doing these killing is?"

Mikey shook his head, "No we don't.  Kassie says she thinks he is a very young one though."

The vampyre looked down at Kassie and asked, "What makes you think he is?"

Kassie looked up and replied, "I don't know.  It is just a gut feeling.  They have just found a body, and I hope to be able to glean some information from that body."

The vampyre opened his eyes wide in mock horror and said, "Oh angel, don't tell me you're a necromancer as well?"

Kassie laughed and said, "No honey.  But sometimes, if I can touch the body, or an article of clothing or jewelry from the body, I will get flashes of the last moments of the person's life that night when I dream."

The vampyre thought a moment then said, "Could you tell from such flashes the age of the vampyre?"

Kassie said, "I'm hoping I can get some sort of feeling for his age that way."

Then Mikey looked at the vampyre who's arm was draped casually around Kassie's shoulder, and who's fingers were stroking that bare shoulder, and said, "Hey Joe, let's you and I go get a feel of those twins.  And let Drac, I mean Drake, get a feel of something more than Kassie's shoulder."

Joseph laughed and said, "Sounds like a plan to me!"

The men rose, nodded at the vampyre, then Joseph said, "You don't need to show us to the door Kassie.  We know the way.  But watch it necking with that dude tonight darlin."

Kassie laughed and said, "And don't let the door hit you on your smart ass on the way out."

The two men strode toward the front door happily arguing over who was going to get which twin.  In what position.

The vampyre stood up and gathered Kassie into his arms.  She began to chant the ritual that would help keep her safe, and started unbuttoning his shirt.   As he carried her through the red door, after he kicked it open with his boot, Mikey closed the front door behind him.