Chapter 43: Neil San Francisco — 1983 Queer Beer

“San Francisco Chronicle”

Two new victims found in Castro. Both men, openly homosexual, had spent the night dancing at The Queer Beer. The police are questioning suspects.”

“San Francisco Examiner”

Two men, Bruce Riley, age twenty-one, and Robert Parker, age twenty-three, were found murdered in San Francisco’s Castro District last night, bringing the total number of murders this week up to five. The city is in a panic. San Francisco has not experienced this kind of hysteria since The Zodiac Killer terrorized the city in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

The front page of “The National Enquirer” has a color shot of a Bela Lugosi look-alike staring into the camera, skin pale, eyes golden, long canines dripping blood. In his arms, he cradles the limp body of a handsome young man, scantily clad in shining, black leather. Blood gushes from two holes in handsome man’s neck.

Vampires in San Francisco!!! reads the headline. Neil can’t help reaching for the glossy paper.