Interview with FBI Special Agent Alan Stevens

FBI Special Agent Alan Stevens has been on the case of "the vampire murders" for months, following a bloody trail across the country. In addition to indulging his irreverent, curious nature, he has a unique -- secret -- reason for being so obsessed with the crimes.

Alan, how and why did you and the FBI get involved in this case?

I actually brought the "vampire murders" to the attention of my bosses at the FBI. They're used to my unusual interests, so at first they dismissed my story. Of course, they're all thinking the killer is human -- a "normal" serial killer. After the bodies began to pile up, they finally sent me out to investigate. My task is to work with the local police in each jurisdiction and to offer my assistance. To tie the cases together. I never tell anyone what I really think is going on. They wouldn't believe me, anyway.

Tell us about this case. What made it so special?

You probably know that the FBI deals with serial killers quite often. More often than the public knows about. The special thing about these "vampire" murders was the fact that the bodies were drained of blood. Totally. And there were those strange, little holes in the victims' necks. During my investigation, I stumbled on an informant who blew my mind. His story pushed me into a new investigative direction and brought me to Denver, and a group of individuals who could blast the case wide open. And then there was Dr. Kismet Knight, a Denver psychologist who didn't realize what kind of tiger she had by the tail. She thought she was counseling vampire wannabes-- sad Goth pretenders -- when the truth was much weirder. Lucky for me, she was open to my advice --and my romantic advances.

What made the case hard to solve?

It was a combination of the various police jurisdictions not connecting the dots and sharing information, the fact that there was no forensic evidence left behind, and the ability of the individuals involved to keep secrets. In fact, it wasn't until Dr. Knight and I joined forces that the case began to unravel. She has some unique abilities of her own.

Did anyone else help you with your investigation?

Yes. I couldn't have done it alone, even though I'm pretty amazing, if I say so myself. In addition to Dr. Knight, I was assisted by the Denver police department, especially Lt. Bullock. She had her own reasons for being a bulldog on the trail. And, then there were my "unnamed sources" in the Goth and occult communities. Without them, I'd have been in the dark.

Has this case affected your personal life in any way?

Big time. Now I have verification of something I've long suspected but couldn't prove, and that knowledge is both exciting and terrifying. I have my own personal reasons for wanting to learn about these paranormal groups. Once you've seen things that are "impossible to believe," life is never the same. Meeting Dr. Knight has changed me, too. I don't know what's going to happen with us -- I have heavy-duty competition --but now I know for sure that anything's possible. I also know that no matter how scary our human nightmares might be, reality is worse.