But no, nothing simple ever happened in my life. Invisible entities pushed me out of the library or away from dressing rooms. Bodies cropped up wherever I went. I needed the woman on Medium to have a dream and tell me who was causing all this. To make it go away.
Boy, did I sound whiny. I needed a little cheese with that. Better yet, some wine, period. I wondered what kind would go with the chicken tarts I planned to serve. I bet whatever wine I had on hand would work.
Laurel had at least found volunteers to set up dressing rooms in the auditorium, get the sound system in place and the set design, such as it was. I planned to coerce my mother into being emcee. That was the last job I wanted at this point.
I pulled into the driveway at home and opened the front door. Chaos streaked out. I jumped back and came close to falling over Aiden, who had sneaked up behind me to give me a heart attack. He succeeded.
He grinned at me as I tried to catch my breath and slow down my heart. “Dinner still on?”
“Aiden, you have to stop that.”
“Stop what? I didn’t do anything.”
“You sneaked up and scared me.”
“I don’t sneak, I walk.”
“Well, whatever you’re doing, stop it.”
“Okay. I’ll go away. Say hi to the boys for me.”
About then, the boys showed up. “Hi, Mom. Now don’t invite him in because that means he can come in anytime.”
“Sean, what are you thinking? Of course I’ll invite him in, he’s our friend and we invited him for dinner.”
“It’s your funeral. I didn’t invite him for dinner.”
I hunched my shoulders, pressed my lips together and grabbed Sean by his ear. “I’ll be right back,” I said to Aiden. “Have a seat on the couch and make yourself comfortable.”
I dragged Sean up the stairs and into the dining room. Rusty waited for us—I guess he wanted to see what would happen.
I let go of Sean. “Sit down. You too, Rusty.” I sat opposite the boys. “I don’t know what you two have been up to but Aiden is a guest in our house and you will treat him with respect. I will not tolerate such rudeness.” I locked eyes with my son. “Do you understand me, Sean? I’ve had a crappy day, this evening doesn’t look much better so I will enjoy a quiet supper without any trouble from you. In the morning we will discuss your punishment for tonight’s behavior.”
“Yes, ma’am.” They both answered at once.
“Aiden, come join me in the kitchen.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Aiden answered from the green room.
I turned to go to the kitchen and Aiden was beside me, again with those speedy moves. The boys still sat at the big table, eyes wide as they looked at each other.
“Sean, come here and get the plates to set the table. Rusty, you can carry the glasses in.” Mumsie, good as her word, had fixed the chicken tarts and left them in the oven on warm. I found a romaine salad in the refrigerator waiting to be tossed with dressing and few grape tomatoes. As I put the rest of the food on the table, I set Aiden to work slicing French bread. I spread garlic butter on the slices and popped them under the broiler. The scent of baking and garlic triggered my appetite big time.
“Hey, Aiden, do you like garlic?” Sean said. “Mom puts a lot of garlic on her bread, you know.”
“I love garlic. How did you know?”
Sean looked disappointed and made a beeline back to the dining room to whisper to Rusty while they set the table.
Mumsie joined us in the kitchen and helped carry the rest of the food. Her harmonic convergence had been cancelled. Maybe there was no harmony to converge in Love. “By the way, Tali, you were a little rude on the phone earlier, telling Chung Po to go into the light, indeed. You have to be careful of his feelings.”
I opened my mouth to tell her to cool it with the spirits while Aiden was here but she went right on.
“Aiden, it’s good to meet you officially. I’d heard you moved in next door and I really like to know my neighbors. You never know when a good neighbor is going to save the day. Besides, it’s always good to have a man close by since it’s just a couple of women and kids over here.” She started passing around food as we all sat down.
I had to step in. “Don’t make it sound as if we’re all helpless over here. We don’t need to be rescued.”
“That’s not how you felt after the vandalism,” Mumsie insisted.
“Yeah, but remember, Mom, you have me and I know karate,” Sean boasted. “We don’t need any help.”
I rolled my eyes.
Sean got up, went to the kitchen, and brought in a glass of water to set next to Aiden’s plate.
“Sean, I have water on the table.” I gestured to glasses with ice and a pitcher of water in the center of the dining room table.”
“I just thought Mr. Courtland would like some fresh water.”
Mumsie shook her head. “Sean, sit down and behave. You’re getting carried away.” She looked at Aiden, a quizzical look on her face.
Oh, no. She was going to give him the third degree.
“Now, Mr. Courtland, what is it you do for a living? I see lights on at your place at all hours of the night.”
“Mumsie, it’s none of your—”
Aiden interrupted. “It’s all right, Tali. Your mother isn’t the first person to remark on my odd hours. I’m a historian. The bulk of my job is online searches, which are done more easily at night when internet traffic is a little lighter. Also, I require very little sleep so it’s the perfect job for a vampire like me.” Then he took a few swallows of water from the glass Sean had brought him. He immediately began coughing.
I leaped up to help him and noticed the boys were grinning at each other triumphantly.
Aiden stopped coughing as suddenly as he’d begun. “You’re right, Sean. Fresh is better, and my mom always told me not to drink so fast. I’m likely to choke to death some day if I’m not careful.” He grinned at the kids who looked as if they had both just lost their best friend.
We finished eating amid a discussion between Aiden and the boys about the advantages of Guitar Hero III over Guitar Hero I, and I figured he’d won them over with that. The boys went into the living room to talk. Mumsie offered to take care of the dishes. I convinced her to come and emcee for me—a hard sell but she finally agreed—then Aiden and I went outside to sit.
“Would you like a drink? I’m going to wait until the contest is over before I get plowed.”
“I’m fine. A little peace and quiet will work for me. Those are a couple of lively kids.”
“That would be a polite term. Nothing Rusty does surprises me but Sean’s behavior is becoming bizarre lately. He was trying to convince me that vampires live around Love, Texas. I think that’s why he looked so startled when you called yourself a vampire. I don’t get anywhere with him when I try to ground him in reality. I need to check into what his father is letting him watch when Sean visits.”
Aiden looked over with one eyebrow raised. He was so sexy. Lord, it was hard to concentrate when the man was around. “You mean you don’t believe in ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump in the night?”
“Oh, I’ve dealt with ghosts. It’s the entire bloodsucking creature-of-the-night thing I have trouble with. Sean is impressionable. He’s had nightmares about ghosts ever since we had the close encounters last spring.”
“What happened?” He leaned forward, his eyes intense, like a kid waiting for a story. I told him about everything and actually felt better when I was done.
“I’m more concerned about real-life monsters like that ex-con trying to destroy my family than I am some mythical creature entering my life. I want to see Sean stick to reality. Life is scary enough without bringing in anything darker.”
Besides, the last rumor I need circulating about this family is that we are setting up a supernatural community.
No breeze stirred the trees. Not a sound broke the silence. It felt as if something was going to happen. What else could
happen? We’d already had two murders connected with the contest. But what was this feeling, anticipation—or dread?
I looked over at Aiden, who relaxed comfortably in the Adirondack chair, legs stretched out, cool as a cucumber in his long-sleeved black shirt and slacks. He had his eyes closed.
“Would you like to go back in? It’s warmer out than I expected. You’d think it was August, not October.
He opened one eye, lifting that sexy left eyebrow. “I’m okay. Your poor eye is really blooming with color.”
I took a deep breath, enjoying the lingering scent of honeysuckle. “The audience won’t be happy inside tonight since we’ll be in the impossible-to-cool auditorium.”
“But everyone will be in the shade, not like in the amphitheatre.”
“Humid, very stuffy.”
“Tali—it’s humid and still outside. I don’t see the problem.”
“You don’t know how unhappy this group of people will be since the size of the audience will be limited and boyfriends can’t wander by to accidentally watch Suzie do her baton routine or hip-hop jazz dance. The auditorium also limits how much parading up and down aisles the kids can do. Saving seats for the entire family will be—”
“Wait. Stop. Enough. I don’t know how you put up with it all. Doesn’t anyone handle this mess but you?”
“Laurel promised to field some of those.”
“Good.” Aiden sat up and leaned over toward me. “Let’s concentrate on being together right now, on relaxing.”
His dark eyes caught mine and held them. The intense gaze plunged deep into my soul. As I fell into the world promised in his eyes, he kissed me and I traveled beyond any boundaries.
I jerked back to reality at the sound of breaking glass. I heard a yell. Aiden jerked back and fell. I jumped up to see Sean all tangled with Aiden.
“Sean, what are you doing?” I pulled on Sean’s arm and pushed Aiden back. “Aiden, get off my kid. Why is there glass all over the deck? Everyone be careful.” Glass covered the deck, as did the splintered frame of Mumsie’s mirror.
“Sean, did you break my good mirror?” Mumsie stepped out onto the deck. “What in the name of tarot are you all up to?”
I helped Sean get up. “Explain.”
Sean looked ready to cry. “I just wanted to show you he didn’t have a reflection. Then he started to bite you so I hit him with the mirror.”
Aiden looked angry and amused at the same time.
“Sean, you have to know the difference between biting and kissing.”
“Mom. Vamps can hypnotize you.”
“Go to your room, Sean. Rusty, go with him and call your mom to pick you up.”
“Awww, Mrs. C, please don’t.”
“We were going to the carnival again—”
“Not any more, you’re not.”
Aiden stepped in—risky move. “Wait. Let me show the boys I’m not a vampire. I do have a reflection, so he doesn’t feel he has to worry about you or me.”
“I didn’t say they thought that.”
“You didn’t have to. I figured it out with the garlic, the ‘special water’—”
“Holy water?” I squeaked. “Guys, you didn’t. Where did you get it? If you got it from the Catholic church on the corner, do you have any idea how many people’s hands have been in it? Ewww.”
Both boys looked at the floor.
“It’s not a big deal.” Aiden picked up a shiny aluminum tray I had leaned against the wall and propped it up against the deck rail. It held reflections of all of us, including Aiden.
“Are you happy now? Go get the broom and dustpan to clean up the mess and then go do what I said. Rusty is not spending the night.” I turned to Aiden. “I am so sorry. I can’t imagine what got into him. He’s not usually this rude. I don’t know if it’s all Rusty’s influence, or too many Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns or the book he read from the library. He needs a father, or some consistent discipline.”
“Don’t apologize. The evening certainly wasn’t dull. What about Sean’s dad? Does he not help at all?”
“Oh, he’s around. He doesn’t want to be a dad, be present in Sean’s life, not like Sean needs.” I looked at my watch. “We’d better go and get this over with. At least, I’d better. I’m glad you came and sorry I have to run off.” I dug in my purse for my keys and ran into the clipping I’d found at the library.
“I’m glad I came also. It’s absolutely more lively here than at my place.” His expression changed and he looked off into the distance. “You’re lucky to have family so close, even if they do drive you nuts at times.”
I touched his arm. “You’ll have to tell me about your family sometime.” I handed him the clipping. “I found this when I went to the library this morning, thought you’d get a kick out of it.”
I waved as I pulled out to go to the fairgrounds. Aiden stood still, holding the clipping in his hand, looking at me as if I were a stranger or, worse yet, a bug under a microscope.
Chapter Twelve
Well hell. What was that look all about? No time to worry about it now. I had to make certain nothing had changed, no one was queuing up at the fairgrounds and that they were gathering at the auditorium. Lyn had agreed to open early so everything could be put into place.
Sure enough, parents argued with the police and shoved behind the yellow crime tape to save their places. I had to break the news to those who hadn’t received the information, calm down tempers and fears. Many attendees hadn’t heard about the murder that afternoon. They were lucky the body had been removed so quickly. Some had family coming from out of town who wouldn’t know where to go. I promised to make sure a reserve officer would stay around to direct people down the street to the alternate location.
I was allowed to make certain no props, trophies, or decorations had been left behind. The judges’ table and the rest of the trophies were still here, piled up in a corner. The show would start at eight; it was seven now, not much time. I could haul this much in the back of my car if I got it loaded. Twenty minutes and four bottles of sweat later, with the help of some passing kids with the awkward long table, the items were loaded and I was on my way.
* * * * *
The old Courtland Auditorium had belonged to the high school before they built a new one. Set close to the street, it was a brick building with twelve-foot tall windows, all open. The high ceilings made the building impossible to heat and cool effectively but the Art Deco style made it worth saving. The air smelled musty and felt clammy.
When I arrived, chaos ruled the building. Angry mothers clustered around Lyn, all talking at once halfway down the center aisle. A steady stream of contestants and entertainers circled from backstage, down the stairs, and into the auditorium and back. I went to rescue Lyn first.
“Where have you been? This has been going on since the Duchess ended. I tried your cell and you didn’t answer. We have no trophies, no judges’ table and chairs. The curtain keeps sticking and who is going to emcee?” She glared at me. “Don’t you ever leave me holding the bag again, Tali Cates. Just because you’re the golden girl around here doesn’t mean you can push me around. I’m going to check on the girls in the dressing room and you can take over here.”
I grabbed Lyn by the arm. “Excuse us for a moment, ladies. I will be right back.” I pulled Lyn down to the front and into a corner. “Don’t you ever pull a trick like that in front of a bunch of mothers. We have enough trouble keeping order as it is. We have to be consistent. If we start fighting or contradicting each other, we’ll be in shit so deep, pointy-toed boots won’t let us kick our way out.”
Lyn would have backed up if her back hadn’t already been against the wall.
“I stopped by the fairgrounds and put the table and trophies in the back of the PT Cruiser. Now I have to get someone to unload it. As far as emcee, my mother agreed to fill in, reluctantly, but if she changes her mind we’ll have to tag-team it like we did this afternoon.”
Lyn ducked her hea
d. “Oh, okay. Didn’t mean to make you mad. But everything was hitting at the same time and some of the mothers don’t think the contest should continue or that Kimmie should compete since her mother is dead and all.” Her voice was all meek and apologetic. Her eyes blazed but whatever she thought, she didn’t say out loud.
I started to pat her on the shoulder but thought better of it. “I’ll go talk to the mob. Please find someone, anyone who has the will and muscle to unload the judges’ table and trophies from the back of my cruiser. I’m parked out front.”
I walked back up the aisle to the waiting cluster of women who were talking so loudly they would never hear a word I said, so I let loose with one of those ladylike two-fingers-in-the-mouth whistles and got their undivided attention.
“Ladies, let’s hold it down to a dull roar. Now, what is the problem?”
One of the girls’ mothers stepped up. “We don’t think the contest should go on with the murders and everything. It’s not safe.”
“And there’s the funeral tomorrow. It’s not right that Kimmie should compete with her mother just dead.”
“Can’t we postpone everything until after?” Another mother asked.
I looked at them all. “If we postpone, it will mean cancelling the contest altogether. The fair is over after tonight and we can’t resume it next week. Kimmie competing depends on Kimmie. Having the contest in a building gives us better security and control so we can keep the girls safe. If everyone will take their seats, Lyn and I need to take care of some things so we don’t have to begin too late. The girls have all worked hard for this. Let’s not spoil it.”
My cell phone blared at me.
“Tali. It’s Amy Shojai. I have a problem. My puppy, Magic, just had a close encounter with a skunk. It sprayed him and scratched him. Now, smelling to high heaven, I have to take him to the vet to be checked out, probably get rabies shots, and you know what the car and I will smell like. There is no way I can do all this and get there to judge. I’m so sorry.”
Carol Shenold - Tali Cates 02 - Bloody Murder Page 9