Dead Is a Killer Tune
Page 13
“Finally caught on, did you?” He snarled. “Unfortunately, it’s much too late, at least for the city of Nightshade.”
My stomach dropped at the thought that Flo could be trapped, or worse, in a cave somewhere like Scotty thanks to this guy. I needed to keep him talking. “Why are you so obsessed with convincing everyone how great Hamlin is?”
“Hey!” said Brett. “We are great.”
Mr. Peverell whirled around. “Not until you had me and those magical instruments,” he said. Brett looked genuinely hurt.
“But why?” Dominic asked. “You wanted Hamlin to win the competition so badly that you hurt the other musicians.”
“Of course,” he said. “Brett’s my son. He deserves to be a star.”
“What?” Brett cried. He dropped his guitar. “But my father is—”
“Me,” Mr. Peverell said. “I know I left you years ago, Brett. But helping your band become famous was my way of making it up to you.”
Brett sulked. “You’re more interested in the band’s money than being my dad.”
Mr. Peverell didn’t answer. Instead, he put the flute to his lips. The first note brought blood-freezing terror. I was unable to move, enchanted by the sound, yet frightened of it. The melody was both hauntingly beautiful and ominous.
“Cover your ears!” I yelled. But it was too late. The listeners were mesmerized. Blank looks appeared on their faces and they formed a single line behind Mr. Peverell, the Piper.
“We have to stop him,” I said.
Brett was too mad to listen, or maybe it was a hereditary thing, but the music didn’t affect him at all. He stepped in front of his father. “You owe me an explanation,” he demanded.
“I don’t have time for your star attitude right now,” Mr. Peverell said. He was focused on Brett. It was my chance. I grabbed the flute and pulled, using all my virago strength.
I wrenched it out of his grasp. I knew what I had to do. It was a beautiful flute, but it was as evil as the man who played it. I held it up like a baseball bat and swung it against a tree. It made a dull thump, but didn’t come apart. I swung again and this time it broke into pieces.
“No!” The Piper shoved me aside and dropped to his knees beside the useless instrument. The spell was finally broken.
Raven and Andy hauled the Piper up by his elbows and marched him over to Chief Wells, who looked dazed, but coherent. The chief cuffed him and read him his rights. She handed him over to Officer Denton and then crossed to where I stood.
“I was wrong about you, Jessica,” Chief Wells said. “Teddie is right. You are special.”
It made me feel all squirmy to get such recognition, but I was glad she’d decided I wasn’t a troublemaker.
“Where is she?” Slim asked Mr. Peverell. “Where’s Flo?”
“And Vinnie?” added Katrina, glaring at Brett.
“Dad, where are they?” Brett asked. “Tell me.”
“Why should I?” Mr. Peverell sounded like a petulant child.
“Because I’m your son and it’s the only thing I’ve ever asked of you,” Brett said.
I finally caught a glimmer of something. Maybe a tiny bit of understanding about why Katrina found Brett the least bit attractive.
“I don’t know,” Mr. Peverell said. “Your friends must have skipped town. Musicians can be so unreliable.” With that, he was taken away in the squad car.
Chapter Twenty-one
We convened at Slim’s. The mood was somber. Natalie put a comforting arm around Slim.
I looked around, expecting to see a trashed restaurant, but the place was spotless. Even the smashed window had been replaced.
“You guys cleaned up already,” Dominic said. “We were going to help you.”
“Not us,” Slim said. “Circe Silvertongue and her niece came by and did their magic.”
“That was such a nice surprise,” Natalie said.
“You think everyone is as wonderful as you are, my love,” Slim said fondly.
Maybe Selena had changed. She’d been so worried about Harmony and then she’d helped Slim and Natalie.
The diner phone rang and Slim answered it. “We’re closed.”
Instead of hanging up, he listened for a minute. “Florence Jane, where have you been? We’ve all been worried sick.”
“It’s Flo!” Raven cried.
“Shh, what’s he saying?” Andy asked.
Slim said, “Vegas? What was Vinnie doing in Vegas?”
After a few minutes, he said goodbye and hung up. “She’s okay!” he said. The space where his face should be was lit with a rosy glow. For a second, I caught a glimpse of what the non-invisible Slim would look like. But then that vision disappeared as quickly as it came.
“Flo called from the road. They will be home in a few hours. She and Vinnie are both safe.”
“What happened?” Natalie asked.
“Apparently, before he went missing, Vinnie went out for a drink with Mitch Peverell. That’s the last thing he remembers until he woke up in Vegas with no ID and no money.”
“Mitch drugged him,” Natalie said.
“That’s what they think,” Slim replied. “And then put him on the bus to Vegas. Vinnie woke up at the depot with no memory of how he got there.”
“Sabotage,” Raven said.
I nodded. “Mitch Peverell would do anything to make sure Hamlin won the Battle of the Bands, even playing dirty.”
“Good work, Jessica,” Slim said. “I’m glad they put him away.”
“Flo’s not going to be happy to hear about who else they put away,” I said. “Her friend Hunter Verrat was involved in some nasty stuff. He was stealing magical items from Natalie’s house.”
“She won’t be easy to convince,” Slim admitted. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Officer Denton already made the arrest.”
“Then he’s safer in jail,” Slim said. “Florence doesn’t have many friends, and those she has, she trusts with her life.”
“We’re her friends,” Raven said loyally.
“Hungry friends, I’m guessing,” Slim said. “That’s my cue to whip up some grub.”
Our mood had lightened considerably now that we knew Vinnie and Flo were safe.
Natalie brought pitchers of soda to the table while Slim headed to the kitchen. Connor came over and tapped me on the shoulder.
“Jessica, can I talk to you? In private?” he said.
“I’ll get the food,” Dominic said. “Find me when you’re done.”
We went outside and walked a little distance before Connor burst out, “I’m not a werewolf.”
“You’re not?” I said. “But what about the new muscles?”
He looked startled. “Protein shakes,” he said. “I wanted to try out for football next year.”
“I feel so stupid,” I said. “And then I asked Ryan to talk to you. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he replied. “Actually, Ryan was a big help. Remember how rude I was that night on the beach?”
I nodded.
“I saw something,” he said. He lowered his voice. “I saw Mitch Peverell leading Scotty into the water using that flute. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I knew it wasn’t good. I didn’t want to believe it, especially because Mr. Peverell had expressed interest in Magic and Moonlight and I didn’t want to think he was a bad guy. I was freaked out and didn’t know who to tell. I finally told Ryan and he let the chief know. She asked me some questions, but Ryan stayed with me the whole time.
“I promised the chief I wouldn’t say anything before, but he’s already been arrested,” Connor said. “I saw Mitch Peverell put Scotty’s body in the cave.”
“That’s why you were acting so weird,” I said.
He nodded. He stirred and said, “Take care of yourself, Jessica.”
“I will,” I promised. “You, too.”
After he left, I went back into the diner and found Dominic.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Everything is fine,” I said. “Although I mistakenly assumed Connor was a werewolf. That’s why he wanted to talk to me.”
“I thought he wanted to ask you out again or something,” Dominic said.
“Of course not,” I said. “Didn’t you know? He’s dating Selena.”
He grinned. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. For them, I mean.”
Something was crawling up my arm. I lifted it up to check and met the irritated gaze of the dollhouse princess.
“How did you get here?” I asked.
“I am a princess,” she said. “I can do anything. I seek my prince.”
The rest of the castle inhabitants were on the floor, looking like tiny ants. The princess clung to my arm as I rescued her entourage.
There was a shriek and then Natalie came out of the kitchen holding a tiny prince in the palm of her hand.
“I’ve found my prince,” she said wryly. “Swimming in my cup of coffee. But could someone explain this?”
She put the prince on the table and I did the same with the princess.
“With everything else going on,” I said, “I completely forgot about the magical dollhouse. You see, I found this wishing powder in the attic and made a wish without realizing it. And then this happened.” Flo had taken the inhabitants back here to the diner. They must have gotten out.
I looked down and saw the tiny prince and princess embracing passionately.
“What should we do?” I asked. “I don’t think they can live at my house, but Katie would be heartbroken if I made her give up the dollhouse.”
There was silence while we thought about our predicament. Natalie snapped her fingers. “Katie can keep the dollhouse,” she said. “I’ll make a duplicate and they can live in the spare bedroom.”
“You can do that?” I asked.
“I’m a witch, remember?”
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Dominic asked. “Outside?”
I followed him out. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“This,” he said. He drew me close and kissed me. It happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to really enjoy it, so it was a good thing he did it again, only more slowly this time.
“What was that for?” I said when we separated.
“I’ve been an idiot,” he said.
“I don’t disagree with that,” I said. “But go on.”
“I want to get back together,” he said. “No more cold feet, I promise.”
He moved in to kiss me again, but I held out an arm to stop him. “You’re going to have to do better than that, if you want to win me back.”
“I do,” he said. “More than anything. I’ll prove it to you, I promise.”
I nodded slowly. “I’ll give it a try,” I said. “But Dominic, this is your last chance.”
“You won’t regret it,” he said. He put everything he had into his kiss. This time, I believed him.
Dominic and I still needed to talk about his concerns. I wanted to be absolutely sure that he wasn’t going to change his mind again.
“I’m not going to stop being a virago,” I told him, point-blank.
He looked incredulous. “I know that.”
“You’re not worried?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said. “I just saw you take out a dude with a guitar. I’m not worried that you’ll get hurt. I’m more worried about the other guy.”
I laughed. “I guess I’m willing to try again, if you are.”
“There you two are,” Raven interrupted. “Dominic, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Flo just got back from Vegas. And guess who she brought with her?”
“Her husband?” Dominic said dryly.
“Nope. She did bring Vinnie, but there’s someone else, too,” Raven said. There was a big smile on her face. “Mom’s here, Dom. She’s finally home.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. His face darkened. I gave him a concerned glance and he squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. “Jessica and I have some things to talk about, but I’ll be home in a little bit, Raven,” he finally said.
“Dominic, don’t be like that,” Raven said.
“I’m not,” he said. “I just really want to talk to Jessica right now. Mom’s been gone for two years. She can wait a few more minutes.”
“But you’re coming?” Raven asked.
“I promise we’ll be there,” he said. “I just want a few minutes alone with my girlfriend.”
Raven grinned even wider. “Girlfriend, huh? It’s about time.”
We were quiet after she left. Finally, Dominic said, “So what do you think?”
“About Flo’s elopement?”
“No.” He laughed. “About being my girlfriend.”
“Are you asking me?”
“I am,” he replied.
“Then yes,” I said. “My answer is yes.”
He kissed me slowly and then hauled me to my feet. “C’mon, Jessica,” he said. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Another strange day in Nightshade. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to my editor Julie Tibbott, whose sharp eyes catch my goofs every time. Big appreciation to everyone at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and my agent, Stephen Barbara. Special thanks to my family, who survives on takeout without complaint when I’m on deadline, and to my husband, who scares away all my technology gremlins.
How Well Do You Know the Dead Is Series?
Take this quiz to find out!
1. How many siblings does Jessica have?
a. two
b. twelve
c. five
d. seven
2. What does Dominic give Jessica as a birthday present?
a. a necklace
b. a guitar
c. flowers
d. a magic flute
3. What is the name of Eva’s favorite actor?
a. Vincent Price
b. George Clooney
c. Johnny Depp
d. Robert Pattinson
4. Which of these Nightshade residents had a cooking show?
a. Flo
b. Slim
c. Circe
d. Daisy
5. For which birthday did Jessica’s family throw her a surprise party?
a. twelfth
b. thirteenth
c. fifteenth
d. sixteenth
6. Which of these songs has Dominic never sang?
a. “Evil Woman”
b. “Promises, Promises”
c. “Love Potion Number Nine”
d. “Killer Queen”
7. Who owns the Black Opal?
a. Ms. Minerva
b. Teddie Myles
c. Nicholas Bone
d. Officer Denton
8. Jessica’s tattoo is in what shape?
a. a rose
b. cabbage
c. a unicorn
d. a whirlwind
9. What kind of pet does Eva have?
a. a bulldog named Fluffy
b. a rabbit named Bunnicula
c. a raven named Poe
d. a cat named Midnight
10. Selena lives across the street from
a. the Mason house
b. the Wilder Mansion
c. Slim’s Diner
d. Nightshade High School
11. Which one of these guys tends to get a little furry when there’s a full moon?
a. Connor
b. Ryan
c. Dominic
d. Vinnie
12. The original Black Opal was destroyed on what night?
a. Grad Night
b. prom night
c. the night before Christmas
d. the night of the living dead
13. Jessica and Connor share the same
a. dentist
b. guitar teacher
c. milkshake
14. Which one of these characters was never the new kid in Nightshade?
a. Raven
b. Selena
c. Edgar Love
d. Daisy
15. What color did Edgar Love’s followers wear?
a. black
b. hot pink
c. purple
d. yellow
16. Which virago is a pacifist?
a. Flo
b. Raven
c. Jessica
d. Andy
17. Andy predicts that Flo will retire from being a virago when she gets
a. injured
b. relocated
c. married
d. fed up with Jessica
18. Which one of these characters attends UC Nightshade?
a. Samantha
b. Sean
c. Ryan
d. Natalie
19. Which one of these characters lives with both of his or her parents?
a. Dominic
b. Jessica
c. Andy
d. Samantha
20. Which sports team are Jessican and Eva on?
a. soccer
b. softball
c. basketball
d. track and field
Answers:
1. d.; 2. b.; 3. a.; 4. c.; 5. c.; 6. a.; 7. b.; 8. d.; 9. c.; 10. a.; 11. b.; 12. a.; 13. b.; 14. d.; 15. c.; 16. b.; 17. c.; 18. a.; 19. b.; 20. a.
How did you do?
1–5 correct answers: New kid in town.
6–10: You can pass for a local, but you might be a norm.
11–15: Virago-in-training or magical possibilities.
16–20: Honorary Nightshade resident.