Jane walked into the bookstore and glanced around for any sign of the Hawthorne boys. Neither seemed to be there, but Lucy was behind the front counter.
“Have you seen Ned?” Jane asked. “Or Ted?”
“Does it matter which one?” asked Lucy.
“A bit, yes,” said Jane.
“Gay or straight?” Lucy said.
“Straight,” said Jane.
“Ned,” Lucy told her. “He might be in the storeroom. One of them is. The other went to get lunch, but I didn’t see which of them it was. May I ask what you’re planning on doing with him?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Jane said. “Oh, and if Jessica Abernathy or Posey Frost comes in, tell her you don’t know where I am.”
“That should be easy,” said Lucy. “Because I don’t know where you are. And why is Posey Frost here?”
“I’ll explain that too,” Jane promised. “I also want to speak to you about a certain young rabbi.”
Lucy blushed. “Good,” she said. “Because I want to speak to you about a certain young rabbi.”
Jane started to head for the storeroom, but came back. “We are both talking about Ben Cohen, right?” she said.
Lucy nodded.
“I just wanted to make sure,” said Jane. “It’s getting a bit difficult to keep track of everyone.”
She walked back to the storeroom and opened the door.
One of the Hawthorne boys was standing beside an open carton of books, a copy of the latest Posey Frost novel in his hand. How perfect, Jane thought darkly as she forced herself to smile. “Hello,” she said. She had no idea to which twin she was speaking.
“Hi,” the young man replied. “We haven’t seen much of you around here lately. What brings you in?”
Jane thought frantically for a way to identify the twin without having to actually ask. “Things have been crazy,” she said. “Is your brother here as well?”
“Ted? He’s out getting lunch. But he should be back in a few minutes if you want to talk to him.”
Jane breathed a sigh of relief. She was speaking to Ned.
“That’s all right,” Jane said. “I was hoping to have a chat with you. Actually, Byron and I were hoping to have a chat with you. About a certain young lady whose acquaintance you made?”
Ned set the book down and dusted off his hands. “I thought as much,” he said. He looked down. “I don’t know what happened. I just got carried away.”
Jane put her hand on his shoulder. “It happens to the best of us,” she assured him. “But we do need to speak with you. Byron is waiting in the car out back. Come with me.”
She went to the door and ushered Ned into the hallway, motioning for him to go out the back. “I’m going to borrow Ned for a little while,” she called to Lucy.
“Just don’t bring him back dented,” Lucy yelled back.
Jane hurried Ned outside, where Byron waited in the idling car. Jane indicated that Ned should get in the front, and she slid into the backseat behind him.
“Well, well, well,” Byron said as Ned clipped the seat belt in place. “If it isn’t the prodigal son.”
“Don’t start,” Jane said. “I’m sure he feels bad enough as it is.”
“I do,” Ned agreed. “I really do. I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t apologize to me,” said Byron. “Apologize to Jane. She’s the one who had to turn the girl thanks to your sloppy technique. What were you thinking, draining her to the point of death? Of all the amateurish—”
“Wait a minute,” Ned said, swiveling around to look at Jane. “You turned her?”
Jane nodded. “And I’m not terribly pleased about it, young man.”
Ned slumped in his seat. “That’s not good. Well, I mean it’s good that she’s not dead.”
“But she is,” Byron reminded him. “Undead. Thanks to you.”
“No,” Ned said, shaking his head. “Not thanks to me.”
“Don’t blame Jane for this!” Byron said. “She was just cleaning up your mess.”
“It wasn’t my mess!” Ned shouted. “It was my brother’s!”
“Ted?” said Jane. “But you’re the vampire.”
“No, I’m not,” said Ned.
Byron looked at Jane. “Do you have any idea what he’s talking about?”
Jane leaned back in the seat. “I think what he’s telling us is that he’s Ted,” she said softly. “Is that right?”
“Yes,” said Ted. “I just pretended to be Ned to give him time to get away.”
“Get away?” said Byron. “Get away where?”
Ted shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “He was totally freaked out by what happened. He thought you’d be mad at him.” He looked at them both, and his eyes were wet with tears. “He really didn’t mean to do it. And he was scared. He thought she was dead.”
“How long has he been gone?” Jane asked him.
Ted looked at his watch. “About half an hour,” he told her.
“He couldn’t have gotten very far,” said Byron. “We have to find him.”
A thump from the rear of the car made Jane jump. “What about her?” she asked.
“Her?” Ted said. “You mean she’s in the—”
“Yes,” Byron said. “She is. And we can’t keep her there much longer. So here’s what we’re going to do. Jane, we’ll take you and Chloe back to the set. You’ll have to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t attack anyone. Ned and I will go looking for Ted.”
“You mean Ned,” Ted said.
Byron glared at him. “We’ll go looking for your brother,” he said.
“Why do I have to watch Chloe?” Jane asked.
“Because you turned her,” said Byron.
“But you made me!” Jane objected.
Byron held up a hand. “Let me finish. Because you turned her, you have a certain bond with her that I do not. She’ll listen to you.” He paused. “Possibly. I mean, she should.”
“Wonderful,” said Jane. “Just lovely.”
“Besides,” Byron continued, “you already have a rapport with the film people.”
Jane sniffed. “Don’t even try to flatter me,” she said.
Byron smiled at her in the rearview mirror. Jane narrowed her eyes and stared at his reflection as he started the car. He looked away and Jane tried to relax. She was going to have to calm herself down if she was to have any chance of controlling Chloe on the set of the movie.
This was easier said than done. In addition to worrying about her vampire charge, she couldn’t stop thinking about her lunch with Jessica Abernathy and Posey Frost. Nor could she forget what she’d seen in Walter’s house. Beverly Shrop and Miriam knew about her and Byron. But how? And what were they planning to do? Nothing good, Jane thought as they exited the shopping center parking lot and Byron turned the car toward the film site.
Suddenly she remembered something very important. “I forgot to tell you,” Jane said to Byron. “Guess who Jessica Abernathy’s sorority sister is.”
“Someone I know?” Byron asked.
Jane nodded. “An old friend of ours,” she said. “Violet Grey.”
“How is that possible?” Byron said. “Violet must be—”
“One hundred and fifty-six,” said Jane. “Thirty-eight when she was turned.”
“That seems a bit old to pass herself off as a schoolgirl,” Byron remarked.
“Yes, it does,” Jane agreed. “I’m sure she disguised herself. She’s a wretched novelist, but she always did have a hand with the powders and paints. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d done herself up as a goth and run about in lots of black eyeliner and pancake makeup. No one would know who was under there.”
“Violet Grey,” Ted said. “Isn’t that the name Charlo—”
“Yes,” Jane and Byron said in unison.
“We don’t say her name unless we have to,” Byron told the young man. “Like Old Nick.”
“Or Voldemort,” added Jane.
“But yes, that is the personage of whom Jane is speaking,” Byron said stiffly.
“And what has she done?” Ned asked.
“Just caused a spot of bother,” said Jane. “Again.” She looked out the window. “I really do wish we’d killed her when we had the chance,” she mused.
“There’s the bloodthirsty Jane I’ve been waiting to see,” Byron said happily.
“Shut up,” Jane said. “But it’s true. Things would be easier if we’d been more … comprehensive in our last attack.”
“We have bigger things to worry about right now,” Byron reminded her as he turned the car onto a side street and pulled over. “Stay here,” he ordered Ned as he and Jane opened their doors and got out.
Jane met him at the trunk, which he opened with a double click of the key fob. The lid rose slowly, revealing Chloe inside. She was lying on her side, her hands tied behind her, and there was a piece of duct tape across her mouth. Byron reached down and pulled the tape away in one quick movement.
“Santa’s ball hair!” Chloe yelled. “That hurt!”
“I’m sorry,” said Byron as he reached behind the girl and untied her hands. “It was for your own good.”
Chloe scrambled out of the trunk as Byron offered her his hand. When she was standing on solid ground she looked at Jane. “I know you. You’re the writer lady.”
“I’m pleased you remember,” said Jane, eyeing the girl with distaste. She hadn’t noticed before how vulgar Chloe’s outfit was. It revealed entirely too much midriff.
“Is she a vampire too?” Chloe asked, speaking to Byron.
Byron nodded as he closed the trunk. “She’s also fully capable of understanding what you’re saying, so feel free to speak directly to her.”
Chloe was peering through the car window. “Hey!” she said. “That’s the dude who bit me!” She scrabbled at the door handle, trying to get inside, but Byron locked the doors with a click of the fob. Inside the car, Ted was leaning away from the window, watching Chloe with an expression of terror on his face.
“I want to bite him!” Chloe shouted, banging on the glass with her fists. “Open the door!”
Jane looked at Byron. “I see this is going to be loads of fun,” she said.
Byron took Chloe by the wrist and pulled her away from the car. “That’s not the boy,” he told her. “It’s his brother.”
“That’s good enough for me,” Chloe snapped. “If they’re twins, I’m sure they’ll taste the same.”
Byron put his hand on her chin and turned her head so that she was looking into his eyes. “Listen to me,” he said in a low, seductive voice. “It’s very important that you remain calm. I’m going to go find Ned. You’re going to go with Jane and do what you’ve been hired to do. Do you understand?”
Chloe nodded slowly as the glamor took effect.
“Good,” Byron said, releasing her. He turned to Jane. “If she misbehaves, stake her.”
A look of horror passed over Chloe’s face as Jane nodded. “You wouldn’t really do that, would you?” the girl asked.
“In a heartbeat,” said Jane, trying to sound as if she meant it.
Byron got into the car and drove away, leaving Jane alone with her charge. “All right,” she said. “The plan is very simple. We’re going to go back to your trailer. Everyone thinks you’ve been in there resting after a fainting spell. You’re going to let them go right on thinking that. You’ll do whatever it is you’re supposed to do today, and then tonight we’ll discuss what comes next.”
“So, did I become a vampire because that guy bit me?” Chloe asked as they walked.
“Not entirely,” said Jane.
“Then how did it happen?” the girl said.
“It’s complicated,” Jane replied. “We’ll talk more about it later.”
“And I really am a vampire, right?” said Chloe. “I mean, this isn’t some kind of joke is it? Because if I’m being punked, I’m going to be really pissed off.”
“You’re not being punked,” Jane assured her. “Whatever that is. This is very serious. Although I must tell you, you’re taking it rather well.”
Chloe shrugged. “I played a vampire on High Stakes once,” she said. “You know, that show about vampires who run a casino in Vegas. I’m used to it. Besides, now I never have to worry about turning forty and not getting parts. I’ll always be young and pretty. Sounds like a win-win to me.”
“Be that as it may,” said Jane, “there are a lot of things you’re going to have to learn.”
They were approaching the film site. It was crawling with people, and Jane was hopeful that they might actually get to Chloe’s trailer without being seen. Then, to her horror, she saw approaching them the trio of Julia Baxter, Jessica Abernathy, and Shirley.
“There you are,” Julia said to Chloe. She looked at Jane. “Is she feeling better?”
“I’m fine,” Chloe told the director. “I just fainted or whatever.”
“Come with me,” said Julia, taking the girl by the hand. “We need to get you into hair and makeup. And I want to talk to you about your scene. I think you …”
Her voice trailed off, and Jane found herself faced with Shirley and Jessica. “I’m sorry I had to leave our lunch so precipitously,” she said. “There was a bit of an emergency.”
“So we heard,” said Jessica. “Listen, I spoke with Kelly and Julia, and everything is set. Shirley will work on any changes Julia wants in the script, and you’re free to write that novel I’ve been waiting for.”
“Well, you seem to have it all worked out,” Jane said sharply. Now that Jessica had laid all her cards on the table, Jane no longer felt compelled to adhere as strictly to rules of polite conversation as she normally would. Besides, she intended to call Kelly as soon as she could and straighten things out.
Jessica smiled. “I guess I have,” she said. “Isn’t it wonderful when everything works out for the best?” A chirping sound filled the air, and Jessica reached into her handbag. “Excuse me,” she said as she removed a cellphone. “I need to take this.”
The editor walked off, leaving Jane and Shirley alone. As soon as Jessica was out of earshot Shirley said, “I’m really sorry. I had no idea that Jessica did all of this behind your back. I never would have agreed if I’d known.”
“Oh, it’s all right,” said Jane. “I really didn’t want to work on the script anyway. And she’s right that I need to get this book written. Maybe it really is all for the best.”
“Don’t count on it,” Shirley said.
Jane looked at her, surprised. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Shirley snorted. “Jessica edited my first book,” she said. “I didn’t even have an agent then. I sent the manuscript in blind. Anyway, Jessica bought it. I was so excited. I thought this was going to be my big break.”
“Wasn’t it?” asked Jane. “That book did very well.”
“It did,” Shirley agreed. “And do you know how much I was paid for it?”
Jane didn’t want to ask. She assumed the amount was obscene.
“Five hundred dollars,” Shirley said.
Jane gasped. “But surely the royalties made up for that,” she said.
Shirley shook her head. “It was a work-for-hire contract. No royalties. Jessica told me it’s what all publishers did with first-time authors. What did I know? Until then I’d only ever published in my garden club’s newsletter.”
Jane was appalled. “What did you do when you found out she’d lied to you?”
Shirley shrugged. “I didn’t find out until the book was on the bestseller list and another writer friend asked what I was going to do with all the money coming in. By then the damage was done. But I got myself an agent and a new editor.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you still friends with her?” said Jane.
“Oh, we’re not friends,” Shirley said. “I trust her about as much as I trust a rabid dog. The only reason she hooked me up with this project is because I know a few things she doesn’t want her husband to know about.”
“You’re blackmailing her?” Jane said, thrilled by the prospect.
Shirley laughed. “I prefer to think of it as making her pay for her sins,” she said. “Our deal is that at least once a year she finds me easy work for big money. Working on scripts. Ghosting celebrity bios. Whatever. In return I don’t send her husband a certain set of photographs I had a private detective take of her and someone who isn’t her husband in room 1287 of the London Hilton.”
Jane shook her head.
“I know,” said Shirley. “I’m supposed to channel my anger into my work. Can I help it if I prefer good old-fashioned extortion?”
Jane laughed. “It isn’t that,” she said. “I just can’t believe someone as horrible as she is has a husband.”
This time Shirley laughed along with her. When they were through Jane said, “How come you’re telling me this? Aren’t you afraid of your secret getting out?”
“I can read people,” Shirley said. “You’re one of the good ones. You won’t say anything. Besides, I feel bad taking this job from you. I figure it’s a trade. I take your job, and you have information that could ruin my life. Seems fair to me.”
“As I said, it’s not really important to me,” said Jane. “I just don’t like being bullied, especially by someone who resembles a praying mantis in heels.”
“I can always get you a set of those pictures,” Shirley said, grinning.
“I might just take you up on that someday,” said Jane, watching as Chloe emerged from a trailer and stormed toward the set. “Right now, though, I have to do some babysitting.”