herself again.
“Very sexy,” Cherilyn said. “I like you in black and white.”
“Well, look at you, Misses Vampiras.”
Cherilyn wore her long blonde hair straight to her waist. Her red dress dipped to the waist in the back and plunged not quite as far in front, while Renée wore a red-and-black laced Victorian dress complete with choker. Her curly red hair framed her head and set off the exotic makeup she wore.
Renée moved behind a smaller table full of wines with exotic Vampyre Blood labels we had specially made. “A little blood with that cheese?” She giggled, pouring the red wine in glasses. We toasted each other.
“Now what happened at the amphitheatre?” Cherilyn asked. “No one is making sense. Mrs. Litchen, one of the librarians, talked about vampires. I told her she had the blood drive on the brain. There’s no such thing as a vampire, except at this function. That woman is so bizarre. Why do we let her around our kids? Oh yeah, she’s the only one who wants the job.”
Renée shivered. “I heard Marcia’s body was drained of blood and there were marks on her neck.”
“The coroner is going to have to decide how Marcia was killed. I couldn’t tell much from looking except it was awful.” It was my turn for the willies when I thought about the shriveled, mummy-like look of the body. “All I know is she is dead, one of the Queen contestants is now without a mom, and part of the blood we donate tonight will be given in memoriam of Marcia.”
Renée looked at me. “Ewww. That’s kind of gross, isn’t it?”
“Not any more gross than donating an organ. People do that all the time.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to establish a fund for Kimmie?” Renée suggested. “For her education or something?”
“That would be good too. Cherilyn, what if you put something in the paper about it?”
“I’d better check with Don Baker first. He might consider it interfering or charity. He’s a little stiff-necked, you know. Remember when he was in the hospital after the accident, after he fell off the roof? A bunch of us got a collection together for food. He was livid. He thought we considered him a charity case.”
“Right. Good thinking. But speaking of Don, the argument Marcia had with Karin this afternoon made it sound as if Marcia was cheating on him. When she fought with Karin, it sounded as if they were fighting over the same guy. I don’t get it.”
I looked around the room to see what was going on. People had come in droves, more for snacks than anything. They all gave blood and signed the card for Marcia on the small table that also held her picture.
Cherilyn shook her head. “Small town gossip, who knows who was cheating on whom and if any of that had to do with the murder? I suppose we’ll find out in time but I’m not sure I want to know—not how my fearless leader will feel. Laurel will want all the dirt.”
Oh, yeah, Laurel McIntyre, editor of the local paper, President of the County Fair board—and a rival for JT’s attention. She’d be on my case for sure, as if I caused the murder to happen on the fairgrounds.
I felt someone next to me and turned to say something to Cherilyn. Instead, I stood still, looking into the deepest golden brown eyes I’d ever seen. The face wasn’t bad either, once I tore my gaze away from his eyes and assessed the rest of the man standing next to me. He stood taller than I did with a wiry build that said strength without showing muscle. His eyes were kind but guarded. You couldn’t say that about his mouth, which looked ready to be kissed, and his shoulder-length hair screamed to have fingers run through it.
That thought alone sent such strong waves of anticipation through me, I came close to cracking my knees on the back of the table.
He held out his hand. “Hi. I’m Aiden.”
“Um… I’m Tali.” I thrust a plate in his hand, my eyes never leaving his face. What is wrong with me , I thought, ripping my eyes away from his and
“Very sexy,” Cherilyn said. “I like you in black and white.”
“Well, look at you, Misses Vampiras.”
Cherilyn wore her long blonde hair straight to her waist. Her red dress dipped to the waist in the back and plunged not quite as far in front, while Renée wore a red-and-black laced Victorian dress complete with choker. Her curly red hair framed her head and set off the exotic makeup she wore.
Renée moved behind a smaller table full of wines with exotic Vampyre Blood labels we had specially made. “A little blood with that cheese?” She giggled, pouring the red wine in glasses. We toasted each other.
“Now what happened at the amphitheatre?” Cherilyn asked. “No one is making sense. Mrs. Litchen, one of the librarians, talked about vampires. I told her she had the blood drive on the brain. There’s no such thing as a vampire, except at this function. That woman is so bizarre. Why do we let her around our kids? Oh yeah, she’s the only one who wants the job.”
Renée shivered. “I heard Marcia’s body was drained of blood and there were marks on her neck.”
“The coroner is going to have to decide how Marcia was killed. I couldn’t tell much from looking except it was awful.” It was my turn for the willies when I thought about the shriveled, mummy-like look of the body. “All I know is she is dead, one of the Queen contestants is now without a mom, and part of the blood we donate tonight will be given in memoriam of Marcia.”
Renée looked at me. “Ewww. That’s kind of gross, isn’t it?”
“Not any more gross than donating an organ. People do that all the time.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to establish a fund for Kimmie?” Renée suggested. “For her education or something?”
“That would be good too. Cherilyn, what if you put something in the paper about it?”
“I’d better check with Don Baker first. He might consider it interfering or charity. He’s a little stiff-necked, you know. Remember when he was in the hospital after the accident, after he fell off the roof? A bunch of us got a collection together for food. He was livid. He thought we considered him a charity case.”
“Right. Good thinking. But speaking of Don, the argument Marcia had with Karin this afternoon made it sound as if Marcia was cheating on him. When she fought with Karin, it sounded as if they were fighting over the same guy. I don’t get it.”
I looked around the room to see what was going on. People had come in droves, more for snacks than anything. They all gave blood and signed the card for Marcia on the small table that also held her picture.
Cherilyn shook her head. “Small town gossip, who knows who was cheating on whom and if any of that had to do with the murder? I suppose we’ll find out in time but I’m not sure I want to know—not how my fearless leader will feel. Laurel will want all the dirt.”
Oh, yeah, Laurel McIntyre, editor of the local paper, President of the County Fair board—and a rival for JT’s attention. She’d be on my case for sure, as if I caused the murder to happen on the fairgrounds.
I felt someone next to me and turned to say something to Cherilyn. Instead, I stood still, looking into the deepest golden brown eyes I’d ever seen. The face wasn’t bad either, once I tore my gaze away from his eyes and assessed the rest of the man standing next to me. He stood taller than I did with a wiry build that said strength without showing muscle. His eyes were kind but guarded. You couldn’t say that about his mouth, which looked ready to be kissed, and his shoulder-length hair screamed to have fingers run through it.
That thought alone sent such strong waves of anticipation through me, I came close to cracking my knees on the back of the table.
He held out his hand. “Hi. I’m Aiden.”
“Um… I’m Tali.” I thrust a plate in his hand, my eyes never leaving his face. What is wrong with me , I thought, ripping my eyes away from his and
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