Night Of The Living Dandelion Part 6

"How?"

"Bribery." But Jillian had everything now. What could I use? Nikki's advice would be to ask the universe for help. So far, though, that route had been nothing but a black hole.

My attention was drawn to a large crowd of people standing on the sidewalk across from the apartment building. Some were taking photographs and others were waving signs that read NO VAMPIRES IN NEW CHAPEL. A short distance up the street, cops watched from patrol cars.

"I'm ashamed of our townsfolk," I told Marco as we pa.s.sed the cops. "They've judged Vlad based on stupid rumors. If I were Vlad, I'd leave and never come back."

Marco turned a corner and headed up an alley to the parking lot behind the church. "You have to understand Vlad, Abby. He doesn't care what people think of him. Those signs won't bother him. He's a very focused guy."

"Maybe so, but it's still unfair."

"It is what it is."

That was Marco's way of ending a conversation. He pulled into an empty parking s.p.a.ce and shut off the motor. "I'm going inside to see if Vlad answers his door. Want to wait here or come with me?"

"Come with you." My desire to see where Vlad lived was greater than my fear of having a mishap with the Evil Ones. I opened the pa.s.senger door and waited for Marco to help me.

"Is this the lot where Lori Willis's car was found?"

"Yep." Marco pulled the crutches from the backseat and held them so I could balance on my good foot and get the crutches under my armpits, and then he followed me up the sidewalk to the rear entrance.

I saw steps ahead and had second thoughts about my decision. "You'd better go on without me. I don't even want to attempt stairs."

"Not a problem. I'll carry you."

After toting me, the crutches, and my purse up five concrete steps, then having to maneuver inside while holding a heavy wooden door open, Marco may have regretted his gallant offer. While he caught his breath, I rebalanced on the crutches. "That was way too easy," I said.

"No, it wasn't."

"I meant getting into the building. There's no security."

"The contractor probably cut corners."

"A contractor cutting corners? Hard to imagine."

"Vlad's apartment is on the lower level, number four," Marco said, consulting a slip of paper. "Let's take the elevator."

We rode down, then walked along the central hallway until we reached the last door, marked with a bra.s.s numeral. Marco knocked several times, called Vlad's name, then tried to reach him on his cell phone, but we didn't hear any ringing from the other side of the door.

Outside the building, Marco walked along the back of the old church until he found Vlad's ground-level windows, but he couldn't see in because the shade was closed.

"Maybe Vlad left New Chapel after all," I said, as we headed toward Marco's green Prius.

"He wouldn't leave without letting me know. I'm sure there's a good reason why he isn't answering his phone."

For Marco's sake, I hoped so. But I kept remembering Reilly's words: Something tells me there's more to that guy than meets the eye.

By the time we got back to the square, more people had gathered on the courthouse lawn. When they saw the Prius stop at the curb in front of Bloomers, they waved signs at us and chanted, "No vampires in New Chapel!"

Marco ignored them as he came around to help me out of the car. Grace took over from there and held the door while I peg-legged it inside, where Lottie was waiting with the wheelchair. It took a village to get me into the shop.

"We have to get an automatic door opener for Bloomers," I told my a.s.sistants as Lottie stowed the crutches. "I never realized what a pain it could be to open a door while trying to balance on chopsticks. I don't know how I'd make it through in a wheelchair."

"An automatic door opener is a splendid idea," Grace said. "Shall I get estimates?"

"Yes, please."

"Big bunch of people across the street," Lottie said, peering out the bay window. "Seems like most everyone in town is waiting for Vlad to-Uh-oh. Here comes trouble with a capital J."

Both of my a.s.sistants scattered. The door opened, the bell jingled, and in flew Jillian, a look of panic on her face. "Abs, I need to talk to you."

She grabbed the handles of my chair and pushed me as fast as she could through the curtain. Then she turned my desk chair around to face me and sat down. "I need a really, really big favor," she said.

Sometimes the universe actually listened. "Good. We can trade favors."

She gripped the arms of my wheelchair. "Clayton's boss is going to make him a partner. Isn't that fantacious?"

"Fantacious, Jill? Would you stop making up words? You're not twelve anymore."

"Did you hear what I said? Clayton is going to be a partner! He found out forty-two minutes ago. His boss invited us to dinner at their house to make it official." She pressed her hand to her heart. "Abby, the dinner is going to be catered! Do you understand how much money it takes to get a dinner catered at the last minute?"

"Way more than I'll ever make."

Jillian sighed dreamily. "Someday I'll be able to have dinners catered at the last minute." She sniffled, as though she was about to cry.

"I'm happy for you. What's the favor?"

"Hold off on your announcement for a week."

I tugged on my ears. "I'm sorry. What?"

Jillian gripped my wrists. "I have to be there when you tell the family, Abs. I need to see their reactions. Promise me you'll wait until next Friday to make your announcement."

"I promise. Stop squeezing. I'm losing feeling in my fingers."

She stood up, beaming. "Perfect."

If she only knew.

"So what favor did you want from me?"

I blinked at her. "I forget."

"If you're going to ask me to escort Vlad home again," she said, "you're out of luck."

"Why would I ask you to escort Vlad home?"

"Didn't he tell you how I helped him escape last night?"

"What are you talking about?"

Jillian sat down, crossing one long leg over the other. "Clayton and I and some friends were at Down the Hatch, and right before closing time, this group of scuzzy males claiming to be members of the Garlic Party came in looking for Vlad."

"The Garlic Party?"

"Haven't you seen them across the street? They wear garlands of garlic cloves around their necks. They're a group of extremists who believe the youth are being corrupted by vampire books and movies. Their goal is to drive a stake through the heart of anyone who claims to be a vampire or who looks like a vampire. Their leader claims to be a reformed vampire.

"Anyway, they were obviously looking for trouble. One of the bartenders told them to leave, so they did, but then they waited outside. That's when I had the brilliant idea to have Clayton slip out the back and bring our car through the alley so we could take Vlad home."

She flipped back her long hair. "Vlad was so appreciative that while we waited for Clayton, he kissed my hand to show his grat.i.tude. Seriously, Abby, what guy does that these days? But if he asks for my help tonight, I won't be there." She glanced at her watch, slid off the stool, and started toward the curtain. "Anyway, thanks for holding off on that announcement. Gotta run. Hair appointment in eight and a half minutes."

"What announcement is that?" Grace asked, gliding into the workroom seconds later.

Thank goodness Jillian hadn't been specific, because Grace had ears like a bat. "Jillian's husband is going to be a partner in his CPA firm."

"How lovely. Do congratulate them for me." Grace handed me a sheet of paper. "I've brought you three estimates for automatic door openers."

I looked over the numbers and heard the whoosh of money as it flew out of my bank account. "Two thousand dollars is the lowest estimate?"

"Shall I get a few more estimates to see if I can find something a bit less costly?"

"Please."

Grace started toward the curtain, then paused. "Abby, dear, I'm puzzled. Why would you have been the one to make Clayton's announcement?"

"Make Clayton's announcement about what?" Lottie asked, walking in behind her.

"He is to become a partner," Grace said. "And Jillian has asked our Abby to hold off making the announcement."

"Why would you be the one to make their announcement?" Lottie asked me.

I glanced at the phone on my desk. Now would be a great time for it to ring.

"Because," I said slowly, "Jillian and Clayton can't make the family dinner tonight to make the announcement themselves."

Grace and Lottie exchanged puzzled glances and then Grace said, "Jillian didn't ask you not to make it, only to hold off."

Okay, now would be a great time for the phone to ring.

Still nothing. "Jillian has always liked the way I make announcements."

Grace started to say something, but the phone rang at last. Really. Was that so hard?

I picked it up at my desk and said, "Bloomers Flower Shop. How may I help you?"

"Abigail," my mom said, "are you aware that Marco's new employee is a vampire?"

It took ten minutes to convince my mom that Vlad was merely the victim of malevolent rumors and that I was perfectly safe at Down the Hatch in the evenings. It took another five to repeat it all to my dad. Then I had to break the news that Marco and I wouldn't be at the family dinner. They were both on the line at that point, so it got a little confusing because they talked over each other, but I hung up feeling that they were okay with it.

I'd just returned to the floral arrangement I'd started earlier when Tara and her friends Jamie and Crystal came darting through the curtain in breathless excitement. "Have you heard about the Most Hunkable Vlad abducting a mortal?" Tara asked as her friends climbed on stools.

"Hunkable?" I asked.

"That's Aunt Jillian's word," Tara explained. "It's a mix of hunky and adorable."

I should have known. "Tara, Vlad didn't abduct anyone. Someone is spreading false rumors about him again."

"It's those crazy vigilantes," Crystal said.

"So we formed a girl posse to protect his MHVness," Jamie said proudly.

All three girls removed their coats to show me their black T-s.h.i.+rts with WE VLAD inked on the back in puffy, heartshaped red letters, with their Web site URL beneath. Then they held out their hands to show me their black nail polish. "We've got black lipstick and eye shadow, too," Jamie said, "but we're not allowed to wear it at school."

"Aunt Jillian said the Garlic Party believes dressing Goth means we've gone to the dark side," Tara said. "So to show our support of Vlad, we've gone Goth."

"What do your parents think about that?" I asked.

The girls glanced at each other; then Tara said, "They're fine with it."

Right.

"We're not going to let any vigilantes harm one hair on MHV's head," Crystal declared, proving that even young teens were susceptible to his charm.

"Where did you hear about the Garlic Party?" I asked.

"Someone posted it on Facebook first," Tara replied. "Then everyone was tweeting about it, so I asked Aunt Jillian. She's a vampire expert. She's read every vampire book out there."

"That's n.o.ble of you to want to help Vlad," I said, "but you can't stay out all night."

"Some of the girls in the posse are older," Jamie said, "and they've volunteered to take over for us at nine o'clock."

"We're going to form a human chain around almost-Uncle Marco's bar," Tara said.

"No one will get to Vlad unless they go through us."

"Exactly how many girls are in this posse?" I asked.

"Six"-Tara stopped to count in her head-"seven dozen."

"Seven dozen girls?" I was stunned. "There aren't that many girls in the entire middle school. Did you have to import them from Maraville?"

"Okay, not seven dozen," Tara said. "But a lot. You can do just about anything using Facebook and Twitter."

Tara's phone chirped. She read the message, then motioned for her friends to follow. "Time for action."

"Tara, what about the family dinner tonight?" I asked.

Tara made a face. "Bor-ing. Nothing ever happens at those dinners."