Dead Is Just a Dream - [Dead Is - 08] (4 page)

Dominic looked after her in amusement. “Was it something I said?”

“She was trying to give us some privacy,” I told him.

He bent down to kiss me, which made me glad I had brushed my teeth. “I like that idea.”

“Enjoy it while you can,” I said. “Because Katie will be in here within seconds.”

My prediction came true when my sister bounded into the room. “Dominic, I’m glad you’re here to visit me,” she said.

Dominic and Katie were great friends. He gave me a charming smile when she led him away to look at her dollhouse. “We’ll be back,” he said.

A few minutes later, I heard Katie shouting. I grabbed my crutches and hobbled down the hall to see what was wrong.

“The princess is missing,” she said.

“She’s probably just in a snit and hiding somewhere,” I told her.

“We’ll find her,” Dominic said soothingly. “I promise.”

We looked all over, but Princess Antonia had vanished.

Mom interrupted our search by asking, “Dominic, would you like to stay for dinner?”

“I’d love to,” he replied. “Raven’s at Andy’s and Aunt Katrina is out with her boyfriend.” He tried not to make a face when he said the last part. To everyone’s surprise, Katrina was still dating Brett, the terrible lead singer of a band called Hamlin.

The search for the princess was called off for now. Katie led Dominic off to play cards in the living room while I helped with dinner.

I was sitting at the counter chopping vegetables for the salad while Mom cooked the rice. Dad was outside barbecuing chicken while Grace and Kellie played tag and Fiona finished her homework. I wasn’t sure what Sarah and Sydney were doing, besides avoiding work. I tried to pump my mom for information about the new residents of Phantasm Farms.

“There’s a little girl there named Sanja,” I said.

“Sanja is Anton Platsky’s daughter,” Mom said. “He mentioned her the first time he looked at the listing.”

“Katie and Kellie say they haven’t seen her at school,” I said.

“Maybe she’s homeschooled,” Mom replied.

“Maybe,” I said. “She seemed . . . untamed.”

“What do you mean?”

“It was like she didn’t even know how to talk to people.”

“She’s great with the horses, though,” Mom said. “She’s won blue medals and a whole room of trophies. Mr. Platsky showed them to me once. He’s very proud of her.”

That didn’t sound like the Mr. Platsky I’d met.

“She was scared, Mom,” I said flatly.

“Of what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Maybe I should cancel your lessons,” Mom fretted.

“No, don’t do that!” I said. “I’ll keep Kellie and Katie safe.”

“You’re a good big sister,” she replied.

I would keep them safe, but I also wanted an excuse to snoop around Phantasm Farms.

Sydney and Sarah finally came into the kitchen. Sarah was a high school freshman and Sydney was in eighth grade, but they were inseparable most of the time.

“Nice of you to show up now that all the work is done,” I said sourly.

“Ignore her,” Sarah said to Sydney. “She’s just worried because her hot boyfriend’s hot ex showed up.”

I glared at her. “I’m not worried. And keep it down. Dominic’s in the next room with Katie.”

Sarah lowered her voice but kept talking. “I heard Bethany Harris talking in study hall. She said that Tashya’s been hanging out at the band’s rehearsals.”

Mom overheard her. “Bethany Harris never just talks, she gossips. It’s not an attractive trait. Sarah, you would do well to remember that. Now I want you and Sydney to go set the table.”

I was hurt, even though Bethany, Eva’s sister, had never been very friendly. To me or Eva.

Mom waited to grill me until my sisters had left the room. “Is everything okay, Jessica?”

“Everything’s fine, Mom,” I said. “Dominic is here, remember? And since when do you listen to gossip, anyway?”

That shut her up, but it didn’t stop me from thinking about what Sarah had said. Tashya had been at band rehearsal? I didn’t like the sound of that one bit.

I didn’t have much hope of getting any alone time with my boyfriend, but after dinner, Mom rounded up all of my sisters and took them out for ice cream.

“Do you want me to help you to your room?” Dominic asked when they were gone.

I laughed. “Not if you want to live.” No one of the opposite sex in our rooms when my parents weren’t home. Of course, my brother, Sean, who managed to get the only bedroom on the first floor, had somehow been exempt from the rule. Or my parents never realized how many times Samantha had snuck in through his window.

“The living room it is, then,” Dominic said. He picked me up in his arms.

“Dom, put me down!”

“I will,” he said. “Eventually.”

He settled me on the couch and then propped up my ankle with a bunch of pillows.

“You’re good at taking care of me.”

He sat next to me and put his arm around me. “I try.”

We watched television in comfortable silence. “Hey, Jessica,” he finally said.

“Yes?”

“Tashya’s been to one rehearsal,” he said. “And I told her not to come again.”

“You heard Sarah?”

He nodded. “I’m sorry. I think Tashya finally gets it now.”

“Gets what?”

“That I’m crazy about you,” he said. His kiss confirmed it.

By the time my family came back, I felt a lot more confident that Tashya wasn’t going to come between me and Dominic, no matter how hard she tried.

The news spread around
Nightshade High that there had been another murder. This time it was Tad Collins, a professor at the local college, UC Nightshade. He’d been found in his bedroom with his mouth stuffed full of cockroaches.

We were eating lunch when the subject came up. I pushed away my tray when I heard the details.

“That’s just gross,” Raven said.

“It sounds like something out of a horror movie,” Eva said.

“Or a nightmare.” I handed Eva my chips. “I want to take another look at Jensen Kenton’s artwork.”

Raven shuddered theatrically. “Why?”

“Tad Collins’s murder reminds me of one of his paintings.”

“Do you think you should be walking on your ankle so much?” Eva asked.

“I have crutches if I need them, but my ankle is a lot better,” I said.

“I’ll drive,” Andy offered. “Meet me at my car as soon as school is over.”

The lunchroom dismissal bell rang and Raven grabbed my tray. “I’ll take it. You head for class. We’ll catch up.”

It was true that they would catch up. My twisted ankle made me about as fast as Kellie’s pet turtle.

“Jessica, wait up,” Dominic called out. “I’ll walk you to class.” He grabbed my backpack, and I noticed Tashya staring at us as we passed her locker. I stared back.

“I didn’t see you at lunch today,” I said to Dom.

“Chess club meeting,” he said. “Evan convinced me to join.”

“Chess, huh? I didn’t know you know how to play.”

“I don’t,” he replied. “But I thought I’d learn so I’ll have something to pass the time on the road.”

I tried to pretend the mention of his tour didn’t bother me. “I’m glad you’ll have something to keep you busy.”

“So what song are we going to do for our duet?”

“Are you asking me to audition with you?” He’d taken long enough. Dominic was quick to catch the miffed tone in my voice.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he said. “But I just assumed . . .” He trailed off, probably realizing he was only making it worse.

I finally took pity on him and laughed. “I was just kidding,” I said. “Do you have any ideas?”

“A few. Want to get together after school?”

“I can’t,” I said. “Virago stuff.”

We’d reached my classroom. “I’ll call you tonight, then.” He gave me a quick kiss right before the teacher got there.

“Mr. Gray, this is sophomore English,” Ms. Miller said.

“Just helping Jessica,” Dominic said.

I stuck out my bum ankle and tried to look helpless.

“Fine,” she said. “But the tardy bell will ring in approximately two minutes, so I suggest you get to class.”

After school, I hobbled out to the parking lot. I was the first one there but knew better than to lean against Andy’s car. She loved that car like it was a person.

I set my crutches on the ground and sat on the curb and waited. I was out of sight, but I was enjoying the sun on my face.

That was, until I heard Selena, Harmony, and Tashya talking. I peeked out and saw Connor and Noel trailing behind their girlfriends.

“Don’t you think you were kind of obvious just now?” Harmony asked. “Dominic seemed really uncomfortable. And he has a girlfriend.”

“You think that was obvious?” Tashya replied. “I haven’t even gotten started yet. And I have a plan for that little girlfriend of his.” Her screechy laugh set my nerves on edge.

Connor cleared his throat nervously. “Jessica’s a friend of mine, Tashya. Leave her alone.”

I thought for sure Selena would get ticked off at Connor coming to my defense, but instead, she chimed in. “Connor’s right, Tashya. Jessica and Dominic are our friends, so leave us out of whatever you’re planning.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” Tashya snapped. “I don’t need any help to take care of Jessica Walsh.”

They got into Connor’s car and drove away without seeing me. But I had a feeling it wouldn’t have mattered if they had. Tashya didn’t care who knew she was after Dominic.

The other v-girls finally showed up and we headed to the library.

The community room where the exhibit hung was closed.

“What now?” Raven asked.

“Let’s see if Ms. Johns is working,” I said.

We found her at the reference desk. “Ms. Johns, we need a favor,” I said. “We need to take a look at some of the paintings in the exhibit.”

“It’s open,” she said. “Until seven tonight.”

I shook my head. “The door was locked.”

She frowned. “That can’t be right. Let me get my keys.”

We walked back together to the door of the community room and Ms. Johns turned the handle to get inside. When she realized that the room was indeed locked up tight, she took out her keys and unlocked the door. We followed her inside.

Ms. Johns went from aisle to aisle checking on the paintings.

“I don’t think anything is missing, but I’ll check the sales list,” she said.

We were heading back from the far end of the room when a guy stepped out of the shadows and nearly ran into us.

“Mr. Martin!” Ms. Johns exclaimed as she skidded to a stop. “You scared me.”

I thought he’d had something in his hands, but he put them in his pockets, so I couldn’t tell for sure. “Nice to see you again,” he said, giving the librarian a charming smile.

“The door was locked,” Andy said. “How did you get in here?”

He shrugged. “It was open when I got here.”

Ms. Johns frowned. “I’m so sorry. You could have been stuck in here all night.”

“But I wasn’t,” he said. Mr. Martin was in his late twenties or early thirties. He was handsome, with untamed curly brown hair and deep brown eyes.

He held out his hand to me. It was stained with paint.

When he saw me staring at the stain, he took out a rag from his back pocket and wiped it off. “Javier Martin,” he said. “I’m the new art teacher at Nightshade High. I was just doing some touchup work on one of my babies.” He gestured to a group of princess marionettes in pastel ball gowns. They all had sparkling sapphire eyes and perfect, painted-on smiles.

I leaned on my crutches to take his hand. “Jessica Walsh,” I said. “And this is Andy Rudolph and Raven Gray. We all go to Nightshade.”

“Nice to meet you all,” he said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I really must be going.”

Ms. Johns walked with him to the exit. I stared after them until Andy nudged me. “Isn’t there a painting you wanted to look at?”

“You’re right,” I said. “I think it’s this way.”

“It’s not here,” Andy said, after we’d gone through the exhibit again.

“There’s probably a catalog around here somewhere,” Raven suggested. “We can double-check.”

I spotted some brochures by the entrance and leafed through one. Every painting in the exhibit had a description and a photo.

“This is what you wanted us to see?” Raven asked.

“Yes, remember, Tad Collins was found just like this. Dead and his mouth full of cockroaches. It can’t be a coincidence.”

“What about Mrs. Lincoln?” Andy asked. “If your theory is true, then there should be a painting that relates to her death, too.”

“Good point,” I said. “I don’t remember one, but let’s look.”

We searched the entire exhibit a third time but didn’t find a painting that matched the details of the old librarian’s death.

Once back home, I
elevated my ankle and planned to lounge for the rest of the night.

But then the doorbell rang.

Daisy Giordano stood there with a plate of cookies. “Hi, Jessica,” she said. “I’ve been practicing my baking skills and we have way too many cookies left. I thought you guys might like them.”

“We’d love some,” I said. “Come on in and tell me what you’ve been up to lately, besides baking. How’s Ryan?”

Daisy winked at me. “He’s just fine.” When I was younger, I had a huge crush on Daisy’s boyfriend, Ryan Mendez. He was my brother’s best friend and totally gorgeous besides.

“What kind of cookies are they?” I asked.

“Sugar skull cookies,” she said. “I’m working on a new frosting recipe for the Day of the Dead party at the Wilders’.” The Wilder estate, with stone walls, intimidating décor, and five-star restaurant, would be the perfect place for the spooky theme party. Daisy took cooking lessons from the head chef there.

“Sounds like it’ll be fun.”

“The whole town is coming,” she replied. “The Nightshade City Council is sponsoring the event.”

Daisy pried open the Tupperware lid and showed me the rows of meticulously decorated skeletons. We sat at the kitchen counter dipping the cookies into cold glasses of milk.

“Dominic’s band is playing the party,” I said. Then I took the conversation in a darker direction. I knew that Daisy had investigated lots of unusual doings in Nightshade, so I asked, “Have you heard about the murders?”