Rock 'n' Roll is Undead (Veronica Mason (19 page)

Around ten years ago, vampires were discovered to be the real deal. Not just fiction. Once they were out in the open, they let their guard down and went wild. Frankly, I never knew how they kept it under wraps for so long. Things had settled down somewhat though, as far as I knew. The only problem as of late was humans wanting to be turned. Vampires had to run away from crazy humans begging to have their necks sucked. There were even vampire hunters popping up, trying to lasso a vampire for clients, and making them turn humans. They were raking in big bucks doing this, but the IPCI was trying to put a stop to it. The vampire would didn’t make sense to me, but hell, I was still trying to learn the witch world. For a few minutes, I wondered if they’d drag me off to jail. I realized the odds of finding two bodies were high, but I’d been honest. Except for the visions and dreams—I wasn’t about to go that far in to detail.

“Let me get this straight. You expect me to believe you just stumbled on two vampires.” Detective Walker fixed his gaze on me.

That was the gist of it, yes. “I’m telling you the truth.”

“If you had anything to do with this, I’ll see to it that you spend the rest of your life in jail.” He glared. More than likely, he was daydreaming about cuffing me and shoving me into a tiny cell. He turned and walked away.

That went well. He answered my question on whether they believed me—they didn’t.

Detective Walker and the officers left. They were headed to the old farmhouse and I was shocked they hadn’t insisted I go with them.

My dad wrapped an arm around me as we walked toward the back of the house. “You want something to eat?”

“Dad, I can’t eat at a time like this.”

“You need something, you’re too skinny. I've been cooking on the grill. It’s over now, and you need your strength. You’ve been through a lot. Besides, men don't like skin and bones. They want a little meat.” He winked at Buzz and I wanted to disappear. Was there a spell for disappearing? “This dress is practically falling off you.” He tugged at the fabric.

“The longer you live with mom the more you sound like her,” I said.

Talk about embarrassing. My dad had perfected the knack of saying all the wrong things in front of men when I was about thirteen. Except back then, they weren’t men, but boys—it didn’t sting any less though. Sure, the embarrassment had eased over the years, but it never went away completely. My cheeks blushed. Buzz eyed me up and down as if assessing what my father had said. All my life, my parents reminded me about my ancestors’ powers. They all had them—some more powerful than others. Like my parents for instance, their powers were above average, but not nearly as strong as Grandma Annie’s. Imagine their disappointment with my lack of magic skills. Their gentle coaxing did nothing to help, either. For their sake, I didn’t give up, but it was only because of them. My mom’s sad eyes made me feel like crap every time a spell fizzled out.

Something had drawn my parents together—their powers complemented each other. Stars aligned, allowing you to find your soul mate, I’d heard. My lack of talent would explain my lack of significant other. No doubt my parents worried I’d find a witch with magical aptitude equal to mine. Or even worse, they feared I’d fall in love with a human with no skills at all. My question to them: Wasn’t it better to have no skills than bad skills? They never answered.

Part of my parents’ special skills was finding missing items. They never had a problem finding lost keys or the remote. I could ask them to help locate the spell book, but I didn’t want to disappoint them more. Or remind them of my deficient magical abilities.

“I’ll eat a little, but no burgers, please.” I smiled at Buzz. Was it just today we’d shared a burger? “What else you got?”

“How’s grilled chicken sound?”

“Fine.” We moved around to the back deck where Mama was sitting next to Kitty. Danny sat on the other side of Kitty. Mama was still fidgeting with her hands.

She jumped up. “Oh, I’m so glad you're okay. I’ve been worried about you. Kitty filled me in on everything.”

I gave Kitty an evil glare.

She held up her hands in surrender and mouthed, “I swear I didn’t mention anything.”

“And of course your father told me about the rest.” She leaned in close. “Maybe you shouldn’t hang around those vampires. See, they’re nothing but trouble.”

“I’m fine, Mom.”

“Well, you can’t be fine. Finding vampires that way,” she whispered as if the whole world didn’t know by now. “It just runs chills up and down my spine. You shouldn’t be walking out there late at night by yourself. What if you’d been out there when it happened? And what in blue blazes were you doing at an old farmhouse?”

I shrugged. Honestly, I had no idea how I’d ended up there. At first, it seemed a random event, but now I wasn’t so sure.

“Yeah, what if?” Buzz stood beside me. “I can assure you, Mrs. Mason, now that I’m a part of the band, Veronica will never walk out to her car late at night without an escort from me. Now as for old farmhouses, well, let’s hope she isn’t snooping around anymore.”

My mom blushed as her lips twitched into a half-smile. Could this guy enchant everyone or what? He’d charm the cardigan sweaters off all soccer moms within a fifty-mile radius. Buzz walking me to my car late at night, in the dark, under the starry moon filled sky. Hmm, sounded way too romantic. No, it was just a walk to my car. Why was I reading more into it than that? And why did he feel the need to protect me?

“Sit down and eat something,” she ordered.

How could I explain to them that I didn’t want to eat anything grilled—after I’d seen a body grilled, I wasn’t in the mood for a barbeque.

“Okay, but as soon as Craig and Frank get here we have to practice.”

“What do you want?” she asked.

“I’ll get it, you sit down and relax,” I replied.

“You’ve got enough stress, take it easy.”

“I’m a grown woman, I can put food on a plate, you know.”

When the words ‘grown woman’ left my lips, I met Buzz’s gaze. Why I glanced his way, I don’t know. A natural impulse, I guessed. He gave a sexy grin, looking me up and down. I looked away quickly, placing a piece of grilled chicken and baked beans on a paper plate. When I moved forward, my napkin slipped from my hand and cascaded to the ground. Buzz and I bent to pick it up at the same time. Our hands touched and I turned my face toward him.

Chapter 37

With our faces mere inches apart, our eyes met. Staring was unavoidable. My gaze wandered down to his lips. I wasn’t sure, but he seemed to be moving closer to me. My stomach danced and I wondered what his lips would feel like against mine. What would he taste like? When I remembered I was in my parents’ backyard, I jumped so quickly, I almost pulled a muscle. My cheeks burned like I’d been caught making out in the backseat of my father’s car. I was an adult, no need to be embarrassed. Was Buzz about to kiss me? I may never know.

I sat on the other side of the deck, far away from Buzz. Kitty gave a smirk when I looked at her. I read her smirk. She was saying: you like him. She was in full-on matchmaking mode. Buzz flashed me a compassionate look as he grabbed a burger from the grill. I shifted in my seat. How did I get into this mess?

I stared out across the lawn and contemplated, avoiding everyone’s eye contact. The distinct smell of summer in the air reminded me of summer days as a child when Daddy built a tree-house for me to play in and Mama made lemonade. We played outside for hours until forced to come in for the night. Those were the good ole days—young and unaware of the pressures adulthood brought. Oh, to have those innocent days back again. Playing with my brother and home with my parents, but they’d never be back and I had to look forward to days ahead. At least my mom still made the lemonade.

“Do the police have any ideas about what happened to poor Johnny or the other vampire?” my mother asked, forcing me to pay attention.

“I’m not sure. They talked with the rest of the band and me about Johnny. The detective came to the bar where we were practicing and sat down with each of us, one by one. I guess to see if we’d forgotten anything. But that was before this evening’s discovery, of course.”

“Well you never know what Johnny was into,” Dad said while flipping a burger. He seemed to get over the fact I’d found two dead vampires easily. That was his way. Sweep things under the rug and they went away.

He handed Buzz a beer, but he shook it off. “No thanks, I’m driving.”

Mom shoved a tall glass at Buzz. “Here have some lemonade, dear. I made it fresh.”

Buzz caught me watching him. I diverted my eyes and took a bite of chicken. My stomach churned. No way could I eat another morsel. I’d have to push the food around on my plate like when I was a kid.

“It could’ve been drugs,” Mom said.

“Yes, I guess it could have been. But I've never seen him do anything like that. Sure, he liked to drink sometimes, okay, a lot of the time, but nothing more than that. I think I would have seen him at least once.”

“People can hide things fairly well. Look at your dad’s co-worker. He was addicted to pain pills and no one even knew until he went into rehab. He was poppin’ pills left and right.”

I nodded. “I guess you’re right. I did see him talking to some shady looking guys a couple of times.”

“Oh, was that the guy with the old Buick in need of a paint job?” Kitty asked.

Chapter 38

My thoughts flashed back to the car. I couldn't be sure because it had been dark that night, but it could have been the same car that was now following me everywhere I went. Kitty said Buick, but she didn’t know her cars like I did. Maybe it had been a Cadillac.

“You okay?” Kitty scooted her chair closer to me.

“Um, yeah. No, I don’t think I remember the car. It may have been.” I stumbled over my words.

“I can’t believe you found the remains of two vampires,” she whispered. “That would gross me out. I can’t stand the sight of blood.”

“There wasn’t blood. Just ashes, really. Wait, you practically eat your meat raw. You’re a werewolf.”

“Ugh, I know. I try to forget, so please don’t remind me. ’Cause then I’ll have to, well, remember.”

“What about when Danny, you know, bites you?” She'd described the biting during sex thing, but I guess I didn't quite understand. I'd never experienced it. She said I was missing out...I guess I'd have to take her word for it. Maybe I was missing out.

“That’s different. I don’t actually see the blood. It’s fun.” Her cheeks blushed.

Why are you wearing a cross?” Kitty asked.

I rubbed the pendant between my fingers. “It’s a fashion statement.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Since when?”

“Since now.”

Kitty glanced down at my purse and sniffed. “Do you have garlic in your purse? ’Cause you know that doesn’t work, right?”

“I know,” I said.

“Again…you watch too many movies.”

“So Frank doesn’t sleep in a coffin?” I smirked.

“Oh, no, I’m pretty sure he sleeps in a coffin. But I doubt it’s because of the vampire thing.”

I felt eyes on me. Namely, Buzz. He studied me, but I looked away. I stood and walked over to the edge of the deck. After a few seconds, I felt a presence behind me. I turned around.

Buzz leaned against the large deck pillar and folded his arms across his chest. He wore his usual outfit of jeans and a t-shirt, a white one this time. “Sittin’ out here on a summer evening, sipping lemonade, watching the birds and listening to the neighbors mow their lawns. It doesn’t get much better than that.” He gazed out into the distance. He must have liked my mama’s lemonade as much as I did.

Buzz’s sexy drawl made the vision lifelike. I pictured sitting on a rocker in my favorite yellow flowered sundress and Buzz beside me wearing a white summertime shirt and dress slacks. His skin tan from working in the summer sun—what kind of work I didn’t know, but it was my fantasy so who cares. Both of us would be drinking out of my favorite fancy glasses, the ones reserved for special occasions. The sour from the lemonade almost made my lips pucker and I heard the chirp of the bluebirds. The lawn mowing I could do without, although I do love the smell of a fresh-cut lawn. Maybe Buzz had gotten his tan from mowing with his shirt off? Yeah, I could handle that kind of vision.

“Do you want more lemonade?” He stretched his muscular arm toward me with the pitcher in hand and startled me out of my reverie.

“Sure.” I held my glass out for him to pour, but my thoughts wandered to what it would feel like to touch his tanned, toned arm.

“Thank you,” I said, looking down. I blushed after realizing my thoughts were getting carried away.

“You’re welcome. Your mother makes great lemonade.”

Mom stood and paced across the deck, breaking our moment.

“Well, I just hope the police can figure this out.” Mom was fidgeting with her hands yet again.

My dad had slipped off into the house. He reemerged with something in his hand. “Here.” He held out the little black object.

“What’s this?”

“Pepper spray. I bought it this morning after you called me. I don’t want you to leave home without it. Your mother and I have done a protection spell, but it can only help so much if we don’t know what supernatural powers we’re dealing with. I’d get you a gun, but I know you don’t like the things. Besides, you'd probably shoot yourself.”

“Can we not talk about guns, please?” It had been a year since my brother was killed while trying to do his job, and it never got any easier. My mother looked away. Silence hung in the air. After a minute, she got up from the wicker chair and disappeared inside. I knew she just needed a minute to herself. She never liked to show her emotions in front of strangers.

My dad nudged the pepper spray at me again. “Here, take it.”

I grabbed the black object and shoved it in my purse. I shook my head at Kitty.

“You never know when you may need it,” she said.

“Thanks for reminding me.” I gave her another evil glare to remind her not to mention the break-in. Kitty batted her lashes and gazed at me with innocent eyes.