“Speaking of which,” Andy said, “We have to be at school in five hours. I suggest we all try to get some shuteye.”
Eva yawned. “Sounds good to me.” Within seconds, she was out cold. The other viragoes dropped off, but I couldn’t sleep. The vision of the creepy clown smirking up at me stayed with me the rest of the night. I finally dozed off at dawn.
Andy drove us to school the next morning. I was too tired to bother with my hair, so it stood out wildly. Raven and I sat in the back seat and Eva rode shotgun.
“Nice hair,” Andy said. Her blond curls weren’t much better.
I grabbed a rubber band and quickly braided my hair into one long plait. “There. Better?”
“Much,” Raven said. “Now do mine.”
“Eva, do you want me to do your hair when we get to school?”
She was staring out the window, in a fog. “Eva?” I repeated.
“Can we stop for coffee and doughnuts?” she finally said. “I think some sugar and grease will do me good.”
“We can make a quick stop at the Donut Hole,” Andy said. “But we have to hurry. I don’t want another tardy.”
The doughnut shop was busy and Andy had a hard time finding parking. She circled the block once and we got lucky when Raven spotted an open space. Andy turned on her blinker to pull in, but a flashy black sports car cut her off and nabbed the spot. A guy with dark shades and an attitude got out of the car.
“What a jerk!” Andy said.
“That’s Mr. Martin,” Eva said. “Maybe he just didn’t see us.”
“Yeah, right,” Andy snorted.
We pulled into a spot two spaces down and entered the crowded shop. Andy kept checking her watch until it was time for us to order.
“How can an art teacher afford a car like that?” Raven whispered.
Eva shrugged. “The marionettes he makes sell for a lot of money.”
“They would have to be pretty expensive to afford that car,” I said. “It’s at least a hundred thousand dollars.”
“How do you know?” Eva asked.
“It’s Sean’s dream car,” I said. “He has posters in his room and everything.”
We grabbed our doughnuts and left. We almost bumped into Mr. Martin outside, but he ignored us and hopped back into his car. He gunned the motor and took off with a squeal of the tires.
“What a jerk!” Andy said again.
This time, even Eva didn’t argue with her.
Chapter Eleven
We weren’t the only kids at school who looked like they’d been missing out on sleep. Several of my classmates carried giant cups of coffee or energy drinks. A couple of kids were still wearing pajama bottoms, and I saw my sister Sarah in the hallway wearing her fuzzy slippers.
The entire day consisted of people bumping into each other. There was almost a fire in the cafeteria when one of the lunch ladies fell asleep with the world’s largest lasagna in the oven. Fortunately, Principal Amador smelled something burning and caught it in time.
During lunch, the other viragoes and I interviewed as many kids as possible, but they all said the same thing. They didn’t remember anything but the sound of running and then they woke up screaming.
But I got a different answer when I asked my sister Sarah about it. “Did you have a nightmare?”
“I saw a white horse,” she said. “Red eyes, steam coming from its nose. Weird, huh?”
“Not as weird as you’d think,” I said. She’d always been able to describe her dreams in detail.
Selena Silvertongue came up to me right after the bell rang. “Jessica, I know you can handle this on your own, but I thought I should tell you something.”
I braced myself. “Go ahead.”
“I’ve been hearing rumors about the murders,” she said. “And I think the killer might be using black magic.”
Selena was not only an up-and-coming witch herself, but she was also the niece of a powerful sorceress, so I took her hunch very seriously. “What makes you say that?”
“I’m not an expert, but it’s possible to murder someone without even being in the room using black magic.”
“What does your aunt say?” Circe Silvertongue was not a particularly nice person, but she knew her magic.
“She’s out of town,” Selena said. “She’s in Europe with the count. Liam and his sister Claudia are keeping an eye on me.” Liam Dracul was Poppy Giordano’s boyfriend and a vampire, which made him a pretty good temporary guardian.
“Thanks, Selena,” I said. “It’s a good lead. If you think of anything else, let me know.”
After lunch, Noel Sebastian got yelled at in Biology when he fell asleep and started to snore. By sixth period, Jimmy Garfinkle was doing a brisk business in black market soda.
Eva and I walked home together. “I’m so glad today was an early dismissal day,” she said. She smothered a yawn. There was almost an accident at the corner when a driver nearly ran a red light. Tires screeched as another car tried to stop and narrowly avoided a colli-sion.
“Jeesh,” Eva said. “I think everyone could use a little sleep.”
“You’re telling me,” I said. “We better figure out who or what is causing this before someone else gets hurt.”
When I got home, Daisy’s car was in her driveway, so I headed to her house. I wanted to see if she’d picked up anything, psychically speaking.
“How was school?” she asked.
“Dangerous,” I said. I told her about all the near misses.
“Half the town is walking around like zombies,” Daisy said.
“Been there, done that,” I replied. “Who could be behind this?”
Daisy’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s make some brownies. Baking always helps me think.”
“So this is the secret to Ryan’s heart?” I asked as she got out the ingredients. “Brownies?”
She laughed. “Not just any brownies. Caramel brownies made from scratch.”
“Sounds like anybody would love them.”
She grinned. “We’ll make a double batch. One for Ryan and one for Dominic.”
“I’m not very handy in the kitchen,” I warned her.
“You don’t have to be,” she assured me. “This is the easiest recipe in the world.”
She handed me a spatula.
“What’s it like being a psychic?”
“What’s it like being a virago?” she countered.
“Harder than it sounds,” we said at once.
We looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“So Dominic is pretty cute,” Daisy said.
“And so is Ryan,” I replied.
“I used to be nervous about that when we first started dating,” she admitted.
“You? But you’re gorgeous!”
She got out the butter, cream, and sugar. “Have you seen my sisters? Or my mom? They’re truly gorgeous,” she said. “But I’ve learned that it’s what’s inside that matters.”
I was still struggling with the idea that Daisy Giordano didn’t realize how pretty she was. She had electric blue eyes and creamy skin, which, paired with her dark hair, were stunning. But her kindness was probably the most beautiful thing about her.
We whipped up a double batch of brownies, and Daisy slid them into the oven.
“But you have to deal with the whole lead singer thing,” Daisy commented.
“You mean the fans,” I grumbled. “You can say it.”
“Dominic looks at you like you’re the only girl in the room,” Daisy said. “So I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“His ex-girlfriend’s in town,” I said. “And his mother hates me.”
“His mother doesn’t like you?” Daisy asked. “Isn’t she a virago too?”
I nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that she invited Dominic’s ex here just to try to break us up.”
“That’s horrible,” Daisy said. “Ryan’s dad was great. I miss him.”
“Everyone in Nightshade misses Chief Mendez.” Ryan’s dad,
the former chief of police, had been killed on his son’s grad night.
There was a melancholy silence before the oven timer went off.
“Did they catch everyone in the Scourge?” I asked. The Scourge was the nefarious agency behind the grad night bomb and the deaths of other paranormal residents of Nightshade. “I know Sam’s dad was the leader, but it’s over now that he’s in jail, right?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think it will ever be over as long as people hate other people.”
My phone alerted me to a new text from Dominic.
“Hey, want to go watch Side Effects May Vary record their first album?” I asked.
“Sounds interesting,” Daisy said. “But where?”
“Teddie Myles has a recording studio at her house,” I said. “And we’re invited.”
Chapter Twelve
Teddie Myles lived on an estate on a hill near the Wilder property. The house was more modern looking than the Wilders’, and I could see an enormous guitar-shaped pool through the trees. Before she opened the Black Opal, Teddie had been a successful musician, but I’d never realized that she was so rich.
Daisy parked in the long driveway right next to a newer-model BMW. The slick luxury car didn’t really seem like Teddie’s style. The old dusty Jeep, its tailgate nearly covered with bumper stickers, seemed more her speed.
Jensen Kenton got out of the BMW.
“Hi, Mr. Kenton,” I said. “What are you doing here?”
He didn’t seem to mind my nosy question. “Ms. Myles just bought one of my new paintings. I wanted to deliver it personally.”
He pulled the painting from the car and held it out to inspect it. “Would you mind shutting the trunk for me?”
As I did so, I noticed an open container of miscellaneous stuff that looked like a lost and found box.
“Why are you girls here today?” Mr. Kenton asked as we walked to the house.
“My boyfriend’s band is recording here,” I explained. “They won the Battle of the Bands a few months ago and the prize was a recording contract with Cranky Kitten Records.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“Interesting is one way of describing it.” I was pretty sure we’d run into Talulah Crank, the owner of Cranky Kitten Records. Cranky also described her personality.
I rang the doorbell, since Mr. Kenton’s arms were full.
Dominic must have been waiting for us because he opened the door on the first ring.
Jensen Kenton didn’t bother to say hello, just shouldered his way past Dominic and kept going with the painting through an arched doorway.
“Thanks for coming,” Dominic said to me and Daisy.
“I’ve never been to a recording session before,” Daisy said.
“Me, neither,” Dominic said with a smile.
“Are we late?” I asked.
“No, perfect timing. I’m happy you’re here,” he said. “Don’t freak out, okay?”
“About what?”
“Mom’s here too,” he said. “And she brought Tashya.”
He gave me a quick kiss. “The recording studio is on the top floor. I’ll meet you there. I’ve got to warm up before they record the vocals.”
As he left, Daisy and I exchanged a look. “Don’t worry. You brought a secret weapon, remember?” she said, holding up the Tupperware container full of brownies.
We followed the sound of voices into the living room. Teddie was holding court at a baby grand piano. Her hair was striped green today and she had on a CBGB tee and black leather pants and purple Converse sneakers.
“Daisy, Jessica,” she said. “Glad you could make it.”
“Thanks for letting us observe,” I said.
Talulah Crank stood. “I managed to pull a few strings,” she said smugly. Talulah was tall, with short, choppy black hair and frosty green eyes.
Teddie let out a bark of laughter. “Let me show you where the recording studio is,” she said, ignoring Talulah’s posturing.
“Are you singing with the band?” Teddie asked as she led us upstairs.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “I’m pretty sure they don’t want their lead singer’s girlfriend horning in.”
“You and Dominic sound good together. You guys should try another duet.” Dominic and I had sung a duet at the Battle of the Bands in the spring, but we still hadn’t settled on a new song for the choir audition.
Daisy and I followed Teddie to the third floor. We walked along a hallway with white carpeting and white walls. The starkness was alleviated by huge framed photos of Teddie during her glory days. One photo had her sitting on the lap of an extremely handsome well-known rocker. I stopped to take a closer look.
“My first love,” Teddie sighed.
The next photo showed her playing guitar in an all-female powerhouse rock band.
“Is this where you’re going to hang your new painting?” I asked when we reached an expanse of blank wall.
She looked startled. “How did you know about that?”
“We met Jensen Kenton on the way in,” Daisy explained. “He had your painting with him.”
“I wonder where he got off to,” Teddie said, but she didn’t seem too concerned.
“Is it one of his scary pieces?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “I don’t really care for his work. I bought one of his older, tamer landscape pieces for Lola.” Teddie’s sister, Lola Wells, was chief of police in Nightshade, which was kind of mind-boggling. They seemed so different.
“This is my favorite room in the house,” Teddie said, throwing open the door to the recording studio. “Go on, girls, take a look.”
“Can’t you see we’re busy recording?” Tashya snapped before she realized it was Teddie standing behind Daisy and me.
“You’re not recording,” Teddie replied calmly. “Or the light above the door would have been lit up like a Christmas tree.”
Tashya looked sulky and crossed her arms.
On the opposite wall was a state-of-the-art soundboard manned by an older guy with a fedora perched on his head.
“This is my buddy Josh,” Teddie said. “Best engineer in the business.”
“This place is amazing,” I said.
Tashya snorted, but subsided when Daisy gave her a warning look.
“This is the control room,” Teddie explained. Above the soundboard a window looked into another room with microphones all over the place. “And that is where the band will be recording.”
Right now, Dominic and his mom were the only ones on the other side of the glass. They appeared to be having a heated conversation.
Teddie’s cell rang and she stepped out of the studio, saying, “Excuse me, I’ve got to take this.”
“I wonder what those two are talking about,” I muttered before I could stop myself.
Josh the engineer shrugged. “Easy to find out,” he said, and pressed a button on the soundboard that allowed us to hear what was going on in the recording room.
I heard Dominic’s raised voice. “Why did you invite her here, Mom?”
“Truthfully?” she replied.
“It’d be a nice change.”
“Because I wanted the two of you to get back together,” she said.
Dominic’s mom really did not like me one bit. I knew I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help myself. I was dying to know why his mom was playing matchmaker.
“That’s never going to happen,” Dominic said. “I’m dating Jessica.”
“But Tashya’s devoted to you and she’s not . . .”
“Not what?”
“Not a virago,” she said.
That’s why Dom’s mom hated me so much? It was the last thing I expected.
I cleared my throat, loudly, and Josh quickly yanked his hand from the button, muting the conversation between Dominic and Mrs. Gray. Tashya gave me a wicked smile, her eyes gleaming.
A few seconds later, Dominic and his mom entered the control room. “There you are,” he said to me
. “I was wondering where you were.”
“Hello, Jessica,” Mrs. Gray said. “I thought you’d want to spend your time training instead of running after my son.”
“I like spending time with him,” I said. “And I train as much as any other virago.”
I wanted to get away from Mrs. Gray and Tashya, so I asked Dom, “Do you want to work on our duet before the band gets here?”
“We’re trying to narrow down our choices for our choir audition,” Dominic explained to his mom.
“I didn’t know Jessica was in chorus with you,” she said.
“We’ve performed together lots of times,” he said. “Which you’d know if you’d been around.”
I felt awkward witnessing their squabbling, so I stepped into the vocal booth and turned on the mike. I cleared my throat and then launched into “Sally’s Song” from The Nightmare Before Christmas. The mournful tune suited my mood perfectly.
When the last notes died away and I looked through the glass to the control room, I was surprised to see Mrs. Gray break into loud applause. “Jessica, I had no idea you were so talented,” I heard her say. Tashya was scowling.
“I’m not just a virago,” I said pointedly.
Dominic gave his mom a dirty look. I guess he figured out I’d overheard their conversation.
“What do you think of that song for our audition?” I asked him when I returned to the control room.
“I like it,” Dominic replied.
Vinnie and Flo arrived, holding hands. Her T-shirt was a less snarky than her usual ones. It read I’M NOT YOUR HONEY, GIRL, OR SWEETHEART.
“Jessica, I didn’t know you were going to be here today,” Flo said. “Good. I need to talk to you. Daisy, you can come too.”
Flo took us out into the hallway and said, “There’s been another murder.”
“Another one?”
“Marlon Sanguine,” Flo said. “He was an older vampire. Didn’t even have his fangs anymore. Completely harmless. Count Dracul already heard and is flipping out long-distance.”
“Why would anyone want to hurt him? Are you sure he was harmless?”
“Completely,” Flo said. “Have you and Daisy made any progress?”
I hadn’t mentioned that Daisy and I were working together, but I’d learned long ago that Flo knew everything.
Dead Is Just a Dream Page 6
