Alexander leaned into me and gave me a long, luxurious good-night kiss. He graciously opened the back door of the Mercedes and helped me step in. As we drove off, Alexander stood in the driveway, the mammoth-sized manor house looming behind him like a medieval monster.
Jameson was kind enough to chauffeur me to Hipsterville`s Old Town Folk Music Center, but the short five-mile drive from the manor house to the hippie school of music seemed to take longer than the journey from Dullsville to Hipsterville. If I`d pushed the car myself, we`d have made it faster.
Now that Jameson and I had some quality time, I figured I`d make the most of it. I tried to pump the Creepy Man for info on Valentine and Jagger, but he was as evasive as Alexander.
That was so kind of you and Alexander to reunite Valentine with his family, I began when we drove past Gerald`s Gas Station.
It was the right thing to do, he said sweetly.
Did you see Jagger?
I waited on pins, needles, and piercing, bracing for his response.
No, I didn`t. I left that to Alexander.
So much for the facts on that conversation. I bet Ruby misses you, I said, referring to my former boss who was now dating Jameson.
Jameson`s bulgy eyes brightened in the rearview mirror and his pale face flushed bright red with the mention of her name.
Has she come for a visit? I pried.
Oh, no. We are hoping to return to the Mansion shortly.
Really, then why did you rent the manor house? You could have just stayed in a hotel.
I don`t stay anywhere that already has a housekeeper, Jameson joked.
I felt as if I were playing a game of tennis with my dad. With all my might, I lobbed the ball over the net only to have it returned so hard I didn`t have a chance to swing. Frustrated, I always had to take a moment to collect myself. Time for another serve.
Do you miss Romania? I asked.
Oh yes, it`s so beautiful there. But I am also quite happy here, in America. I`ve met some people that I am quite fond of, Miss Raven.
I knew he was politely referring to Ruby and me.
But I wanted more. What were Alexander`s and Jameson`s plans?
Do you think you`ll marry Ruby?
Uh...
If so, will you live in the manor house? Or in the Mansion?
I`m not planning...
Well, if you did.
I suppose...it would be up to...Why all of the questions, Miss Raven?
We were volleying steadily now, and it was time for me to end the match. I paused, then asked, I`m just wondering, what are you and Alexander doing here?
Jameson pulled the car to the curb in front of the Old Town Folk Music Center. I`d swung too hard, hitting the ball over the fence. The match ended, Jameson the obvious winner.
The rain had subsided and the streetlights and lampposts were dripping wet. Jameson climbed out of the Mercedes and kindly held the door open for me, like I was an A-list starlet arriving at a premiere. The only thing missing were the paparazzi. I waved good-bye and was heading for Old Town when I noticed something flashing at the end of the block--the flickering neon red sign of the Coffin Club. As Jameson puttered down the street, I paused. The sounds of banging drums pulsed out of the music center.
It was as if the blinking neon coffins were drawing me to them, like a vulture to a corpse. No one would be the wiser if I just popped my head in for a nonalcoholic bubbly Execution...or two.
Chapter 4 Return to the Coffin Club