The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires - Grady Hendrix Page 0,77

“I haven’t decided what I’m wearing yet,” Patricia said, even though her skirt was definitely not too tight. “If you have to be home you need to stay in your room.”

“What if I have to go to the bathroom?” Korey asked. “Can I leave my room then, Mother? Most parents would think it was great that their child wanted to spend more time with them.”

“I’m only asking you to stay upstairs,” Patricia said.

“What if I want to watch TV?” Korey asked.

“Then go to Laurie Gibson’s.”

Korey slouched off and Patricia changed her skirt because it felt tight, and then she finished her makeup and sprayed her hair. She wasn’t going to put out anything to eat, but she’d made coffee and put it in a thermal jug in case the police wanted some. What if they wanted decaf? She didn’t have any and worried that might affect their mood.

She felt tense. Before this summer she had never interacted with the police, and now she felt like that was all she did. They made her nervous, but if she could get through tonight, James Harris would no longer be her problem. All she had to do was convince the police that he was a drug dealer, they’d start looking into his affairs, and all his secrets would come spilling out. And she wasn’t doing it alone; she had her book club.

Patricia wondered what they would have said if she told them that she thought James Harris was a vampire. Or something like that. She wasn’t sure of the exact terminology, but that would do until a better name came along. How else to explain that thing coming out of his face? How else to explain his aversion to going out in sunlight, his insistence on being invited inside, the fact that the marks on the children and on Mrs. Savage all looked like bites?

When she’d tried to perform CPR on him he had looked sick and weak and at least ten years older. When she saw him the following week he’d positively glowed with health. What had happened in between? Francine had gone missing. Had he eaten her? Sucked her blood? He’d certainly done something.

When she got rid of her prejudices and considered the facts, vampire was the theory that fit best. Fortunately, she’d never have to say it out loud to anyone because this was just about finished. She didn’t care how they ran him out of town, she just wanted him gone.

She went downstairs and jumped when she saw Kitty waving at her through the window by the front door. Slick stood behind her.

“I know we’re a half hour early,” Kitty said as Patricia let them in. “But I couldn’t sit around at home doing nothing.”

Slick had dressed conservatively in a knee-length navy skirt and a white blouse with a blue batik vest over it. Kitty, on the other hand, had apparently lost her mind right before she got dressed. She wore a red blouse bedazzled with red rhinestones and a huge floral skirt. Looking at her made Patricia’s eyes hurt.

Patricia put them in the den, then went to make sure Korey had her bedroom door closed, then checked the driveway, and walked back into the den just as Maryellen opened the front door.

“Yoo-hoo? Am I too early?” Maryellen called.

“We’re in the kitchen,” Patricia hollered.

“Ed went to pick up the detectives,” Maryellen said, coming in and putting her purse on the den table. She took two business cards out of her day planner. “Detective Claude D. Cannon and Detective Gene Bussell. He says Gene is from Georgia but Claude is local and they’re both good. They’ll listen to us. He can’t promise how they’ll react, but they’ll listen.”

They each examined the cards for lack of anything else to do.

Grace walked into the den.

“The door was open,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind?”

“Do you want some coffee?” Patricia asked.

“No, thank you,” Grace said. “Bennett is at a heart association dinner. He won’t be back until late.”

“Horse is at the Yacht Club with Leland,” Kitty said. “Again.”

As July had gotten hotter,