Real Vampires Get Lucky (21 page)

We pushed into the shop, happy to see Lacy still there talking to our substitute clerk. Several customers were looking through the racks, and I decided I needed to start a sale to spur on actual buying and solve my cash-flow problem.

"Twenty-five percent off all dresses. Make a sign, Jasmine." I smiled when at least one customer headed for the dressing room.

"Glory, I was just telling Jasmine about my day. I had some strange visitors."

"Strange?" Strange day visitors. The words struck terror in the heart of any vampire with good sense. We are so totally, totally at risk when we're asleep.

"This guy asked all about you. I just bet he was sent by Lucky's father. He mentioned her name several times. Asked if I knew her, like that. Probably checking up on Lucky's story. He took a lot of notes. Wanted to know which apartment was yours. Of course I wasn't telling him anything." Lacy bit her lip. "But then he went over to Mugs and Muffins. Someone over there might have said something."

Diana, the owner of the coffee shop next door, has the same problem I have, finding good help to work her day shifts. We both like to hire paranormals who understand our own weird schedules, but it's not always possible. I really like Diana, but her love life is even worse than mine. She hooked up with a man she later found out was a murderer, and has had a relationship with Flo's brother, Casanova Damian Sabatini, for years. When it's off, she swears she's going to join a convent. Ever heard of a vampire nun? Hey, anything's possible. And Flo and Damian have a sister . . .

"Do you think Lucky's father is suspicious of me? Like I might have attacked his daughter myself?" We were whispering, but I wondered if we should take this conversation to the back room. I sniffed the air. Everyone in here seemed mortal so it was unlikely they could hear us. "No, that's ridiculous. What's my motive? I never heard of Lucky Carver before that night."

"This guy didn't look mean or anything, just"-Lacy shrugged-"official. Like a bean counter." I looked down at my fabulous purse. "Maybe old man Carvarelli's decided my Birkin bag is an inadequate reward. I've been saying cash is a tacky compensation for saving a life, but maybe I've been hasty." Especially since money had become a real issue for me lately.

"Well, I wouldn't get too worked up about it. He was a little too blatant to be"-Lacy leaned closer-"a hunter or from the IRS."

"Did I hear you say IRS?" A customer tossed a silk scarf on the counter and whipped open her purse. "Sorry to eavesdrop, but I've got radar where those three letters are concerned." She handed me a business card. "Sherry Roberts, attorney at law. I specialize in tax cases. I'll help you beat those bastards at their own game. Don't be afraid to fight, honey." She smiled and added a rope of pearls to the scarf. "You do take charge cards, don't you? This transaction just became deductible since we discussed business."

"Of course we take credit cards. I like your attitude." And the fact that she didn't have a clue the "hunter" Lacy referred to was the vampire variety. I smiled and picked up her card. "How about a ten percent discount?" Not that I would ever stay in town and fight a government entity. The IRS ever came after me and I'd have to take on a new identity and disappear. I'd hate to leave Austin though. This had been one of the best moves I'd made in a long, long time. Jerry had pretty much followed me to Austin. Would he track me down if I left?

Jasmine handled the transaction while I straightened stock and tried to calm my nervous stomach. Jerry's mother. Mara and her snares. This could not end well. And across the street my blackmailer would be getting the bad news that Glory wasn't going to play anymore. What would his or her next move be?

Lacy stopped on her way out. "There was another man asking about you today, Glory. Good-looking! Oh my!" She fanned her face. "Wanted to know if you had a steady boyfriend." She winked. "I played it cool. Said he'd have to ask you that himself; I didn't involve myself in my boss's love life."

And I didn't involve myself in my employees' love lives either. So I didn't ask Lacy how she could dump Will when he needed her most. Who am I to judge? Listening to endless knock knocks would test any relationship, and Lacy and Will had only dated a short time before he'd moved in. Maybe Lacy had been smart. Will had used her for a place to stay. Neither of them had pretended to have found true love.

But what was this about a stranger asking questions? I'd worked myself up into a minor tizzy by the time bells tinkled and I looked up to see the love of my life ushering the hates of my life through the door. Okay, fair is fair, there were several other hates of my life besides Mother Campbell and Mara. Mag looked like she had raw sewage sitting on her upper lip. Mara smiled the serene smile of the contented cow. Ahh. Sometimes I can be so . . . apt.

"Welcome to Vintage Vamp's Emporium." I walked forward with all the grace I could muster. Hey, I'd played queens once upon a time. I was Elizabeth I greeting her subjects. Not that anyone here was going to curtsy, far from it. Mag had just spotted Flo's mural. "Oh, my dear. What a sad use for a great work of art. Have you no respect for the artist?"

"Glory's roommate painted that, Ma." Jerry smiled at me. "Florence knew Edvard Munch quite well."

"A roommate, at your age." Mara laughed. "But then, you never did have any money of your own, did you, Gloriana?"

"I like the company, Mara. And, since I never married again, it has been nice to share my lodgings with a friend. Do you have any friends?" I smiled slightly.

"What an ill-bred question," Mag sniffed. "But then I could expect no less. But Florence!" Her eyes lit up. "You must mean Florence da Vinci. Is she around? You know I absolutely adore her."

"No, but I hope she'll drop by later." And she would if I could get to a phone. I'd forgotten she and Mag had once been buddies way back in the day. Apparently there'd been some wild times in Venice that Jerry's dad still got mad about whenever the subject came up.

"Ma, I think you should look around. There may be something you would like to purchase." Jerry took his mother's elbow and steered her away from me.

"Here?" Mag's eyes widened. She sat her large tote on the counter and pulled out Randolph. He shook himself, then cast a disdainful glance at Valdez. My guard dog was growling and approaching with intent to maim.

"Don't take another step." I pointed at the door. "Sorry, Mag, but I think it best if Randolph stays in his carrier."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Randolph sniffed and looked around. "And where's the furry beast's carrier, pray tell?"

"Listen, you rat-faced
-
"
Valdez sat when he saw the look on my face.

"Lady Campbell is a customer. Deal with it." I wasn't about to let Mag have a reason to complain to Jerry that I hadn't been welcoming. And handing her cat back to her half-dead wouldn't exactly constitute a hello-kitty experience.

"I doubt-" Mag obviously wasn't inclined to be agreeable.

Jerry grabbed his mother's elbow again. "Ma, put the cat away and come here. Did you know Countess Cecilia von Repsdorf herself has consigned some pieces here? She has excellent taste as you'll recall." Jerry winked at me behind his mother's back.

"CiCi. Yes, I have often admired her flat in Paris. I wonder if she thought to bring in any of her porcelain figurines." Mag unceremoniously stuffed a protesting Randolph into her tote and hurried over to a corner cabinet that did contain some fine pieces. I sighed and leaned against Jerry for a moment as soon as he came back. Mara stared at us silently then followed Mag. Jerry hugged me and kissed the top of my head. "What's going on with Lucky and the rest of your problem children?"

"Can I talk to you about Will?"

Jerry's jaw tightened and he looked at Mara. "No."

"You should see what those clown demons are putting him through. It's horrible, worse than horrible. He's going mad."

"Do you really want to discuss this in front of his sister?"

"Can you dump these two and come back later? Or come into the back room now? Please?" I kept remembering Will's haunted look. Those two fiends and their endless knock knocks.

"I'm not bailing him out. I've talked to the Carvarellis. I'll have a chance to buy the token before it is forfeited. So I can return it to the Kilpatrick. That is all I'm willing to do."

"But the demons. Can't you pay enough to get the demons off his back temporarily?"

"And then what? He'll just go back to his old ways. It's no good, Glory. He risked something too precious this time."

"You're being awfully hard on a man your best friend loved dearly."

Jerry stared down at me. "Playing the Mac card, are you?"

I flushed, but stood my ground. "You didn't see those clown demons in action. No one deserves what they were doing to Will. Jerry, please."

"I'll think about it. For you. Not for Will. But let it go for a few days. He has to learn a lesson. Gaming is not for him. He loses. He's no good at it. You'd think he'd have figured that out by now."

"I know from experience that logic has nothing to do with it. It's a disease, Jerry." Jerry gave me a sharp look. This was the first time I'd ever admitted to him that I'd had a gambling problem. I know Valdez had clued him in, duty and all, but my pride had never let me tell him how low I'd sunk. I'd certainly never asked him for money, though things had gotten so desperate that I'd hocked and lost a ring he'd given me years before. I still missed it.

"Glory, lass . . ."

I couldn't take the pity in his eyes. His mother was bearing down on us. "I'll talk to Will, try to get him some help if you'll promise to consider bailing him out."

Jerry hugged me close. "If he'll get help, like you did, then I'll see that the Carvarellis are paid off." Oh, God, now I was going to cry, and Mag was waving a porcelain figurine of a reclining nude in front of me. If it hadn't cost the earth, I would have shattered it over her head.

"Gloriana! Are you listening to me? What's the matter with you?"

I took the handkerchief Jerry handed me and wiped my eyes. "Allergies. It's dusty in here, isn't it? Yes, Mag, how can I help you?"

"I swear I saw this in CiCi's Paris flat last Christmas at her reception for Prince Igor of Transylvania. Gloriana, will you give me a discount? As a member of the family?"

Oh, my God, the woman had brass. She was even trying to fake a smile, but it was a poor attempt. I felt Jerry's arm tighten around my shoulders, a not-so-subtle reminder that I should meet his mother halfway. Yeah, right. Wouldn't you love an immortal motherin-law?

"Certainly, my lady. Jasmine, please ring this up for Lady Campbell with a ten percent discount. And of course we'll take your credit card." I smiled sweetly. "Or cash. I can't accept a check however. Not from out of the country. It's just impossible for our local bank to deal with. Austin is so provincial." I said silent apologies to my very worldly bank, but I'd be damned if I'd be
that
accommodating.

"Never mind, Ma." Jerry whipped out his credit card. "Happy Christmas."

"Thank you, Jeremiah." Mag kissed his cheek.

"Oh, Mag."

"Yes?" I could see by the look on her face that she had planned to snub me for the rest of her visit now that she'd gotten what she wanted.

"CiCi, Freddy and Derek are in Paris now. She's planning a wonderful open house for Christmas. I believe she mentioned Prince Igor will be there." I grinned at the look on Mag's face. Oh, the choice to be made. Ruin her son's life or rub shoulders with the vampire aristocracy of Europe. If vampires could have sleepless days, Mag was destined for one. Jerry kept silent and even hid his own smile, but I didn't have to read his mind to know which way he was voting. He steered his mother to a painting of a Paris street scene. Talked Mara into a fur wrap while describing a stroll down the Champs-Elysées. In between French references, Jerry filled me in on his search for his daughter. Apparently the last-known address for Lily had been in Tokyo, but that had been fifty years ago. He was following leads in Europe and South America but with little success. The Internet was a huge help, but vampires have always been clever about staying off the grid. They don't exactly post a MySpace page.

A group of college students pushed inside. Two girls headed for the vintage cocktail dresses while the boys stopped in front of the collectible books.

"Oh, my, what fine, healthy-" Mag's nostrils quivered as she bore down on the young men.

"Mother! You'll not-" Jerry shot me a frantic look as he grabbed his mother's arm.

"Let go, Jeremiah. Can't you see Gloriana has arranged for privacy here?" Mag nodded toward the giggling girls who were taking dresses into the curtained alcoves to try them on. Mag wrenched her arm free. "Don't make a scene, Jeremiah."

"Mag!" I started toward her, then noticed Mara tucking a white silk teddy into her coat pocket.
"Put that back!"
I sent Mara a sharp mental message.

Mara turned and looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. "Did you say something to me, Glory? Oh, Mag, I don't think you're supposed to do that here."

I turned to see Mag leading the two dazed male students, one of them clutching a rare, old edition of
Kidnapped
(how appropriate), toward the last empty dressing room.

"Jerry! Why didn't you stop her?" I started toward Mag, but he intercepted me next to the blouses.

"Leave it alone, Glory. She'll be done soon. And they'll not remember a thing." Jerry winced. "Mara, do you wish to buy that?" I turned in time to see a vintage silver evening bag disappear into Mara's abundant cleavage. I grabbed her arm and hustled her toward the back room. "Listen, you shoplifting bitch. I'll have that back if I have to pick you up by the heels and shake it out of you."

"Wow! I've heard of zero tolerance for stealing, but this is ridiculous." A teenager who had the Goth look down pat hurried toward the door, hastily putting a silver bracelet on the counter as she went past it.

Valdez woofed at her in case she missed the point.

"Calm down, Glory. I was just having a bit of fun." Mara handed me the purse. "I have better than this at home anyway."