You Better Knot Die (32 page)

Meanwhile Ryder’s video of the episode at the airport made it to the news, and when he intercut it with William in his clown attire doing the holiday rap, it was number three on the YouTube top ten for the day. He came over just as Barry was finishing the door and, with a flourish, bowed to me.

“M, thank you for letting me ride along.” Then he straightened and asked me if I would explain to his mother why her SUV was gone so long, when he was just supposed to be getting gas for it.

Mr. Royal kept his word and showed me his mountain bike in the bike rack on the back of his Prius. Nicholas came by with a brochure from the bike store. I was glad neither of them knew why I’d wanted to see the bikes.

Emily came across the lawn and thanked me. She wasn’t off the hook exactly. She was still trying to convince everyone that she had no knowledge of Bradley’s fraudulent activities, but it didn’t look like she was going to get charged because they didn’t have a case. It seemed likely she would lose the house and she was broke. She had talked to her mother in South Carolina, and as soon as she could, she was going there to try and make a fresh start.

The SEC investigators were embarrassed about not figuring out what Mason and I had about the money not being lost. When the numbers of flowers were written out, they identified the bank and the account number. Word spread quickly among the investors that all was not lost. Not that they’d get the big profits on their investments they’d hoped for, but they’d get back at least a hunk of their original investment. The SEC investigator said what had thrown him off was Bradley’s lifestyle. Most swindlers were flamboyant and lived high. Bradley was the first one they’d encountered who’d been frugal. They figured he looked at the money he was taking as savings for his retirement.

Mrs. Shedd thanked me deeply. She knew her share of the money wouldn’t cover all that she’d borrowed to invest, but she hoped it would cover a lot of it. In the meantime, Mr. Royal was going to keep the bookstore afloat with his own money. It turned out all those years of adventuring, he’d lived very cheaply and banked the rest.

By now Adele was telling everyone that she’d figured there was something fishy with William all along and had really been planning to break up with him.

And then all thoughts turned to the midnight launch party and the unveiling of Tarzana’s own vampire author.

THE NIGHT OF THE BIG EVENT, WE CLOSED THE bookstore at 9 and said we’d reopen at 11 P.M. There were already people gathering, so we junked the idea and unlocked the door. I had the plan down. We gave out different-colored wristbands that corresponded to when their group would get their book signed, then we let them shop. Under the circumstances, Mrs. Shedd had removed the display of the Koo Koo books. Adele was still in shock about William and said she was going to skip the big night, but she showed up anyway, saying she’d come to support me.

“We’re musketeers,” she said, grabbing me. “I couldn’t let my musketeer sister down.” She instantly became lord of the wristbands and corralled the people by the color of their band and started ordering them around.

The parking lot was filled with TV trucks, with their satellite dishes extended. The crowd was overflowing the bookstore. It was cold outside, but nobody seemed to care. The excitement generated warmth. We’d rearranged the café and hired extra help. Some of the people were wearing vampire scarves they’d made from the kits, though by now they were calling them Anthony scarves. Logan had come with Elise. They had put together a bunch of kits, which sold out quickly. The dust hadn’t settled on the whole affair with Bradley, but now that it was clear that Logan hadn’t been in cahoots with Bradley, people were talking to them again. Still it was going to take a long time to regain their trust. In the meantime he had ideas for the vampire-accessory business working with his wife. He wanted to talk to A. J. about endorsing the scarf.

The excitement level kept building and by eleven thirty we’d given out all the wrist bands. Mason had come by, not for a wristband, but because of his curiosity about who the author was. Barry came by, as well.

“Vampire shampire,” Barry said, shaking his head.

“You’re out of touch, Greenberg. Vampires are hot.” Mason smiled and I saw that he’d put on wax fangs.

I had set aside a spot for the Hookers. Maybe it wasn’t fair, but they were part of the bookstore family. And Anthony was a crocheter and so were they. Sheila was the most dressed up I’d ever seen. I was surprised to see Rhoda elbowing through the crowd.

“No way was I going to miss this. Who knows, maybe this A. J. Kowalski looks like Quentin Tarantino,” she said. She looked at Elise with her vampire scarf wound around her neck. “You know that she still thinks A. J. is a real vampire,” Rhoda said. Dinah slipped in and announced that Commander was home with the kids. Instead of her trademark long bright-colored scarves, she was wearing a long vampire scarf. CeeCee and Tony arrived and got caught up with the media people. I noticed some other local actors in the crowd. Most were recognized more from the movies or TV shows they’d been in rather than their names. The media people grabbed them anyway. Mrs. Shedd was watching the whole thing in amazement. Nicholas came over and we let him in the VIP Hookers area. I noticed Sheila’s whole being lit up when she saw him.

“Wow,” he said, admiring the crowd.

We had set up a big clock in the front of the store. It felt like New Year’s Eve as I watched the last five minutes tick down. When it got to the last sixty seconds, the people began chanting the countdown. On the dot of midnight, three plain-sided trucks pulled into the parking lot followed by a stretch limo. The trucks stopped in front of the bookstore and the drivers and their help rolled up the back, loaded their dollies with boxes and began to wheel them in. Mr. Royal used his knife to cut them open and we began handing out books and taking payment.

A few minutes ticked by and everyone kept looking toward the limo parked out front. At last the door opened and a woman stepped out. All heads craned in her direction. A man got out after her and they came in the bookstore. A writing team? I’d never seen either of them before but I pushed through the crowd to get to them and lead them to the platform.

I introduced myself and thanked them for coming and took them up the steps.

“I hope you have a pen,” I said in a joking manner. They looked at each other and then at me. When they finally introduced themselves it turned out they were the publicists the publisher had sent.

“Where’s A. J. Kowalski?” I said. The door to the bookstore opened and Eduardo walked in. A surprised gasp went through the crowd and he seemed confused. Then he got it.

“Hey, folks, it’s not me.”

We had the first group ready to file past the author, but no author for them to file past. Mrs. Shedd gave me a dark look. Could she think this was my fault? I looked skyward. “Please, A. J., wherever you are, please show up.” I felt movement in the people next to me and the crowd parted as someone walked through toward the platform.

Nicholas!

Eduardo gave him a high-five as he passed and Sheila’s mouth fell open. The media people with their cameras focused on him and stuck microphones in his face. Questions came from everywhere. He looked overwhelmed for a moment, then the Nicholas we knew clicked in and he was all charm, explaining why he’d never revealed his identity until now. At first it was because he didn’t know how the books would do and if the first one bombed no one would know he’d written it. And when the books took off, the mystery of who he was caught on and he’d let it be. But now he felt it was only fair to the fans to let them know who he was. I’d heard parts of the story before, about how he’d worked in advertising, but it never felt like his passion. When he got divorced, he decided to take a chance and become authentic. The store and the vampire books were always a dream and he’d made both come true. He wrote at night in the store. What better time to write a vampire book? The crowd ate it up.

He seemed suddenly shy and waved to the crowd. He held up a copy of his marked-up manuscript as proof of who he was. Elise got to be first in the line. She held the book to her heart after he signed it and gave him one of the scarves, pointing out the vampire features. He laughed and thanked her. Sheila was right behind. She struggled to say something, but nothing came out. With a warm smile, Nicholas told her to relax. He was just the same person she’d known all along. He signed her book and hugged her. Then everything fell into place and the lines started moving. Nicholas was wonderful. He talked to each person as he signed their book.

It was the first time we’d ever kept the bookstore open all night. The agreement was that he would sign copies of just the new book, but when we ran out and there were still people left he signed copies of the first two books in the series. He signed vampire scarves, pieces of paper, coffee cups, whatever, until the last person in line was satisfied.

“Luxe won’t be open today,” he said, putting his head down on the table as dawn was peeking through the big windows that faced Ventura.

I asked about the mysterious back room and he laughed. “I can show it to you now.”

He took me down the hall that led to the back exit. On one side there was a door that opened on the space behind the store. His desk and computer were in the middle of the large room. Along with a table full of yarn and partially done projects, there was a coffin, though a Hollywood prop sort of thing. One wall was covered in pictures he said acted as his inspiration. He had an easy chair with a lamp on one side and a table stacked with books he used for references. It was the antithesis of the stylish store. “My creative den,” he said with a flourish. Eduardo came in and Nicholas gave him a man hug and thanked him again. Eduardo was his crochet consultant.

One thing did seem a little strange. The kitchen area in the corner appeared as though it was never used. When I looked inside the small refrigerator, it was empty except for a carafe of scarlet liquid. Tomato juice, perhaps?

 

 

EVERYBODY RECOVERED FROM THE ALL-NIGHT SESSION at Shedd & Royal. The event showed up on newscasts as far away as Australia. The last few days before Christmas went by in a flurry of vampire fans who wanted to buy an Anthony book from the store where the author shopped and last-minute shoppers who just wanted to buy something for the people still on their list.

And then it was the night before Christmas and all through my house there was lots going on, but thankfully not a mouse. For the first time since Charlie died I’d reinstated our traditional holiday party. I felt a tear well up as I looked around at all the people I had in my life. The dining room table was full of food, with everything from blintzes and potato pancakes to lasagna and salad and my showstopper stained glass cookies.

“Dear, these are almost too pretty to eat,” CeeCee said, holding up the cookie so the light shone through the windowlike red candy center. “But just almost.” She popped the buttery cookie in her mouth. She and Tony had just come from dropping off our crocheted gifts at the shelter. It had been an emotional experience. “Molly, I felt like I was the one getting the gifts,” she said. “To see how much the packages meant to them and the fact that we’d taken the time to make something for them ...” Just telling me made her eyes well up and made her reach for another cookie for sustenance.

I had wondered about sending the owl/penguin that had turned into a vampire, afraid it might be too scary for a kid’s gift. When I asked about it, CeeCee rolled her eyes and laughed. “Scared of it? Are you kidding? Everybody was trying to trade for it.”

Rhoda and Elise flanked Nicholas as he helped himself to food. Both women were still awestruck that he was the vampire author. Rhoda hadn’t called him foofie once. Sheila brought in a pot of coffee and set it on the dining room table. Nicholas glanced up at her and smiled broadly.

“Now that everything is out in the open,” he began, “my life is going to change. I’m going to need help for Luxe. More than help, I need someone I can depend on to manage things.”

The whole time he’d been talking, his gaze had stayed on Sheila. “Is it something you’d be interested in?” he asked. When she didn’t reply, he added that the job came with full benefits and she could continue with her costume design classes.

“Oh my,” Sheila said at last as her breathing became choppy. “Oh my,” she said again as she reached in her pocket for her hook and string. She began to make a length of chain stitches without even being aware of what she was doing. Her breathing calmed when she began a row of single crochets and she had a beautiful smile. “Yes,” she said, finally. “I would like that very much.”

Mason brought Spike, who was wearing his crocheted red sweater. I’d finally taken pity on Mason and, once the murder was settled and the launch party over, I’d finished it for him. Peter had brought his girlfriend for another chance to meet me. Samuel had invited some of his musician friends, who had set up in the corner of the living room and started to play. Jeffrey was following him around like a shadow. Ryder had come, too. I heard him working the crowd, telling everyone to check out his YouTube piece. Dinah and Commander had come with the kids. I was glad things seemed to be working out for them. It was nice having some little ones for the holidays. In between everything, I’d managed to crochet a little monkey for Ashley-Angela and an elephant for E. Conner. I’d gotten a stocking for each of them and, along with the toys, had filled them with candy canes, maple candy and art supplies. Dinah was going to hang them up when the kids went to bed so they would have a surprise in the morning.

Adele was still recovering from the shock about William and behaved in true diva fashion with a lot of sighs and faraway looks. I must have needed my head examined, but I’d talked Barry into trying to fix her up with a motorcycle cop he knew.