The Halloween Haunting: A Vegan Vamp Mystery by Lawley Cate

Author:Lawley, Cate [Lawley, Cate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

22

Mosquitos, Fleas, Ticks, and…Auntie Lula?

“Could she be any vaguer?” Dot asked in an exasperated tone.

Since this was my favorite aunt, I felt compelled to defend Aunt Lula, even though my own frustration mounted with each ghostly visit. “She’s trying to help us. She can’t control when she comes and goes, and she doesn’t have a clear idea herself of what’s happening.”

Not even a foggy idea. Thus far, we’d gotten specific warnings but vague details.

“If we could figure out how she’s using me to help her materialize fully, I might be able to help her stay longer,” Alfred said. “But I don’t know where to start.”

Dot, Cornelius, Alex, and I all turned to Alfred. Bradley was too busy retrieving his laptop and setting up shop on Alex’s desk again to pay much notice. But the rest of us found that particular statement more than a little interesting.

Alfred rubbed his ear. “She mentioned that I’d helped her become corporeal before Halloween, and I didn’t think much of it. But twice now she’s disappeared right after I’ve noticed I’m very tired.”

“Ewww. Is my aunt some kind of magical parasite?” I didn’t think she’d be okay with that. I wasn’t okay with that, because yuck. Then reason set in as I realized that technically Wembley was a parasite, and I didn’t think he was morally repugnant.

Alfred shrugged. “Maybe? An accidental one, if so. I probably created the connection unknowingly.” Cornelius’s eyes narrowed, and Alfred hurried to change the subject from his “misbehaving” magic. “Ah, I’m guessing the limits on her corporeal form are based on how much extra magical energy she can siphon off me.”

Yeah, still pretty icky, and possibly dangerous for Alfred. We’d have to find a way to cut that connection before something bad happened—oh, like Alfred ending up dead and buried with a gravestone.

Alex landed on the same thought. He asked, “Any chance Aunt Lula’s power drains have a more permanent negative effect?”

“No.” Alfred shrugged. “So far, she fades away as soon as I start to notice. I don’t think she’s taking anything I can’t spare.”

Which made me wonder, not for the first time, what Alfred’s witch wattage looked like. He’d zapped Star. He couldn’t be a lightweight.

“About Mandy, Ms. Andrews,” Cornelius said in dry tone. He’d had enough of ghostly parasites. That, or he had more important things to do than crack the whip over our heads. “Do you have information concerning her whereabouts?”

Right. Mandy. This should be fun.

“Don’t tell me. She went to Nebraska for her recent trip.” Alex looked at Bradley, who nodded. Immediately, Bradley’s fingers started to fly.

“I was talking with her earlier today. She didn’t say where she’d gone, but I remember it being in the Midwest. That’s where Nebraska is, right?” I knew it was. And I hated to think cute, perky water sprite Mandy had anything at all to do with recent events.

“Amanda Dryer, age twenty-three, booked from Austin to Omaha, returning four days later.” Bradley looked up from his computer. “She missed her return flight and had to take a later one.

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