‘Of course not! I’d be delighted.’ Reardon snatched the book from his hands before the Count could even finish his request. ‘I hope you enjoy . . .’ His words trailed off as he looked up and found the Countess giving him a death-glare from over the Count’s shoulder. The author’s pen froze before it even reached the page.
She looked him up and down with obvious disdain, and he visibly gulped, the pen sliding out of his grip. ‘Ah, can I help you with anything else?’
‘Just tell me this, S. K.,’ the Countess said icily, as the Count picked the unsigned book back up and began to flip through the opening pages. ‘Do you happen to have a blag ?’
Oh no, Olivia thought. She wanted to do something, but she was frozen with horror. Ivy had already moved away, circulating through the shop with a watchful gaze.
‘An, erm, what?’ The author looked confused.
‘You know!’ The Countess waved one hand impatiently, nearly hitting him on the nose. ‘Are you a blagger?’
S. K. Reardon stiffened in outrage. ‘I have been called many things, madam, but a blagger is not one of them!’
‘Hmmph.’ The Countess sniffed. ‘Well, I suppose you’re no real danger, then.’
‘Excuse me?’ He stared at her.
‘I wish you well with your little . . . book,’ the Countess said stiffly, turning away.
She bumped into the Count, who had been completely absorbed by the novel. With his vampire speed-reading, he had nearly finished the whole thing. ‘I say!’ He looked up at the author, wide-eyed. ‘This book is fantastic!’
‘It is?’ S. K. brightened, looking pathetically hopeful.
‘It really is! Although of course no real vampire would –’
‘Grandpa!’ Olivia finally managed to find her voice. She scooted over and took the book from him. ‘Don’t you want to get it signed?’
‘Of course, of course.’ The Count smiled broadly as the author retrieved his gold pen and signed the copy with a flourish. ‘Do you like pizza, S. K.? I can give you a great pizza recipe.’
Olivia couldn’t believe it. She knew the Count adored pizza, but offering to share recipes with an author? This book really must be something special.
‘Er . . . thank you.’ S. K. looked even more confused now. ‘I actually have a recipe of my own I like. But thank you . . . both . . . for your attention.’ He loosened his collar, perspiring as the Countess sent him another icy glare.
Olivia mouthed to Ivy across the store. ‘Help !’
‘Come on, Grandma,’ Ivy said, hurrying back to them. ‘Let’s go.’
Just as they moved away from the signing desk, a huge crowd of excited VITs burst into the bookstore.
‘Look!’ the first one yelled. ‘There’s the vampire author!’
Suddenly the signing table was surrounded by people in long trench coats shouting questions.
‘Did Franklin Grove really inspire Bare Throats at Sunset ?’
‘Is it true that you based the lake scene on the local duck pond?’
‘How did you know about the secret of Franklin Grove?’ a girl gasped, fluttering her eyelashes at him.
One man clutched a copy of Bare Throats at Sunset to his trench coat. ‘Will this book really reveal the “secrets of the shadows”?’
‘I’m sorry?’ S. K. Reardon looked bewildered. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about!’
Hmm, Olivia thought. Maybe she was just being naïve, but she believed him. He looked as stunned by the sudden attention as if a truck had just ploughed into him. He certainly didn’t look prepared for any of the questions being shouted at him.
‘I don’t – I mean, I don’t know where you heard any of that, but –’
‘Oh! Of course. You mean we shouldn’t be talking about it here in public.’ One of the men who’d been shouting questions stopped and looked over his shoulder anxiously, scanning the room. He dropped his voice to a stage whisper. ‘You’re right, we have to be careful. After all, they could be anywhere!’
He threw Ivy a quick glance, taking in her sweatpants and sneakers. Then he shrugged, turning back with an embarrassed look. ‘Or, well, you know, maybe the threat isn’t so immediate. But still! They could be in one of the other stores.’
Ha ! Olivia had to cover her mouth to hold back her laughter, even as S. K. Reardon shook his head in open disbelief.
The author looked as if he thought everyone around him had gone crazy, but Olivia was thrilled by the VIT’s reaction. Ivy’s disguise was certainly working – no one would take her for a vamp in a million years! Right now, Olivia’s twin looked like nothing more than a regular tomboy. She wasn’t in danger of discovery at the moment . . . but the mystery was getting more complicated than ever.
‘What are all these people doing here?’ Ivy muttered, as they shifted back to accommodate the last few VITs crowding into the store. Despite her perfume shield, her cheeks were starting to turn slightly green from the intensity of the garlic stench trapped in the store. ‘I thought they were all busy trying to track down vampires with their ropes of garlic? Why should they care about an author signing?’
‘It is odd that so many of them turned up at the same time,’ Olivia agreed.
‘Obviously they’ve all been reading the blagger,’ said the Countess, gazing speculatively at the circle of trench coats. ‘So maybe that scoundrel is behind this too.’
‘I guess it is a nice coincidence for this author that a load of vampire fanatics happen to be in town when he’s here promoting his novel.’ Olivia shrugged. ‘Do you think the two events are linked?’