“I’m really starting to worry about her.”
“Yeah. Me, too. She’s probably all right, though. I mean, I pity anyone who’d try to mess with her. We don’t call her Eve of Destruction for nothing.” Suddenly raising a hand and waving, Tuck called out, “Hello, everyone!” to the people waiting on the other side of the fence.
Some of them ignored her. Others nodded or waved or returned tentative greetings. One guy, costumed either for Halloween or a safari into darkest Africa, raised the stem of his pipe and called out in a harsh voice, “Those who are about to die salute you!”
“Aw, nobody’s gonna die,” Tuck said. “Not tonight, anyway—if we’re lucky.”
As she unlocked the gate, the tourists migrated toward it.
Dana recognized two of them...no,
There were her two goofy teenaged friends from Thursday—Arnold and someone? They’d caused some trouble by hiding in the house after closing time, but they’d been pretty nice about it.
They seemed a bit young to be doing the Midnight Tour.
She was glad to see them.
The other two familiar faces belonged to Owen and his snotty girlfriend. Mona? No, Monica.
What’s
Owen didn’t seem very happy. His face was flushed. He met Dana’s eyes for an instant and quickly looked away. Monica cast a smirk in her direction.
Dana smiled at her, then turned away and saw a couple who looked as if they’d come here to audition for roles in remakes of
Charming, she thought.
At least a
Done with the lock, Tuck swung open the gate and asked, “Ever-body hungry?”
“I’m beastly starved!” said the safari man.
Dana’s two friends from Thursday smirked and nudged each other.
“Before we start,” Tuck said, “I have a few words to say. I’m Lynn Tucker, and I’m the official guide for the Beast House Midnight Tour. This is my old friend and new assistant, Dana Lake. We’ll be with you till the bitter end. In case you’re wondering, that’ll be at about two a.m. Here’s how the schedule goes.
“You’ll have two hours for the picnic. There’s a no-host bar...meaning you’ll have to shell out cash if you want to get liquored up—but soft drinks and your picnic dinners are included in the price of your tickets. Feel free to roam the grounds. Beast House will be closed until the tour starts, but we’re keeping the gift shop open until nine. As a Midnight Tourist, you’ll get a special ten percent discount on any purchases you make.
“Feel free to leave the grounds at any time. We’ll be handing out souvenir badges that’ll get you back in.
“Our special screening of
“Any questions about the schedule?” Tuck asked. Not waiting more than half a second, she said, “Okay! Let’s get this show on the road. Welcome to the Midnight Tour picnic. I’ll take your tickets as you come in, and Dana will give each of you a badge.”
“We gotta keep ‘em?” asked the chubby kid.
“You’re Dennis, right?”
He beamed as if proud that Tuck had remembered his name. “That’s right, ma’am. Dennis Dexter. D.D.”
“Call me Lynn, okay? And yes, the badges will be yours to keep. Okay, let’s get started.”
She passed the bag to Dana, then stepped forward to start taking tickets.
Dana reached into the bag. When she tried to scoop up a handful of badges, points pricked her. She winced and jerked her hand out. It looked okay except for a single, bright red drop of blood on the tip of her middle finger.
As she raised the finger toward her mouth, someone caught her wrist and said, “Mine.”
Dana looked up into blue-shadowed, leering eyes.
“No,” she said. Though she spoke softly, everyone nearby suddenly went silent. Heads turned. People were staring, frowning, gathering closer so they wouldn’t miss whatever might be happening. “Please let go,” Dana said. “I don’t...”
Her fingertip vanished into the mouth of the creepy vampire gal. She felt the suck of warm, quick lips.
Onlookers gasped, flinched and muttered.
“Hey!” Dana jerked her hand back.
Tuck, watching, had a strange smile on her face as if she couldn’t believe what had just happened.
“Mmmm, delicious,” the creep said. She licked her black lips. “Now we’re sisters. My name is Vein. V-e-i-n as in bloooood vessel.”
“Right,” Dana muttered. Being more careful this time, she reached into the bag and took out a badge. It was round with a pin on the back, like a political campaign button. Larger than a silver dollar, it showed a small black rendition of Beast House on a scarlet background. Around the rim, in black letters, it read MIDNIGHT TOURIST.
“Pin it on me.” Vein spread open her black leather jacket and thrust her bra-clad breasts toward Dana.
“Thanks anyway,” Dana said. “Here. Just take it.”
“No no no. Pin it on me, dahhhling.”
“What’s the problem here?” Tuck asked.
“Dana’s shy,” Vein said.
Vein patted the front of her left bra cup, sending a tremor through her breast.
“I wouldn’t want to poke you,” Tuck said.
“Oh, feel free.”
“How about here?” Not waiting for an answer, Tuck slipped a finger under the left shoulder strap, pulled it away from Vein’s skin, and pinned the badge to it.
“Thank you so much, my dear.”
Tuck patted the badge. “I’m here to serve,” she said.
Then she dipped a hand into Dana’s bag, came up with another badge, and turned to Vein’s blonde friend. “Would you like me to pin yours on, too?”
Looking at Tuck with sultry eyes, the blonde said, “I’m Darke.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Tuck said.
Darke’s tongue darted out and wiggled at her.
“Trying to upstage the beast?” Tuck asked.
Several of the others laughed.
“Way cool,” said Arnold..
Safari man blurted, “Bravo!”
Vein and Darke strolled away holding hands.
Everyone seemed to be watching them.
After they were out of earshot—probably—the woman in the tennis outfit said, “To think they’re someone’s children.”
“I don’t envy their parents,” said the fellow beside her.
Probably her husband.
“Did you see what she did?” Dennis asked. “She sucked Dana’s blood.”
“Cool,” Arnold said.
“Nothing cool about it, young chap! Assault and battery, plain and simple. She ought to be incarcerated!”
