Jane Goes Batty

work?” She fished a ten-dollar bill from her purse and slipped it into the young man’s hand. “Tell them I’m very sorry.”

The waiter nodded. “Of course,” he said. “And may I just say, I loved your novel.”

Jane raised an eyebrow. “Did the man outside tell you to say that?” she asked.

“No,” the waiter said. “I recognized your picture from the jacket. I just pretended not to know you in case you were trying to be anonymous.”

“Which of the characters in the novel is your favorite?” Jane asked.

“I’m ashamed to say so, but Jonathan Brut,” the man said.

Jane smiled. “He’s terrible, isn’t he?” she said. “But so handsome. Don’t be ashamed. We’ve all fallen for him at some point.” She looked toward the window again, but Byron had disappeared. “Anyway, thank you for the kind words. They came at just the right time.”

She hurried out the door and found Byron pacing on the sidewalk.

“It’s about time,” he said.

“Bite me,” Jane snapped. “I didn’t realize we had an appointment.”

Byron looked wounded. “What’s the matter with you?” he asked.

“Sorry,” said Jane. “It’s not important. I’ll tell you later. What’s the emergency? Did you find Chloe?”

Byron was walking quickly down the sidewalk. Jane hurried to keep up with him. “Oh, I found her all right,” he said. “She’d made her way back to the film set. I caught her just as she was about to feed on the best boy.”

“The what?” Jane asked.

“Best boy,” said Byron. “A crew member. Works under the gaffer.”

“The what?” said Jane.

“Never mind,” Byron said. “She was about to feed. I had to glamor the boy to forget.”

They’d reached Byron’s car, and Jane waited for him to unlock the doors. “So where’s Chloe?” she asked.

Byron patted the trunk. “In here,” he said. “And she’s none too happy about it.”

As if in response, a loud thud came from inside the trunk. Byron opened the car doors and he and Jane got in.

“Where are we taking her?” Jane asked.

“Back to my house,” answered Byron as he started the car. “But first we have a stop to make.”

Chapter 17

Jane walked into the bookstore and glanced around for any sign of the Hawthorne boys. Neither seemed to be there, but Lucy was behind the front counter.

“Have you seen Ned?” Jane asked. “Or Ted?”

“Does it matter which one?” asked Lucy.

“A bit, yes,” said Jane.

“Gay or straight?” Lucy said.

“Straight,” said Jane.

“Ned,” Lucy told her. “He might be in the storeroom. One of them is. The other went to get lunch, but I didn’t see which of them it was. May I ask what you’re planning on doing with him?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Jane said. “Oh, and if Jessica Abernathy or Posey Frost comes in, tell her you don’t know where I am.”

“That should be easy,” said Lucy. “Because I don’t know where you are. And why is Posey Frost here?”

“I’ll explain that too,” Jane promised. “I also want to speak to you about a certain young rabbi.”

Lucy blushed. “Good,” she said. “Because I want to speak to you about a certain young rabbi.”

Jane started to head for the storeroom, but came back. “We are both talking about Ben Cohen, right?” she said.

Lucy nodded.

“I just wanted to make sure,” said Jane. “It’s getting a bit difficult to keep track of everyone.”

She walked back to the storeroom and opened the door.

One of the Hawthorne boys was standing beside an open carton of books, a copy of the latest Posey Frost novel in his hand. How perfect, Jane thought darkly as she forced herself to smile. “Hello,” she said. She had no idea to which twin she was speaking.

“Hi,” the young man replied. “We haven’t seen much of you around here lately. What brings you in?”

Jane thought frantically for a way to identify the twin without having to actually ask. “Things have been crazy,” she said. “Is your brother here as well?”

“Ted? He’s out getting lunch. But he should be back in a few minutes if you want to talk to him.”

Jane breathed a sigh of relief. She was speaking to Ned.

“That’s all right,” Jane said. “I was hoping to have a chat with you. Actually, Byron and I were hoping to have a chat with you. About a certain young lady whose acquaintance you made?”

Ned set the book down and dusted off his hands. “I thought as much,” he said. He looked down. “I don’t know what happened. I just got carried away.”

Jane put her hand on his shoulder. “It happens to the best of us,” she assured him. “But we do need to speak with you. Byron is waiting in the car out back. Come with me.”

She went to the door and ushered Ned into the hallway, motioning for him to go out the back. “I’m going to borrow Ned for a little while,” she called to Lucy.

“Just don’t bring him back dented,” Lucy yelled back.

Jane hurried Ned outside, where Byron waited in the idling car. Jane indicated that Ned should get in the front, and she slid into the backseat behind him.

“Well, well, well,” Byron said as Ned clipped the seat belt in place. “If it isn’t the prodigal son.”

“Don’t start,” Jane said. “I’m sure he feels bad enough as it is.”

“I do,” Ned agreed. “I really do. I didn’t mean to—”

“Don’t apologize to me,” said Byron. “Apologize to Jane. She’s the one who had to turn the girl thanks to your sloppy technique. What were you thinking, draining her to the point of death? Of all the amateurish—”

“Wait a minute,” Ned said, swiveling around to look at Jane. “You turned her?”

Jane nodded. “And I’m not terribly pleased about it, young man.”

Ned slumped in his seat. “That’s not good. Well, I mean it’s good that she’s not dead.”

“But she is,” Byron reminded him. “Undead. Thanks to you.”

“No,” Ned said, shaking his head. “Not thanks to me.”

“Don’t blame Jane for this!” Byron said. “She was just cleaning up your mess.”

“It wasn’t my mess!” Ned shouted. “It was my brother’s!”

“Ted?” said Jane. “But you’re the vampire.”

“No, I’m not,” said Ned.

Byron looked at Jane. “Do you have any idea what he’s talking about?”

Jane leaned back in the seat. “I think what he’s telling us is that he’s Ted,” she said softly. “Is that right?”

“Yes,” said Ted. “I just pretended to be Ned to give him time to get away.”

“Get away?” said Byron. “Get away where?”

Ted shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “He was totally freaked out by what happened. He thought you’d be mad at him.” He looked at them both, and his eyes were wet with tears. “He really didn’t mean to do it. And he was scared. He thought she was dead.”

“How long has he been gone?” Jane asked him.

Ted looked at his watch. “About half an hour,” he told her.

“He couldn’t have gotten very far,” said Byron. “We have to find him.”