The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires(31)

To her left she saw the harbor out the windows; to her right she felt hot air blowing in from the bathroom window, and she threw herself toward it, running down the dark tunnel of her bedroom and into the bathroom, closets on one side, smashing her stomach into the sharp edge of the counter, reaching for the window, slamming it shut, turning the latch, and something dark flashed past outside, cutting off the night sky. She yanked her hands back like the window was on fire.

They had to get out of the house. Then she remembered Miss Mary. She wasn’t capable of running, or probably even leaving the house and walking across the backyard in the middle of the night. Someone would have to stay with her. She raced through her dark bedroom, back down the stairs, and into the living room.

“The phone doesn’t work,” Korey said, holding out the portable handset to her.

“We have to go,” she told Korey and Blue. She took their hands and led them through the dining room and into the kitchen toward the back door.

Someone wanted to get into the house. She had no idea when Carter was coming home. They had no way to call for help. She needed to get to a phone, and she needed to get whoever it was away from her children.

“I want you to go into the garage room with Miss Mary,” she told them. “And lock the door as soon as you’re inside. Don’t let anyone in.”

“What about you?” Korey asked.

“I’m going to run to the Langs’ and call the police,” Patricia said. She looked out over the bright backyard. “I’ll only be gone a minute.”

Blue began to cry. Patricia unlocked the back door.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Mom?”

“No questions,” she said. “Lock yourselves in with your grandmother.”

Then she turned the handle and opened the door, and a man stepped into the house.

Patricia screamed. The man grabbed her by the arms.

“Whoa,” James Harris said.

Patricia swayed and the floor rose to meet her. James Harris’s strong arms held her up as her knees gave out.

“I saw the lights on back here,” he said. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a man,” Patricia said, relieved that help had arrived, speaking over her pounding heart. “On the roof. We tried to call the police. The phone isn’t working.”

“Okay,” James Harris reassured her. “I’m here. There’s no need to call the police. No one’s hurt?”

“We’re fine,” Patricia said.

“I should check on Miss Mary,” James Harris said, gently pushing Patricia back against the counter and stepping past her and the children. He moved away from them, going farther and farther into the den.

“I need to call the police,” Patricia said.

“No need,” James Harris told her from the middle of the den.

“They’ll be here in three minutes,” she said.

“Let me check on Miss Mary and then I’ll look on the roof,” James Harris said from the far end of the den.

Suddenly, Patricia didn’t want James Harris in the room alone with Miss Mary.

“No!” she said, too loud.

He stopped, one hand on the garage room door, and turned slowly.

“Patricia,” he said. “Calm down.”

“The police?” she asked, stepping toward the kitchen phone.

“Don’t,” he told her, and she wondered why he was telling her not to call the police. “Don’t do anything, don’t call anyone.”

Which was when a blue light flickered across the walls and strong white lights flooded the den windows.



* * *



—

Carter arrived forty-five minutes later while the police were still poking through the bushes with their flashlights. One of them was using his big car-mounted spotlight to light up two officers on the roof. Gee Mitchell and her husband, Beau, stood in their driveway next door and watched.

“Patty?” Carter called from the front hall.

“We’re in here,” she hollered, and a moment later he came down the steps into the garage room.

Patricia had decided they should all stay together in Miss Mary’s room. James Harris had already spoken to the police and left. He’d returned to make sure Patricia was all right after her mother-in-law had broken up their book club meeting, and come around back when he saw the backyard lights on.

“Is everyone all right?” Carter asked.

“We’re fine,” Patricia said. “Right, everyone? Just scared.”

Korey and Blue hugged their father.

“That guy saved us,” Korey said.

“Someone got on the roof and they would have gotten us if he hadn’t come,” Blue said.

“Then I’m glad he was here,” Carter said, and turned to Patricia. “Did you really have to call out the national guard? Christ, Patty, the neighbors are going to think I’m a wife beater or something.”

“Hoyt,” Miss Mary said from her bed.

“Okay, Mom,” Carter said. “It’s been a long night. I think we all just need to calm down.”

Patricia didn’t know if she would ever feel calm again.





CHAPTER 11


After they put Blue and Korey to bed, Patricia told Carter everything.