Jen frowned at me. “That’s so sad. You’d think she’d be nicer to Vegas, instead of calling her names.”
I let out a little gasp and removed the pot from the stove. “Wait a minute. If Heather saw Blake kissing Vegas in the sunroom, then maybe it was Heather who threw the vampire orchid at the window last night.”
“Yeah! She would have been plenty angry. Except where did she get a vampire orchid—or the mask?”
Pieces of the puzzle fell into place so fast that my head spun. “From the killer—her father. Karl didn’t dispose of the mask! And he’s been using props, like Heather’s Dead dolls, to scare Maggie and me. I bet that vampire orchid was going to land at Maggie’s front door to frighten her. But last night, Heather was angry and hurt. She went home and got her father’s precious orchid and the mask, and came back here intending to smash the plant in front of him to get his attention. But when she saw Vegas and Blake kissing, she became angry and threw the orchid at the window.”
“So you think Heather’s father killed Patrick? I feel horrible for her. Her mother ditched her and now her dad’s going to jail?”
Footsteps thundered on the creaky old stairs on my foyer. “The other girls must be up. I need to call Wolf and tell him it’s Karl, not Frank!”
Jen twitched her mouth around, making faces. “When I came in, didn’t I hear you say that someone who loved Maggie wouldn’t be so cruel?”
I dialed Wolf’s number and placed my finger on my nose like we were playing charades. “Exactly. But you see, Karl never loved Maggie. He didn’t care if he hurt her. He wanted to scare her into needing him. Dash had Karl pegged right all along. What Karl really wanted was control of Maggie’s share of the car dealership—the one his family used to own.”
Jen picked up Mochie and paced toward me. “So he might have murdered Maggie eventually, too.”
I stared at my young niece, surprised by her intuitiveness. “Perish the thought, but I bet you’re right.”
My call rang through to Wolf’s voice mail. I left an urgent message, saying that I thought Karl had murdered Patrick.
When Lilly and Vegas joined us for breakfast, I made a point of changing the subject, but it was impossible. The girls bubbled over about the events of the night before.
Lilly sat on the banquette cross-legged. “That was the most exciting night of my life! Wait until the kids at school hear about your birthday party, Jen. That séance was awesome.”
“I wish I went to your school.” Vegas poured herself a cup of tea. “Then I wouldn’t have to deal with Heather. She’s so mean! I’ll get her back, though.”
I set a plate of eggs Benedict in front of Lilly. “Vegas, wouldn’t it be better to turn the other cheek? The more you respond to Heather, the more you egg her on. She’s trying to upset you, so when you retaliate, you’re pleasing her. That means she hit home and hurt your feelings.”
Vegas sat down but drew herself as erect as Natasha would have. “I can’t stand by and let her abuse me. I’m tired of her calling me ugly names. This time I’m getting her good.”
“Uh-oh.” Jen cut into the soft egg on her plate. “What are you going to do?”
Vegas smiled. “You’ll see.”
At one o’clock exactly, Lilly’s mother arrived to pick up Jen and Lilly. There was a flurry of good-byes, and Jen whispered, “Call me tonight and tell me what happens with Karl.”
“I’ll be calling all right. Your poor parents won’t believe what happened, and now that they’re back I don’t want them hearing it from Lilly’s mom.”
When the car pulled away, Daisy and I walked Vegas home. Mars answered the door and said in a voice so loud that I knew he wanted someone to hear him, “Sure! I’d be happy to walk Daisy!”
Vegas barged past him into the house, and Mars whispered to me, “Wanda brought Madame Poo Poo home. I can’t take one more minute of all that psychic stuff.”
“I’m sure Daisy would be most pleased to rescue you. She could use a good long walk.”
Unfortunately, he grabbed a jacket and left, walking down the street with Daisy and me, just like old times.
“Was Madame Poisson really poisoned?” I asked.
“Apparently so. She’s lucky she didn’t drink more of that stuff. Now that she’ll be okay, I think they’re conjuring up some sort of spell to make me marry Natasha.”
I laughed. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Probably not.”
Wolf rounded the corner from the side street and walked toward us. Once again, he kissed me with a fervor that surprised me. I hated that I thought it was for Mars’s benefit and not because Wolf had missed me. “You two going someplace?”
“I just took Vegas home, and Mars wanted to walk Daisy. Have time for a cup of coffee while I fill you in?”
Mars perked up. “There’s been a development? Daisy wouldn’t mind if I had a cup of coffee first.”
Wolf didn’t seem all too happy that Mars accompanied us back to my house.
I whipped up mocha lattes in no time and shared my new theories about Karl and Heather.
Wolf leaned back in his chair. “That would explain why we didn’t find the mask in Frank’s house. His wife claims they’ve never had any orchids. I tend to believe her because I didn’t see a single plant anywhere in the house. They’re not the houseplant type, I guess.”
Stroking Daisy’s head, Mars said, “Wow. So Karl was the killer, and last night when Madame Poisson fainted, he switched it around fast. Frank didn’t try to kill Karl out of jealousy over Maggie; it must have been the other way around. Karl wanted Frank out of the way, so he tried to kill Frank using the dry ice in the casket.”
“I’ll bet anything that Frank lied to us when we found him in the casket. He
claimed
he didn’t remember anything, but I bet he knew perfectly well that Karl tried to kill him. That’s why he meant to poison him last night.” I shook my head. “That was a close one.”
Mars scratched behind Daisy’s ears. “Frank probably thought he had to kill Karl, before Karl could make another attempt on Frank’s life.”
Wolf scowled. “He should have come to the police.”
“He couldn’t,” I said. “Karl would have turned in Frank’s bootlegging absinthe business. That’s how he was making a living. Not with his legal but overpriced wines.”
Wolf rose. “Sorry to run, but I have a lot to do. No time for lounging at the moment.” He squeezed my shoulder affectionately. “I promise I’ll make time for us when this is over.” Wolf stepped out the kitchen door. Through the window, I could see him making a phone call and walking with great haste.
“Sherlock, I believe you’ve cracked the case,” quipped Mars. He latched Daisy’s leash onto her collar. “Ready for our run?” She wagged her tail and led him to the door.
The phone rang as the door closed behind them. “Aunt Sophie? It’s Jen. Remember how Vegas said she would get even with Heather? Well, Vegas sent out a text this morning”—her voice rose in pitch—“from
my
phone saying that
her
dad is a hero, not a murderer disguised as a vampire. She must have heard us talking about Karl this morning because I didn’t tell her.”
I dropped the phone and ran to the door. “Mars!” I motioned to him to come back, and returned to the phone. “Sorry about that, sweetie. I’m glad you called to let me know. Did your parents make it home okay?”
She assured me they had. Hanging up, I said to Mars, who had just entered, “Vegas might be in trouble. She sent out a text accusing Heather’s dad of being the murderer.”
Mars blanched. He turned around and ran across the street with Daisy before I could grab my jacket. By the time I climbed the stairs to his front door, he was already in the foyer yelling for Vegas.
Natasha emerged from the dining room. “Mars! We don’t shout like heathens in this house.”
“Where’s Vegas?”
“Probably in her room. I sent her up there and told her to do any homework due tomorrow.”
Mars handed me the leash and raced upstairs.
Natasha cast a displeased glance at Daisy. “Would you mind waiting outside?”
Mars’s wild dash up the stairs reminded me of the night the kids went missing. I wasn’t about to budge. I looked Natasha squarely in the eye and said, “Yes, I would mind waiting outside.”
She drew back as though I’d said she resembled a wartcovered toad. “Really, Sophie! There’s no reason . . .”
I tuned her out when Mars reappeared at the top of the stairs. He shook his head.
I turned right and, over Natasha’s objections, scouted out the living room, dining room, kitchen, and powder room with Daisy. By the time we’d finished, Natasha had raised her voice like a heathen, and Mars had checked out the lower level.
“She’s not here.” Worry rang in Mars’s tone. “Think, Natasha, did she say anything?”
“Please don’t tell me she sneaked out to meet Blake again.”
I hoped her absence meant something so innocent. “Did you return her phone to her?”
Natasha sighed. “No!”
“Her computer!” Mars ran upstairs again and returned in seconds. “Heather posted on Facebook that she’s meeting Blake where the vampire sleeps.”
“The haunted house.”
Mars nodded. “Nat, stay here and call us immediately if she comes back.”
“I hate it when you two do this. What’s going on?”
On my way out the door, I said, “Karl is the killer. Apparently Vegas broadcast that fact to her whole class.”
Natasha clutched her throat. “I’ll ask Madame Poisson to find out where Vegas went.”
I called Wolf and filled him in during our fast walk to the haunted house. He promised to meet us there.
“We should cut down the alley in back and scope out the situation first, just in case we’re right, and Karl took her there,” said Mars.
“I have a better idea.” We passed the entrance to the alley and rounded the corner exactly as Wolf parked across the street.
We stopped in front of Le Parisien Antiques, and Wolf jogged over to us.
Afraid Ray might be closed on Sundays, I held my breath when I tried the door, but it pushed open easily, setting off the almost imperceptible
bing-bong
announcing us.
Mars whispered, “What are you doing? We don’t have time for this.”
“Have a little faith and follow me.” I cut through the maze of old junk to the door leading up the stairs. Daisy sniffed as we walked, happy to be back in the land of the exotic and weird. I knocked softly, not daring to make noise that might be heard next door in the haunted house. We didn’t have time to wait, though, so I tiptoed up the stairs with Daisy next to me and Mars and Wolf right behind.
We found Ray in the kitchen, chowing down on takeout ribs. Placing a finger over my lips, I bent over to him and explained in a whisper what was happening.
“Well, don’t that beat all!” He rose from his chair, wiped his barbecue-sauce-covered fingers on a kitchen towel, and lumbered into his office. The closet door must have had well-oiled hinges, because it swung open without so much as a tiny creak.
Wolf and Mars looked on in amazement as Ray opened the panel between the two rooms. Daisy whimpered.
I glanced out the window and saw an unmarked car idling in the alley. “Did you call for backup?” I asked Wolf.
“Of course.” He entered the closet and leaned an ear against the door on the other side. He retreated for a moment. “She’s in there. I can hear her making a racket.”
He returned to the closet and opened the door to the vampire room in the haunted house, just a crack. He pushed it open a little wider.
“Daisy, stay!” I said.
I could hear sobbing.
Although we shouldn’t have, when Wolf finally stepped into the vampire’s bedroom, the three of us did, too. Wolf opened the casket, and Vegas screamed as though she were being skinned alive.
He reached for her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, still crying. He swung her up out of the casket and carried her into the safety of Ray’s apartment.
I heard footsteps on the stairs of the haunted house and pushed Mars through the opening so I could follow. I closed the closet door in the nick of time.
We scooted through, and Ray closed the panel in between the rooms. A scant minute later, we heard Karl look into the closet on the other side.
Vegas bawled. She sat in the desk chair and in between sobs, swore to Mars that she would never, ever go anywhere by herself again,
ever
! He hugged her, and she clung to him like a baby monkey clinging to its parent.
I left Mars comforting her and dashed down the stairs with Daisy. I was dying to know what Karl would do when he realized Vegas had disappeared.
Daisy and I stepped out of Le Parisien Antiques, onto the sidewalk. Kenner watched the entrance from his position across the street. Wong waited on the sidewalk, like I did, only on the other side of the haunted house.
The door flew open, and Karl stumbled out in a hurry, just as Frank had the day Ray spooked him. Karl didn’t notice any of us. He turned and looked up at the windows as though he thought he might see Vegas—or Viktor.
Wong made quick work of handcuffing him.
The constant smirk had finally left Karl’s face—for good, I hoped. “You! I should have gotten rid of you and the girls right away. I was afraid you’d recognized me.”
“That’s where you were wrong. Your own daughter gave you away by wearing your vampire mask last night.”
The look of astonishment on his face was priceless.
Detective Kenner strolled across the street and asked, “Is the kid okay?”
Daisy growled at him.
“Traumatized, but I suspect she’ll be fine.”
He studied me. “You had a close call this time.”
I met his gaze dead on. “Thank goodness no one, and by that I mean
you
, will be following me anymore.”
“Just watching out for you.” He grasped Karl’s upper arm and steered him to a waiting squad car.
Wolf strode out of the house. “Karl wasn’t taking any chances this time. He patched the hole in the casket with plastic and slid it against the wall.”