Chapter 212
Anya's coven lived disturbingly close to Katelina's home town. In fact, the route Yaul had planned went right past it. With time to kill, Katelina decided to take a detour. It was nearly noon when she parked the van in front of her mother's small, neon green house. Though it was full on daylight, Christmas lights blinked in the front room window.
Katelina stabbed out her cigarette and guzzled the last of a cold cup of coffee. She glanced towards the back of the van uncertainly. Surely they'd be all right for a few hours?
She made sure to lock the van up, and then marched purposefully towards the house. She was halfway there when the front door flew open and her mother charged out onto the porch. "Katelina! What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you, it was just Christmas, you know." She came to a stop before the harried looking woman. It wasn't that her mother was in disarray; her artificially blonde hair was neatly brushed and her heavy Christmas sweater was tidy and clean, but something about her looked like she'd just gotten out of bed and forgotten her shoes.
"It was Christmas!" her mother shrilled and grabbed her in a suffocating hug. "You could have called! Lord, I had no idea you were coming!" Katelina shrugged free and her mother frowned at the ugly, dented van. "Whose is that? Where's what's-his-name?"
"He has a business meeting and then we're going to Kentucky for a few days," she replied with affected casualness. "I thought I'd come see you while he was busy."
Her mother's nose wrinkled. "I thought that little car was ugly enough, but that van is worse. He's traveling on business, and that's the best he can do?"
"We like the van," she lied. "Besides, it's borrowed. It belongs to a friend of his."
"He borrowed it on purpose? What kind of friends does he have?" The wind kicked up and her mother shivered. "Let's go inside!"
Katelina followed her indoors. The front room was as ugly as she remembered: the carpet was green, and the couch and chairs were upholstered in orange pheasants. The walls were lost under layers of kitsch: cats, fairies, angels, teddy bears and more. The Christmas tree in the corner was no more orderly. Decorated in giant lights and mismatched ornaments from bygone years, it gave a new meaning to the word "homey".
Katelina peeled off her coat and hat, while her mom disappeared to get them something to drink. She returned with two cups of microwave apple cider and a plate of fudge.
Once they were settled, her mother started in. "What kind of business did you say Jorick was in, again?"
"Computers." Katelina nibbled around a walnut. Why did people feel the need to ruin perfectly good fudge with nuts?
"And he has computer business here?"
"Obviously. What's with the walnuts? You know I hate them."
"Yes, but Brad likes them." Her mother's cheeks went an uncomfortable pink and she stood quickly. "Since you're here, let me get your present."
Brad. He'd been Sarah's boyfriend until - until when? He said he believed Sarah was still alive. He had a hideous website where he'd revealed all but her and Sarah's social security numbers, and begged people to send information on their whereabouts, and yet-
"So what's this deal with you and Brad?"
"Deal?" Her mother turned away and busied herself with the brightly wrapped presents under the tree. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"He was here that night when I called - at five in the morning! And now you're making him fudge? Mom, he's way younger than you!"
She straightened up, a present in her hand and a sour expression on her face. "Since when was it a crime to make fudge for someone at Christmas?"
"I didn't say it was. But it's kind of creepy if you guys are hooking up."
Her mother dropped the heavy package in her lap. "Open your present."
"I'm just saying-"
"I said open your present!" She stormed back to the chair and threw herself into it.
Unsure what else to do, Katelina did as she was told. The wrapping peeled back to reveal - "A bread maker?"
"What? I suppose you don't like it?"
Katelina tried to imagine the shiny bread maker on Jorick's faded counter top. "I didn't say that! It just came as a surprise."
"I thought you might enjoy fresh bread. I'm sure you won't like your other present, either!" She pointed to a large, lumpy package under the tree. "You'll have to go over there to open it."
Katelina set the bread maker on the couch and moved to the tree. She could see why she had to go to it; a piece of shiny red shone through a tear in the paper. It didn't take long to unwrap what was a two foot tall, bright red, ceramic cat statue. The appliance had nothing on this.
"You hate it, don't you?"
Words failed, but she managed to shake her head and make a strange, guttural noise that sounded like "no".
"I thought it would be cute in a front room window - assuming you have a front room window."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's obvious you're living in a van, Katelina! Is he broke? Is that why you still haven't gotten a phone?"
"I'm not living in a van! I told you, we borrowed it for the trip! Jorick owns a house in Maine."
"A house with no phone."
"A lot of people don't have landlines anymore!"
"But they have cell phones, which you don't. We looked your Jorick up online, not that you bothered to give us his last name. We had to get that from the newspaper!"
Katelina gripped the wad of wrapping paper so hard her knuckles turned white. "And?"
"And nothing! Except for that arrest, he doesn't exist. Is that his real name, or is it some kind of alias? I'd started to feel friendly towards him, but after this I'm not so sure!"
Katelina took the offensive. "Speaking of online, did you and Brad take that website down yet?"
A noise from the back of the house interrupted them. Katelina instinctively spun into a defensive pose, the heavy ceramic cat in her hands as a weapon. Her heart pounded and she cursed silently to herself. Why wasn't Jorick there?
Because he's sleeping.
Wait a minute.
If he was sleeping, then so were all the other vampires, which meant-
The tense silence was broken when Brad slunk through the living room doorway, his hair tousled and a cup of eggnog in his hand. "Hello, Patricia." His eyes landed on Katelina and his face lit with fake innocence. "Oh! Katelina! Merry Christmas!"
Katelina relaxed, though she wasn't sure she was relieved. "What are you doing here?"
Her mother looked shocked. "That was rude! Brad's my guest."
Katelina looked from one to the other and tried not to let her imagination wander. "Um, yeah. Merry Christmas."
He nodded to the statue in her hands. "Do you like the cat?"
"Yes," she said before her mother could interject something. "It will look great in the living room, next to the fireplace. And speaking of things that would be great, did you take down that website?"
Brad shifted from one foot to the other. "Not entirely. I updated it and took down most of your information."
"Like the hospital records? And the photos of Jorick and the car?"
"Yeah, like those. So where's your boyfriend?"
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