3 Vampireville by Ellen Schreiber Read Free Book Online Page B

put the key in the ignition. As the crickets chirped and Alexander continued his search alone, I grew anxious. What if something happened to him? I couldn't hear his calls if I was miles away atop Benson Hill. I checked my container of garlic sealed safely inside my purse. I got out of the car and stuck the keys into my back pocket. I raced toward the east side of the factory with the flashlight in my hand. The mill grounds had an eerie quietness to them. I felt as if someone were watching me. I looked up at the sky. I saw what appeared to be a bat hanging from the power lines above me. When I shined my light on the wire, it was gone. I turned the corner of the factory to find Alexander pacing outside the hallway window. "He was standing right here," I said. "I should have known�," Alexander murmured. "That I wouldn't stay in the car?" Alexander shook his head and pointed toward the smokestack. Not twenty feet from where we were standing I could see plain as daylight what had threatened Jagger�a giant wrecking ball. 5 The Key
    That night I sat in my computer chair, holding the garage door opener in my hand. I felt I held the key to cracking the Case of the Missing Twin Teen Vampires. In fact, an empty garage was an awesome hiding place for a vampire. If a family were on vacation, they would have to drive the hour and a half to the nearest airport, therefore giving vacancy to a waiting coffin. With no one in the residence, Jagger and Luna could go undetected long enough to seduce Trevor into their vampirey lair. If Alexander and I walked from garage door to garage door, it could take decades to discover which one Jagger and Luna were calling their latest batcave. By then Trevor would be "fluless" and return to practice in enough time for Luna to have sunk her fangs into him and the entire Dullsville High soccer team. I hardly spoke to anyone in this town, much less knew the travel plans of the other Dullsvillians. I had to figure out a way to find out who was traveling, their destinations, and the durations of their stays. How could I get access to that information? Just then an idea struck me like a bolt of lightning. Of course I couldn't get the information� but I knew someone who could.
    The next day, after school, Becky drove me to the Armstrong Travel Agency. I missed the old girl. Since she'd begun dating Matt Wells and I'd met Alexander, we didn't have the endless free time to hang out, talk on the phone, or climb the Mansion's gates. So when we did have girl time, we made the most of it. "I've heard rumors about that white-haired girl from Romania," she said when I got into her truck. "What did you hear?" I asked, perking up after a long, mindnumbing school day. "Well, that dude that was lurking at the drive-in when we saw Kissing Coffins was her brother." "Yes�," I began, hinting for more info. "Matt says they've been asking around for Trevor. I think the dude wants to play on the soccer team, but he doesn't even go to our school." "That's it?" I asked, disappointed. "I wouldn't worry about it. No one will take Matt's position away. Not even a vampire," I mumbled. "What did you say?" she asked as she pulled the pickup in front of Armstrong Travel. I stepped out of the truck. "Are you sure you and Alexander aren't going to elope in Romania?" Becky teased. "No, but if we do, I'll get four tickets."
    I was happy to walk into Armstrong Travel in full goth garb� Herman Munster-size black boots, purple tights, and a black torn Tshirt dress� instead of their Corporate Cathy dress code of tailored skirts and blouses. I smiled at Ruby, who was seated at her desk, handing pamphlets to two customers. Ruby's friendly expression strained as I stood like an ill-mannered eyesore in the very conservative business. "I'll be right with you," Ruby said, hinting at an out-of-the-way chair behind a rack of luggage tags. "I'm just browsing," I said, and began glancing at a map of Hawaii. Finally the young couple with Mexico