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eyes crinkling into wrinkles. She was carrying a tray.
"I thought you children might like something to drink while you're talking,"
she said comfortably.
Everyone exchanged disconcerted glances. How had she known they were out
here? And how could she be so calm about it?
"Here you go," Mrs. Flowers continued. "This is grape juice, made from my
ownConcord grapes." She put a paper cup beside Meredith, then Matt, then
Bonnie. "And here are some gingersnap cookies. Fresh." She held the plate
around. Bonnie noticed she didn't offer any to Stefan or Damon.
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"You two can come round to the cellar if you like and try some of my
blackberry wine," she said to them, with what Bonnie would swear was a wink.
Stefan took a deep, wary breath. "Uh, look, Mrs. Flowers& "
"And your oldroom's just like you left it. Nobody's been up there since you
went. You can use it when you want; it won't put me out a bit."
Stefan seemed at a loss for words. "Well thank you. Thank you very much.
But "
"If you're worried I'll say something to somebody, you can set your mind at
ease. I don't tend to run off at the mouth. Never have, never will. How's that
grape juice?" turning suddenly on Bonnie.
Bonnie hastily took a gulp. "Good," she said truthfully.
"When you finish, throw the cups in the trash. I like things kept tidy." Mrs.
Flowers cast a look about the barn, shaking her head and sighing."Such a
shame.Such a pretty girl." She looked at Stefan piercingly with eyes like onyx
beads. "You've got your work cut out for you this time, boy," she said, and
left, still shaking her head.
"Well!" said Bonnie, staring after her, amazed. Everyone else just looked at
each other blankly.
" 'Sucha pretty girl' but which?" said Mere-dithat last."Sue or Elena?" Elena
had actually spent a week or so in this very barn last winter but Mrs. Flowers
wasn't supposed to know that. "Didyou say something to her about us?" Meredith
asked Damon.
"Not a word." Damon seemed amused. "She's an old lady. She's batty."
"She's sharper than any of us gave her credit for," Matt said. "When I think
of the days we spent watching her potter around that basement do you think
sheknew we were watching?"
"I don't know what to think," Stefan said slowly. "I'm just glad she seems to
be on our side. And she's given us a safe place to stay."
"And grape juice, don't forget that." Matt grinned at Stefan. "Want some?" He
proffered the leaky cup.
"Yeah, you can take your grape juice and& " But Stefan was almost smiling
himself. For an instant Bonnie saw the two of them the way they used to be,
before Elena had died.Friendly, warm, as comfortable together as she and
Meredith were. A pang went through her.
But Elena isn't dead, she thought. She's more here than ever. She's directing
everything we say and do.
Stefan had sobered again. "When Mrs. Flowers came in, I was about to say that
we'd better get started. And I think we should start with Vickie."
"She won't see us," Meredith replied instantly. "Her parents are keeping
everyone away."
"Then we'll just have to bypass her parents," Stefan said. "Are you coming
with us, Damon?"
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"A visit to yet another pretty girl?I wouldn't miss it."
Bonnie turned to Stefan in alarm, but he spoke reassuringly as he guided her
out of the barn. "It'll be all right. I'll keep an eye on him."
Bonnie hoped so.
Six
Vickie's house was on a corner, and they approached it from the side street.
By now the sky was filled with heavy purple clouds. The light had an almost
underwater quality.
"Looks like it's going to storm," Matt said.
Bonnie glanced at Damon. Neither he nor Stefan liked bright light. And she
could feel the Power emanating from him, like a low thrum just under the
surface of his skin. He smiled without looking at her and said, "How about
snow in June?"
Bonnie clamped down on a shiver.
She had looked Damon's way once or twice in the barn and found him listening
to the story with an air of detached indifference. Unlike Stefan, his
expression hadn't changed in the slightest when she mentioned Elena or when
she told about Sue's death. What did he really feel for Elena? He'd called up
a snowstorm once and left her to freeze in it. What was he feeling now? Did he
even care about catching the murderer?
"That's Vickie's bedroom," said Meredith."The bay window in the back."
Stefan looked at Damon."How many people in the house?"
"Two. Man and woman. The woman's drunk."
Poor Mrs. Bennett, thought Bonnie.
"I need them both asleep," Stefan said.
In spite of herself, Bonnie was fascinated by the surge of Power she felt
from Damon. Her psychic abilities had never been strong enough to sense its
raw essence before, but now they were. Now she could feel it as clearly as she
could see the fading violet light or smell the honeysuckle outside Vickie's
window.
Damon shrugged. "They're asleep."
Stefan tapped lightly on the glass.
There was no response, or at least none Bonnie could see. But Stefan and
Damon looked at each other.
"She's halftranced already," Damon said.
"She's scared. I'll do it; she knows me," said Stefan. He put his fingertips
on the window. "Vickie, it's Stefan Salvatore," he said. "I'm here to help
you. Come let me in."
His voice was quiet, nothing that should have been heard on the other side of
the glass. But after a moment the curtains stirred and a face appeared.
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Bonnie gasped aloud.
Vickie's long, light brown hair was disheveled, and her skin was chalky.
There were huge black rings under her eyes. The eyes themselves were fixed and
glassy. Her lips were rough and chapped.
"She looks like she's dressed up to do Ophelia's mad scene," Meredith said
under her breath."Nightgown and all."
"She lookspossessed ," Bonnie whispered back, unnerved.
Stefan just said, "Vickie, open the window."
Mechanically, like a windup doll, Vickie cranked one of the side panels of
the bay window open, and Stefan said, "Can I come in?"
Vickie's glazed eyes swept over the group outside. For a moment Bonnie [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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