///
"And now Tina is dead after a mysterious car accident," I said, steering the conversation back on track. "Which seems convenient."
Jane and Dick took a step back to observe the neatly lettered timeline Dick had created.
"Great, so we think that Tina arranged for you to be turned by a friend of Ophelia's. And then that friend, possibly more than one friend, may be the remains in the basement. And that she might have paid that vampire to turn Meagan with money she stole from the Council?" Jane tilted her head as she stared at the whiteboard.
"Why would she do any of this?" Gabriel asked.
"Tina has what I would call an unhealthy reverence for vampires. I mean, subservient and fawning to the point that even I can't enjoy it," Ophelia said. "I don't doubt she's involved, but I doubt she came up with this on her own."
Jane's cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She checked the screen. "I've got to take this. I'll be right back."
"So we're dealing with a Renfield?" Ben suggested. When no one responded, Ben hunched his shoulders and raised his voice to a tinny whine. "Yes, oh, mysterious and powerful master of the dark, let me do your bidding while I munch on these tasty bugs!"
"Never do that again," I told him.
"Fine, but you get my point," Ben said.
"That was the least sexy thing I've ever seen you do."
He threw his hands up. "OK, I won't do it again."
"Really, really unattractive," I added, smirking.
"I've got it!"
"Now that we've established that Ben is no longer sexually attractive to Meagan," Gabriel interjected, "I think we need to focus on trying to find Tina's Dracula."
"And how do we do that?" Jamie asked.
"Well, who would be our prime suspect?"
"Dr. Hudson," Ben said. "He's been way too excited about our ‘special-ness.' Proud, like he had something to do with it."
"Also, he's the only one we can think of," I agreed.
"Well, all of the Council's resources are already devoted to looking for Dr. Hudson, so way to go, us," Dick said.
Jane reappeared at the door, a grim expression on her face. "The resources of the Council have located Dr. Hudson, or at least a seedy motel room registered in Dr. Hudson's name. The UERT is standing by; we should get there ASAP. Ray's going to fire up the helicopter. He's very excited."
"Helicopter?" Dick said. "Where's this seedy motel?"
"Cooter Holler. We're going back to the Possum's Nest Lodge." Jane sighed.
"Aw, man. Really?" Dick groaned.
"Apparently, it's on some sort of sleazy vampire Zagat guide for best places to hide out."
Dick grumbled as he slid into his jeans jacket. "Finn isn't sleazy. He's just . . . OK, he's a little sleazy. But the motel has to be a coincidence."
"I'm going with you," Ophelia said, rising to her feet. "I hired Dr. Hudson. I once made him cry over a misfiled requisition form. He's terrified of me."
"Where she goes I go," Jamie said. "There are fewer casualties that way."
"Georgie, you're in charge."
"What?" Gabriel, Ben, and I were all equally offended.
"I just want to see what happens," Jane said, shrugging.
"I'm standing right here," Gabriel said, raising his hand.
"And you didn't tell me for two weeks after you first suspected Ben and Meagan were hooking up, so clearly, your judgment is impaired."
Jane stood in front of Ben and me, gripping our arms gently. "You two stay put. Don't do anything silly or heroic. I would be seriously annoyed if I came back to find you injured or maimed."
"Understood," I said, giving a little salute.
The vampires not under house arrest poured out of the front door, toward the thumping sound of helicopter blades. A black military-issue helicopter landed on the front lawn and whisked Jane and Company away.
"That is normal," Ben said. "Just another day in the life of Ben Overby."
"Our life is weird." I sighed.
"But awesome," Ben countered, kissing me. "You have to admit, it's a little awesome."
"I admit nothing," I said, kissing him back.
"Well, this is getting gross," Georgie said with a gag. "Overby, in the parlor for ‘Halo,' now. I can't witness that sort of spectacle for too much longer without losing my lunch."
Ben wiggled his eyebrows. "Duty calls."