sixteen years. I watched their kids grow up. He would never hurt me."
She started to rise even as she said the words, but barely got her chin above counter
level before Victor grabbed her arm and dragged her back down. She'd seen enough,
however. Eyes wide with shock, she breathed, "It is Mike."
Elvi could hardly believe what she'd seen. Mike Knight, her friend and neighbor, had
been standing a good twenty feet from the booth, legs spread in a shooter's stance
and a crossbow in hand that he'd been reloading.
"Mike?" Victor shook his head with confusion. "That makes no sense. I read him after
the fire in the shed. He didn't set it."
Elvi didn't comment, her mind was still grappling with the fact that her neighbor, Mike,
whom she'd known and been friends with for years, was trying to kill her. Thinking of
friends reminded her of Mabel, and Elvi glanced toward the back of the booth to see
that the blonde and three donors had flattened themselves on the ground, though
Mabel was now crawling over to join them.
"Hi," she said as she reached them. "What are we doing?"
"Hiding," Elvi answered.
"Devising a plan," DJ corrected with a scowl, then raised an eyebrow at Victor. "Any
ideas?"
Victor shrugged. "We could jump over the counter from opposite ends and rush him
from different sides. He can only hit one of us."
"What?" Elvi asked with dismay. "That's not a plan, that's madness! You—"
"Er… Elvi?" Mike's voice called tentatively from the other side of the counter. "Do you
think you could stand up? This will only take a minute."
Elvi turned wide eyes to Mabel. "Is he serious?"
"He's lost his mind," Mabel announced with a sad shake of the head.
Victor ignored them and suddenly stood up.
Elvi grabbed at his hand with alarm, trying to pull him down as she hissed, "Victor! Get
back down here."
He just shook her hand away, and turned, apparently, to face Mike. "What's this all
about Knight? Why are you trying to kill Elvi?"
"Er… well, it's kind of between Elvi and us if you don't mind, Victor," Mike said politely.
"I'm afraid anything involving Elvi involves me now, Mike," Victor answered equally
politely.
Scowling, Elvi stood up beside him. If he was brave enough to do it, she could too… or
so she thought. The moment he noticed she was getting to her feet, Victor stepped in
front of her, a protective wall. When Elvi tried to step to the side, it was only to find DJ
on his feet beside her, blocking the way.
"Don't even think about it," Mabel muttered, standing on her other side so that she
was protected from every angle but the back of the booth.
Making a face, Elvi gave up trying to step out in the open and simply craned her neck
to see around Victor's arm. Mike and Karen stood on the other side. Mike held the
crossbow cocked at waist level and Karen stood at his side, expression grim.
"Was it Karen who set the shed on fire?" Victor asked when the silence drew out.
Mike grimaced and tossed his wife a heavy look, but admitted, "Yes. She did it behind
my back. She knew I wouldn't approve. The fire could have easily spread to the
neighbor's house, or ours. I didn't realize she'd done it until she told me after you guys
went off in search of the Kissing Booth tonight."
"And the arrow at the furniture store?" Victor asked. "You or her?"
"Me," he admitted. "That was an accident, though. I was heading out to get some
practice when Bob, the owner of the archery club, yelled at me that Karen was on the
phone. I swung back and somehow released the arrow as I turned." He shrugged.
"Sorry about that. I didn't even realize there was anyone over there until I saw you and
Elvi appear at the edge of the trees, and by then I was inside on the phone. I saw you
through the window. You were gone by the time I got off and went over to make sure
no one was hurt. But that's where Karen got the idea of how to kill you. She figured an
arrow was as good as a stake."
"So you shot Elvi in the sunroom."
Mike nodded. "Or tried to. I was sure I got her too, but obviously I missed the heart. I
won't miss at this distance, though, Elvi," he assured her, meeting her gaze with a
solemn expression. "It will be quick, I promise."
"Michael Knight have you lost your mind?" Mabel shouted suddenly. "What does it
being fast or slow have to do with anything? She doesn't want to die."
He looked startled by this news. "But you told Karen she was miserable as a vampire
and wished she'd just died in that car accident rather than become a vampire."