Abigail groaned inwardly. Didn’t Madison realize it was necessary to keep a supply on hand in case their mother needed a transfusion?
“It’s probably for me,” Belinda muttered.
“Does your blood come in bottles?” Madison asked. “And arrive in the kitchen?”
Abigail shot Debra a questioning look, and the nurse shook her head.
“Did you see these bottles of blood?” she asked Madison. “Where did they come from? Were they the same blood type as our mother’s?”
“I don’t know.” Madison gave them all an indignant look. “It doesn’t matter. It’s obvious those bottles are for the vampires who are coming tonight. If you don’t believe me, then come with me and I’ll prove it to you.”
Abigail sighed. Of all the silly things . . .
“Go on,” Belinda nudged at her. “I want to hear all about it.”
Abigail noted the twinkle in her mother’s eyes. She was enjoying Madison’s latest drama. “Very well. I shall investigate the matter and report back to you.”
Belinda clapped her hands together. “Excellent.”
“Come on!” Madison grabbed her dog bag, and Dolly yipped. “The vampires will be arriving any minute now.”
Abigail waved bye to Nurse Debra and her mom, then joined her sister in the East Sitting Hall. A second Secret Service agent was standing nearby—Josh, the poor guy who was assigned to Madison. She smiled at him, and he nodded ever so slightly, his face expressionless. She’d managed to make him crack a smile once by telling him if anyone ever tried to kidnap Madison, they’d give her back in ten minutes.
Madison looked her over, frowning. “Jeans and a T-shirt? And why do you always wear that ugly coat? It has no style whatsoever.”
“It’s a lab coat. I came straight from work.”
Madison sighed. “I wish there was time for you to change. First impressions are important, you know. But no matter, we need to hurry.” She strode down the hall, her high heels silent on the thick carpet.
Abigail walked beside her, and Josh followed discreetly at a distance. “So you wore that dress for the vampires?” she asked.
“Of course.” Madison marched across the Center Hall and into the Yellow Oval Room. “I want to look my best. Everyone knows vampires are extremely attractive.”
“I thought they were kind of pale and . . . dead.”
“Undead,” Madison corrected her. “And yes, they’re a bit pale, but in a sparkly sort of way. I thought they would like this sparkly dress. And Dolly’s rhinestone bag. It’s important to make them feel comfortable, you know.”
Abigail shrugged. “You’re the expert.” Her sister had always loved sparkly things, so much so that the Secret Service used Sparkle for her code name.
Madison slanted an annoyed look in her direction. “I know you don’t believe me, but you’ll see I’m right.” She opened a French door that led onto the Truman balcony of the South Portico. “This way.”
“But what about the meeting?” Abigail stepped outside into the cool night air. “Shouldn’t we go to the West Wing?”
“Yes, but we’ll see them here first.” Madison set the dog bag down, then strode to the edge of the upper balcony that overlooked the south entrance of the White House.
Josh stationed himself by the door and murmured their location into the communication device on his wrist.
Abigail rested her hands on the wrought-iron railing and peered down at the circular drive two floors below. “There’s no one here.”
Madison huffed. “Do you expect them to pull up in a car? They’re vampires! They’ll fly in. I expect they’ll want to land right here on the balcony.” She scanned the night sky. “Do you see them? They’ll probably be in bat form.”
Abigail crossed her arms and leaned against a thick white column. She could hear horns blaring and the hum of traffic in the distance, but here, they were in a small green oasis of quiet. The grounds were well lit and colorful with spring blossoms. She really ought to enjoy the gardens before the heat of summer invaded. Take time to smell the roses. But she could always feel the clock ticking, warning her she was in a race against time to save her mother.
She sighed. “You do realize it’s physically impossible for a full-grown man to shrink his mass down to the size of a bat?”
Madison gasped and pointed. “Is that one?”
“Looks like a crow.”
“Oh.” Madison pressed a finger to her mouth as she considered. “The meeting’s going to start soon. I wonder what’s taking them so long.”