After Dark Read Online Free PDF Page B

said.
    â€œNew resort?” Mom asked.
    â€œThat’s right,” he said. “Mr. Opal is building a five-star resort, golf course and whatnot, a few miles outside of town.”
    â€œI wasn’t aware of that,” Mom said, looking concerned.
    â€œI wouldn’t worry about it,” Dutton reassured her, smiling. “We get our fair share of highfalutin folks in Rolling Hills, but there’ll always be people coming into town who are more interested in staying at a cozy inn than some showy resort.”
    â€œI hope so,” Mom said.
    â€œI know so,” Dutton said, “and if you folks are going to get this place up and running, you’ll need some sleep. Let’s hit the road, Miles.”
    â€œIt’s not safe out there, Sheriff. You’ve got to listen to me. I saw Mr. Baxter and his wife chasing —”
    â€œWhoa, whoa,” Dutton said, grabbing Miles’s elbow and leading him toward the door. “These folks don’t need to hear it. You can explain everything to me on the ride back home.”
    â€œBut —” Miles started.
    â€œGood evening, folks,” Dutton said, putting on his hat with one hand and dragging Miles out with the other. “Sorry for the bother.”
    Mom and I followed him onto the porch and watched him escort Miles down the gravel walk and over to his cruiser, which was parked behind the truck.
    â€œLock your doors!” Miles yelled before Dutton could stuff him into the backseat.
    â€œIgnore him!” Dutton called. “And welcome to Rolling Hills!”
    â€œI don’t see any reason to invite Miles back. Do you, Charlie?” Mom said, as Dutton backed out of the driveway.
    â€œI don’t know — he seemed to know a lot about antique dolls,” I said, watching the taillights disappear.
    â€œExcuse me?” she said, and that’s when a couple of headlights appeared along the road out front, then a car peeled into the driveway, kicking up a cloud of dust.
    â€œExpecting visitors?” I asked, as the car came to a stop behind Mom’s truck.
    â€œNo,” she said, sounding a little shaky. Through the dust and the dark, I heard two car doors open and then thump shut.
    â€œWho’s that?” I asked, feeling a little shaky myself.
    Two silhouettes emerged from the dust, moving toward the house.
    â€œUm …” Mom started, and then a familiar voice called out.
    â€œYo!”
    â€œIs that …” Mom said, squinting. “Is that Johnny?”
    Johnny’s my older brother. He graduated from Choke two years ago and should have gone straight to Yale. Instead, he decided to backpack around the world. At some point during his stay in Italy, he got hired as a model. While he was strutting around on catwalks, looking pretty, a TV director “discovered” him and cast him as the star of a new show called Jaysin Night, Vampyre Hunter . He plays an orphaned teenager, trained in kung fu by Chinese monks, who is searching for his long-lost father. The twist, of course, is that his father is a vampire, which is why he left him at the orphanage in the first place. Shockingly, it’s a huge hit.
    While Johnny was hugging Mom, the other person from the car walked up to me and held out her hand. She looked about my age, with red hair and green eyes. She was slim, but not slight, and was smiling at me while I stared. (I’ll admit, I might have been a little smitten.)
    â€œI’m Elizabeth,” she said.
    â€œAnd I’m pleased to meet you,” I said.
    She laughed, I laughed (I didn’t know why), and we were about to shake hands when Johnny scooped me up from behind and squeezed me into a bear hug of my own.
    â€œI’m so stoked to see you again, bro!”
    â€œI’m tapping out, Johnny,” I wheezed. “I can’t breathe.”
    â€œYou haven’t changed a bit,” he said, letting me