All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #7)(11)
Author: Charlaine Harris

"Well, yeah," she admitted. "But when I moved out, he wanted to give me an allowance…at my age! I knew I had to make it on my own. Between the rent, and the money I picked up doing fortunes, and magic jobs I got on my own, I’ve been making a living." She threw up her head proudly.

Amelia didn’t seem to realize the rent was income from a gift of her father’s, not something she’d actually earned. Amelia was truly pleased as punch with her own self-sufficiency. My new friend, whom I’d acquired almost by accident, was a bundle of contradictions. Since she was a very clear broadcaster, I got her thoughts loud and clear. When I was alone with Amelia, I had to shield like crazy. I’d relaxed with Quinn around, but I shouldn’t have. I was getting a whole mess from Amelia’s head.

"So, could your dad help you find your mentor?" Quinn asked.

Amelia looked blank for a moment, as if she was considering that. "I don’t see how," she said slowly. "He’s a powerful guy; you know that. But he’s having as much trouble in New Orleans since Katrina as the rest of the people are."

Except he had a lot more money and he could go somewhere else, returning when he pleased, which most of the inhabitants of the city could not. I closed my mouth to keep this observation to myself. Time to change the topic.

"Amelia," I said. "How well did you know Bob, anyway? Who’s looking for him?"

She looked a little frightened, not Amelia’s normal thing. "I’m wondering, too," she said. "I just knew Bob to speak to, before that night. But I do know that Bob had – has – great friends in the magic community. I don’t think any of them know we got together. That night, the night before the queen’s ball when the shit hit the fan between the Arkansas vamps and our vamps, Bob and I went back to my place after we’d left Terry and Patsy at the pizza place. Bob called in sick to work the next day, since we had celebrated so hard, and then he spent that day with me."

"So it’s possible Bob’s family has been looking for him for months? Wondering if he’s dead or alive?"

"Hey, chill. I’m not that awful. Bob was raised by his aunt, but they don’t get along at all. He hasn’t had much contact with her for years. I’m sure he does have friends that are worrying, and I’m really, really sorry about that. But even if they knew what had happened, that wouldn’t help Bob, right? And since Katrina, everyone in New Orleans has a lot to worry about."

At this interesting point in the discussion, the phone rang. I was closest, so I picked it up. My brother’s voice was almost electric with excitement.

"Sookie, you need to come out to Hotshot in about an hour."

"Why?"

"Me and Crystal are getting married. Surprise!"

While this was not a total shock (Jason had been "dating" Crystal Norris for several months), the suddenness of the ceremony made me anxious.

"Is Crystal pregnant again?" I asked suspiciously. She’d miscarried a baby of Jason’s not long ago.

"Yes!" Jason said, like that was the best news he could possibly impart. "And this time, we’ll be married when the baby comes."

Jason was ignoring reality, as he was increasingly willing to do. The reality was that Crystal had been pregnant at least once before she was pregnant by Jason, and she had lost that child, too. The community at Hotshot was a victim of its own inbreeding.

"Okay, I’ll be there," I said. "Can Amelia and Quinn come, too?"

"Sure," Jason said. "Crystal and me’ll be proud to have them."

"Is there anything I can bring?"

"No, Calvin and them are getting ready to cook. It’s all going to be outside. We got lights strung up. I think they’ll have a big pot of jambalaya, some dirty rice, and coleslaw, and me and my buddies are bringing the alcohol. Just come looking pretty! See you at Hotshot in an hour. Don’t be late."

I hung up and sat there for a minute, my hand still clutching the cordless phone. That was just like Jason: come in an hour to a ceremony planned at the last minute for the worst possible reason, and don’t be late! At least he hadn’t asked me to bring a cake.

"Sookie, you okay?" Quinn asked.

"My brother Jason’s getting married tonight," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "We’re invited to the wedding, and we need to be there in an hour." I’d always figured Jason wouldn’t marry a woman I truly adored; he’d always shown a partiality to tough sluts. And that was Crystal, sure enough. Crystal was also a werepanther, a member of a community that guarded its own secrets jealously. In fact, my brother was now a werepanther himself because he’d been bitten over and over by a rival for Crystal’s attentions.

Jason was older than I, and God knows, he’d had his share of women. I had to assume he knew when one suited him.

I emerged from my thoughts to find that Amelia was looking startled and excited. She loved to go out and party, and the chances for that around Bon Temps were limited. Quinn, who’d met Jason when he was visiting me, looked at me with a skeptical raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know," I said. "It’s crazy and dumb. But Crystal’s pregnant again, and there’s no stopping him. Do you two want to come along with me? You don’t have to. I’m afraid I’ve got to get ready right now."

Amelia said, "Oh, goody, I can wear my new outfit," and sped upstairs to tear the tags off.

Quinn said, "Babe, do you want me to come?"

"Yes, please," I said. He came over to me and wrapped his heavy arms around me. I felt comforted, even though I knew Quinn was thinking what a fool Jason was.

I pretty much agreed with him.

Chapter 4

IT WAS STILL WARM AT NIGHT, BUT NOT OPPRESSIVELY so, not this late in September. I wore a sleeveless white dress with red flowers on it, one I’d worn before when I had a date with Bill (whom I wouldn’t think about). Out of sheer vanity, I put on my high-heeled red sandals, though they were hardly practical footwear for a wedding on a roughly paved road. I put on some makeup while Quinn was showering, and I wasn’t displeased with my reflection. There’s nothing like great sex to give you a glow. I came out of my room and glanced at the clock. We needed to leave pretty quickly.

Amelia was wearing a short-sleeved dress, beige with a tiny navy pattern. Amelia loved to buy clothes and considered herself a snappy dresser, but her taste was strictly suburban young matron. She wore little navy sandals with flowers on the straps, much more appropriate than my heels.

Just when I was beginning to worry, Quinn came out of my room wearing a brown silk dress shirt and khakis.

"What about a tie?" he asked. "I’ve got some in my bag."