DOMINOES 2 V IS FOR VAMPIRE PK

OX.FORD

ffi Series Editors: Bill Bowler and Sue Parminter

V is for Vampire Lesley Thompson

lllustrated by Matteo Pincelli

Lesley Thompson was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the North of England, but she moved to Spain some years ago, and now lives near Alicante. She loves reading, the cinema, music, laughing with her friends, and looking at the sea. She also enjoys walking in the countryside in England and Spain, and one day she hopes to walk the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. Lesley has also written Lisob Song, Deep Trouble, The Reol McCoy and Other Ghost Stories, and Zombie Attack! and has adapted Twenty Thousand Leogues under the Sea and The Secret Agent in the Dominoes series.

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'He's great, Vera,' said Angie.

Viktor Sarav takes a job at Ballantine's, Angie and her brother Don - the young owners of the New York fashion company - are pleased. But soon there are strange deaths in the company. ls there a vampire at work at Ballantine's? Vera Donato, a company director with secrets to hide, is against Viktor. But Ed Valdemar, the company lawye¡ trusts him. Who is right? When

lllustrated by Matteo Pincelli Th¡s book is supported by a Mult¡ROM, contain¡ng a complete dramat¡zed aud¡o recording of the story plus interact¡ve activities.

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'@'m"@"@ E rO Valdemar, an old lawYer' E George and Anne Ballantine, past owners of Ballantine's E Rngie Ballantine, George and Anne's daughter. E Don Ballantine, Angie's brother'

b c

d

family' e EVera Donato, a friend of the Ballantine f EViktor Sarav, a new worker at Ballantine'S.

I E wtytene Lavine, a young woman L]

h

from Canada'

designer. Sasha Demidov, a Russian fashion

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from Bulgaria to work at Ballantine's'

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to his sister's house' and herfriend

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partner someone who owns a business with other people

than her, r;;rl tlext to her. He was worried, and he was watching his sister lawyer someone who .'; r"cf.ully. Vera Donato - a woman of forty-five with dark hair works to help people with ;urrl ¿r strong, confident face - sat on Valdemar's left. the law "l'his is a difficult day for all of lrs,'Valdemar began in his will the paper that says which t lt'(:p voice. 'Don and Angie have lost their mother and father people you want in ¿t terrible accident. Vera has lost her friends and business to have your money when ¡r:trtners. As an old friend also, and the Ballantine family's you die l:lwyer for many years, I want to make this as easy as possible lirr ¿rll of you. So let's begin. You are here to lislcn to the reading of George and A n nc Ballantine's will.'

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r¡ttict woman of twenty-five, sat across the table from him. She lr¿rtl a beautiful face, but just then she was tired, and her eyes

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The old lawyer was silent for a minultr.'l'ltt'rt ltc lrt'liirrr lo t't'¡ttl aloud from the papers in front of hirrt. llis voit't', rrl lir:;l t¡trit'l and shaking, became louder and sl,rottgtrr. Arrliir' [rt'liittt lo t ty softly while she listened to Valdemar rtr¿ttliug lllt'tt,orrls will. Don held her hand. Vera listenctl ¡iit(llv, ittt(l hrol't'tl

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a business lhat makes and sells clothes

large photograph on the wall of Anrrt: irtttl (icor lf irr lr;r¡r¡rit'r' days. Ceorge - a tall man with brown h¿rir Ir¡rtl llis ¡u rtt rot¡rrtl

board of directors

his wife, and they were smiling. a

group of people

who look after a business

The reading of the will dicl nol lirltt: lorrg.'l'lrt'll¡rll¡rrrlirrt's often talked to their childrcn antl Vcrit i¡lxrttl lltcir'¡rlirrrs lirr' the future, so there were no big strr¡trist's.'l'ltt'v tt,t't't'lt'itvirtl'. everything to Angie and l)on. 'l'llt:rc wtrt' ltottst':t irr tlil'li'rtrrl countries, expensive cars alt(l l)i(:tttr(:s, ¡ttttl ¡t lol ol'tttoltt'v. Most importantly, Ballantinc's I ltt' lirntotrs Ncn' \i rlk li¡slrir¡¡r house - was now in the yourrg pcol)l("s llirtltls. 'Now you know that Vera is irlrt'i¡tlv ott llrt'lro¡rrrl ol' directors,' Valdemar went on. "l'his tlocsrr'l t'ltirrrlit'. 'l'lrc llrlr't' of you will now worh togethcr tts pitrltttrrs. ll' lrrtvlltittli lrir¡r¡rt'rrs to Don and Angic, thc busincss will g,o lo Vt't ¡t. (it'ot 1it' and Anne wanted things this wuy. Antl il's rnv iob to do what they wanted. Arc lllcrt' any questions? lf not, let's finish here. I think that all of us need a rest now.'

Without another word, Valdemar put the papers into his bag and stood up. While he and the others were slowly leaving the room, he thought for the hundredth time about the strange accident that killed his friends. Was it only a month ago? George and Anne were flying to Boston in their small plane. George was the pilot. They were flying over open country when things went terribly wrong, and the plane suddenly fell to the ground and crashed. The police said that something was caught in the plane's engines, but it was difficult to see exactly what it was. Large numbers of birds - or bats - were not usual in that place, and nobody could explain it' George and Anne often flew to Boston, and they knew the journey well. It was dark, but the weather was fine. So whY ,,;:, exactly did they crash? Valdemar shook his head. Was it iust ..:::

bad luck?

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Later that day,Angie ancl l)on nr(:l Vt'r'¡r in lrt'r'ol'l'it't'lo l¿rll< about the future of Ballantino's. Arrgit'wirlkt'tl lt¡oll'it'tlly i¡t'ouncl the room, a coffee cup in her h¿rntl. 'Oh, what are we going to clo? You rnrrsl lrt'l¡) lrsi, Vt'r'ir,'s¿ricl Angie. 'Don and I are new tcl thc l-rusint'ss, iurtl rn,t'lr¡¡v('ir lol lo learn. Mom and Dad worked all thcir'livt's; lo nr¡¡kt' li;rll¡¡nlint"si into a famous fashion house. I tkrtt'l wiurl lo losc il ¡rll n()w. 'That won't happen,' said Vcr¿r (:onl'itlt'rrllv. 'l \(/( )r'kt'tl lliu'rl

for your father and mother, ¿tnd I'll worl,. lr¡¡r'tl lor'you, loo. Ballantine's is strong and itc¿tn

['lc sl rr)nl{('r'.

I'rrr ¡rlr'('¡r(lt, llrinlrirrg

about our next big fashion show irr Milir¡r. I'rrr llrirrl..irrli :rlrorrl

fashion show people can see the newest clothes at this

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that people have in their head of

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idea

something that you think

fashion

clothes

that are new and interesting for many people

wonderful suits, little dresscs, big Ir¿rls, iurrl 11rt'rrl lr;rlir; ¡ultl shoes. I see unusual colours ftlr li¿rll¿urlin(.'s llris ¡iunun('r, lr i1llrl red, dark grey - and black! I c¿tn tic(r il rrow! Il's lloirrli lo lrt' lllr: biggest and best fashion show of'¿rll tinr('!' 'Mmm, that sounds exciting, Vclr¿r. llul l¡on, ('\¡rt'|11, ¡n'(' wo going to do it?'asked Don.'lltrll¿rnlin(:'s w¡rsn'l rloirrli :i() wr:ll when Mom and Dad died. It w¿rs st,¿rrlirrg lo lr)s(' ,.i( )nr(' ol' ilr; lrt'st, people. I know that my mother ¿tnrl lirlllt'r'w('r'('l¡rll'irr11 ¡¡lrout changing some things. What can you lt:ll us ¡rlroul ¡¡ll llr¡rl,' 'I know about it, of course,' answrlrrrrl Vt'r-¡r. "l'lrirrllr; vr/('r't'n'l going too well, and we've lost a l'cw ll(xxl ¡rt'o¡rlt'in llrt'!¡rsl months. Maybe our image has bccolttc: lrorilrll ()\/('r' lllc l¡rsl li'w years. You can't rest in this business. Wtr n('('(l nt'\,r, li¡t't'r; ¡tntl new ideas around the place. We must looli lirr'¡rt'o¡rlt' lo lrirrg new life to the business. New blood.'l'll(:r'(: iu'('lrurrrlrt'tls ol' bright young people in New York who wor.rltl rt'irlly lil..t' lo worlt for Ballantine's so I'm not worried. We iust llirvt'lo l'inrl llrt'rrr,' Vera spoke confidently, and her words gavc Arrgit' r rt'w

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brother was not so sure. 'Maybe you're right,' said Don. 'You know irll llrt' irrr¡xu'l¡rrrl people in the world of fashion. But I h¿rvc: l'l'irrntls irr llrrr business, too.

If you don't mind, I'm going to st¿rrt riglrl now

and make a few phone calls.'Don looked lovingly

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lris sisltrr.

'Take

it

easy, Angie, and stop

worrying! I'll see you later. OI(?' Without another word to Vera, Don hurried out of the room. Vera lool