Page 33 of Real Fake Hauntings

“Wait until you see the doll with the growing hair and the human heart with an ear.”

“I see why they don’t allow food in here.” She covered her mouth with mock shock. “Uh-oh, my pizza is coming back. I think it wants to walk back into the oven.”

Loud laughter erupted from behind us, so we moved into the next room. Unfortunately, there were still visitors milling around, so I couldn’t test more than a couple of walls without calling attention on myself. Nothing screamed magic, and nothing had been changed since my previous visit.

The Modern Cabinet of Curiosities’ role in the pentagram scheme remained a mystery.

A mystery I would solve, no matter what.

ELEVEN

Dru went home while I made a detour by Bosko’s shop on the way back. The place was full of people and he’d moved to the front of the shop while his daughter took care of the register. Too many handsy people on nights like these, he explained, glowering at me like I was a shoplifter in the making.

Then he asked if I’d caught whoever had sullied his family’s shop, staring me down like I was the worst detective in the world, and I decided against antagonizing him by asking about his alibi. I promised him the culprit was all but caught and moved on.

Ah, if only wishes were culprits found and apprehended.

Once home, I showered and got comfy in my bed. After sending Sonia an update email on my investigation and noticing she still hadn’t answered my question about supernaturals working at the Cabinet, I laid back against the pillows and reread my list of suspects.

I had to be honest—none of them were likely to have drawn the pentagrams. High chance it had been a newcomer.

My mouth drooped, and I rubbed my breastbone. I wished Ian was here so I could brainstorm with him.

My phone rang in my hands.

Ian.

As if he had read my mind all the way from his house. As if we shared a link stronger than mutual attraction. Something like…soul mates.

No. Not like mates! You couldn’t jump to mates without going through love, I chided my silly brain.

“Ian?” I said into the phone, searching for the reassurance of hearing his voice. Mates might be a scary-serious concept, but talking to Ian wasn’t. And that would have to do for now. “I was just thinking about you.”

“That sounds scary,” he said dryly. “Did you get into another mess?”

“Nope. It’s the power of manifesting.”

My words made me feel much better. Yes, that was it. I had put wanting to talk to Ian into the world, and the universe had chosen to grant my wish. Nothing mate-y about it. Not even the Aussie kind.

“Any updates on the pentagrams?” he asked.

“I went to the Cabinet of Curiosities.” I updated him on my talk with Laurence and Sarah and finding nothing magically suspicious inside.

“Sounds like you were busy.”

“I didn’t make any breakthrough, though.”

“Remember what I told you about being a bounty hunter?”

“Sitting and waiting outside a motel?”

“Exactly.”

I laughed. “Okay. I’ll sit and wait. Maybe they’ll try tonight and get caught.”

“It’s a strong possibility.”

It would suck if whoever had done the pentagrams did it again without me being able to stop them, but catching wrongdoers was a team effort, and as long as they were taken off Olmeda’s streets in the end, I’d be happy.

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