Page 11 of The Grave Robber

“That was such a bad trip.”

“—was apparently sent to spy on me.” I turned my bestaccusing glare on her. “Isn’t that right, Aunt Lillian?”

The woman turned and raised a hand to summon a server,forgetting she couldn’t.

I leaned closer. “Good luck with that.”

“Are you making fun of me?” Halle asked.

“What? Not at all. My boss’s aunt is sitting right here.”

Halle raised her chin and curled her fingers around herbook, readying to leave.

This had worked so much better than I’d thought it would.“So, you’re being haunted but don’t believe in ghosts?”

“You’re intimidating her, Constantine,” Aunt Lil chided.

“No, I do,” Halle said. “I also know when I’ve become thebutt of a joke.” The pain that flickered across her face was almost my undoing.“Whatever my father is paying you—”

“That’s not what this is…” Her words sank in, and I glancedup in surprise. “He’s paying me?”

She smiled and said softly, “Not anymore.”

Jason didn’t mention anything about money. He probablyplanned to keep it for himself. The bastard.

“Besides,” Halle continued, her tone resigned, “some peopledeserve to be haunted.”

What did that mean? “What does that mean?” I asked hershapely backside as she strutted away, her powder blue sundress flowing likewater down the backs of her legs.

Aunt Lil tsked me again, her disappointment evident in herglower. “That could’ve gone better.”

“Actually, it went exactly as planned.” But why did I feellike such a jerk? “Wait, did Charley really send you?”

She winced and looked around. “Where’s a barmaid when youneed one?”

A barmaid. I scoffed until the wordbarremindedme. I jumped to my feet and scanned the area. “Fuck. Where’d the kid go?”

“What kid?” Aunt Lil asked.

I spotted Jason and rushed over to him, almost taking outtwo of his customers in the process.

“How’d it go?” he asked, that shit-eating grin right whereI’d left it.

“Where’s the kid?”

He was filling a beer glass from the tap. “What kid?”

“The one with the denim jacket.” I gestured toward the emptybarstool then scanned the area again.

“Oh, he ordered a ride.” He set the glass in front of ascruffy biker wearing a pink bandana, shoved a hand into his pocket, and pulledout a set of keys, dangling them in front of me like a kid playing keep-away.“He won’t be driving anywhere today.”

I spun back to thetable. The clean table that a group of college kids had already taken. Theredhead was walking away with a tray full of napkins, empty bottles, and acoffee mug.

“Wait!” I hurried over to her, searched the tray for mynapkin, and bolted back to Jason, cringing about the fact that I had to ignorethe blinding smile the redhead flashed me.

Another time. Definitely another time.

I showed the napkin to Jason. “Where is this?”

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