Page 37 of Graveyard Dog

“Yes,” Izzy said. “Please. We should get her back as soon as possible.”

“Can’t he drive me?” Camilla asked, pointing to Michael, her fingertip resting on his cheek since he was still crouched in front of her.

He leaned away from her. “Not today, hon. It’s Friday, and I have a phobia of driving on Fridays due to a hilarious yet traumatic childhood accident involving a tractor and a pogo stick.”

“Oh,” she said, her disappointment palpable.

He watched as Izzy hid a grin, but he could see the tension in her shoulders. So many unanswered questions. So much still at stake. They all stood, and Doc began leading the nurse to the living room to wait. Suddenly, a loud, “What the fuck?” stopped them all in their tracks.

“Donny?” Eric asked as he finally took note of him. He gave him several astonished once-overs before asking, “What the hell happened to you?”

Michael glanced from one close friend to the other, seeing nothing unusual. “I don’t get it,” he said, really not getting it. Donny looked just like Donovan always looked. Though he did seem to have that glow new love invoked. He and the doc had only recently hooked up.

“You—you have no expiration date,” Eric continued. “Where did it go?”

Donovan patted his jeans pockets and then the ones on his jacket. “I must’ve left it in my other pants.”

Eric could see the last few seconds of someone’s death. He called it their expiration date. But why Donovan’s would change had Michael flummoxed. He knew that Sia was something otherworldly, according to the little hellion known as Elwyn Loehr. Had she done something to him? He wouldn’t be the first human Michael knew who’d gained some kind of preternatural ability.

“And her,” Eric said as though appalled, pointing at Emma, who lay sleeping through everything. “She’s already dead.”

Izzy gasped so loud that Michael worried her lungs would explode. She lunged forward, rushing to Emma’s side.

“Eric,” Michael said, his tone anything but gentle.

“No, she died. Like a really long time ago.”

Michael welded his teeth together and said through them, “That’s her walk-in.”

“She takes walk-ins?”

“’Parently. Could you ixnay with the freaking her mother out?”

“Sorry,” Eric said to Izzy. “She’s fine. Everything is fine. She’s not dead. See?” He pointed to the fact that her chest was rising and falling.

Halle reached up and smacked him on the back of the head. A little softer than Michael would have, but they would get along just fine. When Eric gaped at her, she giggled, and he wrapped her in his arms. “We should order food,” Eric said.

Donovan chuckled. “Do you ever think of anything else?”

“Your mama,” he replied.

“I got it.” Michael took out his phone as he strolled out of the bedroom. “What do we want?”

They all exited the room, mumbling about what they were hungry for, and split into two groups. One headed to the kitchen, and the other to the living room that accommodated all of four people. Thankfully, the other agents had packed up and gone home. Only Carson and her twelve-year-old partner remained.

“The ambulance is here,” the doctor said. “I’ll take her out.”

“I’ll help.” Donovan followed the two women out the door as the doc did her best to keep the back of the girl’s gown closed. Poor kid. Izzy had said there were repercussions, but he’d had no idea.

When the nurse turned back and blew him a kiss, he just stood there, unsure how to respond.

Izzy laughed and sat at the kitchen table just as she got a text.

Michael sat beside her, scrolling through his phone as he searched for something they would all agree on for food.

Izzy’s phone vibrated two more times.

“Mind telling me what that was about?” Carson said as she sat down.

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