Page 104 of Dead Heat

“Not something I’ve ever had to think about.” For multiple reasons.

“Consider yourself lucky then. It’s a bitch of a condition. Everybody thinks it’s a lifestyle choice. No, my dude, some of us just aren’t keen on a hospital stay because we accidentally ingested breadcrumbs.”

I quickly added ‘no Celiac’ to the mental gratitude list.

“Would you like to get started or do you need to wait for Cedric?”

“I’d prefer to wait. He and I worked out a system, and it’s better if we start at the same time.” She cast a glance at the door. “He should be here any minute. He had errands to run first.”

“Does your lunch need to be refrigerated?”

“If you don’t mind.”

I took her brown bag and found a place for it on the top shelf. While we waited for Cedric, Monica made herself comfortable in the wicker chair on the porch. The chair had mysteriously appeared one day, and I still had no idea where it came from. Some mysteries weren’t worth investigating.

“You’ve got a great place here,” Monica said. “What a view of downtown.”

“You can even see the river from the balcony upstairs.”

Monica looked up. “Is that so?”

“It’s my designated thinking spot.”

“Balconies are excellent in my line of work.”

I let the comment dangle between us, unwilling to dig any deeper.

Monica cracked open a can of sparkling water and swilled it. “I heard you have ghosts that haunt the property.”

“They don’t haunt it. They live here.”

“But they’re ghosts. They don’tliveat all. They haunt.” She glanced around the yard. “Are they with us now?”

“They’re somewhere on the property.” Only because they couldn’t be anywhere else.

“Do you use your goddess mojo to make them help you around the house, like indentured servants?”

I bristled. “No. They help of their own accord. I don’t make them do anything.”

“More unpaid labor, huh? That’s impressive. You’ll have to teach me your methods. I could use free service on my Mercedes. My mechanic is pricey as hell.”

“Unless he’s a ghost, there’s nothing I can do.”

“I can make him one, if that helps.” She winked. “Cool. Cedric’s here.”

The mage passed through the gate, activating the ward. He wore a black backpack that sagged at the bottom. For a fleeting moment, I worried he brought his last job to the Castle.

“Hold up at the bank?” Monica asked.

“Not a literal one. Just some lady in front of me whose kid couldn’t decide between the purple and green lollipops. Finally, I grabbed them both and made him take the yellow one.”

“Yellow? Good gods, man. You’re cruel,” Monica said, laughing.

With that attitude, I was glad they were on my team.

Cedric stopped at the step and unzipped his backpack. “We should get started.”

I walked around the yard to gather the crew. If the mages were planting pitfalls, it seemed only right that everyone here should be aware of the details.

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