Page 105 of Dead Heat

I returned to the front yard with the ghosts and Max. I spotted Claude working beside Monica inside the gate, digging a hole in the ground with a spade.

“What’s with the marbles?” Ray asked.

I squinted to see Monica dropping a black marble into the hole and then filling it in with dirt. “They’re enchanted.”

“Are they like landmines?” Ray asked. “Because Claude will have to be careful not to lose a finger.”

“If Claude loses a finger, he can just reattach it,” I said. “Sort of like the rest of his body parts.”

“What about you?” Nana Pratt asked. “It doesn’t seem safe for anyone living.”

“The marbles aren’t landmines.” At least I didn’t think so. Now I felt compelled to verify.

I ambled across the bridge to Monica. “The ghosts are concerned that the marbles will blow up whoever steps over them.”

“Oh, no. This row will just blow them back through the gate. That’s why I’m placing them strategically.”

“How does the marble know who’s safe and who isn’t?”

“You’re the only one who can activate them,” she explained. “They won’t bother the mail carrier or the voter registration volunteers.”

“What if you’re not home?” Nana Pratt asked. “Shouldn’t we be able to activate them in your absence?”

I wasn’t positive I trusted the elderly ghost to make such heavy decisions. Knowing her, she’d send Gun flying because he wore high heel boots.

“If I’m not home, then the worst anyone can do is burn down my house. As long as I’m not in it, I’ll consider it a win.”

“What if they lie in wait for you?” Ray proposed.

“Then you can warn me at the gate.”

Nana Pratt sniffed. “You always want to be in charge.”

“I would rather not saddle you with the weight of a life-or-death decision, that’s true. What if you’re mistaken and you hurt an innocent person? Would you be able to handle the consequences of your actions?”

The elderly ghost nibbled at her lip. “I don’t think I would make a mistake.”

“You were wrong about Gun and Cam,” I reminded her. “You changed your tune about Aite too. You would’ve blown her to smithereens before you ever got the chance to bake cookies with her.”

Nana Pratt peeked at Ray. “What about you?”

“I don’t want the responsibility. There are too many unknown variables and, as Lorelei said, I’m unprepared to deal with the fallout.” His brow furrowed. “Although I don’t like putting all this on your shoulders either. It seems unfair to ask you to bear the brunt of it.”

“If it weren’t for me, there’d be no brunt to bear,” I replied. “I’m the reason The Corporation is a threat to all of us.”

Cedric whistled and waved me over to the moat.

“Are you going to rig the water?”

“Of course. It’s one of your best defenses. We’d be fools not to utilize it.”

“But I’ll still be able to float when the weather warms up, right? I have an inflatable swan.”

“It’s a moat, not a swimming pool.”

“I know, but there’s no reason it can’t serve two purposes.”

“You should consider alligators,” Cedric said. “Monica can enchant those, too, so they only hurt designated targets.”

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