Page 107 of Dead Heat

“You heard Cedric. He loved your cookies.”

“Oh, I know.”

“Then why are you on the verge of tears?”

“They’d be happy tears, if I were capable of producing any. Your visitor had such kind words to say. It felt good to hear them.”

I turned to give her my full attention. “By all accounts, you were an incredible homemaker. I would’ve thought you had compliments coming out the wazoo.”

“Language, Lorelei.”

“Sorry, compliments coming out the anus.”

She gave me a sharp look before continuing. “My husband wasn’t very complimentary. There were expectations, and I either met them or I didn’t.” Her gaze dropped to the floor. “But never any expression of gratitude or praise for a job well done. That wasn’t something he was capable of.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re getting it now,” I said.

Her head bobbed. “Yes, absolutely. Better late than never.”

While the mages continued their work outside, I retreated to my bedroom to sharpen my blades for Helheim. Today had provided a nice distraction, but the impending journey was never far from my thoughts.

As I closed my weapons trunk, Phaedra called to say she and Ashley were ready to install the upgraded ward.

“Perfect timing,” I told her. I’d feel better about leaving foranother realm knowing the property was secure. Despite what I’d told Ray and Nana Pratt, I worried that The Corporation would find a way to use the ghosts as leverage against me. The more obstacles I put in their way, the less chance they had.

Once the mages were ready to leave, they took me on a tour of the property, explained the purpose of each device, and showed me how to activate them. I typed notes on my phone as we went, not trusting myself to recall each and every detail. They’d done far more work than I expected, for which I was grateful.

“They vary in intensity,” Cedric said. “You’ll want to be strategic about which weapons you utilize first.”

“Can we call them something else?” Nana Pratt asked. “Weapons make them sound so serious.”

I glanced over my shoulder at her. “Theyareserious.”

“Let’s refer to them as defensive measures.”

“Po-tay-toe. Po-tah-toe.” I turned back to Cedric. “Won’t it depend on which part of the yard they’re trying to enter?”

He shook his head. “They can be standing at the gate, and you can still activate what I added to your backyard. Totally depends on your needs. If The Corporation sends a fire monster, for example, use the devices in the moat. They’re obviously water based.”

Nana Pratt shuddered. “What does a fire monster look like?”

I shrugged. “Could be anything from a dragon to a Ninki Nanka.”

“A Ninki Nanka sounds adorable,” the elderly ghost said.

“It’s an enormous reptilian swamp monster from West Africa that can breathe fire.”

Her face fell. “Never mind.”

“This really isHome Alone,” Ray remarked. “Except I doubt The Corporation intruders will be as inept as Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.”

If only.

“Thank you for this,” I told the mages. “I know you didn’t do it out of the goodness of your hearts, so no need to remind me, but I appreciate it all the same.”

Monica packed up her tote bag on the porch. “No biggie. Like Cedric said, it was fun to flex our creative muscles. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy the artistic side of our abilities.”

“If you have trouble with any of the traps, you know where to reach me,” Cedric added. “Call any hour, and I’ll answer.”

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