Page 36 of Amber Gambler

Though Josie kept her own schedule for the most part, her garden her main contribution to the family, it was all hands on deck when every slot on my spreadsheet was filled to bursting. Today was one of those days where we would be lucky to get pee breaks, let alone lunch hours.

Poor Matty would be swamped for the next two days as well. Times like these, I considered hiring more help, but the Suarezes acted insulted if I even hinted at it, like I was implying they couldn’t do their jobs. As if. They were all ace mechanics.

Alone with my roomie, I got dressed for my shift. “You got out of my apartment last night.”

Busy grooming her feathers, Badb pretended not to have heard me.

Since punishment wasn’t getting me anywhere, I tried bribery. “Do you want to come with me?”

Faster than I could register her decision, she perched on my shoulder, her cheek against mine.

“Good girl.” I stroked down her spine. “I’m ordering in breakfast.” I couldn’t remember eating yesterday, and there was a place nearby using fluffy pancakes as the bread in their breakfast sandwiches. “We’ll eat in the office.”

Happy with that, she allowed her human servant to carry her down the stairs.

“Have you found anything?”

The voice dragged my head out of a mountain of paperwork to a blue smudge in my doorway.

“Mr. Collins?” I checked my window, bright with the colors of sunset. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve looked everywhere.” He kept to the shadows in the room. “I can’t find her.”

“I understand you’re distraught.” I jumped up, darted to the window, and closed the blinds. “But who will champion her if you get yourself vaporized? It’s too early for you to be out and about.”

Curiosity had prompted me to check where he was buried. For him to be so mobile, I knew it had to be close. Turns out he was interred at nearby Greenwich Cemetery.

“I heard what happened to you.” He wrung his hands. “I had to know if it was her.”

The news would have made the rounds by now, with the culvert being only a mile from Bonaventure.

“I can’t be certain.” I wished I had better news for him. “I hope to confirm the spirit’s identity tonight.”

“How?” He sank into the chair across from my desk. “Will it hurt her?”

“Mr. Collins.” I bit down on a few impolite words, knowing spirits didn’t hold the same human values on life and death, before settling on fair ones. “The spirit almost killed me. She would have killed a human.”

Sweeping his gaze over me, he found no sign of my trauma thanks to Aretha. “You survived.”

“I had help.” I held up a hand to stave off more protests. “She can’t be allowed to continue on.”

“But if it is Audrey?—”

“You’re welcome to join me when I return to the culvert.” I forced a smile. “Then you can be certain.”

“When do we leave?” He rose in a flash. “Can we go now?”

“We’re not going anywhere without a plan, supplies, and backup to make sure this spirit doesn’t finish what it started.” I read defeat in the slump of his shoulders and made a counteroffer. “Can you come back in a few hours?”

Quick to counter my counter, he asked, “Can I wait here?”

“Sure.” I rubbed my eyes, accepting he was too worked up for me to get rid of. “Let me go make some calls.”

I made it one step outside my office before bumping into Paco, who gripped my shoulders to steady me.

“Everything okay,jefa?” He released me, leaving black fingerprints. “You were talking to yourself.”

“To a client. Myonlyclient.” A depressing reminder I stuffed away. “He’s here to check on my progress.”

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