Page 51 of Upside Down Magic

“I’mnot,”Isaid, straightening and looking at him in the eye.Ifthis had nothing to do with someone being sick, then maybe there was something else going on that could lead to it.Coincidenceswere for people who didn’t read enough mystery books. “Whydid you call me, then?”

Hegestured toward me with his rag. “Thatthing you’re doing.”

“Whichthing?”

“TheChristmasthing.”

Fora moment,Ientertained the fantasy of jumping over the counter and stranglingWyattwith his rag.Ididn’t thinkIanwould interfere. “Didyou call me and tell me it’s an emergency because of myChristmasevent?”Myvoice got higher and higher untilIwas pretty sure the people over atCrawleron the other side ofGuilesandRomaryhad heard me.

“There’saChristmasevent?” someone asked from the booths.

“Youshut your mouth,Jack.Thisis private business,”Wyattsnapped, then turned to me. “Yeah.TheChristmasthing.Iwant in.”

Deepbreaths,Hope.Justbecause other people didn’t share my concept of urgency, it didn’t mean it wasn’t an urgent matter in their world.

Plus,Grandmawould not have approved of murder.

Probably.

“Ican’t put you in theChristmasevent,Wyatt.It’sfamily friendly.”

Theoutrage on his face warmed my heart. “We’refamily friendly here!”

“That’sright,” another customer shouted. “We’reall a big family here!”Thenproceeded to ruin the sentiment with a loud guffaw.

“Ifminors can’t enter,”ItoldWyatt, “then it’s not family friendly.”

Wyattnarrowed his eyes. “Minorscan enter.Theyjust can’t order alcohol.”

Thethought of a happy ten-year-old skipping into this dark dump of a bar to get a sticker fromWyattmade me shudder. “Nope, sorry.”

“Whatabout you do two of those card things.Onefor kids, one for adults.”Hebeamed as much as his perennially grumpy face would allow, clearly pleased with himself.

“Whydon’t you organize aChristmasthing for adults among the bars?”Icountered.

“Bah.Whocares about those people.”

“Whatabout theCrawler?Maybeyou could?—”

Hespit to the side and all but made the sign of the cross with his fingers. “Don’tmention that place,” he warned.

Alow growl reverberated behind me, andWyattsentIana wary glance.

“Yeah,” someone at the end of the bar said. “TheCrawlersucks!”

Probablya fellow paranormal on the no-enter list, like me. “Ifnot them, maybe some of the other bars?Rita’s?”

“Whythem when you can add me to yours?”

Irubbed my forehead. “Iwill take it under consideration.”Andno way in this green earthI’dgive it my approval.Wyattmight be occasionally helpful to my investigations into the illegal happenings inOlmeda, but that was a far cry from allowing a bar in…Mytrain of thought trailed off as a new one formed.

“Hey,Wyatt.”

“Ifyou wanna ask, you gotta order.”

“Water,”Iansaid in his deep voice.

Wyattscrunched his nose but filled a glass in the sink, then slammed it in front of me, the water splashing everywhere.

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