Page 32 of Dead Ringer

Oh, shoot. I almost slapped my forehead. I’d turned the silly thing off in the Hotel parking lot after talking to Sophia, worried that she’d call back, and then with everything going on I’d forgotten to turn it on again. I still wasn’t quite used to having a phone I could tuck into my pocket. When I was alive the first time, telephones were huge, wall mounted boxes you had to contact an operator through.

“I’m sorry, Henner. I spaced.” I fumbled through my purse, turning the phone back on. I had… a lot of missed calls. Some from Sophia. One from Blaise Howard. Gulp. Well, I’d just listen to those another time. Preferably when I had the idol in my hand.

Dabbing the sweat at my temples, I gave Henner a shaky smile. “What, ah, what were you calling me about?”

Henner frowned slightly and reached out to touch my shoulder. “Is everything okay, Darla?”

I couldn’t help it, that little touch, the concern, it made something golden and glowing form in the pit of my stomach. He really was just the sweetest. My smile got a whole lot more genuine. “I’m okay. Just, work is stressful.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he let it go gracefully. Henner really was just the bee’s knees.

“Well, I was calling earlier because I was wondering if you’d like to go to the movies tonight.”

My heart leapt, and I wanted to say yes immediately. I loved the movies. Maybe my dreams of being a star on the silver screen hadn’t exactly panned out, thanks to that no account bum, Frank, but I still loved watching them. For the longest time, television and movies were my only real connection to the outside world.

Now, movies with Henner? That was my idea of a good time—really, the perfect time. All snuggled up in the dark, with his arm around me, watching the stories unfold like we were in our own private little world. I wasn’t a swooner, but it might have been a close call.

Then, reality slapped me back into place, and my shoulders slumped.

“I can’t tonight,” I told him, mournfully. “I have to do a work thing.”

Though, going to a secret illegal auction of artifacts didn’t sound half as exciting as going to the movies with Henner. Partly because I really didn’t have a clue about what I was going to do when I got there. Calliope had promised to text me the address, but I still didn’t have any clue about how I was going to get the idol, assuming it was even there. I mean, how was I going to afford such a thing? I figured I could put it on my credit card and then Sophia could pay me back later.

Either way, I was in way over my head, and I wouldn’t be able to dodge Sophia or Mr. Howard for much longer. I just wasn’t sure what else to do.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Henner stepped forward, rubbing my arms. “We can go another time.”

That did make me feel better, but it was still baloney. The stress of the past couple days was catching up to me all at once, and I wasn’t even done with this case yet. My eyes felt hot and heavy, but I wasn’t going to start boo-hooing like some dizzy dame. I’d get it sorted without making Henner think I was some kind of water pot.

Henner searched my face and then tugged me forward into a hug. I tried not to just melt into it, but it was a struggle. The fabric of his hoody was soft, and it was a struggle not to run my hands over it, and the chest underneath. Hey, I wasn’t dead anymore, so sue me.

The moment was ruined by Cain surging up from the back of my head where he’d hidden himself. He always tried to disappear whenever Henner and I were together. I’d started leaving the ring at home for my dates with Henner, just leaving the television on so Cain wouldn’t get too bored.

But this wasn’t just Cain getting fidgety about a hug, not the way he’d snapped to attention like that.

Behind you,he growled, surging forward to hover just under the surface of my skin.

I jerked away out of Henner’s arms and twisted around. Cain waited, ready to take control in case it came to a fight.

The guy who stepped up onto the sidewalk next to us looked as out of place on the streets of Haven Hollow as a polar bear wandering around in the desert. He was big, like Roy big, but I doubted this mook was a Sasquatch. He was also dressed in a suit, like he was on his way to a business meeting. The kind that ended with someone sleeping with the fishes. The scar just above his lip just added to the impression.

He wasn’t bad looking, in a thick kind of way. But he had too many muscles for his suit to sit properly, and the look on his face had me grateful Cain was with me.

“Miss Rowe,” he said in a voice so low and growly, it sounded like someone had tried to teach a bear English. “Mr. Erepto would like to know if you’ve rethought his very generous offer.”

Mr. Erepto? Did he mean Manos? Holy smokes, was this a shakedown? Even if I might have been the kind inclined to throw over everything: lose my job, betray a client, and chase after the highest bidder, sending some mook to threaten me over it would just make me button my lips shut. Darla Rowe wasn’t no snitch.

“Nope.” I gave him a tight smile. “And I’m not going to. You can pass that along to your boss.”

The guy’s eyes were a little too sharp. They raked over me, checking out the bags I had in one hand before flicking up to my face.

The smile his mouth curled into left me wanting to back up a few steps. And maybe take a shower.

“But you have found it, haven’t you?” It wasn’t a question. His pupils narrowed, like a snake when it spots something tasty. “Why don’t you just hand it over to me? I’ll make sure it gets to where it needs to be.”

“If you’re wanting a nice change of clothes,” I started as I glanced down at the bags in my hands, before looking up at him again. “You’ll just be disappointed to know, none of them will fit you, bub.” My voice got a bit thicker as my stomach twisted.

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

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