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He wasn’t thinking. He just wanted me home safe.
I blinked away tears. Great. Even examining a corpse couldn’t stop me from worrying about my dad.
What about this guy? Someone had to be concerned about him. If I could contact his ghost, maybe I could relay a message. But I couldn’t risk accidentally summoning him back into his corpse, like I had with the bats.
A tap on my shoulder sent me spinning.
“Sorry,” Simon said. “I thought you heard me coming. I see you found our roomie. Trying to communicate?”
“Trying not to communicate. ”
“Looks like he’s been here awhile. ” He crouched beside the corpse. “We could play CSI, figure out how long he’s been dead. I don’t see any bugs. ”
“Wrong time of year. ”
He winced. “Duh, right. It’s still too cold in here. He definitely died a few months ago, meaning no bugs. I should have known that. Derek did a science fair experiment a couple years ago on bugs and decomposition. ” He caught my look. “Yeah, gross. Kind of interesting, too, but I wouldn’t ask Derek about it. He was pissed. Only placed second in the city finals. ”
“Slacker. ” I backed up as he straightened. “I’m done here, though, so I’d better get farther away. Me and corpses don’t mix. ” I considered telling him about the bats. I wanted to tell someone, talk it over, get advice, but…“I was just seeing whether I could use my powers to find it. ”
“I’m guessing the answer is yes. ”
I nodded and we left the room.
“We can find another place to stay,” he said. “Derek’s fine with that. Really. ”
“I’m okay. Speaking of Derek, where is he?”
“Still shopping. He sent me back to hang with you. ” He leaned down to my ear. “I think he just wanted to spend more time with Tori. ”
I laughed. “Want to take bets on who makes it back alive?”
“Derek. No contest. Last I saw, he was ordering her to go find more blankets. By now, he’s probably on his way here, leaving her to find her own way and hoping she doesn’t. ”
“How mad is he? About her being with us?”
“Mad? I’d rate it a five. Annoyed? An eleven. He’ll get over it. We all have to. At least until she gets bored and remembers a long-lost aunt in Peoria. ”
When we got back to our spot, Simon set out a spread of the best a convenience store had to offer—juice, milk, yogurt, apples, wheat crackers, and cheese slices.
“All the food groups…except one. ” He handed me a candy bar. “Dessert. ”
“Thanks. ”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me a moment, I’ll spare you the sight of blood and needles before dining. ”
“It’s okay. That stuff doesn’t bother me. ”
He still turned around, to test his blood, then give himself a shot.
“And I thought annual flu shots were bad,” I said. “Do you have to do that every day?”
“Three times for the needle. More for the testing. ”
“Three needles?”
He put the pouch away. “I’m used to it. I was diagnosed when I was three, so I don’t ever remember not getting them. ”
“And you’ll always have to do that?”
“There’s a pump I can use. Stick it on my leg and it monitors my blood sugar and injects insulin. I got one when I turned thirteen. But…” He shrugged. “I had a deal with my dad, that I could only have one if I didn’t use it as a license to eat whatever I wanted. Too much insulin isn’t good. I screwed up. ”
“Too many of these?” I waved the candy bar.
“Nah. Too many carbs in general. I’d go out for pizza with the team, and I wouldn’t want to have only two slices if everyone else was scarfing down six. You get razzed about being on a diet, being such a girl…”
“Now there’s an insult. ”
“Hey, I was thirteen. I know it was stupid, but when you’re always the new kid, you just want to fit in. I guess you know what that’s like. You’ve probably been in as many schools as we have. ”
“Ten…no, eleven. ”
“It’s a tie. Cool. ” He took a bite of his apple. “Now that I’m approaching the very mature age of sixteen, though, I’ve gotten over that. Dad and I were negotiating for me to get the pump back again when he disappeared. ”
“Simon?” Tori’s voice echoed through the building.
“So much for peace and quiet,” he muttered, then called, “We’re back here. ”
Twenty-one
DEREK RETURNED BEARING SHOPPING bags and cash. I’d given him my bank card and PIN, and he’d found an ATM without a camera. My card still worked. He’d withdrawn my limit of four hundred dollars. We couldn’t do this again—every time I used it, the bank would know I was still in Buffalo, and Derek was afraid the Edison Group might be able to find that out.
He handed me the cash and receipt, discreetly folded. Tori snatched the receipt and opened it.
“My God, is this your bank account or college fund?”
I took it back. “My dad direct-deposits my allowance. After fifteen years, it adds up. ”
“And he just lets you access it?”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“Um, because you could spend it. No, wait. Let me guess. You’re too responsible for that. ”
“She’s smart,” Simon said.
“Is that what you call it? I was thinking more…” She yawned.
My cheeks heated.
“Enough,” Derek growled.
“Yeah, don’t forget who gave you money for this. ” Simon nudged Tori’s shopping bag.
