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“Maybe, but they’re better than what we currently have.”
Which was another of those understatements. “Let me know if you find anything.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Like you let me know about last night?”
“Hey, I suggested you should be contacted. Aiden decided your crutches would be a problem given the wide kill splatter.”
“The sooner I can get rid of the damn things and walk properly again, the better,” he muttered. “But, if the Empusae hit again, I’d like to be advised at the time, even if it is impractical for me to be present.”
“If I’m there, I’ll do so.”
“Better than nothing, I guess.” He got out his wallet. “How much do I owe?”
“Nothing. You may be distant family, but you’re all I’ve got.” Or wanted. In the odd low and emotional moment, I might want to see my mother again, but that came with all sorts of dangers—especially when I had absolutely no idea whether or not she’d agreed to either the use of the spell that had made me sign the marriage certificate, or the subsequent drugging that had forced submission to Clayton. Better by far to avoid them all. “And I’m surprised you let Ashworth’s poking get under your skin.”
“The one thing I don’t like being accused of is being a freeloader, so—”
“Do you really think Belle would let you get away with freeloading?”
A reluctant grin touched his lips. “Well, no—”
“So just put the wallet away—at least when the café is doing well. If that changes, you’ll soon be asked to ante up payment.”
“Okay, then.” He shoved his wallet away and rose. “I’ll talk to you later.”
I nodded and collected his plate and coffee mug, taking them into the kitchen as he left. Once the café was closed, Belle headed out to smudge Jeni’s memories, while I cleaned up and did a bit of prep for tomorrow.
Belle returned around five. I made us both a coffee and then sat down opposite her at a table bathed in sunshine.
“How did it go?”
She scrubbed a hand across her face. “About as well as could be expected. She’ll always remember the horror—it simply went too deep to risk hazing it—but I did at least manage to put some distance between her and it.”
Meaning she would view it as something that had happened some time ago rather than just yesterday. “And you?”
“Okay.” She paused and shuddered. “But dealing with memories that heartbreaking and foul is not something I ever want to do again.”
“Hopefully, we won’t have to.” I drank some coffee. “How are Jeni’s parents holding up?”
“Okay. They’re going to go away for a few weeks.”
“A good move.” Especially given the Empusae might just decide to go after our one and only witness. “What do you think about Monty’s suggestion we contact Vita again?”
“If she’d known a way to easily find the Empusae, she would have mentioned it. She wants them dead as badly as w
e do, remember.”
“Any idea as to why she’s not been sighted, then?”
“No.” She paused to sip her latte. “The spirits do say your guess about her strength is right. They also state there’s a stirring to the south of Castle Rock.”
“I don’t suppose they’d care to define stirring.” My voice was dry. “Or perhaps give a more definite location? To the south isn’t exactly helpful.”
She grinned. “They suggest we start looking in the area around the old Garfield Water Wheel. The stirring will become evident.”
“As much as I’d like to grumble about the continuing lack of information, I guess that is far more than they’ve given us previously.”
“And they appreciate your acknowledgement of this fact.”
