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“Okay, then, I’m on my way.” I was about to ask how long it would take when I heard a cracking sound, and there he was. He swayed, and I moved to steady him. He shook his head like he was trying to clear it, then said, “Oh boy, I’m out of practice.”
“You’re tired and you’ve been under a lot of stress.” I helped him over to the sofa, where he collapsed bonelessly against the cushions and dropped his bag on the floor. “Now, is there anything else you need?” I asked.
“A nap.”
“What about food?”
“If my stay here is top-secret, room service is probably out of the question.”
“I’ll see if Nita can do something. By the way, she said she’s a big fan.”
He looked confused. “What?”
“I may have given her the impression that you were Bruce Springsteen. When I gave you the code name Yankee Doodle, she drew her own conclusions.”
“You what? Are you going to tell everyone in the city about that?”
“Oops, I’ve got to go. Go take a nap. Close the bedroom door, and I’ll have them deliver something to the living room.” I tossed him the book I’d bought. “And here’s something in case you get bored.”
“We will discuss this further,” he warned as he dragged himself to his feet, picked up his bag, and headed for the bedroom. Then he turned back. “Oh, and would you mind looking after Loony?”
“Already covered.”
I got downstairs just as Nita was going on her break, and then we found seats by the window at the hotel’s coffee shop—in full view of a man wearing black who stood on the sidewalk outside. I may have overacted the “girlfriends getting together for gossip” role as we shared a giant slice of cake and had lattes, but Nita didn’t notice. That was the way she always acted.
When I headed to the subway station to go home after arranging for a meal to be delivered to the “celebrity,” I recognized my follower. “Hi, Mack,” I said cheerfully when I heard him fall into step behind me. “How’s it going?”
The footsteps behind me faltered, and then he came up alongside me. “How did you know?”
“Remember, I’m immune to magic. Whatever you were doing to hide yourself, it didn’t work. Owen’s not a criminal, you know.”
He sighed heavily. “I know. But I’ve got to go through the motions until my boss orders otherwise.”
“Have you noticed the freaky skeleton thing following me?”
He gave a startled flinch. “The what?”
“That must be veiled from you. For what it’s worth, the bad guys are also following me. I feel so popular.”
“Shout if you feel like they’re a threat, and I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks, Mack.”
He faded back into the background behind me and stayed there until I made it home. My entourage complicated matters. There wasn’t a lot I could do while everyone was watching me, and while I was being watched, it was dangerous for me to go near Owen. How would we ever get Owen to that fire station to find the mysterious envelope that could be our only clue to resolving this situation?
*
The next morning, I figured my best strategy was to act like this was a relatively normal day and go to work. With any luck, that would bore my followers into complacency. I left early to stop by Owen’s place and feed Loony before I headed to the office. The protesters hadn’t come back after James and Gloria’s scolding—or perhaps Owen’s arrest—so that was one less hassle to deal with. While I was in his home, I looked around for anything that Owen might need me to bring him. It would have to be small enough for me to smuggle, or else it would be too obvious that I was bringing something out of the house. Owen’s moving spell would come in pretty handy, I thought. All we’d have to do was set it up, and then Owen could zap anything to where he was.
Then I gasped as an idea hit me that was so good it made me dizzy and made my ears tingle. I had to lean against the kitchen counter for a moment until I felt a little steadier. “That’s it, Loony!” I said. “I know how to get the envelope.” The cat flicked her tail, but otherwise didn’t let her excitement over my brainstorm get in the way of enjoying her breakfast.
The question was, where did Owen keep the supplies for the spell? I went into the living room and searched around the desk. I wasn’t sure whether Owen’s recent cleaning spree was a blessing or a curse. There was less clutter to sort through, but that also meant he might have put away the supplies instead of just leaving them in his satchel.
Where was the satchel? I tried the hall closet and found it hanging on a hook on the inside of the door. “Jackpot!” I said when I discovered the vials of powder and the spell booklet. The recent upsetting events may have led Owen to the unprecedented action of putting away his books and papers, but he hadn’t emptied his satchel before putting it away. I selected one of the powders and put that vial and the booklet in my purse.
Now I needed to think of a way to get that powder on the envelope. I was so eager that I wanted to go straight to the fire station, but I knew that would alert my followers. Instead, I headed to the office with representatives from both sides in tow.
As I approached Sam’s awning after weaving through the usual mob of protesters outside the office building, he said, “Looks like you’ve picked up an entourage.”
