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Before I could say anything, Gretchen continued, “I might think he was your guardian angel since he’s so protective of you, but the anger littering his soul tells me he’s not.”
Anger directed at Dane. But I wasn’t about to point that out. “So, you’ve got the gift, too?”
“I know a few things, yes.” She opened the door wider and moved aside. “Please do come in and we’ll chat about this problem you have.”
Dane entered and Kipp and I followed. Her home, while a little spooky on the outside, was lovely inside. Simple. Antique furniture decorated the home with textured wallpaper on the walls.
A set of stairs was in front of me and the kitchen appeared to be in the back. She led us into a room to the right off the main foyer.
Her sitting room was much like the rest of her house, quaint. Two cotton flowered print couches rested in front of the fireplace, and a table sat under the bay window with a flourishing plant on top.
“Please have a seat and I’ll get you something to eat.” She strode out of the room, heading into the hallway. The creak of her floorboards made me assume she went toward the kitchen.
I glanced at Dane as I sat down on the far couch. “She’s not at all what I expected.”
He chuckled, sitting down across from me while Kipp remained at the doorway. “What were you expecting?”
“Someone older. Wrinkles. Long, white hair pulled into a tight bun. I don’t know. Just more witch-like.”
“She might appear young, but her knowledge is centuries-old, believe me.”
“How does he know her?” Kipp asked.
After I asked Kipp’s question, Dane shrugged. “In this line of business you meet many who have the gift. We’ve been friends for years now. You have no reason not to trust her.”
“Oh, you should never just hand over trust,” Gretchen said, reentering the room carrying a tray with sandwiches and iced tea. She placed the platter down on the coffee table and stared at me. “Always keep your guard up. It’ll keep you safe.”
Why had that seemed much more direct than I thought it ought to be? Was she giving me advice? Or was that just a simple statement?
I wasn’t in the mood, or the position to figure it out. Right now, I needed to get rid of this demon to get my life back to normal, get Dane to go home, and return to my bubble of delusion with Kipp.
That was my plan and I was sticking to it. Checking off the items on my to-do list until life resembled what it had before Dane entered the police station and brought a world of trouble with him.
“Please have something to eat.” Gretchen smiled, and took a seat next to Dane. “You must be hungry.”
“Starving actually.”
Once Dane took a sandwich, I followed suit. I took a napkin and grabbed a ham and cheese sandwich. I bit into the bread and the garlic mayo exploded into my mouth, delighting my taste buds.
“Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice,” Dane said, chewing. “It’s appreciated.”
“Not to worry.” Gretchen sipped at her iced tea. “It sounds as if you’re in a tight bind.”
I swallowed. “That’s saying it lightly.”
She zoned in on me and I couldn’t deny that while her face looked young, the depths of her eyes seemed quite old. “Demons are troublesome, but they’re easily banished. So while it might seem to you that things are out of control, I’ll help you gain what you need to set things right.”
I took another bite of my sandwich, inhaling the scents that reminded me of the deli back in Memphis. “So you’ve done this banishing bit before?”
“A couple times.” Her knowing smile declared it’d been more than that. She asked Dane, “Are you sure this is what you’re dealing with?”
He took a big gulp of his iced tea, then placed it down on the coffee table, and nodded. “I have no doubt.”
Gretchen stood, settling the crinkle of her skirt. “Let me go and get my book.” She left the sitting room in a few strides leaving me to wonder what book she had that could help us.
Kipp cleared his throat, drawing my attention to him. “I’m going to go home now to keep an eye out.” His stare remained on Dane, and his gaze practically threw daggers. “You’ll be fine here, but don’t listen to him. If you’re uncomfortable, contact Max and I’ll return.”
I heaved a sigh, as so much of what he said was just irrational, and I placed my sandwich on the napkin. But I fixated on the one statement that was incredibly stupid instead of continuing to beat my head against the wall that was Kipp McGowen. “Just how is Max going to talk to you?”
