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“I was told breakup scenes were a good way to distract people,” Jared said with beautiful simplicity.
“Ash looked so surprised,” Holly said. “He had no idea what was going on. He said, ‘I didn’t sleep with our personal trainer! We don’t even have a personal trainer!’ ”
Angela and Holly giggled. Ash held the back of his hand to his bleeding mouth and glared.
Jared was still grinning like a maniac. “In that case,” he told Ash solemnly, “I
will consider taking you back.”
Kami sighed. “You are the worst team of operatives any master criminal has ever had.”
Chapter Fifteen
Burning or Drowning
Kami ran home to change out of her criminal mastermind jeans into a debatably datelike dress for Ash. Dad called out to her as soon as she was in the door. “Kami, ring for a forklift and tell them it’s the usual problem: we’ve got a Montgomery asleep on the floor.”
Kami peeked around the door, vaguely surprised Angela had made it there so fast. Instead, she found Rusty stretched out on the hearthrug with his arms behind his head.
“You disgraceful object,” said Kami. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m buying a shotgun,” Dad announced. “I live in the country. A shotgun is a reasonable thing to own.”
Kami abandoned the issue of Rusty’s home invasion in order to run upstairs and put on a black dress with white polka dots, and red tights. Then she had to go back to the sitting room because the best mirror was over the fireplace and she wanted to check her lip gloss. “Rusty, Dad needs to work and I’m going out, so you’re babysitting.”
“I like that word,” Rusty said, settling down for a nap. “Come, babies. Let us sit together.”
Tomo sat down in the vacated space by Rusty’s head and began pulling his hair. Rusty smiled beatifically and did not open his eyes.
“Why are you putting on lip gloss, my daughter?” Dad asked. “Trip to the library? Trip to the nunnery? I hear the nunneries are nice this time of year.”
“Not a date; I still remember Claud,” Rusty said, and grabbed her ankle. “I forbid it.”
“You introduced me to Claud,” Kami pointed out.
“I’m a bad person,” Rusty mumbled. “I do bad things.”
“Is this true, Kami? Are you going out on a date?” Dad asked tragically. “Wearing that? Wouldn’t you fancy a shapeless cardigan instead? You rock a shapeless cardigan, honey.”
“I’m not going out with anyone,” said Kami, almost sure it was true.
Rusty tugged at her ankle until she knelt beside him. “He sounds nice,” Rusty murmured, as if mostly asleep. “And maybe it will distract you from chasing maniacs in the woods. I’ve been worrying about you.”
“You know me better than that,” said Kami. “I’m on a mission. And you really do not appear to have been losing sleep.”
Rusty levered himself up on his elbows and opened his eyes. Firelight made his hazel eyes gleam; he seemed almost alert. “The stuff you were saying, about people doing rituals to get what they want,” he said, “except the rituals won’t work, because they are crazy and magic isn’t real. I don’t like thinking about how frustrated crazy people might get.”
Kami was silent, because she knew something Rusty didn’t. She knew about herself and Jared, and their connection. If that was real, who knew what else was? If the rituals were working, what did they do, and what else might these people sacrifice?
“I’ll be careful,” she said at length. “I’m just going to do an interview.”
Rusty collapsed back on the hearthrug. “Have fun, and don’t be home late. I get dinner out of babysitting, right?”
“I’m buying a shotgun tomorrow,” said Dad. “Rusty, you might as well call your sister if we’re feeding you. Kami, you really should sit and tell me more about this ill-advised social outing—”
“Gotta go! Love you, bye!” said Kami, and fled.
You had your fun for the day, Kami told Jared severely. By which I mean that you punched your cousin in the face. That means I get to go around Aurimere House and have Ash tell me everything he knows about the Lynburns.
