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I agreed. The more I knew about Brody, the faster I could defeat him, hopefully without killing him.
I made good use of my working cell service and called the library. Librarian Hailey Jones was a fan of mythology. The Hidden People sounded right up her alley.
“Fairhaven Public Library.”
“Hi, Hailey. This is Lorelei Clay.”
“Lorelei! Great to hear from you,” she shouted. The background noise matched her volume.
I raised my voice. “I was hoping you could tell me whether you have any books that reference the Hidden People. I’d check online, but my internet is down.”
“Yours isn’t the only one. It’s down for half the town because of the weather. One minute it’s working, and the next minute it’s offline again.”
That explained the excessive noise. “It’s busy there, huh?”
“It’s a madhouse. I want to pull the fire alarm.” She hesitated. “Not that I would ever do such a thing. I would never waste the precious resources of our town to avoid helping kids remove their grape gum from the board books.”
“Sounds like a job for their parents.”
“Tell you what, I’ll take a look during a quiet moment and call you back if I find anything. Sound good?”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” The phone rang in my hand. Gun’s name lit up my screen. “Good morning, sunshine.”
“It certainly is,” Gun replied. “I found out who stole my car. You’ll never guess who it was.”
“Do I know this person?”
“Not well, but you’ll still be surprised.” He waited a beat before delivering the news. “It was Alfonso.”
That was a surprise. “He’s in the guild with you.”
“I know, right? He had the audacity to park it in his driveway. When I confronted him, he said he’s wanted that car since the day I brought it home.”
I snorted. “So he just decided to take it? Does that make sense to you?”
“Not at all. The stranger part is that I asked him how he bypassed the ward, and he said he didn’t. He was coming over to discuss a business proposition with me, and when he saw the car, he got overtaken by feelings. He used magic to unlock the car and drove away.”
“But the ward should have stopped him?”
“Theoretically. That’s why I’m calling. Would you mind coming over to help me test it?”
“Not if you’re going to make me steal something.”
“We’ll discuss the details when you get here. I’ll even sweeten the deal with the offer of lunch. Save you from those sandwiches you call food.”
I wasn’t one to turn down a meal. “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”
Gun’s neighborhood was unlike most of Fairhaven. The houses were more modern and spaced a respectful distance apart. Nobody’s tree branches hung over anyone else’s property line. Everything was neat and tidy with no gray areas. Each driveway boasted at least one luxury vehicle. It was obvious why he’d want a protective ward. If I were a thief, this is the neighborhood I’d target. Then again, Alfonso earned a respectable income. Why he’d been overtaken by the desire to steal from one of his fellow assassins was amystery.
Gun met me outside. He seemed reluctant to stray too far from his beloved vehicle.
I gestured to the visible pavement. “How did you get somebody to clear the driveways and walkways so quickly?”
“We pay for a private service. It’s rolled into the HOA fees.”
Money might not buy happiness, but it sure made life easier. “How did you handle the situation with Alfonso?” I asked.
He patted the roof of the car. “Kane made him return it.”
