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“Only if you don’t offer any feedback.” I continued to the kitchen. “It’s still a work in progress, and I don’t want to be discouraged.”
“I understand,” Nana Pratt said, trailing after me. “I don’t think these trespassers are getting the message that your property is off limits. Maybe you should speak to Chief Garcia about it.”
The chief of police had more important concerns than my solitude. As far as I knew, she was still trying to replace Officer Lindley, who’d been dead for months now thanks to a monster in the woods. “I can handle my own problems.”
“Maybe so, but the way you handle your own problems is going to result in violent encounters.”
She wasn’t wrong. Still, I was setting boundaries with a group of assassins, not Boy Scouts. Violence was inevitable.
“I think you should speak to your handsome friend about the issue. Maybe he can help.”
I unpacked the groceries. “He isn’t handsome, and he isn’t my friend.” Okay, the former was a lie. Kane Sullivan was undeniably handsome, but I refused to acknowledge it to anyone. I barely wanted to acknowledge it to myself.
“What about Weston Davies? That’s the werewolf’s name, isn’t it?” She snickered. “I can’t believe I’m saying the word ‘werewolf’ and not talking about a show on the television.”
During their lives, Nana Pratt and Ray had been unaware of the supernatural beings that occupied Fairhaven. They were slowly growing accustomed to this new reality.
“Davies won’t get involved. The pack keeps to themselves unless they have a good reason not to.” And they certainly wouldn’t care about my trespassers.
“That’s a shame. You’re all part of the same small community. You should be helping each other.”
I gave the blueberries a thorough rinse and placed them in the fridge. “I’ll consider speaking to Sullivan.” It was unclear exactly what his involvement was with the Assassins Guild, only that he was some sort of authority figure for the organization and their meetings were held at his establishment, the Devil’s Playground.
My skin started to crawl. I walked to the door to see whether Charles had returned and activated the ward.
A woman passed through the gate with a purposeful stride. She wore a blue suit and sensible shoes. Dark curls spiraled from her head. She paused on the bridge to look at the moat, not that there was much to see. Like most things at the Castle, the moat wasn’t quite living up to its potential at the moment.
I opened the door and stepped onto the porch to intercept her.
“That’s Big Boss,” Ray said, materializing beside me.
“She was your boss?” I asked.
“No, that’s what everybody calls her. Big Boss. She’s a local bigwig. Runs a real estate business.”
“What do you think she wants?” I asked.
“Who knows? If she’s showing up at your house in person, it’s got to be something important though.”
I was beginning to regret not adding alligators to the moat. Something to consider in the future.
“Oh, good. You’re home,” she said, joining me on the porch with a ready smile. “My name is Fatima Fayez. I own the Fayez Group, a real estate firm.” She watched me expectantly. When I didn’t respond, she pressed on. “We do most of our business in the city, but I live in Fairhaven.”
“I’m not interested in selling this house, Ms. Fayez.”
She threw back her head and laughed. “Goodness gracious, no. I wouldn’t… Just no.”
My cheeks grew warm. “Then how can I help you, Ms. Fayez?”
She lowered her voice. “I understand you have a special skill.”
“I’m handy with a paint roller, but my skills are needed here, as I’m sure you can guess.”
“I’m not here to talk about paint, Miss Clay.” She inclined her head toward the cemetery. “I’m talking about your special connection to our friends in the Great Beyond.”
“I see.” In truth, I didn’t see, but I had no doubt Big Boss was about to tell me. If she wanted me to host a seance for her clients, she was going to be very disappointed in my response. And possibly insulted by the words I chose to use.
“There’s a house in town that could use your special touch,” Fatima said. “The owner died, and the house is becoming an eyesore. We need to get inside and assess the situation before we put it on the market.”
