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“I don’t know, Ingrid. These rules have been in place long before I ever set foot in Fairhaven.” I heard the note of aggravation in my voice and felt mildly guilty. It wasn’t the elderly ghost’s fault that she knew so little of the supernatural world until after her death.
“Why would the deformed man listen to you?” she persisted.
“Because I asked him nicely.”
She frowned at me, clearly uncertain whether to interpret my answer as sarcasm. To my relief, she abandoned her line of questioning and turned her attention to the flowerbeds. “You should really do something about those new weeds. They’re becoming a menace.”
“You know, if you improve your poltergeist skills, that’s a task you can help me with.”
She angled her head, seeming to mull it over. “I could do more than weed, couldn’t I? I could even tend to the flowers. Maybe plant a few herbs that might improve your cooking.”
I swallowed the criticism. “I wouldn’t mind help with the garden.”
Ray seemed intent on using his poltergeist skills to read books, whereas Nana Pratt hadn’t yet settled on a hobby. If she took pleasure in tending the garden, I wouldn’t stop her.
Nana Pratt gazed at the flowerbeds with renewed interest. “I’m going to practice right now. I’ll find Ray and we can work together.”
“Sounds like a productive way to pass the time.”
“I always wanted to spend more time in the garden when I was alive,” she said, “but by the time my schedule freed up, my arthritis was too limiting.” She wiggled her fingers. “No such problem now.”
“One of the perks of death,” I said cheerfully. I felt a twinge of guilt for encouraging unpaid labor, but she seemed eager, and the gods knew she had nothing but time on her non-arthritic hands.
I set the antique book on my bedside table on top of the one from the library. Reading before bed was one of my favorite pastimes. If it also helped me solve the dilemma of The Corporation’s secret vault, I considered it a bonus.
After a quick shower, I settled on the bed and cracked open the book. I managed to get through an entire chapter on monsters of destruction before the ward interrupted me.
I hurried to the bedroom window and looked outside. An unfamiliar figure strode across the bridge. There was no sign of any humps or lumps.
I beat him to the front door by a breath. “Hi there.”
“Hi,” he returned with an easygoing smile. He had the kind of handsome face that made it hard to guess whether he was here to sell me a timeshare or eat me. Given the hour, I voted for the latter.
I pointed behind him. “I think you might’ve missed the ‘No Trespassing’ sign on the gate.”
“Does it count as trespassing when you’ve been invited?”
“You must have the wrong house because I didn’t invite you here.”
“Oh, I know that. Kane sent me.”
I eyed him closely. “Sent you for what?” If this guy started stripping, I was never speaking to Kane again.
“He’s out of town, but he’s concerned for your safety and asked me to watch over you until the current situation has been resolved to his satisfaction.”
I objected to the assumption that I couldn’t take care of myself. Still, I wondered whether this meant he’d learned something from his contacts. For my own sake, I decided to roll with it.
“So, you’re the replacement Kane, huh?”
He stuck out a smooth hand. “Dan.”
“Dan? Why stop there? Why not Jimmy or Bubba? I assume you’re some kind of demon.”
He squared his broad shoulders. “I am. My full name is Dantalion. I’m a Great Duke of Hell.”
“Oh, I’m sure you are.”
He splayed a hand against his chest. “No, seriously. That’s my title. I command thirty-six legions of demons.”
