March

Sorry this one's so late and so long. It almost didn't happen. As most of you know, my friend Ben and I are working on a new screenplay. But to those who reminded me that I have a responsibility: I thank you. Rene does too.

Such Things 3: Saint Patrick and Purgatory

The girl sat on my sofa in a pair of dark green pants that were far too much by way of being far too little; too low, too short, too tight. She dangled a black shoe from her big toe for a bit before stomping it back into place and finally offering me her eyes. Those almond eyes. I took them, of course, held her gaze a long, cold minute.

She was sucking on one of those toffees. The kind in the little golden wrapper. Golden like her skin. Like the spine of the books that Easter makes me read.

“I need you,” she said. Golden.

“What for?”

“To find someone. I heard you do that.”

I told her I didn’t do it anymore, that I hadn’t for a very long time.

“My friend is missing,” she insisted.

"So tell the police."

“I can’t. I mean, they can’t help me.”

“Young and pretty. Sure, you’ve every reason to be cynical. Girly, what are you drinking?”

I got up and went to the cabinet. I had no plans to help her or to let her leave just yet.

She cleared her throat and apologized. She offered to buy me breakfast.

“It’s too early for breakfast,” I said. “Girly, what are you drinking?”

She thought a moment. “Ooh! White Russian.”

I told her, in a reasonably stern tone of voice, that I wouldn’t be mixing anything.

She thought another moment. “Whisky,” she said. “Irish.”

“Not so girly after all, then. My apologies.”

She nodded when I gave her the glass.

“What makes you think the police can’t find your friend?” I asked.

She took a sip and made the girliest goddamn face.

“Because.” She wiped her lips with a China doll wrist. “I’m not sure she ever existed.”

“That right?”

“I mean, I am, I guess. Or I was. But no one else is. I woke up in a panic -- this was about two weeks ago -- I woke up in a panic and I couldn’t find her. We moved into a place downstairs, the floor below yours, I think. We moved in together last month. I remember it clearly. Here, I have a picture.”

She handed me a sketch. Looked more like a boy then a girl, you ask me. She didn’t, so I kept my mouth shut. Still, the drawing wasn’t bad. Stylized, but skillful.

“You do this?” I asked.

“Yeah, sure.”

“You’re good.”

“Thanks. Anyway, I started asking around. I showed that picture to some people. Nobody seems to know. The bellhop says that I moved in alone.”

“The bellhop?”

“The doorman.”

I handed back the picture. “That guy doesn’t know his own name half the time. How could you expect him to know anything about you?”

“She was right there...” Her voice was getting higher. “I even talked to your daughter. If anyone would remember her, she would. I saw them in the elevator together on the night that we moved in.”

“Stay away from her.”

“My friend?”

“My daughter.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. She was too, I could tell. There was something about this girl that colored her anything but a liar. Or a drinker. She winced with every sip. I changed the subject.

“Sounds like this girlfriend of yours-“

“Oh, she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Didn’t mean it like that.”

“Oh.” Sip. Wince.

“Sounds like she ran out on you.”

“She wouldn’t.”

“You know that?”

“I know her.”

“Sounds like maybe you don’t. Anymore.”

She laughed. It was full of air. A nervous laugh, but beautiful. Golden.

“That’s the problem,” she said. “It’s starting to fade. This morning I couldn’t remember her name. It all feels… wrong. Smells like magic to me.”

“That’s just the whisky talking.”

“She’s got a kick, I’ll admit. But I’m serious. It’s like she’s being undone. Maybe no one here remembers her ‘cause they didn’t know her that long. I grew up with her. If she’s being erased or scrubbed out or whatever, it’d take much longer with me.” She pointed to her head. “She’s in every fold of the memory parts.”

“You try her family?”

“I tried to try. Her parents are unlisted. I talked to my mom, though. She knew her, but the memory was foggy. ‘Oh yeah, I remember her. Short girl, right?’”

“She was short?”

“I think so. And I really do think it’s magic. People disappear, yeah. They run off. But you don’t forget about them overnight.”

I took a big swig of whisky and thought about how wrong she was.

“You think someone cast a spell?” I asked.

“I don’t know. No. Not exactly. There’s not much magic in the city, is there? It’s mostly the cat of the country mice.”

I raised my glass in an affirmative.

“But she said she saw a demon. Before we moved. And there’s the Preserve,” she continued. “Might this have something to do with that?”

“If she went into the Preserve, you can forget her.”

“I am,” she said and took her almond eyes away. “But I don’t want to. Please. Detective Kneel.”

“It’s mister now.”

“I need your help.”

When I said nothing, she finished her drink and clenched her toes up inside of her shoe. The back of it pulled away from her heel, so she straightened her toes again to make it slap back. She went through whole bit over and over then went to work on bouncing her knee. She was thinking of how to rephrase her request, to come at me from a new angle.

“Please,” she repeated. I guess that’s the best she could do.

“People don’t come out of the Preserve,” I said.

“Some do.”

“Says who?”

“Your daughter.”

She put both feet flat on the floor. Her gaze was steady and her back was straight. I must have given some signal that she had me. A twitch, a blink, a gasp. God knows. But she leaned in then. I followed her lead.

“Said you’d been in and out,” she whispered. Whispered. As if we weren’t alone in the room.

“Stay away from her,” I said and stood and snatched the glass out of her hand. “And while you’re at it, stay away from me.”

“Please,” again. “I’m asking you…”

“I’m telling you. Stay away. Door’s there, no time like now.”

Her sweater pulled up slightly when she stood to go, showing me the spread of skin just below her stomach. Those pants really were too low.

***

Easter walked in at a quarter to eight. The sun had already gone down. I’d been letting her stay out longer and longer. So far, she’d always come back.

“Where’ve you been?” I asked just for something to say.

“At the library, talking to books.”

She took a bath while I ate dinner, then asked for a bedtime story; the gold-spined one about the lost puppy. Both of us knew it by heart.

“That dog doesn’t follow me around anymore,” she said when I got to the end.

“The puppy?”

“In real life. That dog with the big ears.”

“Oh.”

“Someone must have taken him in.”

“Good for him,” I said.

She coughed and rustled around in the blankets.

“Daddy.” Her voice was a rasp. “I feel dry.”

“I’ll get some water.”

I filled her plastic frog mug with cold from the tap then dug out my old pocket knife.

“Here.” I handed her the water, watching her drink as I rolled up my sleeve.

It didn’t take long for her to nod off. I sat in her room for awhile. It’s easiest when she’s asleep, to watch her and pretend. I told myself to give it all up, stop tonight and tomorrow will be easier. But I’d been telling myself that since the beginning and there I was, same as always, by her bedside with my knife.

I cut into my arm, just enough to draw some blood. I ran my thumb through it and ran my thumb across her head. I watched the red smear bead up and seep in.

Then I sat on the sofa and drank ‘til I passed out.

***

When the chill from the open window woke me untold hours later, a man I recognized was sitting at my desk. Sharp suit. Sharper grin. He clicked his teeth a couple of times before stuffing his mouth with cigars.

“Those are imported,” I said.

“How many do you think I can fit?”

“They were a gift.”

“I know. I’m wasting them.” He laughed in a way that was almost good natured before stubbing them out in a tray. His steepled his bony fingers while he gave me a sleepy once over.

“Kneel,” he said at last.

“Story.”

“Didn’t mean your name.”

“Didn’t mean yours. Tell me what you’re doing here.”

He held out his hand. “I feel that a proper hello is in order.”

I got down on one knee and kissed his knuckles.

“Ouch with the three o’clock shadow, Detective.”

I stood up and scowled.

“Cause it’s three in the morning,” he said.

“I know what time it is.”

“Yes!” Bony fingers snapping. “Time. We had. A talk. How’ve you been?”

“Lousy.”

“Great. Where’s Rene Quinn?” He stood, started pacing.

“Who?”

“Stupid’s not your game, Kneel. Don’t play it.” He made his way to the liquor cabinet. “Got any grenadine?”

“No games, never met her. In the back if there’s any.”

“Ah,” he pulled out a few bottles and glasses. “Shirley Temple?” he asked.

“No.”

“My favorite.”

“Who is she?” I asked.

“Child actress. Big deal in the 30’s. She couldn’t drink at the Hollywood parties so they-”

“Quinn.”

“Oh.” He mixed two glasses. “Some girl. A friend of mine was keeping tabs on her till she flopped on off the grid. Are you sure you don’t want one?”

I shook my head. He took both glasses for himself and sat where Miss Green Pants had been sitting that morning.

“What’s it to you?” I asked. “Where the girl might have gone?”

“Oh, nothing to me. Not to me. But my friend, this old wizard I’ve done business with before, he and she had some arrangement, a year and a day deal. He thought she might try to renege so he gave her the old-“ Here he slouched towards me, tapped his thumb on both my eyes before tracing it around my face. “Tracking charm. She came here, to this street, probably to this building. Then she started wandering, her trail got foggy and-” He popped his wet lips. “She dispelled it, died or descended somewhere.”

“Which do you think?”

“Aw hell, I don’t know. Maybe none of them. Could have been a shit charm. You’re familiar with that. My friend’s not the wizard he used to be.” He laughed at this, shaking his head.

“What do you want me to do?”

He rolled his eyes. “Well, find her.”

“Why?”

“Why should you? Because that’s how it works, Pat. I do you a solid, you do me a solid. I told you I’d be back when it was time to collect.”

“That’s it? This is your favor? I thought it’d be something more…”

“Exciting? Oh well.” He brought his shoulders up. “You’re good at finding people, my friend needed someone found. You owed me, now he does. It all works out in the end. So, what do you say?”

“I say get out.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Get out.”

He left. I got out my dead wife’s old books.

***

“Rene Quinn,” I told the girl the next day. She was curled up in a booth at a diner down the block. The doorman had told me where to find her. She was reading something and didn’t look up right away.

“Excuse me?”

“Your friend’s name,” I said. “Rene Quinn.”

The grin she gave was enough to make me jealous.

“Ren Ren,” she whispered to herself. “Kaori Kim,” she said to me. “Lil. Most people have a problem with Kaori. They say it ‘Kow-ri’ which is fine but sounds like ‘Cow’ so I don’t like it. No offense to cows, but it’s supposed to be ‘Ka-oh-ri.’ Only not that slow. ‘Kaori.’ But Lil’s fine. Everyone calls me Lil.”

“Kaori Kim?”

“Hey, you said it right!”

“A mutt name if I ever heard one.”

“Japanese-Korean. Mom and dad, respectively. You?”

“Patrick Kneel, but you know that. Scotch-Irish, bastardized. Rumor has it there’s a little Cherokee in there somewhere.”

“Hot. Snag a seat.”

I sat.

“Late enough for breakfast?” she asked. “The guy hasn’t taken my order.”

“Toast and coffee.”

She wrinkled her nose in some adorable way that I can’t imagine being genuine.

“Anything else?”

“No,” I said. “Nothing else for you, either.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Best to fast before you go into the Preserve. I’d stop showering too. Just a rinse if you do. No shampoos or perfumes, scented lotions, nothing to draw attention.”

“All right.”

“We bring as little of our world into theirs as we can.”

She unfolded that skinny little frame of hers and coupled her hands behind her head.

“Does this mean you’re taking the case?”

The waiter came, slight Indian guy with a shocking, deep voice. Lil ordered toast and coffee. We sat there for a moment.

“Let’s square away payment first,” I suggested.

“I don’t have much.”

“No money. Deed for deed.”

“What’s the deed?”

“Leave that for later.” Our coffee came, thin and black. She took hers same as mine. “All I’m asking for right now is your word. If we get through this clean, come back with your friend, then you owe me a favor in return. Whatever I ask, so long as it’s in your power to do so.”

“That’s scary.” She fiddled with her toast, crumbling it between her fingers. “What you’re saying right now, it sounds scary. Like really.”

“I don’t mean it to.”

She smirked. Stuck her tongue out. Bobbed her head from side to side, ponytail swinging. She took a deep breath and a bite of the toast. “She’s my best friend,” she said with her mouth full. She swallowed. “You have my word.” Crumbs tumbled from her hand as she rubbed it on her shoulder. She extended it. “Shake.”

“Nah, I trust you,” I said.

She nodded. “You know, I kinda trust you, too. Can I ask what made you change your mind?”

“You can ask.”

“I’m asking.”

“None of your damn business.”

“Funny man.” She pursed her lips. “Big baby.”

“A lead crawled in through my window last night,” I said. “Your gal’s in a place where magic can’t see her. You mentioned that memories of her are fading. I put two and two together.”

“Made yourself a little pink dress?” She winked.

“There’s only one place I know of that puts a check in both those boxes. A place I wouldn’t mind visiting myself for reasons that truly are none of your business.”

“Fair enough. When do we leave?”

“Three days. Bread and liquids only.”

"And no showers."

“No showers,” I agreed. “But it couldn’t hurt to get yourself clean in other ways.” I tapped the sign of the cross on my head, chest, shoulder and shoulder.

“Well, there’s your Irish,” she laughed.

I pulled a flask from my jacket. “Here’s the Scotch.”

***

I met Lil at the same diner, same booth, three days later. She was wearing an oversized coat with fake fur trim. She looked ridiculous but proud of herself. I did my best not to react.

Easter was with me. She caught me strapping on my holster that morning and insisted I take her along. Lil knelt down beside the table when she saw her.

“Big East! Gimme five!” Lil said.

Easter made a peace sign and slapped it on Lil’s open palm.

Lil stuck out her lower lip. “That’s two. You don’t wanna give me five?”

Easter hid behind my legs and half-laughed. “No.”

“No?” Lil asked. “No?!” She reached around me and went for Easter’s ribs. The only game kids ever want to play. Easter screamed and relented at last, hitting Lil’s hand with three fingers. “That’s five.”

“Are you ready?” I asked.

Lil’s face was nearly too serious. “I’m sorry. Am I allowed to talk to her now?”

“Just remember our arrangement. We do this, you owe me.”

“I remember.”

“Don’t forget.”

“Is she coming with us?”

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“She’s fine. Come on, daylight’s wasting.”

Outside the diner, Lil untied a dog. When I asked what she was doing, she said that it was hers. She explained she couldn’t leave it and she figured it might help us out. I said she’d been watching too many movies, the thing would only be a burden and Easter was already burden enough. She didn’t listen. No surprise. Easter was excited, though. She grabbed the leash from Lil and ran ahead of us down the street.

“Mind telling me where we’re going?” Lil fell in step beside me. She’d keep asking, I knew, if I didn’t tell her.

“Some earthly caves go deep enough to lead to a place they call Purgatory. Word is there’s a cave like that in the Preserve. Magic from this plane doesn’t extend into the underworlds and when people go to Purgatory, I hear they get forgotten.” I made two check marks with a pantomimed pen. “That’s where we’ll find her.”

“You know a lot about magic, huh?”

“Enough to cause me trouble.”

“It’s funny. I’ve always heard about this stuff, but I never thought it would happen to me.”

“Most people, it doesn’t. Most people can read their fantasy novels, watch their horror movies…”

“It’s like war, I guess. Not really real until you’ve seen it.”

“Been to war have you?”

She blushed. “No. Sorry.” She meant it again.

“The problem with magic isn’t seeing it,” I said. “That, you can live with. Life goes on. The problem with magic is that it sees you, too.”

“Wax on.”

“That dog used to follow Easter around.”

“Yeah, he does that.”

“Not to me. I ignore it, never look in its direction. But what do you think would happen if I did? What would it do if I sat down to pet it?”

She didn’t answer, but I could see she understood.

“That’s magic,” I said. “You don’t acknowledge it. It could never happen to you. But once you do, once it does, you know you’ll never be rid of it. Once you sit down and pet it, magic’s gonna follow you home.”

“These things happen a lot,” she nodded. “But only to a few.”

“Think it over,” I warned her. “We unhappy few.”

It was late March but still cold. Windy as this city’s ever been. The hood of Lil’s clown coat swept back, releasing her hair. No pony tail that day. Loose. Long.

We reached the edge of the Preserve. There was still some snow on the ground. Easter and the dog ran back and forth before trees, both of them making far too much noise.

“Easter!” I shouted. She stopped, stumbled over, started asking Lil for five.

“Not now, sweetie,” Lil said.

“Look here, we keep to ourselves and we keep quiet,” I directed this to Easter. “Clear?”

She and Lil nodded. The dog goggled at me.

“Shoes off,” I said and untied mine. “Socks too”

Lil frowned. “It’s freezing.”

“Stomp around in there with rubber soles, you might as well sound the alarm. Leave ‘em here. As little of our world into theirs as we can, yeah? The more direct our connection with the forest, the more we’ll seem to belong.”

“You should have told me. I have moccasins.”

She stepped out of her shoes and into the snow. She hissed and hopped from foot to foot. I waited until she stopped.

“You good?”

“Yeah. Numb now.”

Easter was already a little ways in.

“Wait for us,” Lil called.

“Last chance,” I said. “You’re not in this yet. Whatever happened, it happened to your friend. That may be the closest you ever have to come.”

She touched my arm, God help me. “Is it so bad?” she asked.

“I know you won’t listen, but for the books I said go back. Keep this…” I gestured. “All this. Keep it in stories.”

She released my arm. I grabbed hold of hers. She stared at our feet, senseless and pink.

“I’m not giving her up,” she said. “I’m not losing my memories.”

“Memories are stains,” I said.

“They make us what we are.”

“Sure. Dirty.”

“You’re wrong,” she said.

"Keep living," I told her.

She started pulling away. I let her go, God damn me.

***

We wandered around for an hour or two. I assumed that we’d stumble upon what we were looking for. Hearsay says that’s the way it goes. If you’re really ready to deal with the devil, sooner or later the devil shows up.

No one’s made a reliable map of this place. It’s probably useless to try. Time gets funny, North doesn’t stay North. I kept waiting for Lil to ask if I knew where we were going. She never did. Just walked along in the wake of that fat dog, holding Easter’s hand until, after the light started fading with the thickening canopy, she stopped, stumbled and shouted in surprise. There was blood on her foot when I reached her.

“I didn’t even feel it at first,” she said. “Frakking barefooted hiking.”

She leaned against a tree while I cupped her heel, inspecting the wound.

“What is it?” she asked. Something hard and white. I pried it out without warning. She winced and repeated “What is it?”

“There’s more over here!” Easter shouted. She was on all fours about a yard away.

Lil looked in my hand. “What is that? A tooth?”

“They’re everywhere!” Easter was waving her arms.

“Stop it!” I screamed.

“What does it mean?” Lil asked.

I drew my gun.

“What does it mean?”

“Witches,” I said. “Easter, don’t move.”

The dog started barking at something. Easter tugged back on the leash.

“Witches?”

“The worst kind,” I said. “Wives of Mu.”

“Wives of who?” Lil was sweating and scared. “Mu who?”

“Shut up,” I said and she did.

I looked down at the dirt. Easter was right, teeth everywhere. Some long and sharp. Animal. Others, likely human.

“Let’s go,” I said, standing.

The stink of the naked woman hit me before she did, but both hit like a brick. I was on my back with a sprig of wood between my ribs before anyone could call out a warning. She was on Lil by the time I sat up, pinning her down with one hand and one foot. She had a sharpened stick to her throat, a wink away from fatal.

I stood and fired unintentionally wide.

The witch froze a moment, ropey muscles twitching. I got my first good look at her: hair hanging long in all the places women grow it, skin a warren of cuts and filth, eyes wide and white. She crept towards me, leaving Lil moaning on the ground. I warned her to stop, had the gun on her the whole time. She kept coming, crouched low, until the barrel touched her forehead. Then she tilted to the side and let it brush across her cheek.

“My consort.” She kissed it. “You’ve come to make me a sister.” She licked it. “Powerful in your service.” She took it in her mouth. I stood. She kneeled.

“That’s enough,” I said.

She bobbed her head forward, all the way to the trigger guard. I kicked her.

“That’s enough!”

She laughed on her back. “I’m yours,” she said. “Take me.”

“Take me to your coven. I want to speak to the head.”

“To Hart?” She sat up.

“Yes,” I said. “To Hart.”

Her eyes didn’t leave the gun until I holstered it in my jacket. “Bring your fire,” she whispered and loped into the woods.

“Is she gone?” Easter.

“Yes.” Me.

“Let’s not follow.” Lil.

“They already know we’re here,” I told her. “There’s a spell on the teeth.”

“She stabbed you.”

“It’s not bad,” I lied.

“Are we lost?” Easter asked.

“Yes,” I said. “But the head of the coven can help us.”

Lil folded her arms. “Will she?”

“We’ll see.”

***

We caught up and let the witch lead the way. She passed through several spider webs, not bothering to brush anything off. Dead insects caught in and dangled from her hair.

The further we went, the warmer it got. Wild witches have elemental magic. They can mess with the weather.

The further we went, there were also more teeth. They became unavoidable. Like walking on gravel. Lil favored her right foot, flinching all the while.

“Why the damn teeth?” she whispered to me, shrugging out of her heavy coat.

“Security,” the witch explained. “And symbol. Everywhere we walk, we are in the mouth of Mu.”

“Dad, what’s Mu?”

“Nothing.”

“No, I want to know too,” Lil said.

“Nothing,” I repeated.

“Everything,” the witch said.

“And everything is nothing.”

“Yes.”

Lil shook her head.

“Every creation story starts with chaos,” I said. “A god, a warrior an event brings it to order.”

“Sure.”

“Wild witches think the chaos never stopped, that we’re in it right now or might as well be. No god, no devil, no long term plan. They worship nature, the world, the result of meaningless chance.”

“So what’s Mu?”

“You. Me. That tree over there. The ground it’s sprouting from. The worms wiggling 'round in the dirt below. All of it, Mu. And everything that just happens to happen, they credit it to Mu’s will.”

“But you said-”

“It’s random,” I agreed. “Pointless. See, Mu has a will but no mind. Like the worms. It’s there. It does, but it doesn’t know why. All of us. Everything and nothing. A braindead monster all alone in space. That's what they worship.”

“Why?” She was uncomfortable. “I don’t understand.”

“That's good. Can’t really understand a belief without believing it.”

“Do you?”

“I don’t want to,” I said. “On my worst nights, I worry. There’s magic in their rituals. Can’t argue they don’t gain power from the things they do.”

“What things?”

I pointed with my chin and changed the subject. “We’re here.”

A middle aged woman was standing in the path, wrapped in a loose, bear-skin cloak. The hood of it was the animal’s head, empty and pathetic.

“Witch,” the bear woman said.

“Bear,” our witch replied.

“You come back without a name? You come back with strangers?”

Our witch slipped behind me, rested her chin on my shoulder. “This is my consort,” she said. “He wishes to speak to Hart. Give them admittance.”

“Your ‘consort’ is a man.”

“Yes,” she hissed. “More deadly than a bear.”

The bear woman inspected me. “I know you,” she said.

“Take me to Hart.”

“Why?”

“I asked nicely.”

“Ask mean,” our witch panted.

I reached into my holster. “Abracadabra.”

The bear woman glared and began to chew her tongue. I thought it was out of frustration at first, but then she bit down, hard, gagging on the rush of blood.

“Hold out your hands,” our witch said. We all did. Bear licked her lips, smearing them red. Then she kissed our palms in turn. She said we were admitted. I didn't bother to thank her.

The clearing smelled strongly of human bodies, sweat, urine and musk. Naked women were lying in piles around a huge tree stump carved into a throne. The pear shaped woman slumped casually on it had the antlers of a stag sprouting from her head. She rose with a lazy stumble when she saw us. “Detective,” she said.

“Hart.”

“Long time.”

“I wasn’t sure you’d remember me.”

“I don’t forget faces. Are you here to cause trouble?”

“Just passing through.”

“Did Bear give you any?”

“Nah, she’s a doll. Security’s tight.” I indicated my blood-kissed palm.

“Rook’s heard whispers. Discord among the covens. Can’t be too careful.” She tapped the soft part beneath Easter’s chin, forcing her head up. “Is this your stallo? She’s flawless.”

“Thank you,” Easter and I replied.

“Then why are you here?”

I glanced around me at the rest of the coven, lounging, napping, eating strange fruits. Some of them wore trophies, animal parts around their necks or on their heads.

I thought about giving in, drawing my gun, killing as many of these things as I could. Then I thought about Lil.

“Looking for a girl,” I said. “Got a hunch she’s in Purgatory.”

“Purgatory’s not what you think it is.”

“We’d like to take a look all the same.”

“Your wife’s not there.”

“I’m not looking for my wife.”

Hart smiled. “Of course not.” God, I hate witches.

“Well?”

She sucked her lower lip. “What’s in it for us?”

“We’re asking for directions, here, that’s all. Hardly worth making a deal over.”

“It’s harder than you think if you want to come out again. You do want to come out again, don’t you? One of you must.” She put a finger to my lips before I could answer. “That’s not the issue. We’ll guide for free. But you come into our territory – unannounced – with that one huddling behind you still young enough to eat...” She glanced at Lil. “How you get there is not what's on the table. It’s if.”

“What do you want?”

Our witch stepped forward. Hart pulled a fat spider from behind her ear.

“He’s what was sent to you?” Hart asked. “The first you saw?”

“Yes.” Unsettlingly eager.

All eyes on me for the world’s longest moment. Hart nodded her approval. “We’ll take you to Purgatory, even mend that hole she put in your chest. In return, you’ll be her consort. Accept.”

My stomach rolled. “Think of something else.”

“That is the deal. You came upon her Bacchanal.” She poked my chest. “It's the will of Mu. Accept.”

Lil gripped my wrist. “Are they going to eat me?”

“Let us discuss it,” I told Hart.

“Decide quickly. This one’s charm is wearing off.”

I let my eyes fall on the filthy witch who stabbed me. “Sister, you said it.”

I led Lil to a quiet spot beside a dead-faced woman with a rotten crow hung from her neck.

“I didn’t know we’d be striking deals with witches!” Lil waved her hands in wild frustration.

“Me either. I didn't plan on coming back here.”

“But you’ve been here before?”

“A long time ago.”

The dog waddled over, Easter trailing behind. Lil knelt down to pet it, fingers nervously kneading at the scruff of its neck.

“What do they want you to do? What’s a consort?”

“What does it sound like?”

“I know what it sounds like. I want to know what it is.”

“A consort’s…” I started. “It’s complicated.

She covered Easter’s ears. “Explain it to me like I’m a 24 year old.”

“There are twelve true witches to a coven, always twelve. They keep other girls around as spares and slaves-”

“And food.”

“And food. They think eating young flesh can keep their bodies young.”

“Does it?”

“Not forever. And when a true witch grows old or dies, they cast a charm on one of the spares, send her out for Bacchanal, to commune with nature, to consummate the marriage.”

“Wives of Mu.” She nodded. “Wait, like literally? Consummate consummate?”

“It’s what the charm is for. It primes the would-be witch and attracts the weak minded. Animals, mostly. An aspect of Mu to perform that function.”

“Ick.”

“Ick.” I nodded.

Easter brushed Lil’s hands away and started a staring contest with the dog.

“And they want you to…?” Lil asked.

“Yes.”

“And you want to?”

“No,” I said. “But it’s what they want that matters. The charm doesn’t work on me. We came upon her by accident. To them, that’s Mu’s will. And there’s prestige in a dangerous consort. The act itself awakens their power, but the nature of what takes them gives them their names, determines what sort of familiars they’ll have.”

“She’ll have human familiars? What does that mean?”

“Nothing good. But it’s that or let them eat you.”

She chucked my shoulder. “Go get ‘em, Tiger.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“I win again!” Easter shouted.

***

We returned to Hart and agreed to the bargain. She was pleased, promptly making arrangements for a healing. Dirty women chanted in languages no one else knows, rolled stones over my chest and the sole of Lil’s foot. It tickled unbearably to feel the flesh knit together. They had to hold us down. Our laughter was awful, like your own drunken voice on a tape recorder.

When it was over, they stripped me. Lil turned away. Not only that, she made Easter turn too. She was terrified to be left alone but hid it remarkably well.

“The charm isn’t working on me,” I told Hart.

“No,” she admitted. “The charm is for her and the wilderness.” She reached down and gripped me. “A man takes different magic.”

I’d never felt older or more ashamed.

“We can make you see what you want to see,” Hart breathed. “All you have to do is tell me.”

I told her. She smiled. They painted symbols on my forehead.

“Bring your fire,” my witch said. She took me by the hand and led me through the woods to a rotting little shack where I did unspeakable things.

***

I got back, dressed myself, went to find Lil. She was in the exact same spot I had left her, sitting on a rock with the dog in her lap. The witch with the dead crow, the one they call Rook, had taken notice and was squatting by her side.

“Trees got eyes,” Rook said. Then she tapped Lil, three times, on the side of her head. Tap tap tap. “Trees got brains.” Tap tap tap. “And voices.” Tap tap. “Like you. Little voice up here.” Tap tap tap. “Say true. One day she fly away. Come talk like a tree. I know this forest. Everything that happens. Your friend got dead. Trees say true. Dead as deadmeats voices eat.” Tap. Tap. Tap.

Lil had pulled herself inward as much as she could. She was clutching that dog like it was keeping her afloat. When she saw me she stood and raced forward.

"Finally!" She a deep breath. "I was getting poked the whole time you were gone." She flinched. "I don't mean poked, I mean pecked. Tapped. God, those all sound bad… Do you have any idea what kind of stuff goes on around here? It's like living in my brother's computer. I've thrown up twice from the smell alone. Toast and coffee. You wanna see? You can't! Because someone started rolling in it! We have to leave. Now. Can we leave now? Please." She’d been holding back tears. She let them go.

“You all right?” I asked.

“No. I’m not all right. And you were right about everything. We shouldn’t have come. It’s my fault. I made you do this.”

“You owe me,” I reminded her. “We’ll make it even in the end.”

“I can’t,” she shouted. “It’s not just the job now. I owe you my life. If you hadn’t… They were going to kill us, weren’t they? If you hadn’t done what you did?”

“No,” I said. “Just you.”

“See? Completely my fault.”

“Tell me about your friend,” I said.

She looked over her shoulder. Rook was gone. “I don't like that bird one,” she said. “How do you consort with a crow, anyway?”

“Rene,” I said. “Tell me about Rene. Remind me why we’re here.”

She threw her arms up. “I don’t know. It’s getting foggy. She had brown hair. Kinda slouchy…”

“Where did you meet her? Details.”

“Middle school,” her voice leveled out. She wiped her eyes. “Homeroom in middle school. She sat in the back corner. She always sat in the back corner. You could have a classroom full of empty desks and she’d…” She made a sound effect. “B-line.”

“That’s good,” I said. “What else?”

“Her hair was blue back then, I think. Some weird color. I teased her about it. I mean, who makes a point of sitting in the back corner and then goes and dyes their hair blue?” She smiled. “She wrote me a poem once. That’s what it was. My first day, we had some joke about the school being a labyrinth. I don’t even remember it now. Something stupid. But the next week she came in with this poem that she’d written about me fighting a minotaur or whatever. It had all this alliteration. Kennings. Terribly middle school clever. I don’t know what happened to it, but that… Yeah, I guess that’s when we really started hanging out.” She clucked her tongue. “Why do you want to know?”

“I don’t,” I said. “Feel better?”

“A little.”

“We’ll find her.”

She rubbed the back of her neck. “You know I had almost forgotten about that? The poem and stuff. Sucks how much gets lost. Not from magic, either. Just time. All these moments go uncatalogued and one day you just know that you care about a person, really care about a person, but can’t put your finger on why. There’s just so much.”

“Yeah,” I say.

“Is it like that with you and Easter?” She jumped. "Oh God, where's Easter? She was right here! I swear to you, she was behind me the whole time. She’s-"

"Fine,” Hart said. “She’s fine.” She was guiding Easter towards us, hands on her shoulders. "Just got a little thirsty, that’s all.”

Lil sagged with relief.

"It’s done," I told Hart. “Your turn.”

"What about the ceremony?” she asked.

Lil elbowed me.

“Can’t stay. We have somewhere to be,” I explained.

“Here. Your duty as consort is unfinished. You’ll stay for the ceremony and offer her a trophy.”

“What trophy?” Lil asked.

Hart knelt and dug her fingers into the earth. They went deep, gripped tightly. Her toes did the same. She craned her neck backward, tensing, then relaxing. Her whole body throbbed. Two times. Three. When she stood upright, there were deer in the clearing.

Easter was in awe. “You called them?”

“Yes.”

“With magic?”

“Yes.”

“I want to be a witch, too.”

“No, you don’t,” Lil said.

“Can I pet them?”

“What’s this about?” I asked.

“The ceremony.” Hart cupped her hands and shouted toward the center of the clearing. “Bear!”

The bear woman looked up. She nodded a sleepy way and threw out a few limp gestures.

“What’s she-” Lil began but was cut off by Easter’s screaming. The animal's throats had opened up. Horrible magic. Nude woman ran forward with wooden bowls to collect the puddling blood. My witch stood at the foot of the throne, watching them and waiting.

“Won’t take but a minute,” Hart said. “Come on.”

“Stay here,” I told Lil.

“No way,” she told me.

She tried to follow as Hart led me away, but Easter wouldn’t let go of her leg and the dog was running wild at the end of its leash.

Ten of the witches had formed a circle. My witch was in the middle. They parted for Hart us, an honor, I'm sure. The spares came by with the blood in their bowls. Each sister coated her hands. There was chanting, moaning, devotional writhing as they put red prints on my witch’s white body.

“Your gun,” Hart ordered.

I gave it to her.

She whipped the butt of it across my witch’s face. “Again,” Hart said and did it again. My witch’s cheek split. Skin and fat. Hart reached out to stroke it. “Welcome back, sister,” she said. Then she laid her palm across her own stomach, low, near the navel, more hand prints in blood. “This one is not nameless,” she called to the circle. “This one, now she is Man.”

The witches whispered in scratchy, old voices. Man stood there in the circle. Hart opened my gun. Four bullets left. She dumped them out and handed me one.

“Put it in your mouth,” she said. When I did, she pointed to Man. “Now kiss her and put it in hers.” The same process for each of the bullets: Into my mouth, kissed into Man’s, then finally kissed into Hart’s. Hart spit them out back into her palm and tied them to a cord. When that was done, she looped the cord into a necklace and offered it to me.

“This is for you to do.”

I placed it over Man’s head. She screamed the second it touched her, the loudest scream I’ve ever heard. And not in triumph or joy or pain. A dumb scream, grating and mindless. Mu.

***

After the ceremony, Hart took us to a boulder. I helped her and Bear push it off to the side. Beneath it was a hole, maybe five by three and three feet deep. There was a woman curled up down there, completely hairless and covered in mud. She blinked at us with milked over eyes.

"This is Shadow," Hart said. "She'll take you where you want to go."

"She lives under a rock?" I asked.

"She likes the dark. Don't you, Shadow?"

Bear grunted. "She’s not one of us."

Lil's voice cracked when she spoke, a pretty little tea cup falling on the floor. "Why not?"

"She rejected her consort," Hart said to me "Chose her own. We take our observances very seriously, Detective. It was Mu's will that you lie with Man. You spared her a terrible fate."

"That right?"

"It is."

"Death." Bear poked at the hole in her tongue. "Death to a wife who opposes our great husband."

"But isn't she a part of Mu?" Lil persisted. I tried to signal her to silence. She ignored me. Moderate surprise. "If Mu is everything, then her will is his too."

Hart let out a small breath. She ran her fingers through Lil's gorgeous hair, gorgeous even after three days without a wash. She rubbed her thumb up and down her golden jawline. "Rook wants your eyes," she said. "Her little birds told me so. And I want to give them to her, almost more than I can stand. I'm a good wife. I want to make my sisters happy. And you see nothing anyway. You've little use for eyes. I've little use for you, but I'm a woman of my word. This business is ended. Should you ever come back this way, your toothless body will hang from the trees."

"I thought you wanted to eat me."

"You’re probably too tough." Hart turned back to me. "Shadow may be ghostless, but she's not without her uses. She knows her way around the Dark. All caves lead to Purgatory, you can get anywhere from there.”

“Just looking for the girl.”

"Of course. Goodbye, Detective. You're the smile on Mu's lips tonight. And Man's."

"Grand," I said. "Who's the smile on mine?"

"Where do you want to go?" Shadow asked once the other witches had gone.

"Purgatory," Lil answered.

“Yes. Where do you want to come out?”

“Here.”

Shadow blinked. “If you want to come out here, why go in at all?”

“He told you. We’re looking for someone.”

“There’s nobody there.”

Lil gave me her eyes. Those pleading almond eyes.

“This girl’s friend had a tracking charm on her," I explained. "She came to the Preserve and the charm winked out.”

“Then she’s dead.”

“No. Memories of her are fading. There’s more to it than that. She might have gone under.”

“There are no people in Purgatory. Only shadows. There's no sense in taking you. I'm going back to sleep.”

"Well, wait.” Lil stepped forward, lost her footing in the mud, sat up. “How do you know there are no people?"

"Shadows are my familiars. I know where they live. I talk to the Dark."

"So ask," Lil begged. "Maybe it's seen her."

Rook, the bird-girl, hopped down from a tree branch. Wish I could say she didn’t catch me off guard. "I seen her," Rook coughed. "Voices got eyes. Shadow's don't."

"What voices?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes and tweeted.

"What did you see?"

"Girl went underground. Girl came out."

"She got away?" Lil was beaming.

"Nope. Different girl. Shadows took yours. Trees see true, your friend got dead."

Shadow's moist fingers left a trail on my wrist. The lightest of touches, but it made my body shudder. "I see," she whispered. “I’ll take you. Follow me.”

***

I’d like to believe that for the rest of my life I'll never again be led through the woods by a witch. The truth of it is, though, Irish or not, I don’t figure I’ll be so lucky.

The sun had done us no favors by setting early. The winter chill returned once we'd gotten clear of the clearing. We stayed silent for the most part, each one of us exhausted. Easter was practically asleep on her feet. Lil offered to carry her, but she pulled away and pouted. I think she was still bothered by that business with the deer. Any other night by sunset, she’d be screaming laughter at her own punless knock-knock jokes. Instead she was grim. Shell-shocked little trooper.

Lil’s clown coat was back, hood up and swallowing her head. Being either the boldest or weakest of us, she was the first to try small talk.

“Your consort was a shadow?”

Shadow nodded. “He’d been a man I loved.”

“What happened?”

“I stopped.” We waited for the rest. “They made him a shadow. And I sought him as my consort when it was my turn.”

“They made him a shadow?” Lil asked.

“It happens sometimes. Man’s not a man without a shadow. He’ll become one. Shadow’s not a shadow without a man. It needs a caster. That’s what Purgatory’s for. If your friend is there, it’s what happened to her.”

“She’s a shadow now?”

“Always has been. More and more as time goes on. That’s why you’re forgetting.”

“But she’s down there?”

“If the bird’s not a liar. Said she saw one girl go in and another come out. Sounds like a swap. A shadow could find shape if it first found someone to take its place.”

“Give and take,” I sighed. “Same as all magic.”

"Equivalency Exchange," Lil said.

“That being the case,” Shadow reminded her. “You probably won’t be getting her back. No one leaves unless someone else stays. The best you can hope for is the chance to say goodbye.”

"Oh, I can hope for better than that."

"Not wisely," Shadow said. "Hope's no good. And one last moment may not be worth the trouble."

I watched her try to hide the hurt on her hairless little face. She couldn’t. I’ll bet even the dog knew she was speaking from experience.

"When we're inside," she advised. "Keep your own shadows close. They'll be tempted to wander. Don't let it happen. Lose yours and the others will rush to replace it. All of them. All at once. They hope once again to be part of a pair, but hope makes a mob. They'll bury you. Bury you alive.”

I almost didn't recognize Lil's voice through all its vinegar. "Are we almost there?"

"We already are."

***

Turns out Purgatory’s a cave like any other. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all and all is one too many. Cold, wet, and uninviting. A tough place to be brave in. Lil took it like a champ. She gripped the dog’s leash and grabbed Easter’s hand. Easter grabbed mine. We marched underground single file.

As soon as the light disappeared entirely, I let Easter slip away. She didn’t seem to notice. I backed off as they moved on, waiting to be alone. When I was, I swallowed and whispered my wife’s name. Softly, at first. Too softly, I suppose. All I got was an empty wheeze on my first try. Second go around, I fared a bit better. I waited in vain. I asked if she could hear me.

“No,” came a voice. Shadow’s voice. “This is the land of menless shadow. Ghosts don’t go here.”

"Where do they go?"

I felt her hands beneath my arms, hoisting me up. She sighed through her nose. “Everywhere else,” she said. “Pieces of Mu. Come on, don’t stray. I think we found who you were looking for.”

“No, we didn’t,” I said, which was true, but I followed her anyway.

***

Shadow led me to an open, high ceilinged chamber. I still couldn’t see a thing, but I could feel the wind. Our voices bounced back at us from the distant walls. The space felt enormous in ways I can’t describe.

“What was her name again?” Shadow asked.

“Rene Quinn.”

Lil’s hand fumbled for my shoulder. She patted my chest instead of my back but the sentiment was the same.

“Thank god!” she said. “I couldn’t remember. I knew. I know you told me, but I just couldn’t…”

The wind picked up. Biting cold took out the feeling in my cheeks and my nose. And there was a sound. Sounds. Like a thousand dirty pubs with the volume turned on high. There was chatter, hollow laughter, tears, the occasional scream. Lonely sounds. People looking for something. You know the voice of the Dark when you hear it.

“She’s here,” Shadow said.

Lil grinned. I could hear it. Darkness that deep does funny things. “Where?”

“Over your eyes. In your ears.”

“I’m taking her home.”

“You can’t do that,” Shadow said. “You can do no better than saying goodbye.”

“Unless I can offer something else of equal value.”

“You’re not staying,” I told her. “I won’t let you do that.”

“No, I’m not,” Lil said. “Ren’s a shadow now. I’m worth more than a shadow. But let them have mine. My shadow for her. Equivalent exchange.”

The voice of the Dark came and went like a wave. It swelled and broke suddenly. I heard the dog whine. Easter tried to hug my waist. I shooed her away so I could step forward.

“You’re a clever girl, aren’t you?” Shadow said. “Clever and courageous, like all the rest who come to the woods. Well, it won’t work. She won’t be your friend. Not really. Without a shadow of her own, she’ll stay a shadow. Men need one to walk in the world.”

“I’ll be hers,” Lil said. “And she’ll be mine. We’ll be each other’s shadows, walk together in the world. Give and take, that’s how it works, right? With magic and with people. We know more than you think we do. Take my shadow and give me my friend.”

“Are you sure you want it this way?” I asked. “There may be consequences.”

“It’s what I came to do.”

“Does she mean so much to you?” Shadow asked. “You’d leave part of yourself behind?”

“It’s not just her,” Lil said. “I've known her for years. What I’ve done is who I am and she was there for all of it. She’s my formative years, man. Without her, my thoughts of her… What’s her name again?”

“Rene.”

“Without Rene, I’m not Lil anymore. Trust me, it’s an even trade. If she stays when I go, I leave a part of myself anyway.”

“And your shadow?” Shadow asked. “What does she have to say about this?”

“You tell me. Do we have a deal?”

Shadow was quiet for a very long time. Then she said: “Find your own way home.”

Those lost and lonely voices came back. They came from all sides and maybe inside too. It was painful. Overwhelming. But when I knew I couldn't take any more, they all left. The wind went with them. The sense of open space was gone as well.

“She left us?” Easter asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“What now?”

A new voice. “Where am I?”

I heard Lil squeal. She shoved me aside. Case closed. We’d found Rene Quinn.

***

It was the dog that got us out. Lil passed the leash to me so she could help support her friend. Right off, it started tugging, pulling me around.

“Follow him,” Easter said. “Follow his nose.”

The way back felt longer, but then it always does. Lil wrapped Rene up in that laughable coat of hers. Not as funny when it was covering a weakened woman’s nakedness.

Rene looked frail and bruised in what little light was left when we finally climbed out of the cave. She kept quiet for the most part. Lil did the talking, a constant whisper. Memories and reassurances, I’m sure. I couldn’t catch most of it and didn’t really want to. It wasn’t mean for me.

Outside the Preserve, on a moonlit patch of snow, Rene signaled that she needed to stop. She fell to her knees and vomited. It made the world go dim. Like a cloud passing over the sun.

“My eyes,” Easter cried. “I can’t see!”

Rene heaved again. Fade to black for a beat. I didn’t understand at first. She was coughing it up. Sicking it out. Vomiting nothing but darkness.

Lil knelt beside her, rubbing her back, telling her it was okay.

When she was done and the moon was once more strong enough, I glanced at the ground below them, looking for their shadows. Sure enough, nothing. I guess they didn’t need them.

***

I walked Lil and Rene to their place before hauling Easter up one floor to mine. She fell asleep in my arms, making for dead weight. I tucked her in and sat in her room, but I kept the knife in my pocket.

I took a shower afterward. I used a lot of soap. Mr. Story was in the kitchenette by the time I came out. He waved.

“Found your girl,” I said.

“Never a doubt, never a doubt. Hope you don’t mind, I raided your pantry. Helped myself to some Fruit by the Foot.” He paused. “Or would that be Fruit by the Foots? Either way, this is my third. I felt bad swiping from your little gal, but then I realized she doesn’t eat, does she? These Fruit by the Feet are for you. Patrick Kneel, you are a complicated man.” He swallowed. “How was Purgatory?”

“How’d you know?”

“I didn’t,” he said. “Now I do. Sir Thanksalot. Her charm showed up again about two hours ago. Just a blip, but we could tell that it was somewhere in the Preserve. Dispelled it, died or descended, remember? I took a guess.”

“A lucky one.”

He nodded. “She still there?”

“Yes.”

“Ha. I know when you’re lying to me.”

“I found her. She was in Purgatory. That was the deal, my debt’s paid up.”

He rifled through my cabinets, dug out a yellow plastic cup. He filled it with water and drank it all down. “Blah. You ever notice that those things leave a film?”

“No.”

“Purgatory,” he marveled. “Really, how was it?”

“Not what I thought,” I said.

“No sign of the Missus?” He put his frail hand on my shoulder. I didn’t like it there. “You had your heart set on a pilgrimage, huh?” He continued. “Get dirty in the forest and come out clean? Venture to the underworld, beg your lady for forgiveness?” That frail hand gave a conspiratorial squeeze. “Don’t let it get you down. Purgatory’s just a name, you know. People hear voices in the dark, they make assumptions. Doesn’t mean the one you were looking for’s not out real. But if it is, Patty, you can’t get there from here. Not until your time, you know? Anyone says otherwise, that anyone’s a liar.”

“Says you.”

“I don’t tell lies. I tell stories. And stories -- given the right interpretation -- all stories are a little bit true. That reminds me, did I ever tell you the one about the balding, morose detective?”

“Get out.”

“It’s really quite gripping, but the ending’s so sad.”

“Get out.”

He came closer. It took effort to stand my ground. He may be frail, but he’s frighteningly tall. Instinct gave me pause. Logic kept me calm.

“Or what?” he asked.

“Or I say it again. And you take offense and skin me with magic or have someone who owes you turn me into something awful or you reach inside me with your mind and run off with my soul. Or maybe you just listen. And leave. Obviously, the last one’s my favorite, but if it’s any of the others or worse, I don’t mind. Find someone I still care about to hurt. Hurt me. Try. I won’t fight back,” I said. “Tell me if I’m lying.”

“No. You’re not lying. But you’re wrong about your debt. It’s not paid up, it’s asleep in the next room and we both know you’ll keep paying for a long. Long. Time. You got what you wanted and she only makes it worse. I can’t hurt you anymore? Because I already have. Because I still am. And you’re letting me. Bold enough to offer taunts but not to lay your burdens down. Patrick Kneel, you are a complicated man. And one of my favorites. You’re the smile on my lips tonight, sir. Yes, you are.”

He left the yellow plastic cup sitting on the counter. Once he’d climbed back out the window, I threw it in the trash.

***

I got a hug when I knocked on Lil’s door the next day. The dog came shambling into the hall while she laid her head on my chest. Her hair was wet, but damn did it smell good. Her body, pressed against me, so perfect and clean, was more flawless than anything has any right to be. She stood back and smiled in her little black tank top. She’s got one of those very long torsos.

“Thank you,” she said. “Sir, you are a saint.”

“How’s Rene?” I asked.

“Better! Much better. The bags under her eyes are fading. I mean, she was throwing up all night, more of the same, but less every time. I think she’s gotten most of it out. I think she'll be okay.”

“And you? Any…”

“Consequences? No.” She grabbed her own arm. “Solid city. Still me. In fact, I feel more like me than I have in days. I’m sure the shower has something to do with that, but…” She trailed off, bobbing her head.

I muttered agreement when it was it was clear she was finished. “You look good,” I told her.

“Oh. Thanks. So. What’s up?”

“Our deal,” I said. “My favor.”

“Of course.” The way she subtly hugged her bare arms made me feel like the monster I am.

“You’ll see Easter around, I’m sure, every few days. She likes to play in the alley behind the building. Or sit out on the steps. Next time you do, I want you to take her somewhere.”

“Well, that's no problem,” she said. “Where?”

“Someplace deep in the city. A rooftop, maybe. She likes animals. Bring bread crumbs to feed to the birds.”

She relaxed a little. “Oh, absolutely. Easter’s my buddy. We can hang out any time.”

“Whatever I ask,” I reminded her. “As long as it’s in your power to do so. That was the deal. Are you a woman of your word?”

She hugged herself again. “I am.”

“Then while she’s distracted, I want you to leave her. Slip away, come back here, don't mention her again. Understand?”

Her almond eyes grew fierce. Nothing like hatred to spoil good looks or make me feel at home.

“Lil,” I said. “Kaori Kim. Are you a woman of your word?”

Next: Easter!