“There you go.” Jordan walked back to the couch, and burst Moes cookie fantasy by sitting down on the crate that served as coffee table. “We cant get her, or any of them, out of this. Even if we could, I dont know if we should. Theres a lot at stake.”
“Three souls,” Brad murmured. “I dont think Ive adjusted to that yet. Even knowing what happened with Malory, it doesnt compute in my head. But Ill go along with this. We cant get them out of it. So the question comes down to two parts. What can we do to keep them safe, and how do we help them find the key?”
“We make sure none of them is alone any more than necessary,” Flynn began. “Even though we know that he got to Malory when she was with Dana andZoe , its a precaution we ought to take.”
“She wont move in here, Flynn. I offered to move out, and she still wouldnt go for it.” Absently Jordan rubbed his chin, reminding himself that he hadnt shaved. “But one of us could move into her place. At least stay there with her at night.”
“Oh, yeah, shell go for that.” Sarcasm dripped from Flynns voice. “The minute I say Im going to sleep at her place, shell get her back up, or just brain me with the handiest blunt instrument. And she sure as hell isnt going to let you move in with her. Or Brad either.”
“I was thinking of Moe.”
The annoyance on Flynns face changed to bafflement. “Moe?”
At the sound of his name, Moe leaped up happily, knocking magazines off the crate with the enthusiastic sweep of his tail before trying to climb into Flynns lap.
“You said Moe sensed Kane, or danger at least, when you went into the building where hed separated Malory from Dana andZoe .”
“Yeah.” Remembering it, Flynn robbed Moes big head. “And he charged up those stairs ready to rip out throats. Didnt you, you wild thing?”
“So, he could be a sort of early-warning system. And if he carried on the way you said he did before, he would alert the neighbors. Potentially, he could keep Dana grounded.”
“Its a good idea,” Brad agreed, and began to pick a few of Moes hairs off his trousers. “But just how are you going to talk Dana into taking Moe as a roommate?”
“I can cover that,” Flynn said smugly. “Ill tell her Im moving in at her place, and well have the expected argument. Ill give in, then ask her if she wont at least compromise by taking Moe so I can sleep at night. Shell feel sorry for me and agree so she doesnt come off as bitchy.”
“Ive always admired your sneaky, serpentine methods,” Brad commented.
“Justgotta keep your eye on the goal. Which brings us back to the key.”
“My schedules still the most flexible,” Jordan began. “I can take all the time needed to dig into this. Research, brainstorming, legwork. Youve got your journalists resources,” he said to Flynn. “Plus Malorys willing and able to work with you, and Dana andZoe have already let you in—as far as women ever let men in—to their group. Brads got theHomeMakers advantage. He can drop by their building most anytime—Hows it going, ladies? Looks good. Can I give you a hand with that?”
“I can do that. Maybe you could casually mention toZoe that Im not now, nor have I ever been, an axe murderer.”
“Ill see if I can work it into our next conversation,” Flynn promised.
* * *
IT was time, Dana told herself, to roll up her sleeves and get to work. To do something positive, something to offset the nasty seed of helplessness Kane had planted inside her.
Shed be damned if she would let it take root.
If her key was knowledge, then shed get smart. And what better place to seek knowledge than the library?
It galled her to go back as a patron rather than an employee. But she would just swallow the bile and do the job.
She didnt bother to go home first, to change, but in her paint-splattered clothes walked straight into what had been a key in her life.
The smell caught her instantly. Books, a world of boots. But she buried the sentimentality. Inside books, she reminded herself as she headed straight to one of the computer stations, were answers.
Shed read everything available on Celtic lore and mythology, so now she would expand on that. She ran a search for titles that related to sorcery. Know your enemy, she thought. Knowledge isnt just a defense. Knowledge is power.
Noting down her top choices, she ran other searches using what she thought of as the main code words from Rowenas clue. Satisfied that shed made a good start, she headed toward the stacks.
“Did you forget something?” Her irritating toothy smile in place, Sandi stepped into her path.
“I keep trying to, but its tough when you keep getting in my face. Fuck off, Sandi,” she said in her sweetest tone.
“We dont appreciate that kind of language here.”
With a shrug, Dana skirted around her and kept going. “I dont appreciate your overly rosy perfume, but there you go.”
“You dont work here anymore.” Chasing after her, Sandi snatched at Danas arm.
“This is a public building, and it happens I have a library card. Now take your hand off me, or Im going to mess up those pearly whites that your daddy probably paid a lot of money for.”
She took a deep breath to find her calm. She wanted to get her books and get the hell out. “Why dont you run up and tell Joan Im here, nefariously checking out library books. Unless shes off in Oz picking on a scarecrow.”
“I can call the police.”
“Yeah, do that little thing. Itll be interesting to see what my brother writes in the Dispatch about how card-carrying patrons are treated these days in the local library.”
She flipped a little wave at Sandis face and swung into the stacks. “Dont worry. Ill make sure he spells your name right.”
Bile was a little harder to swallow than shed thought, Dana admitted as she began selecting her books. It was painful, every bit as much as it was maddening, not to be able to come here, even as a patron, without being hassled.
But she wasnt going to be chased away by the yappy little pom-pom queen. And she wasnt going to be frightened off by some hell-bent sorcerer.
They had a lot in common as far as she was concerned. They were both riddled with petty jealousy that lashed out and caused pain.
Jealousy, she thought, pursing her lips. It was, in a way, the opposite of love. As lies were to truth, as cowardice to valor, and so on. Another angle, she decided, and detoured to grab a copy of Othello, the king of stories on jealousy.
As she carted her load to checkout, Dana worked up a smile for one of the women shed worked with for years. She dumped the books on the counter, dug out her card. “Hi, Annie. Hows it going?”
“Good. Fine.” In an exaggerated motion, Annie slid her gaze to the right and cleared her throat.
Following the direction, Dana spotted Sandi, arms crossed, lips tight, watching. “Oh, for Christs sake,” Dana said under her breath.
“Sorry, Dana. Sorry about everything.” Keeping her voice low, Annie scanned the books, stacked them.
“Dont worry about it.” After jamming her card back in her purse, Dana scooped up her armload of books. She sent Sandi a wide, wide smile and walked out.
* * *
ONE of the perks of having a mature adult relationship with a woman, to Flynns mind, was coming home from work and finding her.
The smell of her, the look of her, the simple presence of her, made everything just a little clearer.
And when that woman, that pretty, sexy, fascinating woman, was cooking, it added just one more delight to the day.
He didnt know what she had going on the stove, and he didnt care. It was more than enough to see her, stirring something in a pot while Moe sprawled under the table, snoring like a freight train.
His life, Flynn thought, had found its true rhythm when Malory Price had walked into it.
He stepped up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pressed his lips to the side of her neck. “Youre the best thing that ever happened to me.”