Taming the Beast

“What did you keep?”

“His hats, mostly, and all of his private eye memorabilia. He was something of a collector. His office was covered in old noir private eye movie posters, and he had this unbelievable collection of stuff, like magnifying glasses and spy gear. I have his things in my guest bedroom right now. Their boxes are still taped up, but that’s the best I can do for right now.”

He nodded. “And the rest of his things?”

“Well, I gave some to the Afótama.” She looked up and watched his brow furrow.

“Why would they want that from you?”

“I didn’t know if they wanted it or not. I just boxed up the books and shipped them via Media Mail along with a note explaining where they’d come from and asking if they could do anything with them. I didn’t really expect to hear back from them.”

“Did you?”

“Yes, surprisingly.”

“Well, what did they say?”

“They asked me to call them.” She twisted up a loose thread at the hem of her skirt and snapped it off. “You wouldn’t think that the former queen of the Afótama would be so gracious, but she is. Muriel and I talked for about an hour about my father, and other things.”

“Like what?”

“Queen Tess. Oliver.”

“Of course.”

She nodded. “I think she was trying to take my temperature on the subject. You know, to see if I was hostile about them getting together, or about the Afótama in general. I don’t know if I gave her the answers she’d wanted to hear. Muriel is very mysterious.”

“I’ve heard worse things about her.”

“I’m sure. The common lore in Fallon is that she’s a petty tyrant, but I didn’t get that vibe from her.”

“How did she seem? I imagine her to be curt and unyielding.”

Mary shook her head. “No. She was sort of, oh, gently inquisitive, I guess. Her questions were very casual and open-ended, but I could tell she was really focused on me, as if I were the only person who mattered at that moment.”

“Did that level of attention frighten you?”

“No. The focus was actually nice, and she actually called me on my birthday a few weeks later to say hello. I don’t even know how she knew, but I was happy that someone cared. I was having a bad day.”

“I’m sorry. My parents cut their ties here and moved to France several years ago. I’m on my own as well.”

She forced a smile. “Maybe each birthday from here on out will be a little less pitiful, hmm?”

He nodded slowly. “Let us hope.”

Chapter 4

Andreas wanted badly to keep Mary talking. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a fruitful conversation where he’d not only learned something new, but also felt calmer as a result of having the talk. But her stomach had growled. He’d been neglectful, and that was unacceptable.

Glancing toward one of the semi-boarded windows, he knelt in front of the small refrigerator he’d install

ed in the basement and opened the door.

The sun was still out, but dusk would arrive shortly. When the moon rose, he didn’t know how he’d react. He didn’t know if the beast inside him would claw his way out, or if the time for change was too soon. The full moon wasn’t due for another night, but he wasn’t convinced his magic cared so much about technicalities.

“You’re welcome to anything I have in here.” Groaning, he stood and gestured to the open refrigerator. “I apologize in advance for the lack of selection. I tend to shop with speed in mind, rather than thoroughness.”

She gave him a curious look, and then turned her wrist bearing the watch over.