9
Breakfast smoothie in hand, I had almost reached the shop when I heard someone call my name.
Ms. Hampshire hustled across the street, waving to make sure I waited on her.
“Good morning.” I greeted her with a smile. “Does Frank need more tea already?”
Her partner, Frank, depended on a respiratory tea blend to ease his emphysema symptoms.
“No, no, nothing like that.” She darted a glance up and down the street. “Can we talk?”
“Of course.” I gathered she meant in private and let her into the empty shop. “What’s on your mind?”
“A woman came to the diner yesterday. She told Frank her little brother ran away from home, and she’s desperate to find him. She implied he’s mentally ill and needs his medication. He’s over eighteen, so there’s nothing the police can do.” She wrung her hands. “We didn’t tell her anything, but I saw her making the rounds. She’s hoping to buy herself information.”
There were several reasons why she might expect me to get involved, but I was curious which one had prompted this. “Why did you bring this to me?”
“The other day, I was locking up as the girls were going to their car. They were talking about a handsome stranger that came to your shop. They mentioned he was beat up, and that you spoke to him.” She dropped her voice. “You work with the police now, right? On abuse cases?”
Thanks to the break-in at the shop, the whole town knew about my new part-time gig with “the police.”
“I do, yes, and I did talk to the young man.” I took her hands. “You were right to tell me.”
“Can you help the boy?” She peered around me, like I might have stashed him behind the counter. “Can we?”
The opening was perfect for seeding an idea that would have time to blossom over the next few days.
“He might stay here. He has no other family.” I squeezed her fingers. “For that to work, he’ll need a job.”
“We’re always slammed this time of year. He’s welcome to wait tables at the diner.”
“Thank you.” I released her. “I’ll let him know about your generous offer.”
“What about his sister?” She worried the tie on her apron. “What should we do?”
“Leave her to the police.” I locked gazes with her. “She’s dangerous.”
“I’ll let the others know.” She set her jaw. “We don’t cater to bullies in Samford.”
After a quick hug, she marched out the door and into the store beside the diner.
Already word was traveling, and fast, that Aedan was to be protected, and it was a revelation to find myself on this side of the equation. Had this been what happened to me—for me?—when I first arrived? Who had taken the backstory I created and deemed me worthy of safe harbor? Had the store owners rallied? No. I hadn’t been one then. My neighbors must have carried word of my situation into town, and the news spread from there.
As I stocked the shop for the day, waiting on the girls to arrive, I heard a muffled yelp and recalled the spot in the sidewalk in need of patching. I went up front and popped my head out the door to make sure no one required help and found Delma pinning Camber to the wall with a hand around her throat.
“Release her.” I stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Or else I’ll call the police.”
“You mean the two officers in your pocket?” Her smile was feline. “They’re an hour away.”
How she knew Clay’s and Asa’s location, I wanted to ask, but it would give her too much satisfaction.
With Agent Barker responsible for trucking in the dobhar-chú, and Delma’s appearance in town, I wasn’t stretching to reach the conclusion that the rogue Black Hat agents had formed alliances with other factions to aid them with their end goal.
The rogues were all black witches, to date. With black witches and daemons so reviled, who was going to work with either of those factions except each other?
The angle was wrong for me to pry Delma’s hand off Camber, so I swung my fist at the side of Delma’s head. It snapped to the side, and her grip loosened. I grabbed for her thumb, yanking back until it broke, and freeing Camber, who stumbled away. Delma snarled, inhuman in her rage, and flew at me. I landed a kick to her gut that knocked her to the concrete in a sprawl.
“Get to the shop,” I ordered Camber. “Lock the door behind you.”