The Getaway God (Sandman Slim 6)

“Fuck you. Why do you always want to leave me behind?”

We’re in the little living room upstairs. I’m on the sofa and Candy is standing over me, arms crossed. Her face is red.

“What are you talking about?” I say. “I already took you to Hell once and you come with me all the time when I’m doing jobs for the Vigil.”

She uncrosses her arms and rubs her temples.

“It feels wrong. Like you’re not coming back. Like you’re trying to ditch me again.”

“I never tried to ditch you. I got stuck in Hell that one time. Mr. Muninn is in charge now. It won’t happen again.”

Candy goes into the bathroom. I think it’s to keep me from seeing her cry, but a second later I hear her throwing up. She gargles and comes back out wiping her mouth on a hand towel.

I say, “Go see Allegra while I’m gone. Has she used those big chunks of divine glass on you yet? They helped heal me when I got shot.”

Candy blows her nose into the towel and sits on the edge of the sofa just out of reach.

“Did you know that Kasabian has a date with my drummer?”

“Yeah, I heard. Hell of a thing, isn’t it?”

“Okay,” she says. “Maybe I’ll go back to the clinic and volunteer with Allegra for a few days. At least until this clears up. I have to see her for my Jade methadone anyway. Maybe that’s smarter than playing Dante with you right now.”

I slide down the sofa a little and rub her back. She leans over and lets me.

“Tell Allegra I want a fucking diagnosis when I get back. Not just more drugs that make you feel better for maybe a day.”

Candy sits up and slides back so she’s leaning against the sofa. But she doesn’t get any closer to me.

“Fine, asshole. Go play Dirty Harry. Just don’t die without me. Okay?”

“Deal.”

She rubs her temples. Her face is red, but I think this time it’s just her trying not to cry.

I FEEL LIKE a heel for leaving her alone, but I do it anyway. I make sure she heads out for Allegra’s before I take off.

Kasabian is downstairs working on his swami site while The Devil’s Rain plays on his big screen.

“You heading back down to Dixie?” he says.

“It looks that way.”

“You going to help me out with a client?”

“I can’t this trip. Maybe some other time.”

“Too bad. I already did a favor for you, so you’re going to owe me one.”

I already owe Muninn a favor. I don’t like carrying debt around.

“What kind of favor?”

“I think I found your green-­haired girl. What’s her name?”

“Cindil Ashley.”

“She used to work at Donut Universe?”