“You’re probably right.”
“Fuck,” she says quietly.
“Yeah.”
We start back to the kitchen.
Alessa says, “Let’s just see how things go.”
“That makes sense to me.”
“Thanks for the cigarette.”
“Anytime.”
Candy looks relieved when we get back.
“Eat,” she says. “Both of you.”
I start on the meat she microwaved.
Kasabian comes in.
“I see you’re still dragging the necromancer around,” he says.
“What necromancer?” says Candy.
“Jonathan Howard,” I say between bites.
“Can he keep you from dying?”
“Yes. But he won’t. That’s why I kidnapped him.”
Kasabian sits at the kitchen island and glares at me.
“A shootout, dead cops, party to a kidnapping, and now we’re running from the Wild Bunch. Great to see you again, buddy.”
“Shut up and eat.”
WHEN WE FINISH, Candy says, “What happens next?”
We leave the leftovers on the island and go into the living room. I take Ray’s piece of paper from my pocket.
“Ray, a sort of brujo Carlos introduced me to, is researching ways to fix me. I gave him Vidocq’s number, but even with his help, I don’t know if they’ll come up with anything.”
“Okay. But that doesn’t answer my question.”
I hand her the paper.
“I’m going to see the next name on the kill list.”
“Hijruun,” she says. “What kind of name is that?”
“I met a Hijruun in Hell once. A cackler. He was selling some curses to Azazel.”
“What’s a cackler?” says Alessa from the couch.
“They’re weird, ugly fuckers,” says Kasabian. “Big bags of bones. And when they talk, they always sound like they’re laughing.”