“Not all morning.” He helped himself to coffee. “I see you have a minstrel today. I had my window down when I drove by, and he was singing about Glo’s fuzzy peach cheeks.”
Glo opened the bakery door and threw a bagel at Hatchet. It hit him in the head and knocked his hat off.
“Stop it
!” Glo shouted at him. “I hate you.”
Mr. Ryan followed Glo back inside. “Do you have any cheese Danish left?”
“Sure,” Glo said. “How many would you like?”
“I hate to take you away from all this fun,” Diesel said, “but I have a meeting set up with Anarchy, and I need you to come with me.”
“Now?”
“I’m meeting her in the parking lot of the Waterfront Hotel. It shouldn’t take long. I’ll bring you back here after.”
I looked over at Clara. “Is that okay?”
“Yes. You’re done baking, and you can do cleanup when you get back. Take whatever time you need.”
“I’d really appreciate it if you’d jump the curb and run over Hatchet for me,” Glo said.
Diesel smiled at her. “He’s in love.”
I changed out of my chef coat, grabbed my shoulder bag, and we went out to the car.
“Why do I have to go with you? Do you need a witness to the defusing?”
“I’m not doing any defusing. The request has been withdrawn.”
“Why?”
“I suspect it has to do with Wulf. Technically, Anarchy has his power, and maybe he thinks he can get it back somehow.”
“Can’t you take it away from her and give it back to Wulf?”
“That’s not in my skill set.”
“Then why are we meeting with her?”
“I spoke to her this morning and told her we were ready to trade her half of the tablet for the real stone.”
“You don’t have the real stone.”
“She doesn’t know that,” Diesel said.
“When she finds out she’s been tricked again, she’s going to burn my house down.”
“Honey, she was going to burn your house down anyway.”
I felt my face screw up into a grimace.
“Don’t look so worried,” Diesel said. “I won’t let her burn your house down. Where would I sleep? Where would I eat?”
“Your own apartment?”
Diesel turned off Derby Street into the hotel parking lot. This was the middle of October, and it was crazy time in Salem. The streets were packed with gawkers, zombies, witches, and ghouls arriving early for Halloween. They came by chartered bus, hired limo, junker, and SUV. They mingled with the locals, some of whom already were a little nutty on their own, in the bars and shops, and they marched in the streets.