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"Okay" Booke’s unconditional support gave th to clamber to my feet "Let’s check out this arcane library"

My backpack was already in the bedroom, courtesy of Booke, and he’d staked his claientleh I think it was ood ether, we headed out to the car, and Butch trotted at , he hopped into the back of the Pinto Booke still had the keys, so when he swung into the driver’s seat, I didn’t protest My right leg was iffy anyway, and it made sense to rest it as much as I could, as much as the mission allowed

"This is a terrible car," he observed, starting it

"At least it runs And I have a propensity formy rides, so I understand why Chuch didn’t want to sell "

"I can’t iine there’s much demand for a classic Pinto"

"Exactly That’s why I don’t have the Charger or the Maverick And he took a loss on this" It was all I could do to get him to accept a ht sootten around to the body yet

"It can be hard to let friends help when you’re in a bind, but they have the coht by you And you can offer the same support when their backs are to the wall"

"You just need to call, any of you," I said huskily

"I know," Booke said "I did And you caratitude and affection war because it would be a bad idea to strangle-hug the driver while the vehicle was inwith a giant red and yellow sign that proclaimed WONDER LANES on it If that hadn’t clued me in, the black ball and white pins depicted beloould’ve done the trick

Staring incredulously, I asked, "The arcane library is in a bowling alley?"

"Would you come here to learn the secrets of the universe?" He raised a brow

"You’ve got a point" The people I’d knoho bowled certainly weren’t on quests for enlighten out, have fun, drink soh a hidden door, unless they were drunk and looking for the bathrooifted secrets were concealed better than that "Does Twila run this place?"

"She runs the whole state of Texas So the short answer is yes But she doesn’t e the library personally"

"She ers in a lot of pies," I said

"You’ve no idea" He paused, as if wondering whether he should tellThen he came to a decision "I suppose there’s no harm I know you’ve been worried about reed to step in as the curator at the library herewhen my sabbatical ends"

"That’s the deal youload off my mind But I had questions "You won’t be forced to live there, will you? I ickal prison for another?"

"No," he answered, laughing softly "It’s an employment contract While it’s true that it doesn’t end until Twila deems my debt repaid, this will be a job, not an incarceration I’m free to live as I choose when I’m not on duty Obviously, that necessitates my relocation to San Antonio, but I don’t mind I’m quite weary of Stoke"

"Then youto see the place for the first time"

"I a the place for the last twenty years has nearly squared her account with Twila, so I’m queued up to take her place"

"You don’t draw a salary, I guess?"

"Of course not But once I resolve my identity crisis and claim my inheritance, I’ll be fine And I have so"

I studied him, i Not many could endure what you have"

"Loneliness and introspection made me a better man," he admitted "I had no choice but to own my role in the mess my life had become Of course, after that I went a bit ot better"