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Jen slid into her seat "Well, that would really hed "No kidding"

The three of us sat in silence for a fewour beers

"Hey, is that video rental place that no one ever goes to still open?" I asked Jen "The one next to the dollar store?"

She shook her head "It closed down Why?"

"Because you still need sheets," I said "And this conversation’s given e to watch Ghostbusters"

Thirty-three

On the first day of October, the calendar on Lee’s awesome database sent e that E tomorrohich would have been four weeks to the day from her ultimatum Not that I needed the reminder, but it was nice to knoorked

Anyway, no E by the date Accordingly, I received a second reminder two days later I’d entered both dates into the calendar just in case

It’s funny, but it never occurred toless than literal about her one-ht say, "I’ll be back in a ht schedules and availability But nunificance in the eldritch community A month meant asysteho sensed it first I was at hoh the 2009 X-Files I should have been practicing psychic shield drill, but it was already late afternoon and I was too jittery to concentrate At a little after three thirty, Mogent fro, caterwauling wild thing flinging himself at the nearest , claws splayed

My heart skipped a beat "What the hell, Mog?"

I went to theto look Across the park, the eldritch equivalent of a rugby scruoblins, and pixies, scri, thorny li at a decibel level barely within wai behind, I clattered down the stairs just in ti like linebackers--okay, I’ a fourth to race free of the pack

"Tuggle?" I peered at hiained the alley Behind him, the scrum broke apart in disappointment One lucky tourist snapped frantic photos before the disentangled fey winked out of visibility and the park abruptly sprouted a nu of poisonous leamed "The sister is back!" he announced triuet a clean slate in your ledger?"

"Right," I said "So where is she now?"

Tuggle’s hooked nose twitched "What do you mean now? She drove into town in a car like before You said the first to tell you when," he said in an accusatory tone "You didn’t say to tell you where"

"I thought it was--" I abandoned the thought in midsentence "Never mind Can you find out where she is now? Then I’ll owe you"

"Ha!" a fareen arht bosom "The sorceress has purchased residence in the saht to keep watch there And now thy debt toher stance, I folded s beat at an agitated pace and her luminous lavender eyes narrowed "I assumed--"

I interrupted her "You knohat they say--"

Jojo hissed at le scowled and fingered his nose

"Okay, okay!" I sighed "Jojo, just keep an eye on her and stay out of sight Let o anywhere For Sinclair’s sake Do that and I’ll owe you Deal?"

The fairy sniffed "Thou hast a deal, scullion"