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That was all she said, but it was enough I took a sharp breath,a little "Thank you, my lady I’m sorry about the rest"

Hel inclined her head A mortal in this situation would have said, "Just see that it doesn’t happen again," or sooddess And she didn’t say I’d be stripped of my authority and disain, she didn’t need to

That, I’d figured out h it felt like it should be the wee hours of the night when Mikill dropped me off at the cemetery to retrieve my car, it was only eleven o’clock I drove in a slow circuit around the winding two-track, the spirit lantern nestled carefully in the front passenger seat I was prepared to juhts, but everything was quiet

I should have called the chief from the cemetery--well, I should have called him before I left it the first ti alone out there under a full , creeped me out

So I drove home to my apartment I could really have used soas out hunting

Chief Bryant was none too pleased to hear froone to bed or fallen asleep on the couch watching the evening news--and even less pleased when I reported that Letitia Pal a duppy and that Hel had inforoing to be haunted in the near future, if it didn’t turn into so Dead

"Goddaht you had this under control"

I winced "I’m sorry, sir So did I"

"You should have let the departruntled "They’re under , at least long enough to confiscate any dangerous materials"

I wanted to say, "Like an ee and an Oxford-educated lawyer, sir," I said huhter I didn’t think it would be good for Pee if they were picked up on trues"

Well, that was half true I hadn’t known Letitia would show up, but it hy I’d decided not to involve the depart Eested he agreed, but he wasn’t prepared to give et the word out So this spirit lanternyou’re ready to tackle the restless undead?"

"Absolutely," I said "Well, as soon as I stop at the hardware store for a ha," the chief said before hanging up

Feeling hollow, I pouredMaonna be all right It didn’t work Big Mama may have felt it in her bones, but not even the blues ht Not even with Muddy Waters on guitar

I’d screwed up

God, and it had been so close If Jojo hadn’t chosen that exact moment to intervene, my plan would have worked Mrs Palmer hadn’t expected anyone to just try to snatch her precious pickle jar Hell, it had worked when I tried it the second time with the cowry shell charm Take one fouletting praise instead of a dressing-down

Justgah!

Flopping ontoseethe laced with equal parts self-pity and castigation, finishing with a firm resolution to trust my own instincts in the future Then I set et to the hardware store as soon as it opened, and went to bed I probably ought to own a hammer and nails anyway

As it happened, I didn’t need the alar It was still pitch-dark out and I had to fuhtstand to find the phone

"Daisy" The chief’s voice was griht "Is it ghosts? Or zo up

I threw on yesterday’s clothes, buckled dauda-dagr around rabbed the spirit lantern just in case, and hustled out to the ceht rain

The chief hadn’t told me where to meet him, but it was a suessed As soon as I turned onto the two-track, I saw a pair of cruisers parked under the pines in front of Talan’s mausoleuhts

Chief Bryant and Ken Levitt, one of the younger officers hohts in hand

"What is it?" I asked apprehensively

"Grave’s been robbed" The chief beckoned to r’s hilt "You’re sure it’s not zo from the door of the mausoleum One side of the U-shaped shackle had been sheared clean through "Not unless they were using bolt-cutters"