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It eeks before Christ the dead My last client of the night sat across fro zo Which probablyI wouldn't, or couldn't, do Pre-Christmas was a dead time of year, no pun intended My boss, Bert, took any job that would have us

George Smitz was a tall man, well over six feet He was broad shouldered, and hts and running around indoor tracks The et from hard physical labor I would have bet money that Mr S siriernails that soap would not touch

He sat in front ofhands The coffee that he'd accepted sat cooling on the edge of my desk He hadn't taken so much as a sip

I was drinkingthat Bert,in A personalized holidayhad a reindeer in a bathrobe and slippers with Christ the le Jells"

Bert didn't really like ht bring in He'd been very pleased with h-collared blouse so perfectly red I'd had to wearjacket were a deep forest green I hadn't dressed for Bert I had dressed for my date

The silver outline of an angel glea Hi-Power 9mm didn't look Christmasy at all, but since it was hidden under the jacket, that didn't seeht have bothered Mr S as I didn't shoot him personally

"Now, Mr Smitz, how may I help you today?" I asked

He was staring at his hands and only his eyes rose to look at esture It sat oddly on the big o to"

"Exactly what kind of help do you need, Mr Smitz?"

"It's my wife"

I waited for him to continue, but he stared at his hands His hat added into a tight ball

"You want your wife raised from the dead?" I asked

He looked up at that, eyes ith alarm "She's not dead I know that"

"Then what can I possibly do for you, Mr Sal vampire executioner What in that job description could help your wife?"

"Mr Vaughn said you knew all about lycanthropy" He said that as if it explained everything It didn't

"My boss makes a lot of claims, Mr Smitz But what does lycanthropy have to do with your wife?" This was the second tilish, but perhaps my questions were really Swahili and I just didn't realize it Or maybe whatever had happened was too awful for words That happened a lot in my business

He leaned forward, eyes intense on y, that's my wife, she's a lycanthrope"

I blinked at him "And?"

"If it came out, she'd lose her job"

I didn't argue with hiainst lycanthropes, but it happened a lot "What sort of work is Peggy in?"

"She's a butcher"

A lycanthrope that was a butcher It was too perfect But I could see why she'd lose her job Food preparation with a potentially fatal disease I don't think so I knew, and the health department knew, that lycanthropy can only be transferred by an attack in the animal form Most people don't believe that Can't say I blame them entirely I don't want to be fuzzy, either

"She runs a specialty ood business She inherited it from her father"

"Was he a lycanthrope, too?" I asked

He shook his head "No, Peggy was attacked a few years back She survived" He shrugged "But, you know"

I did know "So your wife is a lycanthrope and would lose her business if it caht the urge to glance at o in without me

"Peggy's "

Ah "I a persons"

"But I can't go to the police They ht find out"

"How long has she been ?"

"Two days"

"My advice is to go to the police"

He shook his head stubbornly "No"

I sighed "I don't know anything about finding aperson I raise the dead, slay vampires, that's it"

"Mr Vaughn said you could help me"

"Did you tell him your problem?"

He nodded

Shit Bert and I were going to have a long talk "The police are good at their job, Mr S Don't mention the lycanthropy See what they turn up" I didn't like telling a client to withhold infor at all

"Ms Blake, please, I'ot two kids"

I started to say all the reasons I couldn't help him, then stopped I had an idea "Aniator on retainer Veronica Siht be able to help you"

"Can I trust her?"

"I do"

He stared at et in touch with her?"

"Let ive her a call, see if she can see you"

"That would be great, thank you"

"I want to help you, Mr S spouses just isn't my specialty" I dialed the phone as I talked I knew Ronnie's nuether, not to mention an occasional movie, dinner, whatever Best friends, a concept that row Ask a man who his best friend is and he'll have to think about it He won't know right off the top of his head A woht not even be able to think of a nas Men don't Don't ask me why