Chapter 2
“There are rumblings,” Thaetus said.
“There are always rumblings. Where is my ticket and the rest of my papers? I dinna wish to be delayed any longer.” Taggart tossed a shirt toward the dilapidated black bag on the bed, then snapped his fingers. The garment folded itself and slipped inside.
“Why do ye pack clothes? Ye can manifest anything ye need.” The fidgety Scot frowned down at the cracked leather tote, peering over the rims of his glasses that had slid to the end of his nose.
“I must blend in, man. Do ye ken how much trouble I would have at the airport if I showed for a flight to the United States with no baggage?” Taggart wandered around the room, grabbed a book from the bedside table, and tossed it into the bag.
“Take an empty bag.” Thaetus snatched the book back out and squinted at the faded lettering on its spine. “This one is mine. Ye canna have it.”
“They x-ray bags. They would question an empty one more than no case at all. Keep yer precious wee book and tell me about the rumblings.” Thaetus fretted more over his meager possessions than a female Draecna choosing her first cavern.
Taggart yanked open a drawer, scooped out a handful of socks, and flung them toward the suitcase.
Thaetus hugged the book to his thin chest and snorted a pouty sniff. “Sources say they located the Guardian. They ken ye are headed to recover her.”
Taggart closed the drawer so hard the dresser rocked against the wall.
“How in Hades did they discover her? They might make an attempt on her before I can get there.” This meant he couldn’t get to Jasper Mills fast enough.
Hannah MacPherson was not safe. An ancient protectiveness surged through him, pounding the message: Make haste before it is too late.
Frustrated beyond measure, he hated the idea of traveling by mortal conveyances.
But if one human caught him sifting out of thin air, widespread panic would ensue.
Chaos and terror among the population of Jasper Mills was not the way to win the woman’s trust.
Thaetus retreated toward the door. “The minion confessed. From what we gather, they found her town but have yet to find her. She should be safe for now. But as soon as ye arrive, they will recognize her for who she is.”
“Has Septamus disposed of him yet?” Taggart knew the answer before he even asked. He once interrogated a minion himself. Messy, wicked little beasts that tended to explode once ye broke their will.
Thaetus shook his head. “No. It destroyed itself as soon as Septamus twisted the last bit of information from its mind.”
“Bloody hell.” Taggart strode across the disheveled room.
“Sloppy work, indeed. I want to know how they discovered this information. Minions canna pass through the portals alone. They must be accompanied by someone gifted with powerful magic.” He twitched his head toward the bulging suitcase on the disheveled bed.
It sealed itself shut. “I need the rest of my papers now, Thaetus. There is no time to waste.”
Early lunch customers already crowded the diner, but Hannah still snagged her favorite spot at the tall counter.
A sense of ownership filled her as she slid her hand across the worn vinyl seat, still warm from its last occupant.
This red stool won the choice seat award because it provided the perfect vantage point.
From this perch against the gleaming tile wall, she could see everyone as they entered, spy on every table, and gossip to whoever worked behind the counter.
She hugged her ankles around its steel pole and propped her elbows on the counter.
This spot had been her preferred seat since she’d been tall enough to crawl up on the bright red swiveling pedestal.
And this was where she would end this silly parking ticket maneuver launched by the population of Jasper Mills.
“Well well, Miss Hannah! I see you got another ticket today! I can’t believe you blocked the fire station. Shame on you, young lady!”
And so it began. She didn’t even bother looking around. It was old Mr. Henry. He had loved Jake like a son. But now was as determined as everyone else that she move on with her life. Well, the kindly old gentleman needed to butt out and concentrate on chasing Agnes around the library.
“Do you want a cup of coffee to go with that predatory look?”
“Absolutely, Millie. Thanks so much.” Smug satisfaction filled her as she fixed her slyest grin at her best friend.
“What have you been up to all morning?”
Hannah tapped her nail around the rim of the thick ceramic cup while smiling down at the dark, swirling brew.
Millie would find out soon enough. The rich aroma of the coffee tickled her nose.
Her stomach growled in anticipation. She always got hungry after she solved a problem.
Perhaps a slice of cheesecake would be good while she waited.
“I had a moment of enlightenment,” she said.
“Are today’s pies ready yet? I’m starving. ”
“Still in the oven,” Millie said. “Enlightenment, huh?” She pulled four plates of steaming food from the window between the kitchen and the counter, then stacked them in a line down both arms. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.
” Her short, blond curls bounced with every step.
As flighty as a hummingbird, she set the plates in front of their awaiting patrons and skipped back behind the counter before Hannah enjoyed the first sip of her scalding-hot coffee.
“Okay. Now what do you mean by enlightenment?”
Hannah held up a finger and shook her head. She pointed at the oversized clock on the bright red wall at the back of the room. “Not yet. I’m waiting for three more people to arrive. Then we are all going to have a nice little chat about my car and those parking tickets.”
Millie glanced at the great black and white clock, then frowned as one hand moved a notch. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and turned back to Hannah with a pained expression. “What do you mean by a nice little chat about your car and the parking tickets?”
“You’re a terrible liar, Millie. I know you’re in on it. Fess up now and save yourself some embarrassment.”
“They made me do it.”
Hannah struggled to keep her tone level. “You understand me better than anyone. How could you?”
“Marty! Get out here and cover for me!” Millie grabbed Hannah’s sleeve and yanked. “You. With me. Now!”
All eyes in the diner followed them as they stomped toward the back room.
As soon as they shoved through the doors, Millie let go and whirled around while shaking a finger. “It is time you moved on. Jake has been gone over four years now. Four years. It's time you got on with your life. You’re a young woman. Completely shutting down is not natural.”
“That is not your decision. In fact, it is no one else’s decision.” Hannah swallowed hard, trying not to lose her temper. She started shaking and couldn’t stop. Maybe it had been four years, but feelings didn’t understand about timelines.
Fists clenched; she sucked in another deep breath.
She had to make her best friend see. “It is my decision alone. I am the one lying in bed at night listening to the sound of him breathing beside me. His scent stays on the sheets no matter how often I wash them. I can even feel his warmth on his side of the bed.” She took a step toward Millie, backing her against a rack of unpacked canned goods.
“Sometimes I think if I turn around fast enough he might be there waiting to hold me. I still hear him whispering my name. Have you ever felt like that about anyone you’ve lost? Answer me, Millie. Have you?”
Millie edged away, pressing back against the rack. Jaw clenched, she stared at Hannah but didn’t answer.
None of them understood. Hannah’s heart was a raw, open sore with no hope of healing.
Millie knew she and Jake had always been inseparable.
They all grew up together in Jasper Mills.
Everyone understood she and Jake would marry and live happily ever after.
Now Jake was gone, and so were her plans.
They had no right to tell her to move on.
“I have photographs. I saw you, Tom, and Brodie move my car today, and I bet you’re the ones who moved it every time.
This is over, Millie. Done. Understand? Matt is a nice guy, but I am not on the menu.
Fix him up with Lily over at the day care center.
She is cute, single, and wants to mama a herd of kids.
” Hannah yanked open the storeroom door, leaving her friend with her lower lip trembling.
“No more meddling,” she tossed back over her shoulder.
“And I hope everyone heard me.” As she let the door swing shut behind her, a huffing groan escaped her.
There stood Matt at the counter with ticket pad in hand and a smug grin.
Might as well get this over with and take them all out at once.
“Sheriff Matt, I would like to give you something I think will cover all those parking tickets.” With a forced smile that made her cheeks ache, she fished the photos out of her pocket.
Matt’s smile widened as he stood taller. “So, you finally decided to give me a few hours of your time and have dinner with me?”
She shook her head. “Why, no. I believe that would be unethical. But I do think these shots of someone tampering with personal property might be of interest to you. There is also one that looks like you might even know about it. See? This one right here?”
The diner became silent as a tomb. The usual clank of dishes and silverware evaporated. All conversation also stopped as though she and Sheriff Mulroney were in a deserted church instead of a diner.
“They were just trying to get you to come around, Hannah,” he said quietly. “No one meant any harm.”