Chapter 14 #2
With that, he and his bodyguard swept out of the building, Noah following at their heels like a well-trained dog.
The seconds ticked by in the tense air while the three of them filed into a Rolls Royce before taking off down the street. Only then did the room let out their collective breath, and Dessa propped herself against her desk.
Strangely though, it was Arthur who broke the silence, rocketing to his feet.
“Why in mercy’s name would you antagonize a man who could buy this whole town out from under us?
” He pointed at Dessa. “I know you’re an Uncanny”—he swiveled to Jamison—“and I’m not entirely sure what’s wrong with you yet, but even gerbils have survival instincts. ”
Dessa looked at Arthur long and hard, met Jamison’s gaze, and couldn’t take it anymore.
She burst into belly-aching laughter.
Jamison dissolved along with her, and then Melba was giggling too, all while Arthur looked on like they were mad.
Arthur’s hands dropped to his sides, his eyes wide with disbelief behind his blue-light glasses.
“This is why no one would take this job. Provoking Vampires, running after Weres, and now this?” He frowned, wrapping his arms protectively around his narrow middle.
“Unemployment is going to ruin the continuous job history on my resumé.”
“Oh, relax, Arthur.” Melba strode over and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“If I’ve been working in this office for forty-two years now, I’m sure you can at least make it through the month.
” She twisted her lips and looked at Richard, finally emerging from behind the TV.
“Then again, Richard didn’t exactly make it… ”
Richard puffed up, his color returning. “And we ran a much tighter ship than this! I don’t think I’ve seen such dangerous foolishness in all my time. But no one listens to me now. It’s the youth these days, I tell you.”
Arthur’s expression turned to pure confusion, and Dessa laughed so hard she could barely speak. “Get real, Richard. It can’t have been all that great if you died on your own watch.”
“Well, I never,” Richard huffed. “I’ve had enough of your sass for one day.” Still fuming with ghostly indignance, he disappeared through the wall to Dessa’s silent cheer.
With that win under her belt, Dessa turned and raised an eyebrow at Jamison. “As for you, talking to your grandfather like that, I think you’re looking for trouble at this point. I’m surprised he didn’t whip your hide, and maybe your dad’s too for good measure.”
“No way. I don’t work for him, and I never have.
” Jamison flashed a broad, relaxed smile, the perfect image of unworried.
“In fact, my dad warned me he might be stopping by on a recruitment mission and not to make a new enemy or something. But he’s never reached out to me before.
I honestly think he just wants what he can’t have. ”
Dessa nodded. “Jealousy is a powerful motivator, and after a week with us, you probably already know more about the PC than he does.”
Jamison’s smile faded. “And now I’m useful to him. Huh. Sorry if I don’t go leaping for joy. Why would he be so hard up about getting in the paranormal business anyway? He’s already successful enough as it is.”
Melba’s lips pursed. “Oh, no no no. If there’s one thing I know it’s that once people get a taste for success, they only want more of it.”
“And while fiercely regulated, paranormal products have all kinds of applications that make them invaluable,” Dessa said.
“But that’s handled through a different division than the Records and Intermediary Office,” Arthur muttered. “He should send you there if he really wants you to be useful.”
“Well, maybe he can put Noah to work there.” Jamison grinned, unruffled by the notion that Arthur might subtly be trying to get rid of him. “At least that would get one Kane out of your hair.”
Dessa’s mouth quirked up, feeling strangely reassured by this wrinkle in their afternoon. Because she’d been right, and Rhett had been wrong. Jamison might still be hiding something, but he was by no means his grandfather’s toady.
Arthur wrinkled his nose. “Well, I was aiming for zero Kanes in—”
“Oh, you hush, already, Arthur,” Melba said. “If we’re going to keep this office open, we’re going to need all the help we can—”
A soft chirp cut through her sentence, and Arthur screamed, nearly jumping back to his seat. Together they all turned to find a green-and-yellow budgie sitting in the doorway of the break room, as if it were weighing in on the conversation as well.
“How did a radioactive bird get in here?” Arthur screeched, edging away from the parakeet like it was a cockroach.
“Aw, it’s adorable!” Melba crossed the floor to the creature and swooped the budgie up in her hands. She peeked in the break room and let out a chuckle. “Relax, Arthur, he just came in through the window. Probably a runaway pet. He looks like a Fred.”
“He looks more like a walking kiwi with a beak.” Arthur sat down and bent his head behind the monitor as if that could shield him. “Besides, dogs run away, not birds.”
“Why is it so calm though?” Jamison looked over at Dessa with a confused smile. “It’s not a magic budgie, is it? Shapeshifter? Witch’s familiar?”
Dessa cocked her head, reaching out with her senses.
Maybe there was just a hint of a lemon-magic scent to him, but it was so faint, she couldn’t really say.
Honestly, their office seemed to permanently smell like Jamison’s peppery curse, so it was hard to scent anything in here now.
“Nah, I think Kiwi-Fred is just an Azalea Springs budgie.” She chuckled as Melba and the bird chirped happily at one another.
“Best visitor we’ve had all day,” Jamison added.
Together they grinned, and despite the obvious disdain from one of the most powerful men in town hanging over them, Dessa was still counting it as a pretty solid Friday.