Chapter 25 The Baking Has Resumed
TWENTY-FIVE
The Baking Has Resumed
I was on the floor in Declan’s arms again. “Did you catch me or pick me up?”
He grinned. “Guess.”
“It was damned impressive,” Osso grumbled. “He saw you start to go down, ran, and slid so he was under you when you hit.”
“Awww.” I patted the arm around me. “Thanks.”
The attendant with the gurney had pulled it back into the room but was watching me through the open door. Apparently, I was tonight’s floor show. Literally.
“That bag is evidence,” Hernández said. “Did you see something?”
I nodded. “That’s the bag the woman with the little girl was stuffed in.” I told them the rest of what I’d seen.
Kaknu was recording me, while the other two took notes. When I finished, Kaknu asked, “So the building they were in was brick?”
I thought a moment. “Yes.”
“Describe the alley,” Osso said.
I tried to get up, and Declan helped. I must not have looked as shaky coming out of it this time.
“It was dark, but my impression was tall buildings on either side. They seemed run-down. It didn’t feel residential.
” I noticed the pearl on my chest and dropped it back down the neck of my shirt.
“These are only impressions, okay? It didn’t feel alive.
It had an abandoned feel, like a factory where everyone’s left for the day or something.
I don’t think any of those buildings were apartment houses.
It felt more industrial. Maybe some condemned buildings thrown in? ”
I considered the way he had checked the alley again. “Also, if there might have been people looking out their apartment windows, I think he would have been more nervous and cautious.” I shrugged. “Just impressions, though.”
“No names this time?” Hernández asked.
When the attendant tried to sneakily film me, I held up a hand to block him, but Kaknu was already there, ripping the phone from his hand, snapping the badge off his lab coat, and telling him to take a break.
He handed both to Osso. “He’s one of yours. You write him up.”
Osso gave a long-suffering sigh and slipped the items into his pocket.
“We’re going to try to get out of here again,” Declan said, ushering me down the hall. “No one stop us or talk to us.”
I held up my hand in a wave, but I was right there with him. I was done.
Once we were in the car and driving away, the tension in my body finally drained away and my mind began to wander. “Hey, we have a bunch of people coming over tomorrow night. What are we serving?”
“Tilt your seat back and relax.” He tapped the screen on the dash and quiet classical music filled the SUV. “I have a tri-tip I can barbeque.”
Using the buttons on the side, I lowered the seat back and reached over my head for his coat to use as a blanket again.
“This smells like you. It’s nice.” On a long sigh, I closed my eyes and settled in for the ride.
“You can barbeque zucchini again. That was really good. I can make a balsamic glaze for them.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Mom’s name. “Hey, Mom. Good timing. I’ve been meaning to call you all day.”
“Did something happen to you too?”
“Too? Why? What happened to you?” There was something I was supposed to call Mom about besides dinner. What the heck was it?
“Someone tried to bypass the wards on the yellow house. I felt it when it happened. I wasn’t sure which wards had been tripped, but I felt it.
I got a call a few minutes later from our neighbor, Mrs. Rasul.
She said the trees in front of the house had been set on fire.
She’d called the fire department, then me. ”
“Oh, no,” I groaned. “Those trees were beautiful. What kind of a psycho burns down trees for no reason?”
Declan whispered, “The Swans may not know that your mom doesn’t live there anymore.” With his werewolf hearing, he always got both sides of a telephone conversation.
“Declan brings up a good point, Mom. If it was the Swans, they may not know you don’t live there anymore. As far as Catherine is concerned, Coreys have always lived in that house.”
I remembered what I needed to ask. “Wait. Before I forget. Two things: Can you come over to our new place tomorrow for dinner? We need to discuss all things Swan. Elizabeth’s family will be there, Bracken, Hester, and hopefully you.”
“I remember. We discussed it at the gallery,” Mom said.
I shook my tired head. “Right. Forgot.”
Declan reached over and rubbed my hip.
“Second thing: When you contacted the Wicches’ Council, did you give them the names of the Corey Council members?”
Mom paused. “I did. Why?”
“Someone—we think the same Swan who tried to curse the gallery and our new place two nights ago—went for Elizabeth’s family last night.
We couldn’t figure out how they would even know to target them.
You haven’t announced Faith’s induction to the Corey Council yet.
Bracken was the one who wondered if the information got to the Swans by way of the Wicches’ Council. ”
“Oh, dear. I think he could be right,” she said. “And now the Swans have attacked the Pacific Grove house.” She sighed audibly. “I was hoping with the end of sorcery in our family, we’d have a little peace. Tomorrow, I’ll do some digging and see what I can discover. We’ll discuss it at your place.”
“Thanks, Mom.” When I disconnected, Declan was pulling around his workshop to park by the back steps.
As we climbed the stairs, I asked, “Potatoes, pasta, or rice?”
“Hmm, they all sound good, but I’m going to go with potatoes.” He lifted his head to the wind, scenting his property.
“Anything?” I asked as I flicked my fingers, unlocking the door.
He shook his head. “We’re fine. They’re going to start construction on the new fence tomorrow.” He put my backpack down by the umbrella stand, locked the door, and followed me into the kitchen. “I believe they’re starting work on Bracken’s addition tomorrow as well. Different crew, of course.”
“Good. I know it won’t be too different from his RV, but it’ll feel more permanent, and I love that.” I opened the refrigerator to check ingredients. I had rolls I could heat for dinner tomorrow night, but I also had an idea for something I wanted to make for dessert.
Thought of Bracken’s new place had me slamming the refrigerator door and spinning toward Declan. “I have an idea.”
He sat at the table. “Let’s hear it.”
“You know that corner room I had the contractor make me in the gallery?”
“Sure,” he said. “Your readings room.”
“Yes.” I went back in and started pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator.
He held up his hand. “Wait. What are you doing? I thought we were going to bed.”
I glanced up at the clock. He was right.
It was late. “You should go sleep. I’m wide awake.
I’ll get the first part of tomorrow night’s dessert done tonight.
I’ll make the dough, let it rise, then chill it overnight.
” I opened a drawer and grabbed a pair of thin rubber gloves, pulling them over my regular gloves.
I did a quick cleaning spell on the island, though it was already spotless.
“About the room. I haven’t been giving readings like I used to. It’s been too busy. I’d thought I’d need to keep doing them in order to make ends meet, but I don’t. So, I was thinking about repurposing that room.”
I got to work making a croissant dough while Declan watched. The key to a good croissant? Lots of butter and perfect lamination.
“What do you want to use the room for now?” he asked.
In between measuring ingredients, I explained.
“A transition between Bracken’s place and the gallery.
We put a door in the outside wall, so Bracken can walk in whenever he wants.
The corner room will be a nursery and later a playroom.
We can have them install a half bath in the corner.
A wet bar area with a small refrigerator.
A changing table and crib. Then she’s right there.
I can sneak off the floor to feed her or play with her, but it’s also connected to Bracken’s place, so he can be with her or take her into his apartment. ”
I turned off the stand mixer. “Damn it. I wasn’t paying attention. Did I add sugar?”
Declan rolled with the subject change. “I believe so,” he said. “I smelled sugar when you opened that canister on the left.”
“Good enough. So, what do you think?” I put the dough in the proofing drawer, set a timer on my phone, then started cleaning up. I had three hours until the next step.
“I love the idea,” he said. “I need to make two cribs and two changing tables.” Grinning, he added, “I’ll enjoy designing those.”
A wave of exhaustion hit me. “I’ve changed my mind,” I told him. “Let’s go to bed. My second wind has left me. I’ll get up in three hours. The next step is super fast and easy. After that, it’ll need more time to rise, during which I can hopefully go back to sleep.”
And that was what we did. I actually slept most of the night, which was wonderful. In the morning, I did the lamination while Declan made us breakfast. I put the dough in the refrigerator to chill, then went to the table, where he was waiting for me with scrambled eggs and sausages.
Unfortunately, the smell of the food made my stomach roll and my mouth sour. I dashed to the bathroom. At least my hair was already tied up for a day working in the hot shop. After getting sick and brushing my teeth, I headed back, feeling a little more steady.
When I walked back in the kitchen, Declan was looking through the refrigerator. “Would something else be better on your stomach? Maybe some yogurt and fruit?”
I went to him and hugged him far longer than the question warranted.
“How’d I get so lucky?” Patting his chest, I said, “Breakfast looks great. Bracken gave me some drops to help with morning sickness. I’ll put them in my juice and I should be fine.
” I took the little vial my great-uncle had given me from the cupboard and brought it back to the table, putting two drops into the cranberry juice Declan had poured.
As we started to eat, Declan said, “I think I’ll have four chairs done by tonight. The other five of us will need to use folding chairs.”
I counted off on my fingers. “Mom, Bracken, Elizabeth, and Hester.”
He nodded. “I have the tri-tip marinating in the fridge. I’ll take care of the zucchini and peppers. Do you need help with the potatoes?”
I shook my head. “I need to make the filling for the spiral croissants, but that won’t take long. I won’t bake them until we’re finishing dinner. As for the potatoes, I was thinking about cubing and baking them with rosemary, oil, and salt. Nothing fancy.”
He nodded. “I think we’re good then.” He finished his plate and asked, “What are you working on today? You said too many octopuses in a row make you crazy.”
Grinning, I swallowed a bite of eggs. “It’s a surprise. One I can hopefully get done before tonight.”