“No, but she’s a good friend of mine.”
Her mouth formed a hesitant grin. “You say the funniest things.”
“Well, I’m also a member of the National Association for the Fair and Ethical Treatment of Stand-up Comedians, so…”
I saw she wanted to laugh but couldn’t quite manage it. Her next question seemed to weigh too heavily on her mind. She stuck a chewed fingernail between her teeth and asked softly, “Can you see when I’m going to die?”
I shook my head. “Sorry.”
“And now you’re lying to her.” Aunt Lil tsked at me.
“It comes and goes,” I added, lying my ass off.
“Ah.” Relief softened the convex curve of Halle’s shoulders, a reaction I didn’t expect. But, of course, she would be relieved. She didn’t want me to throw a wrench into her final plans.
But again, none of this was my problem. I only helped those in immediate danger, and even then, it had to be a life-or-death situation. Something I couldn’t fuck up too badly. Halle may very well be haunted, though I still had my doubts, but I could hardly do anything about it either way. Her impending doom could be thwarted with good timing and a little luck, so my job here was done. Now, to leave. Get up and say my goodbyes. How hard could it be?
“Are you really going to ignore me all night, Constantine?”
Why did Aunt Lil love my middle name so much? I started to cast her a quick scowl to shush her—not that my threats ever worked—but changed my mind. Maybe she was my ticket out of this situation. My escape. Perhaps I didn’t have to leave after all and look like an asshole—not that I wasn’t. I just needed to scare Halle off so she did the leaving.
I pulled my mouth into a calculated smile, turned, and looked straight at Aunt Lil. “Did your niece send you to watch over me?”
Aunt Lil stared at me, her lids fluttering in confusion. “My niece?”
“You remember her. Charley Davidson? The saucy one with brown hair and a killer dropkick?”
She came to her senses and crossed her arms over her love beads. “So, we’re on speaking terms again?”
“What are you doing?” Halle asked, her expression wary.
“Oh.” I bounced back to her. “Sorry. Remember that supernatural realm I can see into? Well, my boss’s aunt, who died in the sixties from a hit of acid—”
“That was such a bad trip.”
“—was apparently sent to spy on me.” I turned my best accusing glare on her. “Isn’t that right, Aunt Lillian?”
The woman turned and raised a hand to summon a server, forgetting she couldn’t.
I leaned closer. “Good luck with that.”
“Are you making fun of me?” Halle asked.
“What? Not at all. My boss’s aunt is sitting right here.”
Halle raised her chin and curled her fingers around her book, readying to leave.
This had worked so much better than I’d thought it would. “So, you’re being haunted but don’t believe in ghosts?”
“You’re intimidating her, Constantine,” Aunt Lil chided.
“No, I do,” Halle said. “I also know when I’ve become the butt of a joke.” The pain that flickered across her face was almost my undoing. “Whatever my father is paying you—”
“That’s not what this is…” Her words sank in, and I glanced up in surprise. “He’s paying me?”
She smiled and said softly, “Not anymore.”
Jason didn’t mention anything about money. He probably planned to keep it for himself. The bastard.
“Besides,” Halle continued, her tone resigned, “some people deserve to be haunted.”
What did that mean? “What does that mean?” I asked her shapely backside as she strutted away, her powder blue sundress flowing like water down the backs of her legs.
Aunt Lil tsked me again, her disappointment evident in her glower. “That could’ve gone better.”
“Actually, it went exactly as planned.” But why did I feel like such a jerk? “Wait, did Charley really send you?”
She winced and looked around. “Where’s a barmaid when you need one?”
A barmaid. I scoffed until the word bar reminded me. I jumped to my feet and scanned the area. “Fuck. Where’d the kid go?”
“What kid?” Aunt Lil asked.
I spotted Jason and rushed over to him, almost taking out two of his customers in the process.
“How’d it go?” he asked, that shit-eating grin right where I’d left it.
“Where’s the kid?”
He was filling a beer glass from the tap. “What kid?”
“The one with the denim jacket.” I gestured toward the empty barstool then scanned the area again.
“Oh, he ordered a ride.” He set the glass in front of a scruffy biker wearing a pink bandana, shoved a hand into his pocket, and pulled out a set of keys, dangling them in front of me like a kid playing keep-away. “He won’t be driving anywhere today.”
I spun back to the table. The clean table that a group of college kids had already taken. The redhead was walking away with a tray full of napkins, empty bottles, and a coffee mug.
“Wait!” I hurried over to her, searched the tray for my napkin, and bolted back to Jason, cringing about the fact that I had to ignore the blinding smile the redhead flashed me.
Another time. Definitely another time.
I showed the napkin to Jason. “Where is this?”
He tilted his head and frowned. “I think the question you need to ask is what is this?”
I turned the napkin this way and that, trying to make out the drawing myself. “Damn it. I don’t know. I think it’s a bridge, maybe?”
He stepped closer. “How is that a bridge?”
“It looks like it could be one. See these pillar things?”
“Pillar things?” he asked, unimpressed.
Betty peeked around Jason’s shoulder. “That’s the Arkwright Building in Spokane.”
We turned to her in unison.
“Are you sure?” I asked, checking my watch. Forty-three minutes. How far was Spokane from here?
“Yeah, it’s gorgeous. Very historic. Those are the columns out front,” she said, pointing to the pillar things. “And this part here? That’s the balcony on the second floor above the entrance if you’re looking up. But I don’t think it’s a real balcony,” she said to Jason then gazed at me in admiration. “The perspective is spot on, though. Good job.”
If she only knew. Then again, with Jason spilling all my secrets to anyone within shouting distance, maybe she did know. “Thanks.” I took out my phone and entered the Arkwright Building into my maps app.
“What’s going on?” Jason asked.
“Remember how I told you I can tell the exact moment someone is going to die?”
Three people close by swiveled their heads to gawk at me. It happened.
“Zachary?” Jason asked, knowing the answer. The blood drained from his face.
Betty looked concerned, too. “It makes sense. His dad works maintenance there.”
I raked a hand through my hair. “So, he would have access to the roof.”