You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Chapter Fourteen<br />
<strong>The</strong> next few times I saw Tucker, he acted almost completely<br />
normal. He quoted movies, read thick books incomprehensible to<br />
most human beings, and didn’t have the confidence to flirt with<br />
random waitresses. <strong>The</strong> only thing that was a little unnerving was<br />
his sudden habit of smoking at least a pack of cigarettes a day. When<br />
I kissed him, it left an ashy taste in my mouth, shadows of the weird<br />
night we’d had. But since there were only shadows and no more<br />
actual displays of assholery, I pushed it to the back of my mind.<br />
It took three weeks before Daisy and Richard decided to ask<br />
him to come to another investigation. I wondered if they’d been<br />
contemplating kicking him out of the group, but I wasn’t about to<br />
go and ask something like that behind his back. Most likely they<br />
were just giving him time to recover before he stomped back into<br />
another place riddled with spirits.<br />
I happened to be free that night, too, so at eight o’clock,<br />
Tucker was at my house. When I opened the door to let him inside,<br />
I saw that his car was still running in the driveway, and Susannah<br />
was checking her makeup in the side mirror. Trouble, on the other<br />
hand, was only interested in his favorite visitor. He immediately<br />
pressed himself against my boyfriend’s leg, demanding attention.<br />
“You look adorable,” Tucker said, reaching out to touch one<br />
of my braids with his free hand.<br />
“This is business attire, Mr. Hamilton. <strong>The</strong>re’s nothing<br />
adorable about it.” I swatted his hand away and grinned. “Just let me<br />
grab my bag.” I turned and hurried down the hallway to my room.<br />
As I was checking to make sure I had all my equipment in<br />
the black messenger bag, Trouble’s barking echoed through the<br />
halls. I started to roll my eyes before I realized this wasn’t his usual<br />
playful “love me” type of bark. This was the kind of bark he used<br />
on strangers we passed when we took him for walks. Did Susannah<br />
come inside? He hadn’t ever had a chance to meet her.<br />
<strong>The</strong> barking continued, and I heard Tucker’s voice mixed<br />
into the raucous chorus, although I couldn’t make out his words. I<br />
150