Everyone looked pretty wasted, except Karen who could apparently live on alcohol and loud music. Ex and Chogyi Jake had spent almost the whole night in occult work, preparing the house and shed. Aubrey had done the lion's share of the carpentry and appliance installation. He sat on the floor now, early afternoon light slanting in the window and catching the beginning of stubble on his cheek. I wondered what he'd look like with a beard. Tired, I thought, but not because of the facial hair.
"The wards on the house aren't elegant," Chogyi Jake was saying. I pulled my attention back to our little security briefing. "But they are effective. If we'd had another week, we could have done them in a less obtrusive way."
"Effective beats pretty every time," Karen said. "You did the right thing."
"What haven't we done?" I asked.
"The cargo van's still just a cargo van," Aubrey said. "And we don't know where the girl is."
"And we don't have a plan for what to do once we have Sabine safe," I said. "The part where we actually kill the rider is going to be important."
Karen smiled at me.
"I've been planning that for years," she said. "I've got it under control."
"More to the point," Chogyi Jake said. "We're exhausted. Ex and Aubrey especially, but all of us."
"All right," Karen said. "It's Friday. Why don't we take the night off. All of us?"
Ex shook his head. No. His skin looked thin as parchment, and the severe ponytail was off center. The stubborn expression was one I recognized. If I'd slept more I'd have been more patient with him.
"Ex," I said. "We aren't any good to anyone if we pass out. You spent all last night getting the house ready. The night before that was casting Marinette out of Aubrey. How long have you been awake?"
"Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath, and a glass of wine," she said. To my surprise, Ex barked out a laugh. Karen grinned and held out her hand. "Come on, Preacher-man. I'll drive you home."
I mouthed thank you to her as Ex grunted and rose to his feet.
"I've got some cleanup still to do," Aubrey said. "Just nails and saws, but..."
"I can come back," Karen said.
"Don't," I said. "We'll take the rental. We're fine."
"You're staying?" Ex said.
"I want to spend a little time in the place," I said. "Get to know it."
It wasn't entirely true, and Ex seemed to know that. There was a flash of something-disapproval, I thought-but it was gone as quickly as it came.
"Come on," Karen said, taking Ex by the arm and leading him to the door. I watched them through the picture window as they got into Karen's car and headed out along the long, winding driveway.
"Okay," Aubrey said. "What exactly is his fucking problem?"
"Guilt," I said. "He has once again failed to protect us. From ourselves, from the world. He feels responsible, and so he self-flagellates. And he lets us know he's doing it because... I don't know. Because it's more fun that way? He's pretty much always been like this, if you'll recall."
Aubrey made a low sound that might have been agreement or disgust or a little of both. Chogyi Jake yawned. He hadn't shaved in a couple of days either. Facial hair wasn't his strong suit, but his scalp had grown a downy black stubble and he ran a palm over it now.
"I want to go over the cargo van," he said. "I don't think it would be wise to do more than that without some rest."
"You need help with that?" I asked, hoping that the answer would be no.
"No," he said, smiled, and walked out the back door. Leaving me and Aubrey alone together, which was what I'd thought I wanted.
"I'm going to have to kill Ex if this goes on much longer," he said. "I just thought you ought to know that."
"He's really getting under your skin, eh?" I said, sitting on the couch. It creaked under me.
"I guess so," he said. "You're probably right, though. He's just being Ex. I'll get some rest. Things will look better."
"If I hadn't been pushing us all so hard these last few months, we wouldn't have been so fried coming in," I said. "I think