"No. Kristjana."
"Is she a lover, too?" she asked hesitantly.
I smiled. "No, she's a woman who runs the religious cult I mentioned earlier. Kristoff said she'd try to kill me, but I think I know a way around that."
She opened her mouth to say something, but pounding on the door halted her.
"Magda? Are you in there?"
"Denise!" Magda hissed.
I spun around in the tiny bathroom. It consisted of a sink, toilet, and mirror, with a tiny window that would be impossible for more than one of my legs to fit through. "Crap! I have to hide!"
"Here. Put this on and hide your face," Magda said, shoving the wig at me before turning to bellow at the door. "Just a second! Give a girl a chance, for cripe's sake."
"Are you all right?" Denise called, her voice filled with suspicion. "Who are you talking to?"
"I popped my zipper, if you must know, and this lady is helping me get decent."
I hurriedly stuffed my hair back under the wig and draped the long tresses around my face.
"You ready?" Magda asked, her hand on the door lock.
I nodded and dipped my head.
Magda unlocked the door and shoved her way out, pushing herself directly in front of Denise, acting as a human screen for me. "Just the person I need. I think I have something in my eye. Do you see anything?"
Through the wall of hair hanging over my face, I could see Denise trying to get a look at me over Magda's shoulder, but the latter adroitly stepped to the side and blocked her view. I hurried into the little room I'd used before, counting to twenty before poking my head out. I just caught the sight of Magda whisking Denise back into the main room. I sent her another mental thanks and shucked my flimsy outfit.
Someone spoke as I left the room.
"What? Sorry? I'm... a bit light-headed. Do you speak English?"
The man, who wore a reproduction Viking outfit of leather and wool, carrying a huge tub of ice cream, nodded. "English, yes. You sick?"
"Just need a breath of fresh air. Is that the way out? Great. I'll just get a little air and then get back to the show. It's great so far," I said as I hurried out the door to freedom.
I was about a block away when I was grabbed from behind.
"Gotcha!" Magda said, laughing when I clutched my chest. I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, looking around for anyone else.
"I'm coming with you. You don't think I'd miss meeting Alec and Karl and your murderous husband, do you?" She grinned. "This is the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me, and I'm not going to miss one single moment of it!" "You're insane."
"I know, but it's better than being bored, don't you think? Where are we going?"
"The library." I gave Magda a very stern look. "You really should not be getting involved in this."
She whapped me on the arm with the bottle of water I'd given her earlier. "I already am involved. You're wanted by the police, you know. And I helped you escape. That's aiding and abetting or something like that, so I figured as long as I'm in it for that, I might as well have some fun out of the whole thing. Why are we going to the library? Is that where the murderer is? I've never seen a murderer up close. Are you sure it's safe?"
"I don't know where Kristoff is," I said, somewhat bemused by her enthusiasm for something that seemed so horrible to me. "And honestly, I don't want to know. There are some... er... people in the library. Magda..."
I stopped outside the window that I had used to leave the library, biting my lip as I considered the woman standing beside me. I didn't quite know how I was going to explain the ghosts and the whole bit about being a Zorya.
"What? If it's about me being here, don't worry. I told Raymond that I needed some time to myself, and that I'd see him tomorrow." Dimples burst forth on her cheeks as she grinned. "Since we've been going at it rather fast and furious the last few days, I think he was only too happy to get a decent night's rest."
"It's not that I'm worried about. It's... well... do you believe in life after death?"