How to Rattle an Undead Couple - Hailey Edwards Page 0,43

I was happy with the family I had grown myself, thank you.

“I’ve had no reports hinting Eloise is pregnant,” he said, “let alone so far along.”

Given how troubled times had been lately, I had to wonder. “Do you think she’s hiding it?”

Lips mashed thin, he allowed, “That’s one possibility.”

The staccato blink of Woolly’s excited lights drew my attention, and I checked the time.

“Adelaide?” I verified with the overhead fixture. “We’re not expecting anyone else, right?”

Woolly moaned an affirmative, and as I couldn’t fault her nerves, I told the old girl to let her in.

The smell of bananas and cinnamon hit my nose, and I salivated, breakfast forgotten.

“I’m early,” Addie announced as she entered the house. “I baked, so I hope that makes up for it.”

The clatter of the cupboards opening and shutting told her where to find us.

“I’m really sorry.” She thrust a plate stacked high with muffins at me. “I got so nervous…”

“You’re fine.” I crammed a muffin into my mouth and sighed happily. “You’ve paid the toll.”

“Hey, baby.” Adelaide rested her hand on my stomach. “I hope you like bananas too.”

LJ, being his mother’s son, kicked an affirmative that I interpreted as encouragement to eat another.

As much as I regretted abandoning the fresh-from-the-oven treats, I asked, “Any luck finding Boaz?”

“He’s in Pennsylvania.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s the official line.”

Cautious optimism stirred within me. “You know different?”

“Do you remember pagers?”

“The black box things people clipped onto their belts during olden times?” I saw a doctor wearing one in Atlanta once and gawked at it. “Someone calls and leaves their number or secret code or something for you to call them back?”

“Um, sure.” Adelaide bit her bottom lip, but her shoulders bounced. “They’re still used in hospitals, so it’s not quite a dead form of communication.”

“What about them?”

“Boaz carries a newer model whenever he travels. That’s how we communicate. I send him short texts, and he calls me back when he’s able.”

“That’s brilliant.”

And far more than he had ever done for me. Maybe those two crazy kids would put the happily in their ever after yet.

“I spent a lot of time in hospitals with Hadley when she was little. The novelty of it stuck with me.” The amusement drained from her expression, as it always did when Hadley was mentioned, but she recovered quickly. “I sent him a text after I got off the phone with you. With any luck, he’ll call soon.”

“Thank you.” I wolfed down another muffin. “Here’s what we know so far.”

As I filled her in, she vacillated between relief Boaz’s sense of humor had remained intact and fear over whose blood had filled the bunker. I was right there with her. I wanted him to be okay, I wanted both of them to be okay, and I hated the not knowing.

“He couldn’t have left a more detailed message,” she surmised. “He wouldn’t risk leading them to him.”

“That’s my take too.” I pretended not to notice as Lethe returned then crammed three muffins into her mouth at once. “Your pager might make all the difference.”

“I have no magic to speak of.” A hesitant smile tipped her lips. “I lean more heavily on technology.”

As far as reminders go, it was a good one. I might be proficient in my brand of necromancy, and I might have Linus on my side, who was a prodigy, but neither of us thought much past cellphones and security cameras. We could do better.

Once we got around to assembling a team in Savannah to mirror the one Linus had established in Atlanta, we would have to ensure we got more than one tech guy on board. The world was advancing faster than magic, which hadn’t changed all that much, and it shouldn’t take a reminder to keep that in mind.

Linus’s phone rang, and he studied the screen. “Atlanta area code. It must be one of the landscapers.”

“Take your call in the office.” I shooed him. “We’ll find a way to keep ourselves occupied.”

The cabinets rattled with Woolly’s excitement, and she blazed her lights before dimming them again.

Our diversion, whatever it was, appeared to have arrived right on time.

Eleven

As much as Linus regretted the necessity of taking this call as a visitor arrived, he had no choice.

“Linus Lawson,” he answered. “How can I help you?”

“This is Clint,” a deep voice replied. “Tisdale told me to call, so the question is— How can I help you?”

“You’re one of the landscapers who works for my mother?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled. “That’s me.”

“Have you noticed anything peculiar during