on Alan and asked, “Homer, a place to start looking?” I paused and added, “Please.”
Homer sighed. “I don’t know if I should. You play with a necro who’s that powerful—assuming this person you’ve seen is the real deal—and you’re going to get killed. Eammon won’t thank me if I get you turned up dead.”
Which said that he did know of a powerful necromancer in town.
My jaw tightened as I thought of Gran and my parents. “I know the dangers. Which is why I’m not playing.”
Marge let out low whistle. “Oh, Homer, she’s got some spine in her. Let’s see what she can do with a little nudge. Go to the abandoned amusement park. Been empty since Katrina tried to wipe us off the map. Start there, follow the breadcrumbs, and I think you’ll find your little girl at least. That’s where the kids are always taken first. The necro wouldn’t want her, but I’d bet she was close to where your gran was when she went missing?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
She grinned. “Whoever is working for the necro would have seen the kid, and they may have taken the easy snatch and grab. Opportunistic feeders, if you will. And when you’re ready and can afford it, come on back to me. I’ll unstitch you from that ex of yours.”
I nodded again. “Thank you, I’ll do that,” and backed out of the house, making sure not to touch anything, all while trying not to think about just how many kids were being taken if there was a single place they “always” ended up.
Outside once more, I let go of Alan, who stood and dusted himself off dramatically, as if it were even possible for him to get dirty. I looked closely at him and noted that the wounds of his death were pretty much gone now. He looked pretty normal for a dead guy.
“Why did you have to touch the things? Why did you use my name?” I snapped at him as I broke into a brisk walk toward the cabbie, who waved at me.
“Did you see it? Voodoo dolls everywhere! People who think that works are just—”
“Alan,” I cut him off, “you are a dead man walking around as a ghost, and after all the things you’ve seen, a voodoo doll is going to throw you off? Come on. Pull your head out of your ass. They could have trapped you!”
A chuckling sound came from my bag, and I flipped the leather cover open. A pair of tiny eyes looked up at me. I frowned. “Kinkly?”
“Guess again,” said a scratchy, familiar voice.
“Jinx, what the hell?” I didn’t dare scoop her out. “You were with Sarge the last I saw you.”
“He is gay. Did you know that?” She shook a tiny spider leg at me. “And you always have something interesting happening, so I decided to stay here. Crawled into your bag last night. Been sleeping most of the day.”
I got to the cab and let myself in. The cabbie tried to talk to me, but my mind was racing with all the things I needed to do.
Get food. Sleep. Figure out where the abandoned amusement park was, find Charlotte.
Find Gran.
Find the angel wings. Maybe Crash would end up doing that last for me. That would be a help.
The fatigue was well and truly getting to me, and I leaned my head back as the cabbie drove. “That the Homer you were looking for?” he asked.
“Remarkably, he was the Homer I was looking for,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Ah, was nothing. But don’t thank me. Ain’t good to thank a fae, you know.”
My eyes flew open, and I sat forward. “Pardon?”
He grinned. “Crash said you might need a ride. He needed to call Kinkly to him for some spy work, so he asked me to help you if you asked for anything. Personal favor to him. Let him know that I was indeed helpful, would you?”
I could have gotten all huffy and upset that Crash had overstepped . . . except he’d left the choice in my corner. If I hadn’t asked the cabbie for help, it wouldn’t have been given.
“What name do you go by?” I asked. “So I can tell him.”
“Nemeth will do for now,” he said. “And here we are. Safe and sound. Though I don’t see a house.”
I looked up and saw the safe house clearly looming under the cloud-filled sky. Lights were on in the lower levels. I handed Nemeth the money for the ride and stepped out. “Might