Nights, too, sometimes." "Was he here last night?" I asked.
He looked at me and grinned.
"Nope.
Not him.
Maybe he bought up some estate's library and is staying at the store while he catalogs it.
He does that sometimes." Phin's neighbor glanced up at the sky, judging the time.
"He won't answer the door after hours.
Closes himself in the basement and can't hear anyone.
Best wait and go check at the shop in the morning." I looked at my watch.
I needed to get home and get ready for my date with Adam.
"If you have something for him," the old man said, his eyes clear as the sky, "you can leave it with me." Fae don't lie.
I used to think it was can't lie, but the book I'd borrowed made it pretty clear that there were other factors involved.
Phin's neighbor hadn't said he was working at the store.
He said maybe.
He didn't say he didn't know where Phin was, either.
My instincts were chiming pretty hard, and I had to work to appear casual.
"I'm here to check up on him," I told him, which was the truth.
"His phone is off, and I was worried about him." And then I took a chance.
"He hasn't mentioned any of his neighbors--are you new?" He said, "Moved in not long ago," then changed the subject.
"Maybe he left the charger at home.
Did you try the store phone?" "I only have one number for him," I told him.
"I think that was his cell." "If you leave your name, I'll tell him you stopped in." I let my friendly smile widen.
"No worries.
I'll run him down myself.
Good to know he has neighbors who are watching over him." I didn't thank him--thanking a fae implies that you feel indebted, and being indebted to a fae is a very bad thing.
I just gave him a cheerful wave from the bottom of the stairs.
He didn't try to stop me, but he watched me all the way out to my car.
I drove out of sight before pulling over and calling Tad.
"Hello," his voice said.
"This is my answering machine.