Starlight Web (Moonshadow Bay #1) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,32
on anything that interfere with my work, or that Conjure Ink should be handling. Will that be acceptable?”
“I think that should work out fine. We’ll go over the details later, but I think this should mutually benefit Conjure Ink and your new business.”
As we gathered around the table, Tad began to tease Caitlin about her new haircut—she had shaved the sides of her long blond hair into a mullet. As I watched them, I caught a spark between the two. I didn’t think they were dating, but there was chemistry there. I doubted either of them knew it, but as I glanced over at Hank, he was grinning at me. He gave me a nod, then a glance at the pair. He could see it, too.
I bit into the fish and ate a spoon of the chowder, which slid down my throat in all its creamy gloriousness, and suddenly the work day felt like it was speeding by. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was truly part of something, and that was a feeling I hadn’t had in a long, long time.
Caitlin handed me the list of suspicious deaths she’d been able to find from Decembers past, since the date of Psy Schooner’s death. The bodies had all been found on the grounds of the asylum, and they were all listed as cause of death uncertain.
I glanced over the names. None were any I recognized, and Caitlin had noted beside each name what their occupation was, along with the date they were found dead. All the deaths had been within the month of December. There were eighteen deaths total, including Arabella and the homeless man.
I turned to Caitlin before I headed out. “I’m out. I may be back before the day’s done, depending on what happens. I’m going to scope out the asylum first, and yes, I’ll be careful. Then I’ll go talk to Charles Crichton.”
They waved good-bye as I headed out, but before I left Tad reminded me to keep track of my mileage. The company would reimburse me so much per mile for the wear and tear on my car and the gasoline that it took. He handed me a mileage pad. “Here. Get used to using it. Paper and pen are more trustworthy than some of the apps I’ve seen. And be aware that when you are using your phone to record anything, if there are ghosts around it may fritz out. We have some specialized equipment, but it’s going to take a while to teach you how to use it. Tomorrow morning we’ll go through it together.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “Okay, I’m off.”
My first task of the afternoon was to head out to the site of the asylum and poke around. I wasn’t comfortable going alone, but I didn’t want to mention that to Tad or the others. I didn’t want them to regret hiring me. But who could I call? Ari was at work. And I hadn’t had time to reacquaint myself with anybody who I felt I could ask out on a jaunt around a haunted woodland.
Then it occurred to me. My new next-door neighbor hadn’t set up shop yet. And he was strong, there was no doubt about that. Before I could second-guess myself, I pulled out my phone and called Killian.
“Hey, what’s up?” His voice was smooth and made me melt. Just a little.
Pushing away the thought that I’d like to have him explore more than just a piece of land, I said, “I have a proposition for you. I’ll make you dinner tonight if you come tramp around the woods with me looking for a killer’s ghost. We may be marching to our deaths, by the way, so think before you answer.”
Short and to the point, with a little humor on the side. But if my invitation made him uneasy, at least I hadn’t glossed over the potential danger.
He laughed. “Okay, then. Good afternoon to you, too. Are you serious?”
I cleared my throat. “Unfortunately, yes. I have about ninety minutes before an appointment, but that should be plenty of time to do a preliminary examination of the area.”
“You’re not digging up graves, are you?” he asked.
I laughed. “No, I’m not. Here’s the deal.” I explained to him what I was working on and he agreed to meet me in fifteen minutes at the entrance to the old asylum. Feeling better, I eased out onto the road, heading toward the outskirts of Moonshadow Bay.