The Whispering Dead (Gravekeeper #1) - Darcy Coates Page 0,62

humble store contains too many peasants for His Royal Assness to deign to visit. Prince Gavin, Lord of Acne, gets his groceries delivered.” Zoe rolled her eyes then added for Keira’s benefit, “Gavin is Dr. Kelsey’s son. Because his dad’s oh so important, Gavin has the impression that he’s equally precious by virtue of association.” She glanced aside and shrugged. “And he still hates me for that time I called him a pimply faced toad in school.”

“That brings me back to my question.” Mason ran his hands through his hair. “What was he saying?”

Zoe’s smile fractured. She rubbed the heel of her hand over her cheeks, smudging the mascara, and exhaled a humorless laugh. “Oh. That. Mum went to see Dr. Kelsey last week and…well, Gavin’s a jerk. I guess secrets don’t survive long in this town.”

Keira turned Gavin’s comments over in her mind. There had been something about treatment and a funeral in less than six months… Her insides went cold.

The light bulb painted deep shadows around Mason’s eyes as he shifted forward. “Patient confidentially is a huge deal. Dr. Kelsey should never have discussed personal matters with his son. He could lose his license for it. That aside, if your mother would like to see a different GP, I have some contacts—”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Zoe kept rubbing at her eyes, smearing the black everywhere until she looked like a panda. “She…just needed a test. Gonna get results next week—no, don’t you dare.”

Mason had stepped toward her, arms extended for a hug, but Zoe stopped him with a furious glare and an outstretched finger. “No. No physical comfort. You’re probably filthy with germs, you repulsive plague monger.”

He chuckled and obediently returned to his seat on the edge of the desk. “All right. But if you ever want to discuss anything, or if you have questions…”

“I’ll be sure to get in contact never.” Zoe took a deep breath, shook herself out, and finally stopped pacing. She settled into a chair opposite Keira and gave her a weary smile. “Thanks, by the way. I was this close to decking him…but that’s exactly what he wanted. To get me fired. I swear that kid’s missing a few screws in his head.” She grimaced, then her expression brightened. “And, Keira, what the hell? I didn’t know you could fight like that.”

Keira managed a weak laugh. “Neither did I.”

“Honestly, it might be divine intervention that you arrived in Blighty. There are so many people here who are in need of a good punching. I’ll write you a list.”

“While I can agree that Blighty has a severe lack of rampant violence, we might want to table that idea for a while,” Mason said mildly. “I think, right now, it’s important that we all agree on what happened to Gavin. I saw him slip in the orange juice he spilled. He probably got a couple of nasty bruises on that shelf he fell against. You saw the same thing, right?”

“O-o-oh.” Comprehension lit up her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, gotcha. He totally slipped. But it would be such a Gavin move to try and blame dear Keira. The surveillance camera in that corner of the shop has been malfunctioning lately too. But at least you and I were witnesses to his clumsiness, and we can tell the police all about it.”

Keira covered her face with her hands, half laughing and half groaning. “You guys shouldn’t be covering up for me.”

“Really? Let me consult my conscience.” Mason folded his arms and pursed his lips while he pretended to think, then shrugged happily. “Nope. Both my shoulder angel and shoulder demon are in agreement: Gavin slipped, and it was one of the most magnificent examples of instant karma I’ve ever seen.”

Zoe nodded. “I doubt he’ll go to the police in any case. There’s no love lost between the Kelseys and Constable Sanderson. Too many noise complaints from the doctor, and not enough action from the constable.”

“That’s true. If he wants revenge, Gavin is more likely to enact his own version of justice.” Mason’s smile dropped. “Both of you, be careful. He’s not a pleasant character, and apparently, he’s started carrying a knife. Compound that with the rumors…”

“Rumors?” Keira asked.

Mason grimaced. “The Kelseys went through five dogs while Gavin was growing up, one after another. They either got sick or just disappeared. I’m not accusing Gavin of anything, but…that’s not normal.”

You felt it when you bumped into him. You know what he is.

Keira chewed the inside of her cheek before asking,