Modern Sorcery: A Jonathan Shade Novel (12 page)

CHAPTER TWELVE

While Naomi warned the wizards, Kelly and I went into the dojo.
 
Esther stood as far away from her typewriter as she could get as if she thought that with enough effort, she could drag it with her.
 
She did not look happy.

“I hate not being able to go with you,” Esther said.

“Everyone’s all right,” I said.

“Says you.”

Kelly walked over and placed a hand on the Underwood so she could join the conversation.

“Okay,” Kelly said.
 
“Ask her.”

I shrugged.
 
“Esther, have you seen any ghosts lately?”

“Just me.”

“Ever see a ghost who could fly?” Kelly asked.

“Or who could make physical contact with his surroundings?” I asked.

“No to Kelly.
 
Yes to Jonathan but they have to be mad as hell.”

“Poltergeists.
 
But what if they aren’t pissed?”

“Little problem there,” Esther said and waved her hand back and forth through the counter.

“But you’re standing on the floor,” Kelly said.
 
“You walk up the stairs one step at a time.”

“I can also walk through stairs.
 
So?”

“So why do you use stairs to go up a flight?
 
Why do you sit in chairs rather than fall through them?”

“How the hell should I know?
 
It’s not like I went to ghost school.”
 
Esther pointed to the back door.
 
“Your dumb Dora just came in.”

Naomi walked in and saw us talking to what appeared to her to be nothing.
 
“What’s going on?”

I turned to look at her.
 
“Naomi, I want you to meet my secretary.”

“Secretary?” Esther asked and crossed her arms over her chest.
 
“That’s all I am to you?”

“And my good friend,” I said.

“That’s a little better.”

“Um, what are you talking about?” Naomi asked.

“Come here,” I said and took her by the hand.
 
I led her to the typewriter and placed her fingers on the keys.
 
Kelly shifted her hand to the back of the machine so she’d be out of the way.

“You want me to type a letter?
 
There’s no paper.”

“Funny.
 
Look behind you.”

Naomi took her hand off the keys and turned.
 
“What?”

“Keep your hand on the typewriter,” Kelly said.

“Why?”

“Just do it,” I said.

She touched the typewriter and turned.
 
Esther jumped toward her.
 
“Boo!”

“Shit!” Naomi said, leaping back.

Esther laughed.

“Play nice,” I said.

“I don’t like her,” Esther said.

“Play nice anyway.”

Naomi touched the typewriter again, and Esther gave her a wave.
 
“You sure like to adjust your makeup a lot,” Esther said.

“What?”

“Yesterday in Jonathan’s office,” Esther said.
 
“You kept checking your looks in that compact mirror in your purse before he got there.”

“Naomi,” I said, “meet Esther.”

“I’d offer to shake hands,” Esther said, “but it’s a bit troublesome.”
 
She waved her hand through Naomi.

“Weird,” Naomi said.
 
“You’d think I’d feel a chill or something.”

“I can do that,” Esther said, “but I don’t like to show off.”

Naomi took her hand from the typewriter then touched it again.

“Playing peekaboo?” Esther asked.

“Can anyone who touches the typewriter see and hear her?”

“Normal people usually can’t,” I said.
 
“There are a few exceptions—people who are dying, for example—but not many.
 
What did Cantrell say?”

“He and Al are going to DGI.
 
They don’t want to face a Sekutar without some backup.”

“Maybe they’re smarter than they look,” Kelly said.

“Let’s hope so,” I said.
 
“Just the same, I think we should head over there.”

“Can I go?” Esther asked.

“Not this time.
 
I want you to stay here with Naomi.”

“She’s no fun at all.”

Naomi still had her hand on the typewriter.
 
“I can hear you, you know.”

“Good.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Twenty minutes later, Kelly and I pulled into the parking lot at DGI.
 
While Kelly would deny it, I suspected she was a bit nervous about being there.
 
She’d suffered through some pretty awful things in that building, and had it been me, I don’t think I’d be willing to even drive by the place ever again.

“Kelly, if you don’t want to go in, I’ll understand.
 
I—”

“What are you babbling about now?”

“It’s just that . . .”

She looked at me as if I were talking about Elvis farting UFO aliens out of his ass.
 
“What?” she said.

“Never mind.”

“Good.
 
Let’s go.”

She hopped out of the car and strode toward the door as if it were the entrance to an old friend’s house.

Phil met us in the lobby.
 
He blocked Kelly’s path with his hands held out to prevent her from going farther.
 
“I’m sorry, Ms. Chan.
 
You know you’re not permitted in the building anymore.”

I stepped in front of her before she could rip Phil’s head off.
 
“She’s with me,” I said.

He shook his head.
 
“You’re not supposed to be here either.”

“Shall I kill him, or do you want me to just maim him?” Kelly asked.

I didn’t look back at her.
 
“I’m hoping we won’t have to do either.”
 
I remained focused on Phil.
 
“We’re here to see Al.”

“He isn’t here.”

“Sure he is.
 
He and Cantrell are up in his office.”

“Frank Cantrell?
 
He hasn’t been here in years.”

“We’re going up there.”

Phil frowned.
 
“I’m not going to try to stop you, Mr. Shade.”

“Smart move.”

“Doesn’t matter.
 
The floor is empty, and the wards are set.
 
Ms. Chan here won’t even be able to get on the elevator.
 
And while you can get on the elevator, Mr. Shade, there’s no way you can get past the wards, so you’re wasting your time here.”

The elevator had a spell cast on it to prevent any magical beings from entering, but normal people were exempt.
 
As a magically engineered warrior, Kelly would be blocked the same way Naomi’s spell had prevented her from entering her truck.
 
The spell could be removed but only by a wizard.
 
It was just another way DGI cut down on unwanted visitors.

I turned to Kelly.
 
“I’ll go up and verify Phil’s story, but I doubt he’d lie to us.”

“If he lied, do I get to kill him?”

“Sure,” I said.

“I have no reason to lie,” Phil said, casting a nervous glance at Kelly.
 
“Nobody’s up there.
 
Honest.
 
Mr. Davidson came in this morning and gave everyone the day off.”

“Don’t worry, m’man.
 
She’ll kill you quick.”

Kelly looked indignant.
 
“Like hell.
 
Phil worked here when they tortured and killed all the Sekutar, and he didn’t lift a finger to stop it.”

“Sekutar don’t feel pain,” Phil said.

“Not under normal circumstances,” Kelly said.
 
“But magical pain is different, isn’t it?”

“But I didn’t know.”
 
Phil grabbed my arm.
 
He looked like he’d just seen Death incarnate grinning at him and pointing to the watch on its skeletal arm.
 
“Please don’t leave me here with her.”

“She won’t kill you until I get back.”

“That’s right,” Kelly said.
 
“I’ve been itching to torture someone for weeks.
 
We can have some good times while Jonathan’s upstairs.”

“You won’t be able to verify what I said because the wards are on.”

“Maybe they forgot to set them.”
 
The wards wouldn’t stop me, of course, but Phil didn’t know that.

“Nonsense.”

“Can’t hurt to check.”

“Let me come with you.”

“No,” Kelly said and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck like a kitten.
 
She held him off the floor as if he were a dirty diaper.
 
“You’re going to stay here with me, and I’m going to whisper in your ear like a lover all the sweet things I have planned for you.”

I grinned and got on the elevator.

Kelly began talking to Phil in a pleasant tone.
 
“I think I’ll begin by plucking your fingernails out one by one.
 
It just takes a little tug and—”

The doors closed and I didn’t get to hear any more.

It took only a few minutes to verify Phil’s story.
 
The wards didn’t even slow me down.
 
I walked the DGI hallways and checked every office.
 
The lights were all on, but there were no people.
 
The offices held empty chairs standing before desks with computer monitors still glowing.
 
It was as if everyone just up and left and didn’t bother to power anything down.
 
Phil had been telling the truth.
 
The place was completely vacant.

I stood in the hallway and considered this.
 
Naomi had told us Frank and Al were here at DGI.
 
Had she lied to us?
 
Or had they lied to her?
 
Or had they been here when she called but then sent everyone home out of fear that Ravenwood would be coming here?
 
I didn’t know and that bothered me.
 
I tried to force my doubts to the back of my mind by taking deep breaths in through my nose and letting them out slowly through my mouth.
 
This calmed me down.

I returned to the lobby.

Kelly had Phil pinned to his chair.
 
He looked ready to vomit, and she still spoke in a kind voice, “. . . rip off your kneecaps and, oh, Jonathan is back.”

“Okay, Phil, since Al isn’t in his office, where is he?”

“I don’t know,” he whimpered.

“What say you give us his phone number?”

He pointed a shaky finger at his workstation computer.
 
“It’s in there.”

“You’re not going to tell me I can’t have it?”

“They only pay me twelve bucks an hour,” he said.
 
“I’ll print you the list of names and addresses and phone numbers of everyone who works here or has ever worked here.
 
Just please get her away from me.”

“I can do that.”

Kelly stepped away from him, and he moved on rubbery legs to the computer.
 
He pulled up a file, printed it, and handed the sheet to me.

“Here you go, Mr. Shade.
 
This is the list of current employees.
 
Do you want a history?
 
I can pull it up, but I can’t guarantee accurate addresses and phone numbers since people may have moved.”

“This will do for now, Phil.
 
Thanks.”

“You’re not really welcome, but if it keeps her away from me . . .”

Kelly smiled at him then walked over and patted him on the cheek.
 
“You know you enjoyed it.”

He still appeared ready to blow chunks.

As we left the building, I asked, “Is he going to be all right?”

“He pissed his pants.”

“Happy now?”

She shrugged.
 
“Getting there.”