“What about an orphanage for unwanted children? Or is that… insensitive?”
After a beat, Harper replied, “Bono would have liked that.”
“I’ll see to it. By the way, you left your cigarette case at the bar. It has an inscription. What’s your address?”
“Keep it.”
“Are you sure? It looks sentimental.”
“I kept what matters. Bono always wanted me to quit anyway.”
“I’ll hold on to it in case you change your mind.”
“You’re sweet. Have a nice life, Raven. And if you ever need a boost in the bedroom, you know who to call.”
I chuckled softly. “I just might do that.” After hanging up, I immediately dialed Wyatt. “Hey, is your ghost still there?”
“A hello would be nice,” he replied.
“Wyatt, I need you to ask him something. I don’t think this is a natural virus or genetic defect. I think someone’s infecting people.”
“Now that’s a twist I didn’t see coming. Hold on.”
I paced back and forth between the buildings, rock music thumping in the background. A car horn beeped a few times, some girls cheered, and a beer bottle shattered.
“Welcome to Dialing the Dead. My name is Wyatt Blessing, and I’ll be your spirit guide.”
“Ask King if he took any medicine for his heartburn. Not the boiling root stuff but real medicine.”
Wyatt repeated my question, and then there was a minute of silence. “He had some pills.”
“Put me on speaker. Did he get them at the store?”
“No,” Wyatt said. “He says human medicine isn’t strong enough.”
“Does he remember who gave it to him? Was it someone in his pride or did he buy them on the street?”
After a few seconds, Wyatt replied, “His father believed in natural healing and wouldn’t have approved, so he got them from a Relic.”
I stopped. “Was his name Graham Wiggins?”
“Yes. He wants to know how you knew.”
Graham had mentioned how he peddled medicine on the side. Not unusual for a Relic, but why wouldn’t he have mentioned treating King? Especially since he didn’t work for the Freeman pride? Maybe he didn’t want to get in trouble with Sambah for sneaking around behind his back. King must have mentioned how his family didn’t approve of Western medicine, but something didn’t feel right. In fact, it felt very, very wrong.
“Thanks. That’s all I needed.”
After hanging up, I sent Blue a quick text message.
Raven: Ask Graham if he prescribed meds to the victims. Be careful.
Blue: Where are you?
Raven: On my way. Don’t let him leave.
* * *
As soon asBlue hopped out of Raven’s truck, she stepped onto the sidewalk and made her way toward the hot dog stand. While she hadn’t spent any time in this area of town, she’d flown over it a few times. Young people flitted from one bar to another, but it was also a spot for lovers. Many were presumably on their first or second date, awkwardly holding hands and stealing glances at each other. Human courting rituals were so strange to her. Blue walked beneath the bright lights strung up all around the hot dog stand. The shop was nothing more than a long building with service windows. Most customers took their meals and walked off, but a few sat at the round outdoor tables.
