The corner of his mouth slid up into a smile.
“So I’m going to leave now,” he said. “And you are going to…?”
Oh. He wanted me to say something? To put a cohesive thought together with my brain and mouth? That was impossiblewhile he was standing this close to me.
I went with the first thing that popped into my head. “Bed?”
“Perfect.”
But before I could do—or not do—anything, he stepped back.
And just like that, the world snapped into place: solid land formed beneath my feet, gravity clicked back on.
“Sleep well, Delaney.” He paused at my front door and turned the lock. He stepped through the doorway. “Let’s do this again. With fewer dead people.”
I couldn’t even find the words to answer that. Lifted my hand in a lame wave.
He grinned and then shut the door firmly enough that I knew he had locked it behind him.
Air whooshed out of my lungs. My head went light from the air I was suddenly gulping down.
“Well,” I said with a shaky laugh. “Well, how about that?” I smiled and bare-footed it into the bathroom for a nice, long soak before bed.
Chapter 10
DEATH CAME to our little beach town on a Tuesday morning. It was one of those rare, clear spring days after a night of rain that hinted at better days right around the corner.
Death looked similarly optimistic in his bright Hawaiian shirt over a T-shirt with the words 100% ORDINARYacross the chest.
I was on my fourth cup of coffee and the last page of my report when Death walked into the station.
“Can I help you, sir?” Roy asked.
“You may inform Delaney Reed that Than is here to see her about a private matter.”
“Chief?” Roy called.
I strolled around the divider that separated my desk from the rest of the station. To Death’s apparent amusement and my own satisfaction, Roy wasn’t the least bit concerned that the grim reaper was in our waiting area. He instead went back to fiddling with his newest Rubik’s Cube.
“Hey, Than. It’s very good to see you. When did you get into town?”
I noticed the temperature in the station had dropped by a few degrees.
“Moments ago.”
“Nice duds.”
He peered down at his shirt and brushed long, thin fingers over the riot of colors and palm fronds. “Appropriate vacation apparel, I believe?”
“Absolutely,” I said with a straight face. “Really goes with your expensive black wool slacks and shiny shoes.”
Roy chuckled.
“One must keep a sense of elegance even when one is in repose,” Death said, airily. “I believe you and I have personal business to attend, Police Officer Delaney Reed?”
“Just Delaney or chief works fine,” I said, shrugging into my jacket. “Roy? You got the shop for an hour or so? Ryder should be back from the ride-along with Myra soon.”
“Take your time. Can’t imagine we’ll have much excitement today.”
