Chapter Nine
Ifiled reports,made Hatter give me back Abner, who he’d kept on the corner of his desk while he handled his ownpaperwork.
Hatter, the traitor, actually liked knock-knockjokes.
I hated him alittle.
Dawn came late in October, so Abner was still animated by the time my shift wasover.
“Want me to keep him?” Hatterasked.
“No. He’s my problem and basically patient zero. I’m keeping an eye onhim.”
“We could lock him up in evidence with the duffle-bag gnomes. There’s a safe backthere.”
“You’re not supposed to know about thesafe.”
“Wouldn’t be much of a police officer if I’d missed a big obvious lockedsafe.”
“Hidden in the wall where no one should belooking.”
“Even more reason to find it.” He frowned a little. “What’s really bothering you, Jee-Jee?”
“Zombie gnomes aren’tenough?”
Hewaited.
Here’s the thing. Hatter was pretty new to town. He knew about the monsters and gods and all the other craziness of the place. But I didn’t know if I should tell him that Death was coming to town tomorrownight.
Because no matter how Death tried to charm Delaney, I had a sinking feeling he was here for more than just haunted houses and apple bobbing. I had a sinking feeling he was here to do his job. To actually collect someone who was about todie.
I searched my sense-of-wrongness. Didn’t get a hard ping like I should. But then, most of my doom twinges only happened right before the terrible possibility was about to become a terriblereality.
So I could be right about death, or totallywrong.
It was stupid, this power ofmine.
It was quiet in the station, most of the town still asleep. Only the crunch of Hatter feeding Abner baby carrots filled the room. Not that Abner was swallowing the carrots, but the crunchy vegetables kept him occupied, and better yet, had ended the constant knock-knockjokes.
Hatter cleared his throat. “Tell me. The more transparent these things are, the better we can all make good decisions if things go tocrap.”
I blew out a breath. “Death was heretoday.”
“I read thereport.”
“He’s comingback.”
“For the Halloween celebration, and to deal with our little zombie problem,right?”
“Yes. That’s what hesays.”
“You don’t believehim?”
“I just...I’m worried that there’s more to it. Things seem to go sideways when he gets involved. That whole thing with the vampire and Delaney...gettinghurt.”
“Well, we’ll all be there. We’ll keep an eye on him. Make sure he follows the rules,” Hatter said. “I’m sure Ryder would be happy to dog him. If Death steps out of line, Ryder and that god of rules who owns him will zap him right back intoplace.”
“I’m not sure it works that way,” Imumbled.
