“So, I’ll meet you wherever you’re headed.”
“No—Shit. Did you see that?”
Ryder nodded. “Kind of hard to miss a giant yellow flash. Power lines?”
“That’s what we’ll say it was,” I said.
“Blue Owl?” Ryder asked.
“Looks like it.”
“Piper bought one,” Crow said. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Crow, you will do no such thing.”
Ryder shook his head and held up his phone. “He hung up.” His phone chimed. “That’s the list.”
“Forward it to everyone.”
“Already ahead of you.”
“What did Piper buy?” I stepped on the gas, the standing water throwing up wings as I plowed through deep puddles.
“Hang on.” He worked his phone, fielding messages and scanning through the list.
“Well,” he grumbled, “one thing I can say about Crow. He keeps detailed records.”
“Such as?”
“Piper: good mood, French perfume, no jewelry, paid cash.”
“All right. Paid cash for what?”
“A toy.”
“Does he say what kind?”
Ryder scowled at the screen. “Solar dancing toy. Clapper. I have no idea what that is.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Does it say outside or inside toy?”
“No.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “We can ask Piper. I’m sure she knows what she bought.”
He nodded. “Plus, Crow’s meeting us there.”
“Yeah, I’d rather keep him out of this as much as possible.”
“You did tell him to clean up his messes.”
“And yet he always finds some way to mess up his messes even more.”
“Talented.”
“Trickster.”
“You sure you don’t want to get away? Little cabin in the woods. Might be snowy. Hot tub. Peaceful. Quiet. Just the two of us. Heaven.”
