He paused a moment and then said, “Here. Let me put you on speakerphone so she can hear your voice.” He tapped his screen and then Harold’s voice was clear in the car.
“Maisie? Are you okay, girl?”
The dog hopped and squirmed in Nick’s lap, trying to crawl into the phone.
“She’s good, sir, and clearly very happy to hear your voice.”
“I’ve been so worried. Thank you so much. I can never thank you enough.” Harold’s voice sounded teary.
“No thanks necessary, sir. I’ll get her back to you as soon as I can. Is the address on her collar correct?”
“Yes. I’ve lived here almost forty years. Thank you so much for finding her. I’ve been so worried.”
Nick looked back at me and pointed. I think he wanted to know if he should say I was with him. I shook my head. “She was found down Highway 1. It’ll be about twenty-five minutes until I can get her back to you.”
“Twenty—I don’t understand. How did she get so far away?”
“I have no idea, sir, and I can’t ask her. She looks like she’s been through something, though.”
“Is she hurt?” The tension in Harold’s voice returned.
“Well, I’m seeing a little blood on her fur, but there doesn’t seem to be a deep cut. I’d recommend taking her to your vet, though, to make sure everything is okay.”
“I will. I just don’t understand, though…”
“That makes two of us, sir. I’ll see you soon.” Nick disconnected and then turned back to me. “So how did she get here?”
“Let’s start back.” I looked back at the bridge and at the darkening sky. “And we need to call the group together to meet at the bookstore tonight.”
FOUR
The Importance of Meat Sticks
When we returned to town, Nick took Maisie to Harold’s house and I flew home. I’d explained what I could to Nick on the drive, but I was still trying to make sense of it myself. Replaying scenes from the bridge in my mind, I showered and dressed. The Justice League would probably be showing up at midnight again and I wanted to get refreshments set out before they arrived.
Luckily, I was better prepared this time than the last time the group met here. I pulled out a large wedge of brie and drizzled honey all over it—for Nick and his cousin—before adding some of the dried fruit and nuts that I’d given Tyrion earlier.
As I pulled crackers out of a cabinet, I heard a knock on the back door. Stepping out into the hall, I saw Nick standing on the back porch. I waved him in, having already unlocked the door.
“Hey.” He closed the door behind him. “I’m really glad you found that poor man’s dog. He was crying when I handed her to him.”
I returned to the kitchen and started pulling out glasses. “They have each other. That’s important.” I counted the glasses. “How many are coming tonight?”
Nick leaned against the wall, watching me, a strange look on his face. “As far as I know, it’ll be the three that were here last time. Arthur, of course, and now that Declan, the werewolf, and Arwyn, the wicche, are seeing each other, they’ll be coming together.”
Nick took a step back into the hall and turned toward the bookstore. “There’s someone on your front porch.”
My eyesight was superior, but he had me beat when it came to hearing.
“I told the others to come around the back, since you have the bookstore closed. I’ll go check.” Nick disappeared around the bookcases, moving silently through the dark toward the front door.
A moment later, I heard a knock. If it had been someone he knew, Nick would have opened the door. Since he didn’t, I followed him. Nick met me halfway through the bookstore.
“I think it’s one of your customers,” he said. “He looked at the sign but knocked anyway.”
I nodded, continuing on. “It’s probably Jeremy. If the others arrive, show them to that conversation area. There’s a floor lamp you can use in the back corner.”
When I opened the front door, I found Jeremy, seemingly stuck. He stood in the middle of the porch, looking back and forth between his car and my front door.
