Tyrone:Feeling better?
Me:almost
Tyrone:Did you tell the city we killed the coyote?
Me:not yet
Tyrone:Wanna hang out?
Me:in a couple of days. xoxo
I needed to get it together before I risked biting anyone again. It apparently took a while for psych meds to really kick in. But he was right, I needed to tell Mr. Jarvis about the dead coyote.
The city offices were closed so I sent an email.
Dear Mr. Jarvis,
Tyrone killed the coyote that bit you. Let me know how you would like me to deliver it to you. I have porphyria and won’t be able to deliver it during the day. Please advise.
Tiffany Amanda Blair
Heaven wandered into the room. “I’m going to take these braids out before the SugarBoo,” she said. “I can’t get my hair redone, so I’m going natural.”
“Are you sure you want to go? Do you feel ready?” I didn’t.
“Of course I want to go.” She looked like she might bite me if I didn’t support this. “Are you trying to back out?”
“We have eternity, Heaven. No need to rush.”
“Nuh-uh. We are not skipping the first party this town has thrown after dark. Hell to the no!”
I made a noncommittal noise in the back of my throat.
“Even if you don’t want to go for yourself, you need to go for me. I need a wing woman.”
“What about the inspector? That was less than a month ago.”
“I’m not going to spend eternity beating myself up for almost draining one bean counter,” Heaven said. “And I guess you need to hear it—I forgive you.”
“I don’t forgive myself. I’m a mess. I can’t be trusted.”
“Get over yourself, Tiff. I’m going, and I don’t want to show up alone. I don’t know anyone in this damn town except for you, Vlad, and Santa Claus.” She shook her head. “That is not a well-rounded group of individuals.”
“Fine.” I’d never felt less excited to go to a ball.
Up in my feelings and staring out the living room window, I noticed a car parked in front of the mailbox.
“Doesn’t the mailman normally come during the day?” I called out to Heaven. “There’s a guy parked in the driveway.”
Heaven stopped messing with one of her braids, which she was apparently pulling out. “Do we a have a stalker?”
“Not that I know of,” I said, although my adrenaline spiked at the possibility. I might enjoy dealing with a stalker.
The driver of the car spotted us and we both ducked behind the curtain.
“Do you recognize him?”
Heaven shook her head. “If he’s a stalker, we might not. He’s probably been lurking. No one normal drops by at this time of night.”
