There it was. The thing that made Greg fidget. “What did he say?”
Greg's thumb ran along the edge of the clipboard. “Something about what's protecting you.”
Dustin waited.
“He said you weren't the only person who made unwise decisions after Tyler died.”
The words made Dustin tense. He got the feeling he knew where this conversation was going—and that he wasn't going to like it.
“He was talking about your mother,” Greg said.
Yeah.
Dustin did not like this.
“I think,” Greg said, “she did something after Tyler's accident. Something that changed things.” Greg was choosing his words like he was picking his way through a minefield. “The protection you have — it has rules. It behaves like something with terms. I think…” He hesitated. “I think your mother made a deal.”
“A deal.”
“With a demon,” Greg provided helpfully.
“Do you have any idea how insane you sound right now? That's ridiculous.” Except Dustin wasn't laughing. His jaw tightened.
“It's not ridiculous.”
“It is. A stranger wearing a ducky bow tie told you some nonsense and now you think my mother—what, summoned a demon?”
“It only sounds ridiculous because you're saying it like that.”
“You don't know my mother,” Dustin said.
“No. That's why I need to talk to her.”
“No.”
Greg paused.
“You're not going to my mother,” Dustin said, firmly. He rose from the bed.
“Dustin—”
“You heard that phone call last night. You were right there.” Dustin fixed the reaper with his gaze, willing him to understand. “You know what it's like between us. You know she can barely — that we can't even—” He stopped. Breathed. “If you go to her and start asking about Tyler and what she did after he died, you don't know what that's going to do.”
“To her or to you?”
Dustin swallowed.
There was no malice or sharpness in Greg's voice. He genuinely wanted to know.
Dustin had nothing to say in response.
“Valerie told me Morrith is escalating,” Greg said, pressing forward. “Oversight is looking into your file. If the system finds the source of the protection beforeI do…”
“Then what?”
Greg licked his lips. “I don't know. But it won't be good.”
A car door slammed somewhere in the lot. Dustin stared at the beige wall and thought about his mother's voice on the phone last night.I can't fall apart on your schedule, Dustin.
