Looking at the newest member of our little pack, I smiled. “I know you were only trying to help. Thank you.” Then to my boys, I repeated, “Thank y’all, too.”
And with that, I changed directions. Heading down the stairs, I got to the bottom, got one foot on the floor, and damn near ran right into Zelda.
“No,” she deadpanned.
“Yes,” I countered.
“No,” she repeated.
“Come on, Zelda. Kai is down there.”
And if he were standing here right now, what would he say?” She was getting sassy.
“He’d say, don't do anything stupid."
“Exactly.” She looked way too satisfied with herself.
“Too late,” I snickered before scooting past her and making a beeline for the hole in the floor.
Getting to the edge of the hole, I was trying to figure out how to get my badacious booty down there without breaking every bone in my body when Theresa appeared at my side. Well, I thought she was going to stop, but instead, she got down on her hands and knees and started crawling. Every three or four feet, she stopped, pulled out her phone, and took a photo. After that, she pulled a pair of light green plastic tweezers from a pocket in her uniform, picked up whatever she’d photographed, and put it into an evidence bag.
Watching her with rapt attention, I nearly jumped out of my skin and right into the hole when Theresa pointed and said, “These are burn marks.”
“What? Wait. What?” Just barely catching my breath, I looked where she was pointing and immediately scoffed, “Well, duh, there was a fire here.”
Looking up at me and rolling her eyes, the White Tigress sucked her teeth in exasperation and sighed, “Alright, Smartass. I know that, but look closer.” She pointed again. These are not from a fire. They are from something, or someone who can breathe fire.”
Before I could answer, she was crawling away and yelling over her shoulder, “And these are drag marks.”
“What are you…?”
“And here is…” Gasping, she stopped, turned to sit on her butt, and looked up at me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Nice try,” I countered in the sternest tone I could muster. “Move or I’ll move you.”
“Okay.” She held up her hands in mock surrender. “Just don’t overreact and don’t jump to conclusions. We don’t know…”
“Will. You. Move.” I demanded.
“I’m movin’. I’m movin’.”
The minute she lifted her happy heinie, my heart dropped to my stomach. I saw spots before my eyes. I’m pretty sure the room was spinning.
The only word I could get out of my mouth was, “Blood.”
“Yes,” Theresa confirmed as she jumped to her feet, closed the distance between us, and wrapped me up in a hug. Patting my back, she continued, “We don’t know who the blood belongs to. We need to…”
Lifting my head off her shoulder, I took a step back and turned my head the other way so I didn’t make her ears ring. Then I let out a scream that I am sure they heard all the way in the middle of downtown Dragoon Bootay. “Zelda!”
Appearing in a puff of Magic, she looked ready for action. Her hands were up, her feet were shoulder-length apart, and I could feel a spell of epic proportions brewing in that petite body of hers.
“No. Wait,” I quickly said. Then, pointing to the crimson stain on the scorched floorboard, I added, “Is that Kai’s blood?”
“Do I look like a phlebotomist?”
