“When I was sitting right behind you and overheard her telling you that Jason’s a shapeshifter?”
Roz gasped. “You heard that? You know?”
“Yes. I was quite impressed with how well you handled the news. I liked how you were there for your friend, no matter what she said or how crazy it sounded. You must be a very open-minded woman.”
She hung her head. “I may not be quite as open-minded as I seemed. I actually want to keep an eye on Merry. I can’t do that from Allston. But if she knew my intent, she’d kill me. Her family has been overly protective her whole life. I don’t want her to think I am too.”
“But you’re worried about her.”
“Naturally. She’s my best friend. I don’t want to doubt her sanity, but shapeshifters? Really?”
“You’re not willing to entertain the possibility of aliensorshapeshifters?”
“I never said that.” Roz sighed. “Look, I’m used to logic and objectivity. If I can’t see it with my own eyes, there has to be some kind of explanation. I can’t just flex the laws of physics on someone’s say-so. You have to admit the whole idea is kind of weird, and she means the world to me. I don’t want to see anything bad happen to her.”
“Bad? Like what? Are you afraid it’s going to rub off on her?”
“No…yes…hell, I don’t know. I can’t imagine why Jason would make that up. I mean, how did you take it? Weren’t you a little weirded out?”
“I was surprised, but not weirded out. Isweirdeda word?”
“It is now.”
He smiled and bumped her arm playfully. Then he cleared his throat. “You may have moved to the wrong place if you’re easily, um, weirded.”
“Yeah, now that I know there’s a ghost here as well as an alleged shapeshifter. Holy crap.”
Konrad glanced the other way and mumbled something under his breath.
“What was that?”
“Oh look, there’s the moving van.”
“Yup. It looks like their GPS is working.”
Konrad kissed her on the forehead, rose, and jogged down the stairs to meet them, as if he were the one moving in.
Surprised, Roz touched the spot, and it tingled.He’s like a big, friendly Great Dane. Jeez, I hope he’s not gay.
***
Konrad slid into a booth across from his identical twin brother. “Nicholas, we’ve got to be even more careful now. A lawyer has moved into my building. She’s a public defender, but they know people.”
“Crap. First a private dick, and now a lawyer. Like attracting like again?”
“Maybe. This one’s cute though. Kind of has that sexy secretary thing going on. Looks innocent as vanilla, but underneath there’s something very spicy. She even smells like cinnamon.”
“Steer clear, bro. She could be trouble.”
Konrad leaned against the padded vinyl back. “What if I don’t want to?”
Nicholas leaned back too and folded his arms. “Are you out of your mind? Should I remind you what you do for a living? A thief and a lawyer aren’t a match made in heaven—unless God has a really twisted sense of humor.”
“The attempted-robbery gig is temporary. It’s always been temporary. Besides, her job sounds temporary too. She’s trying to find a whole new line of work. Being an attorney doesn’t agree with her.”
Nicholas grinned and leaned forward. “Maybe she could become a librarian.”
Konrad almost sighed aloud as he fantasized. “Wouldn’t that be nice? I can picture her in glasses, riding the rolling ladder in my living-room library.”
