Page 58 of The Little Shop of Curiosities Cursed Object 1, The Music Box

Dad pulls the bag away sharply, his brows raised. “Really?”

I nod. “I’m sure he can appear however he likes, but he clearly picked a good template. He was tall, dark hair, blue eyes, immaculately tailored suit.”

“What was he like?” Pop asks, leaning closer to the screen in interest.

“Cool, calm, quite urbane really,” I muse. “He seemed very interested in Chan.”

“Who’s Chan?” both Dad and Pop chorus.

“A friend of Tristan’s, a drag queen. She’s stunning, looks like a Las Vegas showgirl. Lots of skimpy, bedazzled outfits with feathers. Oh my gosh, so many feathers.”

“Sounds like it’s never dull where you are.” Pop grins. “Are you sure you don’t want us to drop by for a visit?”

“No,” I chuckle. “Not right now.”

“So, when you say Death was looking at Chan with interest was it an I’m going to steal your soul kinda thing or–”

“No.” I laugh a bit louder. “He doesn’t steal souls, he reaps them, and no. He was looking at her in—well, if I didn’t know better, I’d say it was attraction. Which is insane, I know, the Grim Reaper having a crush on a drag queen, I–”

I pause when I hear a loud crunch and look across to see Dad holding a bowl of popcorn in one hand and heaving a handful into his mouth with the other.

“Whaaa?” he says with his mouth full.

Pop shakes his head and smiles.

“Where did you get the popcorn from?” I ask.

“We were watching a movie earlier,” Pop replies.

“At eleven in the morning?”

Dad swallows his mouthful. “It’s never too early for popcorn.”

“Anyway, carry on,” Pop urges, his eyes alight with fascination.

“So, Death shows up in Tristan’s kitchen, and it turns out Tristan knows my birth mother. Not only that, he’s sort of friends with her, and he’s been to the bookshop she runs several times. But get this, there’s a portal inside the bookshop.”

“A portal?” Pop frowns.

“Tristan calls it a magic door, which Death seems to find very upsetting. Anyway, it apparently leads to the spirit world. There’s a ghost inside the shop called Bruce, and he’s tied to this portal. That’s why Death showed up to see Tristan—who is a medium, by the way. I think I mentioned that before. He told Tristan that Bruce’s bones are about to be uncovered, and Sam says–”

The bowl of popcorn goes flying, spraying Pop and Circe with kernels as Dad grabs the phone and pulls it closer.

“Who’s Sam?”

I sigh. “He’s a private investigator, and a friend of Danny’s. Danny is Tristan’s boyfriend.”

“Honey,” I hear Pop say from somewhere behind Dad’s head, which is now taking up the entire screen, “I’m so happy you’re making friends. Awww, our baby’s growing up.”

I roll my eyes. “Have, I have grown up. I’m thirty years old, for goodness’ sake.”

“Yes, yes.” Dad shakes his head. “Now tell us about this Sam. Is he the psychic private investigator that you mentioned? Is he good-looking? Single? How old is he?”

“Yes, he is, I don’t know, and I guess about the same age as me.”

“Was that yes, he’s the psychic, or yes, he’s good-looking?”

I hear the door in the shop open and the little ting of the bell on the counter. “Sorry, Dad, I have to go. I have a customer.”