Page 53 of A Seer and Present Danger

“What it sounds like. He holds a future still until it becomes the now, or he holds it still and can reach into it to take things out. He told me he only does that when he loses his keys or phone. Hold the future that had the keys in it, reach in, and retrieve the keys.”

“That sounds handy,” Jules said.

“That sounds complicated,” I said. “What if you doubled up on an item, producing two versions in one reality?”

“Oh, there are rules against it. One of which is that it is not allowed in Ordinary. But he insisted small insignificant items were okay to retrieve because the now he was in would disappear something else to make up for it.”

“Like one sock always missing from the dryer?” I asked.

“Yep.”

“Oh,” Jules said. “Or storage containers losing their lids.”

“That’s it,” she said. “Small things taken from a future don’t mess with the timeline. But large things, magical things, historical things, significant things are nearly impossible to nab because the current now rejects them and the demigod.

“No one wants to end up stranded in a non-viable future with the object they weren’t able to steal.”

I shivered at the thought of being lost in time like that.

“Note to self,” Jules said, “do not mess with the future or time.”

Myra nodded. “Good plan.”

“Do you think the people I see moving between futures are just looking for their keys?”

“If Vandre and his lost keys are to be believed, yes,” Myra said.

The world took a little spin.

“Vandre?” I asked. “Simon Vandre?”

“You know him?”

“He was at the diner. A couple times. He said he was a detective. But Aggie, my new coworker, said he owned an antique store.”

“Yes, he’s a detective. He might own an antique store, too,” Myra said. “He didn’t when I saw him several years ago. When was he at the diner?”

“Last night, and before that, he was there when Hugo…” My gaze ticked over to the backroom where Kenny had been attacked.

Killed. Where Kenny had been killed.

“…the night Hugo died,” I said. “Does he work for Ordinary police?”

“No, he’s part of an organization that enforces the magical law in the rest of the world.”

Jules hummed. “He keeps track of gods and demigods getting up to whatever it is they do?”

“Crimes,” I said. “Stealing things from the future, I bet.”

“He wouldn’t have a job if that answer were no.” Myra smiled.

I laughed. It was a bit watery, but just knowing that Vandre really was a detective helped settle some things for me. He threw off so many conflicting vibes, I hadn’t been able to get a good read on him.

His hand on my cheek as he leaned in to kiss me…

Okay, so my heart, or at least my curiosity, had a good read on him, but I knew better than to believe one vision was the whole future.

“Did Vandre check in with you about Hugo’s death?” I asked.