Page 90 of A Seer and Present Danger

“Back seat,” I said. “I think we need to look in the back seat of my car.”

“What’s in the back seat of your car?” She stood and glanced out the diner’s door.

I laughed. “I don’t know, let’s go find out.”

Aggie had remained stubbornly silent on the floor while we waited for the police to arrive.

Delaney and Myra had been the first through the door, followed by Hatter, Shoe, and Sage and Page who had brought the ambulance.

The vampire EMTs had headed back to Gail and Charles who were awake but still disoriented. A clunk on the back of the head would do that to a person.

Buzz had closed the restaurant for the day and the rest of us had stayed behind.

He had given his statement (several times) and was now out in the parking lot, chatting with people who drove in, letting them know we’d be up and running by tomorrow, and giving them suggestions for other restaurants they could find on their route.

Vandre was still here, too, sitting in what I was starting to think of as his booth by the door, drinking coffee and being questioned by Myra.

He caught my gaze as I started toward the door, and the smile he gave me was encouraging.

What did he know that I didn’t know?

I walked into the fresh air and took a deep breath. My car was right where I’d left it what felt like days ago. I started toward it.

“Aggie’s confession will clear Jean’s name, right?” I asked.

Delaney nodded. “Both you and Vandre heard Aggie’s confession. Aggie wants an attorney present before she talks to us, but I’m sure we’ll be able to track the timeline—both the one she manipulated and the actual timeline—to prove she killed Hugo and Kenny, though I don’t like it that she could get into Ordinary and kill Kenny without me knowing.”

“You’ve been worried. Distracted,” I said. “She knew you would be and used it to her advantage. And I think she used brute force, not magic to kill him. But Jean being cleared of the crime is wonderful. I know it’s been hard. Hard on her and hard on you.”

“It has been. But I never doubted the truth would come out. I just thought I’d find it first. Or if not me, Hatter or Shoe. I didn’t expect you to be so involved, Piper.”

“Jean’s my friend. We seers have to stick together.”

I patted my pockets for keys, then opened the car. “Here we go! One back seat coming up!”

I bent and looked in.

All my usual travel gear was there: a lap blanket, a spare pair of sneakers, an extra coat, and the little lunch tote that had a granola bar and water in it.

But I spotted something else, there, on the floor.

Something old.

Something fuzzy.

The broken talking teddy bear.

“No,” I said with chuckle. “Not you!”

I reached under the seat and pulled out the bear I had absently tossed back there after I’d found Kenny dead in his store.

“That’s it?” Delaney asked.

“Maybe? I think it must be. Aggie said she was looking for a cursed bear, but maybe she was looking for what was in it. You check.” I handed her the bear.

She studied it for a moment, then squished the bear’s belly, really digging in. She shifted her grip and smooshed the bear’s head.

I could see the change in her expression.