Page 124 of Demon and the Raven

When she gasped, Lorne immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, that was overly graphic.”

“Yes, but we’re all tired, and you more than most.”

“At this point,” he said with a sigh. “I’m waiting on forensics to confirm, probably not until tomorrow, since it is, as you know, Sunday.”

Both of them were silent for a moment.

“Thank goodness Father Dennis is safe,” she told Lorne, not knowing that either me or the priest was in the car.

“Yes.”

“I’ll expect a full report after you receive word from the ME.”

“You’ll be my first call tomorrow,” he assured her.

“This afternoon, I will brief the community on the fact that Pace was killed, and that Murphy is a person of interest and is currently missing.”

“The missing part will scare everyone, but you have to be honest with your constituency.”

“Yes,” she agreed.

Moments into the second silence, Lorne asked if she was all right.

“Be honest with me, what’s your assessment on Murphy? Did he flee or is he lingering about in town? Should I impose a curfew?”

“No. He’s in the wind, Madam Mayor,” Lorne said, and knew that for a literal certainty. “Mark my words, Tanner Murphy is never coming back.”

Sharp exhale from her. “Thank you, I feel so much better.”

“Good.”

“Lorne,” she began, her voice shaky, “I’m so terribly relieved you’re here in Osprey, taking care of our community.”

“Thank you,” he replied.

She hung up then, and I called Amanda and told her I was headed home and would catch her up on everything the following day.

“Oh no, I’ll be right there, and I’m bringing Declan with me.”

I sighed. “Sounds good.”

The three of us rode the rest of the way home in silence.

Once there, Father Dennis and I had to help Lorne out of the Jeep because he could barely walk on his own. We took him inside, where Lorne and I both greeted the cottage, and Father Dennis, probably thinking it was merely something quirky we did, said hello as well. Once Lorne showed him he could walk again, Father Dennis took a seat on the couch beside Argos.

“Well, hello, who might you be?”

“That’s Argos, Father,” I said, leading Lorne to the bedroom.

“Aren’t you a handsome fellow.”

I could hear the cat purring from across the room.

In the bathroom, after peeling Lorne out of his clothes, I put him under the water and let it run for a bit before I got in with him.

Once Lorne was clean, he didn’t want to get out, instead waiting as I quickly scrubbed myself free of dirt and debris. That done, I kissed him, hugging him tight under the spray.

Afterward, I dried him off, put him in sleep shorts, and he was down for the count the second his head hit the pillow. I wanted to lie down with him, but I knew Amanda and Declan would be arriving shortly, and Father Dennis needed tending to as well. When I walked out into my living room, though, my favorite priest was asleep on my couch next to Argos. They made a really nice picture together.