“I can be done if you’d rather talk to Aidan,” Aisling offered. “I’m fine getting out of the crosshairs for a bit. Er, I mean, I’m fine standing with you and letting Aidan explain exactly why he didn’t love you enough to go to the home expo with you.”
“Don’t make me choke you to death,” I warned, extending a finger.
“I want to hear the rest of your story, Bug. I’ll get to Aidan.” Jerry was far too calm for me to be comfortable with his demeanor. He looked as if he was about to blow … and blow big. “Tell me what happened after the old guy ran. Were you too lazy to look for yourself?”
Aisling balked. “Hey, I know you’re upset – and I don’t blame you – but let’s not take this to a personal level.”
“It’s already personal,” Jerry sniffed. “You’ve both broken my heart.”
“Oh, suck it up.” Aisling knew Jerry well enough to realize that if she fell victim to his emotional manipulation now she’d pay for it for weeks to come. “I had every intention of tracking down the soul myself, but then I saw a rogue reaper I remembered from when I was a kid and I got spooked.”
For the first time since Aisling started telling her tale, Jerry looked interested in her answers. “Like Fontaine?” He remembered what happened when Fontaine attacked. Aisling’s reaction to killing him was enough to gut us all. “Was she a danger to you?”
“I don’t know if ‘danger’ is the word I’d use.” Aisling chose her words carefully. “I did meet her when she was with Fontaine. I was only fourteen and with Dad when we ran into Fontaine and they got into a fight. I don’t remember the fight, but I do remember Sheridan.”
“I see.” Jerry was grave. “So you called your brother to make sure you didn’t accidentally die at the hands of rogue reapers?”
That was a huge jump, but Aisling immediately nodded. “Yes. I was afraid to die.”
“I don’t blame you. You did the right thing.” Jerry offered Aisling an emotional hug and she grinned at me over his shoulder before her countenance turned solemn as they separated. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I’m glad, too.” Aisling patted Jerry’s arm. “Now yell at Aidan.”
I scowled, irritation for my only sister threatening to overwhelm me. “You know, you’re my least favorite family member most of the time. You know how Dad has daily favorites? Well, I have daily least favorites, and you’re always at the top of my list.”
“Stop. You’re hurting my feelings,” Aisling drawled.
“You suck.” I poked her side. Then, because it felt so good and her frown was so pronounced, I poked her harder. I was reaching back to poke her a third time, this one with some real zest, when Jerry caught my hand to stop me.
“I would like to hear things from your point of view now,” he prodded.
He said it in such a reasonable tone most people would have thought he was on the verge of making nice. I knew him better than most, though. Sadly, I didn’t know him as well as Aisling, and that would most likely always be a problem.
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” I said after a beat. “I couldn’t leave Aisling to fight rogues on her own. Everyone else is working today. It only made sense for me to come. If you want to have a fit about it … .”
“I don’t want to have a fit about it.” Jerry wrinkled his nose. “Why would you even think that?”
“I think it’s because you look like you’re about to have a fit,” Aisling supplied, shrinking back when Jerry murdered her with the angriest look in his repertoire. “Or I could simply be talking to hear myself talk.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s the latter,” Jerry said. “You’ve had your chance to talk. I’ve forgiven you. I know it’s hard for you when you’re not the center of attention, but I’m focusing on Aidan now.”
I wanted to crow at the indignant look on Aisling’s face, but I wisely kept my face impassive. “If you’re not angry about me being here because of Aisling, why are you angry?”
“Because you didn’t want to come here in the first place.”
“Hey, trust me, if I could be anywhere else right now, I would be,” I explained. “It’s not my fault that Aisling got stuck with the home expo. The fact that two people are dying here within two hours of each other should be an indication that this is the last place any of us should want to be. It’s clearly evil.”
Jerry pursed his lips. “Because I want to be here?”
“Oh, why do you have to take everything so personally? That’s not why. Granted, I have no idea why you’re so desperate to be here, but that’s not why I don’t want to be here.”
“And why don’t you want to be here?” Jerry’s tone told me to tread carefully.
I didn’t have much time to think, so I decided to take a page from Aisling’s playbook. “I don’t want to be here because I think our home is already perfect.”
Aisling widened her eyes and flashed me a thumbs-up behind Jerry’s back, clearly encouraging me to keep on the path I’d chosen.
“You wanted to come here to change things, but I happen to be happy,” I offered. “Are you saying you’re not happy?”
The absolutely giddy look on Aisling’s face told me I’d picked the right way to go. I wasn’t a huge fan of manipulation – something Aisling and Jerry plotted at for hours each week – but it was close enough to the truth that I was comfortable giving Jerry a bit of a push.
“Of course I’m happy,” Jerry shot back. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to build a home for us.”
“Are we living in a home that’s not geared toward us?”
“When I decorated the townhouse it was with Aisling’s taste in mind,” Jerry argued.
“Oh, it was not.” Aisling made a face. “I certainly didn’t want that painting in the hallway with all the naked dudes having an orgy.”
Jerry made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “Those are angels.”
“I’m pretty sure angels aren’t supposed to have orgies.”
“They’re in heaven floating on clouds, you ninny,” Jerry snapped. “They’re not having an orgy. If you think that’s what they’re doing, we need to have a talk about your sexual expectations.”
“Oh, can we please do that?” Aisling’s expression was full of faux hope. “Make sure Griffin is around when we do, okay?”
Jerry ignored her sarcasm. “I decorated that townhouse for you and me. I want to decorate for Aidan and me now.”
“Except Aidan doesn’t care,” Aisling argued. “He doesn’t want to waste money redecorating a townhouse he already loves when he’d rather spend it on a cruise for just the two of you.”
Whatever he was expecting, that wasn’t it. When Jerry flicked his eyes to me they were full of love and warmth. “Really? You want to go on a cruise?”
The shift caught me off guard, but I answered straightaway. “A cruise … or a Mexican vacation … or some beach getaway. I don’t want to waste money on decorations we don’t need or want when we could be planning adventures.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea.” Jerry threw his arms around me and I awkwardly patted his back while Aisling did her “I won” dance behind him. I had to give her credit; she knew exactly how to motivate Jerry to get exactly what she wanted. Of course, the reverse was also true. He could do the same to her.
“So … we’re okay?” I was leery when we separated, worried Jerry would decide he wanted to gut the townhouse anyway.
“We’re perfectly okay,” Jerry enthused. “I love the idea of saving for a big vacation.”
“See. All’s well that ends well.” Aisling beamed as she sucked in a steadying breath. “So … everyone is happy, right?”
“We are.” Jerry bobbed his head. “I guess that means we can go now, huh?”
“Oh, not yet.” I shook my head. “Aisling still has a soul to gather and the rogues are hanging around. I can’t leave until I know she’s set.”
“Of course you can’t.” Jerry’s expression shifted from benevole
nt to plotting. “Do we need to come up with a plan to outwit these rogues?”
“We need to come up with a plan to keep them away from Aisling’s second charge,” I corrected. “Speaking of that, Ais, who is your second charge?”
“I should probably look that up, huh?” Aisling dug in her purse until she extracted her iPad. “Let’s see … um … her name is Meredith Weaver. She’s supposed to die near the main stage in exactly fifty-three minutes.”
“Okay, let’s see if we can track her down,” I suggested, moving forward. “It won’t be easy. We’ll have to scope out the stage and see if we can find her face in the crowd.”
“I can’t see another plan that will work,” Aisling agreed. “I … Jerry, are you coming?”
I glanced over my shoulder and found Jerry rooted to his spot. Crud. It would be just my luck that he’d decide to backtrack and pick a fight. “Jerry, it won’t take us long. As soon as we’re done here we can start brainstorming ideas for our trip.”
“I’m looking forward to that. Don’t worry.” Jerry waved off my concerns and focused on Aisling. “Did you say Meredith Weaver?”
Aisling nodded. “Why? Do you know her?”
“Of course. Everyone knows her.”
“I don’t.” Aisling looked to me and I shook my head. “Aidan doesn’t either.”
“She’s only the Martha Stewart of home expos,” Jerry said. “She’s the main draw here.”
Realization registered on Aisling’s face even as reality weighed down my shoulders.
“Of course she is,” I muttered, disbelief washing over me. “We couldn’t possibly have an easy task to finish up the day. Son of a … this is going to bite!”
Aisling was blasé. “You can say that again.”
8
Eight
“So … what should we do?”
Aisling looked as lost as I felt.
“I’m not sure.” I scratched the back of my neck. “Maybe we should call Dad and get ideas from him.”
The “well, duh” look Aisling whipped out was enough to cause me to shrink back.
“What?”
“We’re not calling Dad,” Aisling snapped. “Do you have any idea what will happen if we do?”
“He’ll give us an idea for collecting a soul in the middle of a melee.”
“Um, no. He’ll go on a diatribe about how I had to call you to come help me and then he’ll remind me that I’m supposed to be a full member of the team and shouldn’t need your help.”
“I doubt he’ll say that given the presence of the rogues,” I argued.
“No, they’ll set him off in a different way,” Aisling conceded. “You know how he feels about rogue reapers.”
“Yes. He thinks they should be publicly flogged.”
“I kind of wish we still had public floggings,” Jerry mused, his expression wistful. “I know it’s mean, but I also think it could be interesting.”
I pressed the tip of my tongue against the top of my teeth. “Really?”
“Just like you, I’m aghast at the public’s insistence on blood and torture as a form of entertainment, but sometimes I think it’s necessary,” Jerry argued.
“I’m with Jerry. I would totally enjoy Angelina getting a public flogging.”
Jerry extended a finger. “She would be a good prospect. Her and that guy from North Korea, you know the one with the unflattering bowl cut, right?”
“Do you want him to be flogged because he kills people or has a bad haircut?” I asked.
Jerry shrugged. “I’m open to the punishment for both crimes.”
“We should definitely make a list later,” Aisling enthused. “But we need to focus on the here and now. What can you tell us about Meredith Weaver?”
“What can’t I tell you?” Jerry visibly brightened. “She’s a domestic goddess. She has this thing where she makes wooden flowers that are prettier than the real thing … and they don’t die. We should totally spend our winter making wooden flower bundles, Bug.”
Aisling looked as if that suggestion was akin to being the lobster in a thermidor recipe.
“I think that’s a great idea, Ais.” I didn’t bother to hide my grin. “You don’t do nearly enough craft projects with Jerry. In fact, now that you’re not living together, I think you should have a weekly crafts night so you can bond.”
Aisling narrowed her eyes until all I could see were flashes of glittering lavender. “Don’t even think about it.”
I ignored her admonishment. “In fact, I’m willing to help,” I said. “I’ll talk to Griffin and we’ll have a weekly bar night – you know, so we can watch sports and stuff – and spend time together. I don’t think we’ve bonded nearly enough. That will free both of you up for crafts and you won’t have to worry about us being lost without you.”
Jerry clapped his hands, delighted. “I think that’s a great idea. I’ll look into ordering the wooden flower supplies as soon as we get home.”
Aisling’s expression was one degree from outright evil. “I will make you pay for this.”
“I look forward to your efforts.” I wiped my sweaty palms on the seat of my jeans. Even though the room was huge, the air circulation didn’t seem to be optimal given the number of people inside. “Is it just me, or is this place getting more packed by the second?”
“It’s because of Meredith Weaver,” Jerry supplied. “People want to see her.”
“Why?” Aisling was honestly confused. “She makes wooden flower bouquets and suddenly she’s the queen of celebrities? That makes absolutely no sense.”
“She’s also a fabulous cook,” Jerry said. “I got that recipe for the pumpkin pancakes you liked so much last week from her.”
“Oh, well, I guess she’s not totally evil,” Aisling hedged. “Those pancakes were freaking good.”
They were good. “Yeah, don’t lose that recipe. We’ll make the pancakes as an homage of sorts to Ms. Weaver when she passes into the great beyond.”
Jerry’s mouth dropped open, as if he realized for the first time what was about to happen. “Oh, wait … .”
Aisling and I sensed danger at the same time.
“We can’t stop it, Jerry,” I warned. “It’s not possible. That’s not what we do.”
“I know, but … .” Jerry broke off, wringing his hands. “She’s supposed to do a special on creating your own wax letter seals next week. I bought wax and everything. I’m going to create a Grimlock seal. Surely you guys can hold off until then.”
“No, we can’t.” Aisling shook her head, firm. “We’re not in control of how or when she dies.”
“You could be,” Jerry pressed.
“No, we can’t.”
“How does she die?” I asked, curious despite myself. Aisling handed over the iPad and I quickly scanned the file. “I guess she should’ve laid off the booze, huh?”
Jerry was affronted. “She isn’t a drunk! I’ve watched her show. She only does one segment on mixed drinks once a month. That’s hardly a drunk.”
“And yet her liver has been giving out for a long time,” I noted, paging down the file. “It seems she enjoys drinking a bit more in her private life than she lets on. She’s on the transplant list per the notes, but she keeps getting passed over because she refuses to stop drinking.”
“It’s a sickness,” Jerry protested.
“So is chlamydia and we’re not giving Angelina a pass on that,” Aisling said.
“Ugh.” Jerry rubbed his hand over his forehead as he tapped his foot on the ground and turned his back to us. He was clearly in distress. I was just about to move closer, offer some sort of solace, when Aisling leaned her head against my shoulder and spoke so only I could hear.
“Look at the fifth line,” she whispered.
I did as instructed, my eyes going wide when I saw where Meredith’s soul would land. “Hell? Really?”
I meant to say the words in a low voice, but Jerry obviously heard because his expression was dark when he swi
veled to face me.
“You take that back!”
I licked my lips, debating the best way to proceed. “Jerry … .”
“It’s too late now.” Aisling adopted a pragmatic tone. “He knows it’s something bad.”
“Something I’m obviously not going to like.” Jerry folded his arms over his chest. “How can a woman like Meredith Weaver possibly be going to a bad place? She runs a program for needy children every Christmas. She’s an … angel.”
“And yet she’s going to be stuck in Hell,” Aisling said. “Besides, according to our files, she embezzles money from that children’s fund and funnels it into booze, gigolos and laser procedures.”
Jerry cocked a dubious eyebrow. “Laser procedures?”
“She’s got a pornstache without them, dude.”
“Well … that’s neither here nor there,” Jerry sniffed. “She’s a lovely woman and she has perfect hair.”
“It’s a wig,” I said, nodding when Jerry flashed an incredulous look. “Under notable attributes, it says she wears a wig. It’s one of those with a latex lip that you hate so much.” That was a vicious lie, but I needed something to keep Jerry from boarding the Meredith Weaver Saint train.
“Oh, well, I guess it’s her time.” Jerry flipped quickly. “We should probably head over to the main stage. I heard some of the workers say she’s got a dressing room back there. Maybe we can find a way in and talk to her. If we distract her long enough, she might die in the dressing room and make things easy on us.”
I was dumbfounded. “Just like that?”
“You know how I feel about wigs.”
“Yeah, but … you weren’t upset about stealing from kids.”
“I don’t like that either. The wig simply tipped her from saint to sinner.”
“Okay. Fine.” I held up my hands in mock defeat and spared a glance for Aisling. “I blame you for all of this.”
“How do you figure?”
“I’m not sure yet, but by the end of the day I’ll have a sound reason.”
Aisling clapped me on the back. “I look forward to hearing it. For now, we need to get a move on.”
Grim & The City: A Grimlock Family Short Page 7
