city was expensive, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way. Of all mankind’s inventions, the one he’d fallen in love with was the automobile. It was the only thing he’d found which made him feel young again.
He waited for the Aston to be brought up. The drive to Connecticut was two hours plus. He had to hurry if he was going to beat the casino, and be home for dinner. He thought about his encounter with Madame Marie. What a wonderful gift she’d given him. To sit and talk and look into her face again. Simple things, yet so precious when they were taken away from you.
“Reggie! Reggie!”
He snapped out of his daydream. Holly ran toward him with a frantic look in her eyes.
“Holly-Good Lord, what’s wrong?” he asked.
Milly’s niece put on the brakes, gasping for breath. “Oh, my God, I’m so glad I caught you. Please start picking up your phone.”
“Was that you calling? I’m sorry, but I hardly answer anymore.”
“I have terrible news, Reggie.”
He grabbed her by the forearms. “Don’t tell me another in our group has died.”
“No, no, everyone’s fine.”
“Well, then how terrible can it be?”
“It’s about Wolfe.”
“I saw the news. Good riddance, I say.”
“What you saw isn’t true. Wolfe’s still alive, and he’s hunting us.”
The Aston pulled up with a rubbery squeal, and the parking attendant hopped out. Reggie tipped him generously, and opened the passenger door for his young friend.
“Can I take you somewhere?” he asked graciously.
“You need to go back to your hotel, and lay low,” Holly said.
“But why? Except for the rain, it’s a beautiful day.”
“Didn’t you hear what I said? Wolfe isn’t dead.”
“Do you honestly think Wolfe’s going to ambush me on the road? Let’s be reasonable, shall we? Now, where to?”
She grabbed his arm, and tried to squeeze some sense into him. It was no good.
“Oh, all right. I’m staying with my aunt at the Dakota.”
“The Dakota it is! Hop in.”
Soon they were on the West Side, heading up Central Park West. Reggie wore kid gloves and a tan cap when he drove, and clutched the wheel like a professional driver. He looked comical, and other drivers slowed down to wave, or snap pictures on their cell phones.
“You should charge them,” Holly suggested.
“Not a bad idea. So tell me, how can Wolfe be alive after the police shot him to death?”
“It was a trick, courtesy of the Order of Astrum.”
“I’ll be damned.”
Reggie braked at a traffic light. A group of uniformed schoolchildren crossed in front of them. Seeing Reggie behind the wheel, several stuck out their tongues. Reggie turned in his seat to look at his passenger. “Why is the Order after us, Holly?”
“I don’t know why,” she replied.
“How do they even know about us? Could there be a traitor in our group?”
“Don’t say that, Reggie.”
“Think about it. Someone tipped Wolfe off. It’s the only explanation.”
Holly bit her lip. “But who, Reggie? Who in our group would betray us?”
“I hate to say it, but I think it’s Max. He’s been having money problems, lost a bundle on the stock market.”
“But Wolfe tried to kill Max yesterday. Peter told me so.”
“Really? Well, there goes that theory, I suppose.”
“It’s not one of us, Reggie, I’m sure of it.”
The Aston rocked forward. Startled, they turned in their seats to stare at the delivery van that had tapped their bumper. The delivery driver shrugged his shoulders as if to say
Reggie shook his fist at him. “Idiot!”
The driver shook his fist back.
“How dare he shake his fist at me,” Reggie said furiously.
The light changed. The driver beeped his horn, mocking them.
“Think you’re funny, do you?” Reggie shouted.
“Reggie, no,” Holly said.
Reggie undid his seatbelt and hopped out of the Aston. He stood in the middle of the street, and put his dukes up, challenging the driver to a fight. The delivery van driver got out as well. Almost too quickly, Holly thought. He wore a baseball cap, and on his neck glowed a shimmering tattoo. From his jacket he removed a pipe, which he whacked against his palm.
The light changed. Cars slipped around them, avoiding the two men facing off in the middle of the busy street.
“Reggie-it’s Wolfe! Run!” Holly yelled.
“Oh, my Lord,” Reggie said.
Discretion was the better part of valor. Reggie ducked the traffic, and got on the sidewalk. He took off running, his arms and legs pumping like a comic strip character. He was fast for his age, but Wolfe was right on his heels, and the race’s outcome was never in doubt.
Holly jumped out of the Aston and started to give chase. She did not look where she was going, and nearly collided with a professional dog-walker out with his pack. There were poodles, dachshunds, a drooling boxer, and several breeds she’d never seen before. The dogs gave her an idea. Taking Mary Glover’s lock of hair from her purse, she waved it in the air.
The dogs changed before her eyes. No longer were they a pack of domesticated house pets; now, they were vicious beasts, prepared to follow her every command. Holly pointed up the sidewalk at Wolfe.
“Stop him!”
The pack broke forward, throwing their handler to the ground. Up the sidewalk they went, trailing their leashes. They surrounded Wolfe, attacking from all sides. Wolfe waved his pipe frantically.
“Tear him up!” she commanded.
Within seconds, Wolfe’s pants were shredded, and he was starting to look like a meal. Several of the smaller dogs had latched on to his shirt sleeves, and pinned his arms. Seeing Holly approach, he cursed her.
“Bitch.”
“Try witch,” she shouted back.
“You’ll pay for this.”
“Go for the throat!”
The dogs leapt into the air, trying for Wolfe’s windpipe. Sheer panic filled Wolfe’s face. The hunter had become the hunted.
“Say, lady, those are my dogs.”
The handler had gotten to his feet, and stood beside Holly. He blew through a dog whistle that hung around his neck. The pack broke free of her spell, and ran back to him.
“Thanks for lending them to me,” Holly said.
Wolfe still had his pipe. His arms and legs were bleeding, his eyes filled with pain. Holly waved the lock of hair.
The pipe flew out of Wolfe’s hand, and landed in the gutter. A smart man knows when he’s beaten. Wolfe staggered across the street, and melted into a crowd.
Holly breathed a sigh of relief. She tucked the magic lock of hair into her purse. She wasn’t so defenseless
