“Okay, let’s adjourn the meeting and start pouring some of that champagne,” Burt ordered.
Mia put her hand on Cid’s arm. “Can I talk to you a moment, in private?”
“Sure. Why don’t we go upstairs?” he said.
Mia followed him out into the barn and up the stairs. She waited until the door was shut before handing him the piece of paper, explaining, “This is where Chastity Murphy is buried. It’s in a little community not far from where we are going to be investigating. Perhaps you can stop on the way up?”
Cid looked at the map and a small sketch of the location where Father Santos described they would find Chastity’s grave. “It looks like a small place.”
“It’s cared for by the local priest. I think it’s important for Murphy to know she hasn’t been abandoned.”
“I understand. Well, we better get back before Ted suspects we’re up to no good.”
“Was that an option?” Mia teased.
Cid pushed her out the door. “Out with the bad…”
Mia laughed. They joined the others downstairs. Mia declined the champagne and sipped on an iced coffee instead.
“So you’re pregnant again,” Mike said.
“I am not.”
“No booze.”
“I had too much last night. It made me kind of loco.”
“You really didn’t have that much. I was looking out for you,” Mike said.
“I don’t know what exactly is going on with me these days. All I know is, I can’t get enough sex,” Mia said, turning to look Mike full in the face. Her eyes were dilated, and her lips were pouty. “I just want it all the time.”
“Mia, stop it,” Mike said, getting up.
Mia continued to stare at him.
“Stop it.”
She gave him a lazy smile and turned away to stare out the window.
Audrey, who witnessed Mia torturing Mike, wondered why Mia would purposely make the elder investigator uncomfortable. She knew there was a history between the two, but Mike definitely was never Mia’s kind of guy, as far as Audrey knew.
Mia got up and left the office. She knew Murphy was following her. She turned back and asked, “Why are you following me?”
“You’re acting different.”
“I know. I think I got my emotions scrambled last time Sariel touched me.”
“He touched you?”
“Yes, and I kneed him in the groin, so don’t you go getting any ideas.”
“No, ma’am,” Murphy said, amused. “Mia, are you happy?”
Mia turned, looked at Murphy, and grinned. “As happy as I can be, Murph.”
“Good. I worry about you.”
“You worry about me?”
“Why does Sariel keep bothering you?” Murphy asked.
“I think it’s because there is going to be a battle, a war of some kind that involves the angels, birdmen, demons and superhumans. I don’t know when or why it is, but Sariel wants me to fight beside him. Angelo wants the same thing, but I have told both wingnuts that I have only one battle partner, and that is you, Stephen Murphy.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. I think we dance quite well together, you old poop.”
“Mia, I’m not much older than Burt.”
“You’re a hundred and twenty years older than Burt, Murph.”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“Yup. I’m all itchy inside. The only time I feel at ease is when…” Mia stopped, looked at her friend a moment, and amended the crude language she was about to use, “When I’m doing married stuff with Ted.”
“Oh,” Murphy said uncomfortably.
“The first time Sariel laid his hand on my shoulder, he tattooed his strength onto my ribcage. No arrow or sword can pierce my heart. He made a mistake, Murph. He sealed your handprint in. The Gray Ladies could not remove it. You’re always going to be part of me, whether you like it or not.”
Mia thought she caught a faint look of satisfaction on the farmer’s face. He set his axe down and requested, “Tell me about the second time he touched you?”
“He put his hand on my chest, not in a skeevy way.”
“Skeevy?”
“Sleazy. He didn’t cop a feel. He just did this.” Mia reached over and took Murphy’s hand and placed it just below her collarbone.
“And you kneed him for that?” Murphy asked, removing his hand quickly.
“That combined with something untoward he said.”
“What did he say?”
Mia mumbled something with her head down.
Murphy pulled her chin up. “Say it again.”
“He said that he could give me the pleasure I seek.”
“I’ll kill him. You’re a married lady,” Murphy professed.
“I made myself clear,” Mia said and told him about the rocks.
He chuckled. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you it’s not okay to throw rocks at birds?”
This caused Mia to laugh. “I think the ef… I mean, the cad, did something else to me. Or else I’m hormonal. What if Mike is right, and I am pregnant?”
“Then you’ll have another baby,” he said simply.
Mia rolled her eyes. “Things are so black and white with you, Murph.”
“I don’t see it as a problem, unless it’s not Ted’s baby.”
“Now you’re calling my honor into question, axeman,” Mia said, her eyes flashing.
“Have you?”
“Have I what?”
“Laid with another being besides your husband.”
“I have not,” Mia said firmly and added, “I will not.”
“Then, if it’s a baby, it’s Ted’s, so don’t worry.” Murphy was quiet a moment and seemed to be thinking something through. “What if Sariel was preparing you for him? This may be why you’re so focused on your nether regions.”
Mia wanted to laugh at Murphy’s use of nether regions, but she knew, as uncomfortable as it made him, he was trying to help her.
“Ask him to turn it off,” Murphy said.
“I can’t. That means talking to him. Our conversation didn’t end well.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“Oh, I don’t think that will help. Maybe there is a limit to the time I’m under this spell or whatever. It will wear off.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“I’ll call Sariel.”
“Good. Now get back in there and torture Mike some more.”
“You saw that huh?”
“I was putting pepper in his glass while you were staring him down,” Murphy confessed.
It was Mia’s turn to be impressed. “Way to take advantage of the situation.” Mia reached forward and fist-bumped Murphy.
~
Mia bounced Brian on her knee while listening
