“Research,” he answers simply. “I need to know all I can about Mary. It’s such a pervasive legend that I have no trouble believing her power is frighteningly potent, but everything has a weakness.”
“She certainly seems to be hyper focused on Erik,” I offer and Ian nods his agreement.
“Yes,” he says. “We may be able to use that to our advantage.”
Greg saunters up offering to refill coffee, we nod and he begins talking as he tops us off. “Is everything OK with Kat?”
“Why do you ask?” I say, nodding a thank you.
“Well, you all seem concerned and that huge guy was seen at the hotel again,” he shrugs.
“Did they detain him or anything?” Ian questions, his eyebrows raising.
“This was a couple of days ago. The management spoke with Kat after he was seen going up to her room and she said he was an old friend and it was fine,” he adds, observing us all curiously as we look at each other knowingly.
I make a half-hearted assurance that Kat is ok, and he nods gladly before walking away, back to his post.
“So Mario goes to her room after the seance and when he leaves Kat is suddenly possessed,” Ian summarizes. “I guess I now know an avenue for investigation.”
“He’s roughly 3000 ft tall,” Cara points out with a snort. “Are you really going to go question him?”
“It’s not my most favored plan, but I don’t think I have a choice,” he shrugs, shaking too many packets of raw sugar into his coffee, where they sink quickly. “I suppose I’ll just have to hope that Mary can’t inhabit two people at once and that his unpossessed personality isn’t overly hostile.”
“I’m sure Erik would be glad to go with you,” Cara tells him as she dumps milk into her cup. “Even though Mario looks like he could bench press both you and Erik at the same time while eating a sandwich.”
“That is not a bad idea. I’d rather not get bench press alone,” he nods, drumming on the table. “I also plan to go to the town archive and see if they have anything I can access. The legend was clearly born here and it would have coincided with at least some real life events.”
“This town is desperate to advertise and drum up tourism, and they have an eye on the same spooky notoriety that Salem has,” I say, encouraged by the thought. “Your status could get you in the door.”
“And if not that, you being stupidly gorgeous should do it,” Cara interjects, dodging my elbow.
Ian shakes his head with a laugh and blushes, waving his hand at Cara. “I hardly think anything about my physical appearance will get me in any doors.”
“I don’t know, man. Some of the horniest people I’ve met in my life were old librarians,” she jokes. “All I’m saying is you should wear a muscle tee and maybe shorts—how are your legs?” Cara says, leaning under the table for a gander at his gams as Ian's shoulders shake with laughter.
“If you’re done objectifying the poor man, we can let him get to work while we break the news to Juniper and Erik,” I say, massaging my temples for effect.
“I don’t envy you with that task,” Ian remarks, sliding out of the booth. “This probably goes without saying, but avoid ‘Kat’ at all costs.”
“But I was going to ask her to go get a demon pedicure with me, maybe slay some virgins, have some goat blood,” Cara mocks, putting her finger to her chin.
“Has anyone ever told you that you and Kat are birds of a feather?” Ian asks rhetorically, his smile wide with amusement.
“You will both have to wait to flock together until she is significantly less possessed,” I say, pushing myself out of the booth to follow him out of the bar, where we exchange numbers and wish each other luck.
Cara wraps her arm around me and I turn to look at her. Kissing her briefly on the lips before touching foreheads with her. “You’re going to have to leave without me.”
“No,” she breathes, running her hands across the sides of my head as our noses touch. “Please come with me.”
“You know I can’t and you wouldn’t love me as much if I did. This is who I am,” I say, pulling away and wrapping a lock of her hair lovingly around my finger.
“Please know that I really like your friends,” she begins, her eyes suddenly bereft of her perpetual humor. “I don’t mean to be callous by suggesting you leave them. I just love you and I’m scared. Utterly frightened for you...for us.”
“I know,” I tell her, bestowing a last kiss before employing a wry smile. “Now get your buxom, blonde ass out of Bishop.”
She nods, knowing my mind won’t be changed and I walk her to the room to get her bags and see her off, trying too hard to not be emotional. Cara and I work because I temper her. I am calm while she makes waves. She belongs in the spotlight while I am content to be her tranquil partner, watching her charm half the world and offend whoever is left.
We met years ago at work, with her being a creative director on lifestyle shoots and me as editor and our dynamic has never changed, even if our relationship titles had. She is my headache and my pain reliever. It just works.
When she is safely en route to the airport I recline in my room with a sigh and call Erik and Juniper. My onerous task is lessened as Juniper was already quite aware of the situation just off of Erik’s account from the other evening. Juniper’s voice has returned to having echoes of monotone doom, and I can hear the resigned fear residing in her heart. Thankfully they are both absolutely on board with Ian helping, especially as Juniper’s confidence seems incredibly shaken.
Once I put down my phone I
