I did a double take. “You’re you again.”
He tugged on his beard, looking around worriedly. “I don’t feel much like me. The old girl got me again, didn’t she?”
“If you mean Prudence possessed you, then yes.”
“I could still see and hear what was going on, just had no control. Sort of like having a back seat driver who shoved me aside and took the steering wheel for a bit. Did she make my eyes go all white?”
I shook my head, not understanding why not. Maybe this was a different sort of possession. It seemed like Zelda had complete blackouts when Prudence was in control. “How do you feel?”
“Like I’m one wheel down and dragging axle.”
I stood and gave him a hug. “Thank you, Prudence,” I said in his ear.
He leaned back. “That bird flew the coop.”
“Give her my message the next time she visits you.”
I made my way over to Doc on shaky legs. Setting the mirror on the floor, I held out my hand to help him up. He accepted my offer, letting me tug him a little. He came to his feet easily for a so-called old man, taking my face in his palms. His eyes searched mine before settling on my lips. “You scared the hell out of me, Violet.”
A door slammed, followed by footfalls. We both looked over as Cooper rounded the hall.
He scowled when he saw us standing together. “Save your Gomez and Morticia crap for later. We have to get out of here before that guy gets the cameras back online.”
“How did you three get in the building, anyhow?” I asked. I figured they probably busted through a window somewhere.
Cooper pulled a key out of his pocket. “I borrowed it this morning.” His gaze narrowed on his uncle, who joined us in the hall. “Are you Uncle Willis now or still Prudence?”
“You want me to grab you by the ear and whoop you a couple of times to show you?”
He smiled. “Good to have you back, Uncle Willis.”
“I’m still decidin’ if it’s good to be back. That old girl rides rough on a guy. I’m gonna ache in my joints for a day or two.”
Cooper clapped his uncle on the shoulder. “She reminds me of that red-headed cowgirl you were seeing down at that chicken ranch outside of Winnemucca.”
“You mean Cherry McDazzle?”
“That’s her.” He tugged on his uncle’s sleeve. “Come on. Let’s go find some whiskey for those sore joints before Parker lands us in another heap of shit.”
I frowned after them. Cooper wasn’t going to like hearing that we needed to go up to the Sugarloaf Building yet tonight and drop off a Hungarian devil. I’d wait until we were safely topside to give him the bad news.
Doc grabbed the mirror and my mace, handing me the latter. He put his arm around me, leaning into me slightly as we followed Cooper to the stairwell door. “I have an idea, Killer.”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s never play catch-a-lidérc again.”
“Deal.” I patted his chest. I was definitely done with catching Hungarian devils.
However, I had a new idea of my own about the lidérc, but I was going to wait until I had Doc alone to tell him about it—and maybe naked.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Sugarloaf Building stood aloof and menacing in the shadowy area just outside of the orange streetlights. The roads were dead. Not many souls were out and about on a cold Sunday evening in Lead besides Doc and me in my Honda and Cooper in front of us with Harvey in the unmarked police SUV.
I watched as Cooper pulled up next to the old brick structure. His brake lights cut out.
“You ready for this?” Doc asked as he parked behind them.
I frowned out the window at the lidérc’s brick cage. After the four of us had returned to Calamity Jane Realty to check on Cornelius and Rex, only to find a note from Cornelius that he’d taken my ex to the hospital to “have his head examined,” which made me laugh out loud for a good minute, we locked up the office. On our way out the door, I’d told them about wanting to go to the Sugarloaf Building next. We’d taken a group vote and all agreed it was best to put the lidérc back in its cage ASAP.
Cooper and Harvey had ridden to Lead together, leaving Doc and me to follow. The mirror was wrapped up and secured by a seatbelt in the back seat next to my mace. I wasn’t risking anything happening to that mirror until we had the lidérc locked away and Aunt Zoe free of Dominick’s slick mitts.
I’d taken a moment to call Aunt Zoe on the way out of Deadwood, telling her we’d be a little late for supper tonight due to some “unforeseen circumstances.” Doc had scoffed at my choice of words, earning a thigh pinch and a mimed shush. I didn’t want to mention the lidérc right then, because we weren’t quite done with the task at hand.
That was when I learned that Aunt Zoe had been present when Doc received my earlier text about needing help detaching a Hungarian devil. She proceeded to chew me out for a good portion of the trip to Lead for scaring at least five years off her life. When she finished bending my ear with plenty of impressive swearword mishmashes, I told her that her future freedom from a charming asshole was worth the risk I’d taken to catch the lidérc. Her breath hitched a little when she told me she loved me, which made my eyes water and my throat tighten. After a whispered promise that I’d tell her every detail as soon as we made it home, I hung up and swallowed the lump in my throat.
I looked over at Doc. He was watching me, his expression unreadable. “Are you ready for this?” I asked him. “You are the one working your magic here. My job
