“Aunt Zoe doesn’t know for certain how the mirror and frame work, and she hasn’t been able to find anything regarding it in our family history volumes. She only knows what Grandma-Great told her.”
“Which was what, Killer?”
“That the mirror is for me to use to protect myself.”
Harvey scoffed and cracked an egg in a frying pan. “Sounds to me like there’s a squirrel in that tree somewhere. You just need to figure out how to flush it out.”
“That sort of sums up everything about this whole Executioner business,” I told them.
Doc kissed my forehead and then headed for the coffee maker. “We’ll figure this out together, Killer.”
“Well, I kind of have an idea about that.” I looked over at Harvey, wincing a little in anticipation.
Doc poured some coffee into a mug. “Let’s hear it.”
“I take the mirror up to Lead and ask Prudence about it, see if she can show me how to use it.”
Harvey scowled at me. “Did you get knocked stupid with a stick yesterday after we parted ways?”
I glared back at him. “It’s not a stupid idea. Prudence has been around a long time. She’s seen some things.”
“That dead bee still has her stinger.”
“Yeah, but she’s the only one I can think of who might know how to use a mirror like this.”
“Mr. Black seemed to have some definite thoughts about it,” Doc said, stirring the creamer into his cup. I could tell by his face that he was not hot to trot about my bright idea.
“True, but you heard Aunt Zoe that day Mr. Black was in her workshop. She warned him not to touch the mirror.” I scratched at some dried milk on the edge of the table. “I have a feeling that mirror could be dangerous for him.”
“Possibly,” Doc conceded, taking a sip of coffee.
“Masterson might have an idea about it,” I said. “But I’m not sure I want him to know that I have the mirror.”
“Good point.” Doc scoffed. “And knowing that devil, he’d want to make another deadly deal with you before he’d tell you how to use it.”
“If that fancy mirror could hurt Mr. Black,” Harvey said, “I’d reckon it could hurt Masterson as well.” He pulled the tray of bacon from the oven, setting it off to the side. “Or worse, it might give him some power over you.”
“That’s another good point.” Doc set his coffee down and grabbed a stack of plates from the cupboard. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—we can’t trust Masterson. He proved that yet again last night.”
“What happened last night?” Harvey asked.
“You mean the lidérc tricking me into the Hellhole?”
He waved me off. “I heard about that adventure already this morning from Coop. I’m talking about Masterson.”
While Doc set the plates around the table, he told Harvey about Piggly Wiggly, the imp, and our little talk with Dominick before Cooper brought us back home. I got up and poured another cup of coffee.
His replay of events reminded me of something I meant to ask Doc about last night and forgot. I’d been so wiped by the time we’d returned here that as soon as I shucked my coat and boots, I fell into bed and closed my eyes. I didn’t remember anything after Doc had kissed my cheek good night.
“Hey, Doc,” I said after he’d finished his recount. “How were you able to block Dominick’s shine last night?”
“His shine?”
“You know, when he tries to brainwash you that he can give you everything good and wonderful in this world and then convinces you with just a smile to do his bidding.”
“Oh, that.” Doc carried the Betty Boop cookie jar over to the counter to get it out of the way for now. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I could feel him blowing my way like a warm summer wind. Fortunately, I’d experienced something like it before a long time ago at an old haunted asylum back east, so I wasn’t fooled into letting him inside here.” He touched his head. “In short, I just battened down the hatches.”
A haunted asylum, huh? I was going to want to hear more about that someday, preferably while lying on a sunny beach next to him somewhere in the Caribbean.
“You and Harvey are the only two I’ve seen who have been able to resist Dominick.” I looked at Harvey. “Did it feel the way Doc described it when Dominick was trying to get into your head that day in Doc’s office? You remember, right? That day when he charmed Susan.”
My sister had been there at the time to flirt with Doc, but he hadn’t been there, thankfully, only Harvey and me. When Dominick arrived, he’d wasted no time putting Susan under his spell, but Harvey hadn’t fallen for his “shine” show.
Harvey tossed the eggshells in the trash. “I didn’t feel anything. Maybe the slick talker wasn’t trying to shine me.”
Maybe not. I opened the silverware drawer and started scooping out utensils. “Anyway, I think that Prudence is my best chance at learning more about the mirror and figuring out if it will help me catch the lidérc.”
“When do you want to go see her?” Doc took part of my load and followed me to the table.
“This morning.”
He did a double take. “Have you talked to Zelda yet to see if she and Prudence are available?”
“Yep.” That was who I’d called on my cell phone while getting dressed. “I also left a message with Jerry, letting him know I’m going to be in this afternoon instead of this morning.” I smiled over at Harvey, fluttering my eyelashes a few extra times. “I was hoping for some company.”
“Good,” Doc said. “Because I’m coming with you.”
I paused in the midst of laying down a spoon. “Not you. I’m talking about Harvey.”
“Why me?” Harvey asked, looking like I’d offered him a fresh road apple for breakfast.
“Because you’re my bodyguard, remember?”
Grumbling under his breath, he returned to his eggs.
“I’m going with you, Violet,” Doc said, taking on one of
