“You just have to eat meat to survive. That’s the tradeoff. Any kind will do, and the less cooked the meat is, the more recently you’ve killed it, the better.”
“And the meat will heal you,” I prompted.
“When I’m injured, the meat tries to heal me. That’s all it does. Nothing I’ve eaten has sustained me. I’m eating and eating-“
“And the food is going to a wound you can’t heal.”
“And I’m starving.”
Most people could go weeks without food, but Annalise wasn’t most people, and this was not regular food. “How long?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
I started the engine and pulled into traffic. I wanted to reach out and lay a hand on her shoulder, to comfort her somehow, but it didn’t feel right. Despite the fact that she had begun to trust me, there was still a gulf between us. There was a gulf between her and the world.
“What do we do, boss?” I asked.
“Finish the job,” she said. “Afterward, we may know enough to heal me. If not, I’ll go to the society and see if they can help.”
“Why not go to the society right now? Why wait?”
She shook her head and would say nothing more on the subject. Conversation ended.
We reached the motel. I suggested that we move to a new motel, or at least change our rooms. She turned that idea down. She’d searched all over for Charles Hammer and come up with nothing. No one in town would talk to her. She was in pain. She was tired of searching for our targets. Maybe, if we stayed put, they’d come to us.
That didn’t strike me as the most sensible idea in the world, but I wasn’t in charge.
We went into her room. She picked through the things in Karoly’s bag. It was mostly mundane personal effects, unless the ballpoint pen was enchanted to shoot fireballs, or the comb could turn french fries into hundred- dollar bills. It didn’t seem likely, though; I couldn’t see a sigil on any of them.
She took out the laptop and plugged it in. I didn’t know much about computers. I’d had a PlayStation before I did my time, but I never had much use for the spreadsheets, email, or the Internet.
Annalise didn’t look like an expert either. She pecked at the keys with one finger. After a minute or so, she picked up a teddy bear wearing a shirt that read WE MISS YOU, DAD! and popped its head off.
Some sort of computer plug stuck out of its neck. Annalise connected it to the back of the laptop. It looked as though its head was stuck inside the computer, and I couldn’t help but smile. I’d bet Emmett Dubois hadn’t found
I took out the meat and started slicing it up. I was pretty good at it by now. I also took out the box of plastic forks and began spearing little pieces of meat on the forks and setting them on a piece of aluminum foil beside her.
Annalise took out her cell phone and pressed a speed-dial number. She held the phone to her ear. “Karoly is dead,” she said after a moment. “I have his drive, but not his password.”
She took a bite of meat while she listened to whoever was on the other end of the line.
“Got it,” she said. “Thanks.” She shut her phone and began scrolling through files on her screen.
I finally finished cutting the meat. I arranged it into a pile, then went into the bathroom to wash my hands and the ghost knife. When I returned, she was still staring at the screen. I sat opposite her and speared pieces of meat with the forks.
The quiet began to make me antsy. “Find anything?”
“Nothing useful,” she said. She took another bite of meat and laid the empty fork down. I picked it up and stabbed it into a new piece, then set it beside her. I was beginning to feel like a manservant. This was not exactly the straight job I’d envisioned when I got out of prison.
I decided to earn more of her trust. “I still have your plastic, you know.”
She didn’t look up from the screen. “I know.” She continued staring at the screen. I should have brought a book.
Annalise looked at her watch. “It’s getting late. Why don’t you get some food? I may be at this all night.”
I lunged out of the chair and went out. It was still daylight, but my stomach was grumbling. I went into the office and smiled at the woman behind the desk. She scowled at me. Apparently, the other manager told her all about us. She gave me directions to a bookstore in town.
I drove out there and bought a detective novel, then drove across town and ordered my pad thai. I was tempted to eat in the restaurant window and read my book. We were stirring up the town, trying to see what would float to the top. I should be visible for that, just to see what shook out. But I didn’t like leaving Annalise alone, not if she was dying. I ordered takeout.
I drove back to the motel, and as far as I could tell, no one was following me. No one had staked out the motel either. After checking in on Annalise, I went to my room, ate, read three chapters, then fell asleep.
I dreamed about fire all night.
I awoke to a thumping on my door. It was Cynthia, and she looked terrified.
“I’m sorry to bother you. I’m sorry,” she said, glancing back toward the street nervously. Everything cast long shadows; it was very early, probably no more than an hour past dawn. “But I don’t have anyone else to turn to.”
