Part 56 (1/2)
”I was with Claire when she closed h.e.l.l down the last time, I helped integrate a demon into a small town in northern Ontario, and I ...”
”Hawaiian pizza!”
”That wasn't me. And besides, what's wrong with . . .”
”No! I can smell Hawaiian pizza!”
All at once, so could Diana. Spinning around, she scooped Kris' feet out from under her and followed the mall elf to the floor.
Which was when the lights came on ...
. . . and the Shadowlord smacked a large club against the wall right through the s.p.a.ce they'd just vacated.
From her position half sprawled over Kris, Diana could see all four bugs and half a dozen meat-minds waiting motionless in front of the dais. Nearly motionless. One of the meat-minds was chewing in a decidedly guilty way.
Three guesses about what he's eating, and the first two don't count. Diana was fairly certain there were stranger things than feeling grateful to ham and pineapple in tomato sauce, but right at the moment she couldn't think of any.
Grateful wasn't even close to what the Shadowlord seemed to be feeling.
Pivoting away from the wall, he heaved his club at the chewing meat-mind and screamed, ”I don't care what your union says about lunch breaks!”
”Union?” Kris asked as the gnarled wood smacked meat-mind skull and the two girls scrambled to their feet.
”Otherworld Pan-dimensional Service Employees Union.”
”You're f.u.c.king kidding me.”
”Yes. Run!”
”I'm glad to see you're taking me seriously.” Dean dropped the pillowcase into the was.h.i.+ng machine.
”How's that?”
”I just saw you go through Dr. Rebik's pockets.”
”And how is that taking you seriously?” he asked, reaching for the laundry detergent.
Austin jumped onto the dryer, walked over, and peered into the tub. ”You're looking for clues.”
”I'm looking for tissues.”
”To send away for forensic testing?”
”To keep from filling the was.h.i.+ng machine with little bits of wet tissue.” He closed the lid, checked that the water temperature was on cold/cold, and started the timer. ”I know I'll be after regretting this, but what kind of clues did you think I'd find? If Meryat's the bad guy . . . girl . . .”
”Corpse.”
Given the look he'd got at her face, that was hard to argue with. ”. . . then isn't Dr. Rebik the victim?”
”So?”