Page 179

“It’s not a big deal. It’s just a trick I can do.”

“I thought it was a big deal,” says Janet. “I could use it around here sometimes with the creeps that come in. Can you show me how to do it?”

“I’m afraid it’s not that kind of trick.”

She leans over the pile of donuts and speaks in a quiet, conspiratorial voice.

“Are you one of those magic people? I’ve seen them, you know. When it’s late like this and nothing’s happening I watch people. It’s not spying really. Just people watching, you know?”

“What have you seen that makes you believe in magic?”

“Sometimes they goof around. Make napkins move or the coffee refill itself.”

I brush off the comment.

“Those just sound like tricks you could learn off YouTube.”

She points at me. “Which is exactly what a magic person would say. You’re going to have to try harder than that to convince me that you didn’t disappear in a puff of smoke.”

“There was smoke?”

“There should be. It would be a much better trick.”

“I’ll remember that.”

She looks down at the table.

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

“Sure. You helped me last night.”

“That’s not what I mean. It was during the whole craziness with the zombies last year. You came in and said you were an angel and that I should go home and lock the doors.”

Right. “I remember that. Only the way I recall it, I didn’t say I was an angel. You did.”

She looks at me hard.

“You saved my life. I never forgot you, but I guess you forgot me.”

“Of course not. You gave me free donuts then, too.”

She smiles again.

“Another question: How did you get all those scars?”

It always comes down to my stupid face.

“All of them? I got them at different times.”

Janet reaches across the table and touches my nose.

“How about that one?”

“You want the truth?”

“Absolutely.”

“It was from a xiangliu. It’s a really big snake. With nine heads.”