Page 51

But she could feel the remnants of cold still sneaking down from the third floor.

“Nice try. Keep wasting your energy, bitch.”

She checked the time and decided she had enough of it to spare. Though he’d stopped trembling, she carried Yoda downstairs.

She let him take a run outside, in the sun, and while he did, girded her loins and made an appointment at the salon.

“More courage,” she congratulated herself.

She rewarded herself with a Coke, and got a rawhide bone for Yoda before she called him back in.

Then she went back upstairs, settled him, settled herself. And waited for her consult to begin.

Cleo came back with groceries. And a cat.

Since Yoda had already raced down at the sound of the door, Sonya followed. Halfway there, she saw Cleo, a bag of groceries in one hand, a young, sleek black cat in the other.

“Iknewit!” Sonya jogged the rest of the way down. “Oh, Yoda, don’t disappoint me,” she said when he put his front paws on Cleo’s legs to sniff at the newcomer.

Who, Sonya noted, looked at him regally from her superior height.

“She’s just six months old. She’s already been spayed, so I don’t have to go through that. Lucy said she’s fine with other animals and kids. And hell, Son, her eyes did it. Look at them! I’ve gotta say, they’re Poole green. It was meant.”

“Well, she’s beautiful.” Gently, Sonya stroked the soft, pure black fur. “And why am I not surprised you have a black cat? What’s her name?”

“She’s Pyewacket. She’s Pye.”

“Like the math thing?”

“Not pi, P-y-e. Pyewacket. It’s from an old movie, one of my mama’s favorites.Bell, Book and Candle, about witches. We’ll watch it sometime.”

“We’ll watch a movie about witches in this house?”

“Fun, interesting witches, with a romance. Anyway, Kim Novak’s cat is Pyewacket. Her familiar.”

“Okay then, welcome to Lost Bride Manor, Pye.”

“Lucy’s just wonderful,” Cleo gushed as she snuggled the cat. “She gave me most everything Pye needs, and I stopped back into the store for a few more things.”

“I’ll go get them.”

“There’s more groceries, too, but I don’t want to leave her alone in the house just yet.”

“I’ll get everything. It’s break time anyway. I got the job.”

“The other law firm job? Woo, Son!”

“And Dobbs had a big tantrum. I’ll tell you about it when we put the groceries away.” She ran out.

“I don’t like when she goes after Sonya and I’m not here. We’ve got ourselves a witch, Pye, a mean-ass ghost. And more. You’ll get used to it.”

Cleo looked down at the dog, who danced in place, tail swinging.

“I’m going to put you down to get acquainted with Yoda. You both better make friends.”

She set Pye down, then crossed her fingers. Yoda wagged, whined, sniffed. The cat turned this way and that as if waiting for the dog to scratch an itch.

Then she stretched herself under his jaw as if to take care of it herself before slinking off toward the parlor to, Cleo assumed, begin exploring her domain.