Page 107
“The stores won’t be open yet. There’s nothing we can do right now. I’m going to lie down. That all right with you?”
Allegra nods without looking up.
Candy follows me out into the living room. We take some pillows off the sofa and lie down. It’s a tight fit, but it doesn’t matter. Even with the caffeine in my system, I’m asleep in a couple of minutes.
This is where I’m meant to be. I’m Heaven’s Abomination. I’m a mo
nster. I’m going to Hell. And I’m completely at peace. My sleep is deep and comforting. No more nightmares for me.
ABBOT CALLS ME around noon. Candy doesn’t wake up and Allegra is asleep next to Vidocq. I take the call in the kitchen.
“Elsabeth called. It sounds like you had a busy night,” says Abbot.
“Consider Burgess an early Christmas present.”
“You’ll be interested to know that a lot of powerful people vanished into thin air last night.”
“Write their names down. There’s your list of Wormwood heavies.”
“I’m already on it. Elsabeth is leaving the country,” he says.
“You told her I wouldn’t hurt her, right?”
“I did, but you did murder her husband. Even if she didn’t like him, it’s a shock.”
“That prick is fine. Probably having piña coladas in Hell with Norris Quay right now.”
Abbot takes a breath.
“It’s too bad we can’t do anything about that. A shock like that could bring Wormwood down.”
“Who says I can’t do anything about it?”
“You said you’d lost that kind of power.”
“There’s more than one way to skin a flounder.”
Abbot says, “If that means you can hurt Wormwood in their sanctuary, I’ll do everything I can to help.”
“You said I have insurance in that packet you gave me.”
“Yes.”
“Does that include life insurance?”
“No. Most council members have their own.”
“Guess what. I don’t. I’ll do what I have to do, but you promise me that if something happens to me—like you never hear from me again after tomorrow—you keep paying my salary to Chihiro.”
“I can do that,” says Abbot.
“Then we’re square, no matter what happens from here.”
“When should I expect to hear from you?”
“In a couple of days. After that, consider me in Oz with the flying monkeys.”
“Wherever you’re going, please come back.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107 (Reading here)
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185