Page 9 of Cursed (Witchbane #8)

Evan sipped his coffee before replying. “Okay, I see that. But maybe Nash and Caden could at least go to the regular restaurant. The ghosts might tell Nash if there’s a powerful magical object inside, and Caden’s psychometry could validate the power. Then it’s just up to us to steal it.”

“That could work without putting them in too much danger,” Seth agreed. “It’s a public restaurant, so it’s not strange for them to be there. If Vernon knows Caden’s a cop, he might tread carefully. And right now, there’s no reason for him to connect them with us.”

“The monster meat restaurant is tougher.” Evan drummed his fingers on his cup.

“But maybe Nash could marshal some of the ghosts to check it out when it’s closed.

Kinsley might be able to get a read on anything with strong magic if the spirits find something that could be the anchor.

Or maybe one of them has a friend who could pay a visit. ”

Seth nodded. “I like those ideas. They could work without too much risk. And I agree that the restaurants are likely hiding places. That’s hoping it’s not hanging in his bedroom or in his office.”

Evan shook his head. “I guess that’s possible, but I think that he’s likely to have it somewhere he can draw on the magic. Let’s see what we find, and if the anchor isn’t there, we’ll come up with new ideas.”

Seth’s knee nudged his under the table. “Before, after, and in between, I’m fine if you have some things on your sightseeing list, plus time to take pictures. Maybe after lunch, we should drive by where Pax and Tony live and get an idea of how vulnerable it is.”

Evan knew it was tough for his hard-charging partner to build in off-time and appreciated Seth’s willingness to indulge his touristy interests. “That all sounds good.”

“Savannah’s a modern city, but I love how much of its history is still here,” Evan said as they drove. “Some places are better than others at growing but also holding onto their heritage.” He found himself enjoying the drive around the city even though they were doing reconnaissance.

The morning flew by, and his grumbling stomach reminded him that breakfast had been a while ago. “Probably time to go looking for Peachy-Cue,” Evan said.

Even with traffic, it didn’t take long to find the lot where Pax had his food truck. Peachy-Cue sat in a row of vendors lined up in a lot cordoned off from other parking. Picnic tables added a festive feel.

The truck stood out with bright yellow paint and a red and yellow striped awning over the ordering window, with a prominent menu board. Hungry diners lined up at each of the trucks, while others enjoyed their food and conversation at the tables.

At one end of the lot, a small raised platform served as a stage with an amplifier, a stool, mic, and music stands. A sound system guaranteed that the performances could be heard by the patrons of the trucks but wouldn’t spill far beyond the boundaries of the lot.

“There’s Tony.” Evan nudged Seth. Tony fussed for a moment to plug into the amp and arrange the stool and stand to his liking.

“Hello, everyone!” the musician called out to the crowd. They responded like old friends, giving Evan the impression that the regulars were familiar with him as well as with the trucks.

“For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m Tony Spencer, and I’m going to be playing for the next little bit. Sit back, enjoy the day and your lunch, and relax—you’re on Savannah time now.”

Tony went right into an upbeat acoustic classic he hadn’t played at the bar the night before. He soon had folks in the audience nodding along. Seth and Evan got in line for food, and the tangy, rich aroma made Evan’s stomach growl.

“Interesting menu.” Seth poked Evan with his elbow and nodded toward the board on the side of the truck where the choices were painted in bold letters.

“Chopped pork sandwich with choice of our own Peachy-Cue or Carolina Gold sauce. Fried pickles. Candied bacon.” Evan read aloud and noted the serving sizes and combos. The rest of the board listed drink options.

“Pick one and I’ll get the other, and we can do the same with the pickles and bacon,” Seth suggested. “Gotta say, I’m intrigued.”

The truck had a line of people waiting. All of the vendors were still busy, and the live music added a festive feel to the gathering.

When Seth and Evan got up to the window to order, they saw two men inside alternating taking orders and filling plates.

“Told you we’d come by for lunch,” Evan said when Pax smiled in recognition. “Everything on your menu looks great.”

“Glad to see you made it. What can I get you?” Pax seemed relaxed and in a good mood despite the heat wafting from inside the truck and a non-stop line of customers. “Choosing one of everything is always a good move,” Pax joked.

Seth gave their order, and Pax nodded approvingly. “We’ll have that ready quick. What brought you to Savannah?”

“Here on business,” Seth replied. “Although it’s tempting to stay for the food.”

Pax grinned. “There’s a lot of good ’cue in the city, but in my completely biased opinion, I think ours is the best.”

It didn’t take long before their order was ready. Seth carried a tray to one of the open picnic tables, and they settled in. Evan hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he dug into the food.

“He wasn’t kidding about the sauces.” Seth polished off both halves along with his share of the pickles and bacon. “Those are addictive.”

“Yeah, I’m tempted to get seconds, even though I know I shouldn’t,” Evan said ruefully.

The trucks were busy, but plenty of tables meant Seth and Evan didn’t feel pressured to leave right away. That gave them the chance to sip their drinks and appreciate Tony’s music.

“He’s good. I give anyone credit for having the balls to perform in public, especially in a setting like this.” Seth nibbled his last piece of bacon.

“The crowd loves him. Pretty clear that he plays here a lot and that there are plenty of regulars eating the food.” Evan enjoyed Tony’s upbeat song choices that had him tapping his toe.

The food truck lot was set back from a busy sidewalk, with an open-air market on one side and shops on the other. That made for plenty of foot traffic, especially since Evan guessed at least some of the buildings also housed offices.

“Hey, over there,” Seth said with a nod.

Evan followed his line of sight and saw a man standing at the edge of the food park. Nothing about the way he was dressed set him apart from the diners or the passersby, but he just stood and stared at the people without appearing to be particularly listening to the music.

“The ghosts don’t like that guy,” Evan said in a low tone. “I’m picking up on some kind of magic, not witch-disciple level mojo, but he’s not a mundane.”

“I wonder if he’s here to keep an eye on Pax,” Seth replied. “I’ve got an idea. Cover me.”

With that, Seth grabbed a handful of flyers for discounts at the various trucks from the end of the table and headed toward the stranger. Evan watched closely, ready to spring into action if it looked like his partner needed backup.

Seth approached the dour stranger with a big grin. Evan couldn’t hear what was said, but Seth tried to foist off coupons on the man and invite him to try the trucks; the man backed away, looking annoyed and angry.

“No idea whether he’s working with Vernon, but at least he left,” Seth said as he came back to the table. “I don’t like being stared at while I eat, and I figure other people don’t either.”

“Just because he’s a creep doesn’t mean he’s connected to one of the disciples,” Evan said quietly enough not to be overheard. “Maybe he’s looking for someone to rob. Or he just hates music.” He didn’t really believe either option.

“Coincidences are never coincidental,” Seth said.

“You should put that on a T-shirt.”

Seth rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. We come here to protect Pax, and there’s a creepy stalker guy hanging out and staring at him. It’s got to mean something.”

Evan only realized that the music had stopped when Tony walked up to their table. “Pardon me, but I saw what you did, making that jerk go away. Thank you.”

Seth gestured for Tony to join them, and he sat down on the end of the bench. “He gave me the creeps staring at everyone, and so I figured offering him coupons would move him along without starting a fight.”

Evan knew that Seth had a few weapons hidden on him if it came to needing to defend himself, but he felt grateful that the situation hadn’t escalated.

“He keeps coming around, and he never buys anything,” Tony confided. “But since there’s no law against standing there and watching people eat, we can’t call the cops. Everyone’s seen him, but no one knows who he is or why he’s interested.”

“He comes every day?” Evan asked, and Tony nodded. “Same time?”

Tony shook his head. “Times vary, but it’s always the same guy. Started about a month ago. I don’t remember seeing him before that.” He sighed. “I’m sorry. Pretty sure you two are first-timers. I didn’t mean to make you think we’ve got a creeper problem.”

“Don’t worry, we’ve already fallen in love with Savannah,” Seth assured him. “And we enjoyed your music last night at Mystic.”

Evan could see the moment Tony made the mental connection. “I thought you looked familiar. I saw you talking with Pax. I love playing there. Nash takes good care of us.”

“Are you from the city?” Seth made small talk even though they knew the answer.

Tony hesitated, as Evan expected he would. From what their intel told them about the pair, both Tony and Pax had fled bad family situations to strike out on their own in Savannah, meeting once they were in the city.

“No, but it’s definitely home to me now,” Tony said with a smile that reached his eyes. “Crazy musician chasing a dream and all that. So far, it’s been working out—cross your fingers for me!”

“The trucks do a good business,” Seth observed. “Is it this busy all the time?”