Page 19 of Dead Serious: Case 3 Mr Bruce Reyes

“And that’s why Auntie Chan is here.” She reaches into the fridge for the milk. “Ready to take care of you both.”

“Are you sure it’s not to give us a lap dance?” His brows rise as he eyes her costume once more.

She chuckles. “I think the tail might get in the way.” She gives a little shimmy and the feathers ripple and sway; it’s almost hypnotising.

“How did you even get in Ruby’s car wearing that?” I wonder aloud as I grab a tissue from the box on the table and blow my sore nose.

“I’ll have you know I’m very adept in tight spaces.” She winks. “Cup of tea, Tris, honey?” She lifts the tea caddy and gives it a little wiggle.

“Please.” I nod when the doorbell rings again.

“I’ll get it.” Chan places her hand on my shoulder and pushes me back down into my seat when I try to rise. “Sit there and rest.”

“What the bloody hell?” A voice exclaims loudly from the front door, and moments later Chan appears with Harrison trailing after her, staring at the swaying tail feathers in confusion.

“Red here says he knows you.” Chan tilts her head in his direction.

“It’s Harrison, not Red,” he says stiffly, his cheeks flushed. “Do you usually answer the door dressed like that?”

“No,” Chan says innocently. “Usually, I’m dressed as a French maid, unless Tristan and Danny want me to clean naked, then I’m totally in the buff.” She gives a snarky smirk.

“Chan,” I admonish, and she winks in my direction. “Harrison, this is Chan,” I say, motioning my hand between the two of them. “Chan is a friend. She performs at a drag club in Shoreditch and came straight from a rehearsal to check on me and Danny.”

“Harrison.” Chan’s eyes narrow. “Aren’t you the one who—” She breaks off midsentence when my eyes widen in warning and I shake my head.

“Uh… never mind,” Chan concludes and smiles at Harrison. “Coffee?”

“No, thank you,” Harrison says stiffly.

I smile at Harrison and ignore Danny’s curious gaze burning into the side of my face. I know he’s probably wondering what Chan was going to say, but I’m not quite ready to explain the whole disastrous body-swap debacle with Dusty, let alone that Harrison is a witch and that magic appears to be real. “So, Harrison, what brings you by?”

He clears his throat and smooths his jacket. “I wanted to apologise for the other night, for my strange behaviour. I–” He notices Danny’s leg and his eyes widen slightly. “What happened?”

“Car accident,” Danny replies easily as Chan sets a mug of coffee down on the table in front of him. “The storm brought a tree down on the car I was travelling in.”

Harrison falls silent, staring first at Danny, then at me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask. He looks like he’s about to say something but before he can open his mouth, the doorbell rings again.

“Bloody hell. Really?” Chan rolls her eyes as she sets my cup of tea in front of me. “I’ll get it.”

She disappears and moments later reappears, this time with Sam trailing after her, totally checking out her legs, and as I happen to glance across at Harrison, his eyes narrow in Sam’s direction.

Sam whistles low. “If this is the greeting I get, I should stop by more often.”

Danny chuckles beside me. “To what do we owe the pleasure, Sam?”

“Maddie told me you lost an argument with a tree.” He grins and pulls a Sharpie from his pocket. “Figured I’d see for myself and return the favour, given the heartfelt sentiments you left scrawled all over my cast when I was in hospital.”

“I was trying to cheer you up,” Danny says in his defence.

“And like I said, I’m here to return that favour.” Sam grins even wider and wiggles the pen in his fingers.

“So childish,” Harrison mutters under his breath.

Sam turns his attention to him. “Harrison. What a pleasant surprise.” He lifts one brow pointedly. “I believe you were supposed to call one of us after dinner the other night so we knew you were alright.”

“I… was busy,” Harrison mumbles without meeting Sam’s eyes. His cheeks burn brightly once again.