Page 28 of Dead Serious Case 5 Madame Vivienne

“How’s that work?” Chan’s forehead wrinkles. “What if there isn’t a living descendant? Viv didn’t have kids, did she?”

“Mr Hadley says there is a contingency in place if there is no heir, but I don’t know what it is. However, it turns out that Viv did have a kid. She gave birth to a son when she was only seventeen and put him up for adoption. They’re trying to track him down now. In the meantime, Viv named me temporary custodian of this place.”

“Why?” Chan asks in confusion. “Does it need a custodian? It’s not like you’re going to open it and run it as a business—are you?”

“No,” I reply honestly. “I’m not thrilled about the responsibility. I have a full-time job I love and a life of my own but according to Mr Hadley, this place is too dangerous to leave in the hands of just anyone.”

“Dangerous?” Sam scowls. “What do you mean by dangerous?”

I open my mouth to speak but Harrison’s voice stops me.

“There’s something dark here,” he says quietly. “It hides in shadow and watches.”

“Well, now I’m officially freaked out.” Chan blinks. “Why not just break out the Ouija board and really scare the shit out of me?”

“You’re safe, Chan.” Harrison tilts his head to look at him, his tone contemplative. “I wouldn’t let anything hurt you.”

Chan’s expression softens and he give Harrison a sweet smile.

“I don’t know what’s going on with this place, other than it being super creepy and ground zero for a whole lotta paranormalactivity, but Mr Hadley said it went back to before the property was even built,” I explain. “I believe the words blood and secrets were thrown around liberally.”

“Well, that’s a cheery thought,” Chan mumbles.

“There’s more,” I add.

Chan sighs. “Of course there is.”

“Viv left me a letter, which I won’t read out loud because it’s personal. But the general gist of it is that she was adamant her son not inherit the bookshop. She said that I had to protect him. I don’t really know.” I shrug. “I don’t even know who he is, just that she named him Sage.”

“Sage?” Chan snorts. “Figures. Still, I suppose it could’ve been worse. She could have called him Moonbeam or Snowstorm or something.”

“She also gave me a key.”

“To what?” Harrison asks. He still looks pale and he’s very subdued, which is unlike him. Usually he’s all colourful and vibrant, like a living flame.

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “She said there was a cupboard on the third floor and whatever is in it belongs to me. I haven’t a clue what that might be.”

“We should start with finding the cupboard, then.” Chan claps his hands and goes straight into hyperorganisational mode, which seems to be his default setting when he’s feeling nervous.

“I think we should split up,” Danny says suddenly.

“Split up?” Chan stares at him. “In the super creepy, paranormal, ‘blood and secrets’ bookshop with something evil playing hide-and-seek in the shadows? Have you seen like any horror movieever? We might as well just all head straight down to the murder cellar.” He spins towards me. “There isn’t a cellar, is there?”

“I have no idea.” I hold my hands up. “I’ve not seen the whole building. Last time I went upstairs with Viv was just before the eclipse and I’m not going to lie, I was bricking it the whole time.”

“See?” Chan says as he turns his attention back to Danny.

“Teams, not individuals,” Danny placates him. “You, Sam, and I can go and look for that cupboard, and Harrison and Tristan can stay down here.”

“Why do they get to stay down here?” Chan frowns.

“Because this is the room Harrison says is flooded with power, where Viv was murdered and bound by magic, and where her bloodstain keeps reappearing on the floor.”

“Good point. I’ll go with you two handsome, hunky policemen.” Chan grins. “We’ll leave the magic twinks down here.”

“Hey,” I protest. “I’m not a twink.”

“Sure you’re not, honey.” Chan kisses my cheek.