Page 106 of Marked By Shadows

“I bought a house,” Lukas said. He pointed down the street. “That one.” Four down from where I lived, was a giant mansion of an old NOLA style house. The French Quarter was filled with huge homes with beautiful architecture. I knew for a fact that home had been up for sale for years. Sometimes someone would come in and buy it, only to have it listed again within six months.

Alex looked at me, seeing something on my face I’d only begun to think. “It’s haunted, isn’t it?” he asked me.

“There are stories,” I admitted.

“Everything in New Orleans is haunted,” Lukas said. “Plus, I have you two weirdos to scope things out for me. Going to put my new office on the first floor. It needs a lot of remodeling, but I’ve got ideas.”

“New office?” I asked.

“I quit the force,” Lukas said. “Getting my PI license.”

Both Alex and I stared at him now, a bit shocked. Sky nodded like she was more than a little stunned too. Had he not discussed it with her at all?

“You’ve had a few busy days,” Alex said. “We weren’t gone that long.”

“Yeah, about that…” Lukas began.

“Fuck,” Alex muttered.

“I’ve got some details on your disappearance. Some people they think you were around. I plan on interviewing them.”

“That’s why you quit? Because of me?”

“Part of it,” Lukas admitted. “There is other bullshit, but it’s fine. This will give me more time.”

“To look into what happened to me?” Alex clarified.

“And to remodel the house, and build my business portfolio. I already own three other buildings in the quarter. The one next to Simply Crafty is up for sale. I’m hoping to grab it at a discount. Maybe expand the shop.”

I blinked at him. “Make Simply Crafty bigger?” I couldn’t imagine the tiny shop having more space. What would I fill it with? Costumes? More artists? The shop next door had been empty for a while, had actually been an art studio. I wondered if I could set up classes in there. Would anyone be interested? Maybe I could do a community thing, look for teachers to do different types of arts, like sewing, candle making, or even music.

“Micah’s got ideas too,” Alex said reaching out take more stuff out of the car. “But I don’t want you looking into my disappearance.”

“You don’t get to say what I do and don’t do,” Lukas said. He unveiled the sewing machine and studied it for a minute. “Fancy machine,” he muttered.

“You don’t get to say what I do and don’t do,” Alex echoed back at him.

They glared at each other, twin daggers of daring. I sighed and looked at Sky. “At least he didn’t command us that we have to live in his haunted house with him.” I took an armful of stuff and headed up the path toward the house. “I like my place.”

“Has he asked you to move in yet?” I asked Sky.

“Not yet,” Sky said. “Though I have to say it’s big enough to fit a half dozen people. Never been in a house so big.” She opened the door, holding it for me, and Jet greeted me with his normal leg rub. We began making a pile of the bags near the side window. It would take a bit of time to get it all sorted and put away.

Sky reached out and hugged me tight. “I was worried. Worried you’d be gone again.”

“I don’t seem to have control over that. But I have no plans to go anywhere. The whole crazy person after me is not a thing I want to repeat.” I squeezed her tight.

“Heard you were badass.” She grinned as she let me go. “Fighting back.”

“My stick skills are on par. I mean she gave me a gun, but what do I know about guns? Sticks? Fabric and thread? Hot wax even, I know all about that. You think you know someone, right?”

“You haven’t been a part of that group in a while,” Sky reminded me. “Been too busy with the shop to run around the world.”

“Makes me wonder if it was my fault,” I admitted.

Sky took my face in her hands and smiled at me. “You know it’s not.”

“Alex tells me all the time I’m not the center of the universe.”