Page 59 of Vespertine

“That’s a dead cat?” Nicky looked over his shoulder backinto the house. “Nah, that looks like part of a dead bunny to me.”

Jazz gagged again and heaved into the bushes.

“Aw, Jazzy, shh now. It’s okay.”

A ginger cat walked out the front door, its tail high and asmudge of red blood on its chin. It paused by Nicky’s feet, tilted its head upat Jasper and said, “Mrrow?”

Nicky rubbed Jasper’s back some more and answered, “He doesn’tlike your little gift.”

The cat’s fur ruffled on its back and it stalked toward theherb garden to disappear into the lavender bush. Nicky rubbed Jasper’s shoulderand sighed. “Want me to go in and check out the damage?”

Jasper nodded, bending over and clutching his knees. “Sure.Please. Yeah.”

Nicky hated to leave him when he looked like he might passout. “Sit down if you feel faint.”

“I’m okay.”

A quick pass through the house showed that a) Jasper was atotal neat freak and b) all the bunny pieces were on the ground floor alone.The upstairs was slaughter-free. He stepped back out the front door and said, “Okay,well, it looks like he? She?”

“She.”

“Well, she tore the rabbit up pretty damn good. Partseverywhere. The head’s on the mat in the kitchen, there are guts…well, like Isaid, everywhere. Actually I think the bunny might’ve been alive when shebrought it in. Probably bleeding, but alive. And then it tried to get away andI’m guessing your cat didn’t like that.”

“Please stop talking.”

“Uh, okay. Well, she’s a very thorough and brutal killer.”

Jazz sat down on the walkway, ducking his head between hisknees and breathing slowly.

“And your folks wanted you to be a doctor,” Nicky said,laughing. “Wow. I think you’re worse now than when we were kids. Though I guessyou did faint that time I got cut on that nail and bled all—”

“Shh. Not now, please.”

Nicky ran his hand over Jazz’s head, threading his fingersinto his hair and then smoothing it down. Jasper shuddered and covered his facewith his hands. “Right,” Nicky said. “Okay, well, I hate to break it to you,but it has to be cleaned up. Unless you want to abandon the house and go liveover on Garvey after all.”

Jasper didn’t laugh at the joke. “I’ll have to call in a cleaningservice. I can’t go in there.” His breath came in short gasps, like he was onthe verge of a panic attack. “Or a house fire could do the trick.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We can deal with a little shreddedbunny. It’s no big deal.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“All right. Come on, cover your eyes, and I’ll get youupstairs.”

“But the mess…”

“I’ll take care of it, okay?”

“You don’t need to—”

“I’ve seen so much worse in my life. Don’t worry about it.”

“Worse thanthat?”

“Yeah. Well, in its own way. Don’t ask. You really don’twant to know.”

Jasper looked up at him, his eyes dark, worry lurking there.“I wish this was the worst thing you’d ever seen, Nicky.”

Kneeling on the concrete, the gravel from the garden digginginto his knees, Nicky pushed his forehead against Jasper’s for a second andwhispered, “Me too.” Then he pulled away and stood up, hauling Jazz to his feetby his hands. “Close your eyes.”