Wanted: Undead or Alive

Yup. Sure. Just A Joke.

Ford opened the front door of the house and peered down his stolen host's nose at me. "What happened to your face?"

I fought to keep the tacos down. Maybe Bill's had been a bad choice. "Hello, demon. Nice to see you too. I have an appointment."

"Yes, Mr. Benny is expecting you. Follow me, please."

Thank God I hadn't eaten any of Busia's broccoli casserole. I'd have lost the battle for sure.

He led me to French doors on one end of the living room, announced my arrival, and stepped aside so I could enter.

Exercise equipment that included a treadmill and a stationary bike as well as space age contraptions I had no name for filled a room lined with mirrors on three walls. Joseph Benny greeted me from a weight bench. He sat astride it, mopping his face with a white towel. Sweat soaked the collar and the underarms of his gray tee shirt. "Ms. Nowicki—"

"Agent." I leaned against the treadmill and stuffed my hands into my pockets to keep from fidgeting.

Benny cocked his head. "Apologies. Agent Nowicki, your insistence that Mr. Adamos isn't the killer makes me think, perhaps, you're not entirely objective about this case."

"The fact that Nick's loyal employees are being forced to search for evidence that will implicate him should have been your first clue. Of course, we're not objective, but we're honest and we're good at finding people. We'll find the person you're looking for and if that's Nick..." My throat closed up, and I swallowed hard. "If that's Nick, so be it."

"What is this plan of yours? What part do you expect me to play in it?"

"I want you to use your influence to get him released." My heart thumped hard against my breastbone. Chantelle's dire warning echoed in my mind.

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"Because Moose and I can waste time looking for clues that may or may not lead us anywhere, but anyone can see Nick is the best clue of all. Somebody fudged around with his memory. That's—"

"Why do you say that?"

Was this guy for real? "Uh, because he can't remember what happened?"

"You believe him when he says that?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Nick once recalled a phone number for me that he last dialed in 1974. He doesn't forget anything, ever, and for him to lie and say he did would be as absurd as blaming this murder on the tooth fairy." My life being what it had become, I couldn't be certain whether the tooth fairy was real, but even if they were, it seemed highly unlikely they'd murder a siren and blame my boss for it. "Now, as I was saying, it's possible he subconsciously knows what happened. If you let him go free, he might lead us to the murderer. Or, conversely, if the murderer has it out for Nick enough to set him up to take the fall for this crime, maybe he'll come after him again and we'll catch him."

"Why don't you go to Price yourself? Ask him to let Adamos walk free?"

"At best, he'd accuse me of being crazy."

"Maybe you are."

"Maybe."

We spent a few seconds in a staring contest, each of us trying to assert dominance.

To my great disbelief, he blinked first. "Why not ask Hawwa? She seems to know how to pull strings."

Honestly, it hadn't even occurred to me, but I sure as heckfire wasn't going to admit that. "I'm asking you. You're the big man in this town. I'm confident you can make it happen."