Modern Sorcery: A Jonathan Shade Novel by Gary Jonas

verify what I said because the wards are on.”
     
    “Maybe they forgot to set them.”   The wards wouldn’t stop me, of course, but Phil didn’t know that.
     
    “Nonsense.”
     
    “Can’t hurt to check.”
     
    “Let me come with you.”
     
    “No,” Kelly said and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck like a kitten.   She held him off the floor as if he were a dirty diaper.   “You’re going to stay here with me, and I’m going to whisper in your ear like a lover all the sweet things I have planned for you.”
     
    I grinned and got on the elevator.
     
    Kelly began talking to Phil in a pleasant tone.   “I think I’ll begin by plucking your fingernails out one by one.   It just takes a little tug and—”
     
    The doors closed and I didn’t get to hear any more.
     
    It took only a few minutes to verify Phil’s story.   The wards didn’t even slow me down.   I walked the DGI hallways and checked every office.   The lights were all on, but there were no people.   The offices held empty chairs standing before desks with computer monitors still glowing.   It was as if everyone just up and left and didn’t bother to power anything down.   Phil had been telling the truth.   The place was completely vacant.
     
    I stood in the hallway and considered this.   Naomi had told us Frank and Al were here at DGI.   Had she lied to us?   Or had they lied to her?   Or had they been here when she called but then sent everyone home out of fear that Ravenwood would be coming here?   I didn’t know and that bothered me.   I tried to force my doubts to the back of my mind by taking deep breaths in through my nose and letting them out slowly through my mouth.   This calmed me down.
     
    I returned to the lobby.
     
    Kelly had Phil pinned to his chair.   He looked ready to vomit, and she still spoke in a kind voice, “. . . rip off your kneecaps and, oh, Jonathan is back.”
     
    “Okay, Phil, since Al isn’t in his office, where is he?”
     
    “I don’t know,” he whimpered.
     
    “What say you give us his phone number?”
     
    He pointed a shaky finger at his workstation computer.   “It’s in there.”
     
    “You’re not going to tell me I can’t have it?”
     
    “They only pay me twelve bucks an hour,” he said.   “I’ll print you the list of names and addresses and phone numbers of everyone who works here or has ever worked here.   Just please get her away from me.”
     
    “I can do that.”
     
    Kelly stepped away from him, and he moved on rubbery legs to the computer.   He pulled up a file, printed it, and handed the sheet to me.
     
    “Here you go, Mr. Shade.   This is the list of current employees.   Do you want a history?   I can pull it up, but I can’t guarantee accurate addresses and phone numbers since people may have moved.”
     
    “This will do for now, Phil.   Thanks.”
     
    “You’re not really welcome, but if it keeps her away from me . . .”
     
    Kelly smiled at him then walked over and patted him on the cheek.   “You know you enjoyed it.”
     
    He still appeared ready to blow chunks.
     
    As we left the building, I asked, “Is he going to be all right?”
     
    “He pissed his pants.”
     
    “Happy now?”
     
    She shrugged.   “Getting there.”
     

 

     

     

     
    CHAPTER FOURTEEN
     

     
    “So that conniving, little bitch lied to us,” Kelly said as we approached the car.
     
    The afternoon sun hung over the Rockies as I unlocked the passenger door of the Firebird.   “We don’t know that for sure.”   I ran through the possibilities for her.   She didn’t buy any of them.
     
    “I don’t trust her.”
     
    “Play a new song, Kelly.”
     
    “You know how I love the classics,” she said and ducked into the car.
     
    By the time I’d walked around to the driver’s side, Kelly had already leaned over to unlock the door for me.   I always figured that anyone who would reach over and unlock the door was a