Page 26 of Forever Found

Judging from the silence in their rooms, Lyndsey and Justin both seemed to be sleeping as far as David could tell.

In his room, he sat at his desk and fired up his computer to search for information about Caleb. It wouldn’t be as easy as one might think.

He began with St. Paul, and he would expand his search radius from there. That was where Caleb had mowed him down, after all. Perhaps he’d lived there at the time.

David took a stab at his age. In his demon form, he’d still look the age he had been when he’d died, just as David did. So he added,born in 1965-1975to his search, guessing Caleb was somewhere between thirty-five and forty-five. Then he added,deathsand the nameCaleb. He fed the criteria into the search engine.

A few Calebs with photos came up. None was his guy.

Then it occurred to David that Caleb, given his personality, might have a criminal record. He added that to the search criteria, expanded the age range by two years on both ends, and widened the location to include all of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Chicago area.

He sat back as he waited for the list to materialize. It popped up. It was amazing how quickly computers sorted through data.

He scrolled over a list of names with pictures. On the sixth page, he found his demon: Caleb Dexter of Savage, MN.

Found you.

David printed every bit of information he could find. He’d let the witches decide what was pertinent. Then he captured a snapshot of the data with his cell phone and messaged it to them, as well as to Val. It wouldn’t hurt for the sheriff to know who they were dealing with. Besides, a potion would be a good backup plan, but not something he could rely on.

Caleb Dexter, born at 3:33 AM on December 12, 1974, in Savage, MN. Both parents killed in a house fire. He and the dog survived. He was raised in an orphanage until the age of fifteen when he fled—wanted for murder.

* * *

At nine the following morning, Grady ushered Nora into the kitchen. David, Justin, and Lyndsey had finished breakfast, and they were now discussing the day’s schedule. Sissy LaFleur and Vincent, two of the angels who lived at the mansion, strolled through, selecting some sweet rolls.

“We’re heading for a game of basketball. Anyone want to join us?” Vincent asked.

Justin jumped up. “I’m in. Lead the way.”

They passed in front of Grady and Nora with a wave.

“I didn’t expect you so soon,” David said to Nora.

“He wasn’t that complicated,” she said. “Here you go.” She handed a bottle to Lyndsey. “Take six drops, placed beneath the tongue, every three to six hours.”

“What will this do, exactly?” Lyndsey asked, examining the bottle of blue fluid. She gave it a shake. It seemed thick, more like the consistency of honey than water.

“Turn you into a frog,” Nora joked, then laughed until her eyes teared. She wiped a finger beneath her lids. “Sorry. It could be lack of sleep.” Then she sobered. “The potion will make you undetectable to Caleb. He wouldn’t be able to find you even if you were standing right in front of him. But,” she cautioned, “don’t drop it. If the glass container breaks, it will change the composition and could react in an unstable way.”

“Thank you for getting this to us so quickly.” Rising, he stood and hugged Nora. “You’re the best.”

Lyndsey held the bottle up to the light. “What’s in it?”

“Mainly herbs from Twyla’s garden. A witch never shares her potions,” Nora said.

“Frogs and snails and puppy dogs tails,” Lyndsey recited the nursery rhyme.

“Just don’t skip a day,” Nora warned. “And let me know when you’re getting close to running out, and I’ll make more.”

“Okay. Thank you so much,” Lyndsey said. “I appreciate your help.”

“You’re welcome, dear. We supernaturals need to stick together against the evil in the world.” Nora clasped Lyndsey’s hand in both of hers.

Lyndsey avoided correcting her, not saying she didn’t consider herself one.

With a wave from Nora, David walked her to the front door.

While they were gone, Lyndsey opened the bottle. Immediately, she was assailed with a strong odor of garlic and something fishy. She involuntarily gagged. Oh my goodness, she didn’t know if she’d be able to get it down. But she should begin with the drops right away.