Page 32 of Bad Medicine

“But you can’t touch it,” Iguessed.

He nodded, somewhat ruefully.“I haven’t been here long enough to acquire touch. I was dreading the stay. Butyou can tell them what I’m needing. The boy gives me the item, I’ll disappear.They’ll never hear from me again. You, on the other hand…” His eyes twinkled.

I frowned. “Me, what? I don’tneed visits from you either, Arron.”

“Too bad,” he said. “So sad.”

I lifted an eyebrow.“Seriously, Dwarf?”

He shrugged. “I can’t helpwhere I’m sent, girlie.”

I shook my head but refrainedfrom rolling my eyes. “What’s the bauble?”

“It’s a key, don’t you know. Abig gorgeous silver key.” He grabbed an empty loop on the green-and-white vesthe wore beneath the overcoat. “It belongs right here. I’ve been sorely feelingthe loss of it all this time.”

“Does he know where it is?”

“Oh yes, he came across it whenhe was exploring the Gifford Pinchot. He gave to yon lass with him, and she’llbe loathe to part with it.”

“I’m pretty sure,” I saiddryly, “she’ll gladly trade it to get rid of you. Tell me, Arron, why thedramatics with the lights and electronics?”

“I had to mess with them, then,didn’t I?”

Finally, I leaned forward andpulled the blade from the floor. If the couple had any doubts that I was forreal or that they were actually being haunted, the blade exploding from the airerased those doubts. “You have a key,” I told them. “A large silver key youfound in the Gifford Pinchot Forest. It belongs to him, and he wants it back.He’ll go away when you return it to him.”

They looked at each other. “Thekey,” Amelia breathed. “I knew that key was special.” A crafty look entered hereyes, and I did not like to see it. “What’ll happen if we keep it?”

“Look,” I said. “You don’t wantto fuck with this guy. He had decided not to hurt either one of you. Don’t makehim change his mind.”

“Mighty nice of you, girlie,”Arron said.

Jerry got to his feet. “He canhave it. I’ll go home and…” He frowned. “Do I just lay it out on a table?”

“That’ll be fine,” Arron said.“I can’t touch him, but I can reclaim that which belongs to me.”

“Yes,” I told Jerry. “Go homeand do that. He’ll be right behind you,” I added, just in case Amelia tried tochange his mind.

They hurried from the office,clutching at each other and casting looks around, as though they might suddenlybe able to see the dwarf.

“Until we meet again,” Arrontold me, bowing deeply, and then he was gone.

“That was weird,” I murmured.

“You chase ghosts for aliving,” Joe said, going to sit in the chair Jerry had just vacated. “You huntdown criminal supernats. Seems to me you’d be used to weird by now.”

“He wasn’t dead, Joe. Notreally.”

“The spirit?” He held out hishand. “Let me see the blade.”

I was strangely reluctant togive him my new knife. Apparently I was a bit greedy when it came to blades. Ihanded it over. “It looks ancient,” I said, peering with him at the barelyvisible designs on the handle. “As did the dwarf who gave it to me.”

“Dwarf.”

I couldn’t blame him for hisskepticism. “Give me back my knife.” I stuck it into a free sheath on my beltand pushed the intercom button. “I’m ready for the next appointment, Max.”

Nothing.

“I’ll go see where he is,” Joeoffered, and lumbered from the room to find Max.