Page 50 of Demons Dig Donuts

“So.” Indy popped his tongue. “That was fun. I was hot. You were okay. And wow! Meeting your family already! It’s not even the second date.”

“Not even the first,” Mr. Heiss retorted, and the tiniest hint of a smile was teasing around his lips.

“Yeah, yeah, details.” Indy slurped his drink. “Just checking, but the entire point of me being a witness to murder was just so you could claim all of Mr. Kalt’s shit?”

“Yes.”

“You got me freaked out and terrified for basically fucking nothing.”

Mr. Heiss shook his head. “Not nothing.”

“Oh, right. The whole watching me squirm thing or whatever it was you said before you almost kissed me.”

Mr Heiss sneered. “I did not—”

“Yeah, it was weird. Didn’t take you for such a big sweetie.” Indy was happy to turn it back against Mr. Heiss, grinning wider. “Was kinda into it if I’m being honest, but you’re an asshole. So. None for you. And yeah, it all still sounds like nothing to me.”

Mr. Heiss scoffed. “I wouldn’t call a fortune in excess of one hundred million dollars nothing.”

Indy choked on air. “Fucking seriously?”

“Mr. Kalt has been active a long time. Enough to collect quite the portfolio of stocks, bonds, properties.” Mr. Heiss smirked. “All of which are now mine.”

“Except what you owe Lou and ol’ Nyppy tuck whatever his name was.”

Mr. Heiss narrowed his eyes. “Could you see them?”

“See who? Lou and Nyppy? Yeah, Lou is mega beefcake, but—”

“No. The ones with Louis.”

“The rockabilly chick and the burning dog?” Indy blinked. “Who are they? Wait, better question. What are they?”

“Louis possesses one of the wizard’s Artifacts. His is called the Reliquary. The people you saw are two of the spirits he controls.”

Indy scoffed. “Really? Not that impressive from what I saw.”

“I assume it was the witch and the hellhound.”

“Oh… Well, that explains the fire at least.” Indy hummed and slurped his drink. It tasted better now, but maybe only because he was getting used to the taste. Or he’d added too much—the right amount?—of rum. “So, you can’t see them?”

“No.”

“But you can see Dill?”

“Yes.”

“This wizard is fucking weird.” Indy laughed. “What’s the point of having all these cool ghost spirit guys when no one can see them?” He dropped his voice low. “Why yes, I have big scary ass ghosts. Where are they? Fucking invisible.”

“They’re dead,” Mr. Heiss said with a shrug of his shoulders. “My understanding is that the visibility is related to the connection of the spirit to the mortal realm. The Artifacts bypass that and allow the wearer to not only see the affected spirits but control them.”

“But what about Dill?”

“What about him?”

Indy wiggled his finger where the ring sat. “You can still see him. Gammy and King can too. Plus Dill’s girlfriend. Who is way hot. Burning hot. Literally.”

“I do not have an answer.” Mr. Heiss looked down at his glass. “Very little is known about the wizard. His life, his death. Why he created the Artifacts. How.”