Page 20 of Cursed By Fate

“I know. It’s okay.” I called Dr. Adam and put him on speaker. “Good morning, Dr. Adam. I have Ezra Kline with me. He’d like to schedule an appointment—your next available, please.”

“I’ll be free in about fifteen minutes if he wants to head over now.”

Props to Dr. Adam, as always. The healer was a keeper. “Great, he’ll be there.” I hung up and smiled at Ezra. “You’ll be in good hands.”

Ezra looked uncertain.

“Penny will drive you to the appointment and wait until you’re finished,” I added. “Make sure you get home safely.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Not a babysitter, Ezra. Someone to keep you company while you wait. She can also write down anything important the doctor tells you and leave it in your condo with you.”

Penny unlocked his handcuffs. “My golf cart is the white one with the black detailing. Why don’t you wait for me there?”

Ezra shuffled to the golf cart and climbed into the passenger seat like a toddler who’d been put in time-out.

I held out my hand. “I’ll take that before you go, thank you.” The blade looked dull and the handle worn. Not a brand-new purchase then.

Penny gave me the machete. “What will you do with it?”

“The less you know, the better.”

“I’m the assistant director of security. Shouldn’t I know where we keep contraband?”

“It’s on a need-to-know basis.”

“Did you know when you were in my position?”

She had me there. “I keep them in a secure location. A warded trunk in my cottage.”

“Who warded it?”

“Does it matter?”

“Well, if it was Meemaw, then that means she has the ability to unlock it. I’d consider that a safety issue.”

“Are you genuinely concerned or only worried because you think Meemaw doesn’t like you?”

“She doesn’t like me, but this isn’t personal. It’s about the rules.”

“You focus on getting Ezra to his appointment. I’ll worry about the machete.”

Her gaze lingered on the weapon. “Where do you think he got it?”

“Not sure, but I intend to find out.” Undocumented weapons on the island were a serious risk to health and safety.

“Would you have gone with Mr. Kline to his appointment if I wasn’t here?” Penny asked.

“Yes. It’s part of the job. Like it or not, Neighborhood security involves a lot more than criminal investigations.”

Penny smiled in the direction of her golf cart. “Oh, I like it. I just didn’t expect so much handholding. It’s a nice change of pace.”

Anything was a nice change of pace compared with the life of a fury. The work was relentless and oftentimes thankless. You worked your ass off for a pat on the head from a Fate, but most of the time your success was met with your next assignment from one of their messengers. Once you climbed the ranks, they couldn’t be bothered to speak to you directly unless they wanted to express their displeasure. Needless to say, as my loyalty began to wane, I saw a lot more of them.

I shoved the old memories back into the mental void where they belonged. For now, I had a machete to lock away and an investigation to launch. The Fates may not have cared about the people they “protected,” but I did.

I drove home with the machete on the passenger seat. Once it was safely in my weapons cache, I seized the opportunity to scarf down a tuna sandwich and a pickle before I returned to the grind. Jinx screeched bloody murder until I left a dollop of tuna in her dish. The cat was serious about her snacks. Same, kitty.