Lured by Magic by David Neth

Author:David Neth [Neth, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: David Neth

25

- FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1924 -

Frankie wasn’t convinced that his spell had gone wrong. Sure, he had been affected by the phantom—which still lingered close by him—but the spell had gone just the way it was meant to. It had found Evelyn and showed her in the water. The fact that they couldn’t see her when they went down to the restaurant to find her simply meant that something else was at play.

Likely something paranormal.

Something like Hecate.

Frankie and Levi stepped into the kitchen, where they found Levi’s restaurant manager working at the grill.

“Hey, Eugene,” Levi called to him when they walked in. The food on the grill was sizzling, sending plumes of smoke up into the air. Elsewhere, dishes clanged and banged as everyone worked diligently in their own private corners.

The middle-aged man with the large belly and grease stains all over his T-shirt turned to Levi and held a hand to his ear. “Huh?” he grunted loudly.

“We wanted to talk to you,” Levi told him.

Eugene shook his head and shouted back, “Can’t talk right now. I’m too busy.”

Levi shot him a look. “The crowd is winding down. You can pass the buck for five minutes while I ask you something.”

The gruff man rolled his eyes, then turned down the heat on the grill, and the sizzling of the pan quieted. “What is it?”

Levi turned to Frankie to take the lead in the questioning.

“Well—” Frankie started.

“Speak up,” Eugene said. “I can’t hear you.”

The witch cleared his voice and tried again. Louder this time. “We were wondering if you’ve noticed anything weird lately.”

“Weird how?” Eugene kept his attention on the grill as he flipped the patty he was cooking.

“It could be anything out of the ordinary,” Frankie explained. “Have you seen anything that’s different from how it usually is?”

Eugene shook his head. “Not really. Why you asking about everyone else’s business?”

Frankie sidestepped that question by asking his own question. “What about your employees? Has anyone been acting off lately? Out of character?”

He chuckled and pushed around the burger on the skillet. “Haven’t noticed much. Then again, I try not to socialize with my employees too much. I pay them to work for me, not talk to me.”

“Oh,” Frankie said quietly. So much so that he doubted Eugene even heard him.

“Are we done? I really need to get back to things. We’re a little behind since Tommy showed up late again.”

“Tommy was late again?” Levi chirped up. He exchanged a look with Frankie to indicate that that behavior was out of the ordinary.

Eugene nodded. “Twice now. Damn kid is lucky he even still has a job.”

“Anything else that’s been strange about him?” Levi asked.

The manager shrugged. “Can’t say I’ve noticed. He’s been quieter than usual, I guess. But I’d be too if my boss reamed me out and I knew I was in the wrong. Like I said, he’s lucky he’s even still here.”

“Is he usually quiet?” Frankie asked Levi.

He nodded. “Pretty much. But by the end of his shift he usually opens up.

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