Raising Hell by Clare Kauter

Author:Clare Kauter [Kauter, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Cozy Mystery
Goodreads: 36515916
Publisher: Author
Published: 2017-10-30T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Despite our earlier discussion about showering (separately!), Adam and I didn’t return to our (separate) houses or head to the (separate) Baxter & Co. shower cubicles. Instead we headed to Adam’s office where we both used antibacterial wipes and sanitising gel to try and kill whatever germs or demons had followed us out of Freda’s house. Once we were suitably clean, Adam took out his first aid kit, which was really more like a mobile hospital because he’d beefed it up with extra supplies since I’d started working for him.

The ankle wasn’t broken or sprained or anything, just bruised and scraped and a little swollen. Nothing that would get me out of work for the rest of the day, but enough to get me out of running in the morning. I didn’t bother trying to hide my look of glee when Adam told me that. He got me some cold packs to put on it while we discussed the case. However, just when we’d begun to talk through what we knew, there was a knock at the door and Harry entered.

“Charlie, what on earth has happened to your ankle?”

“We were out questioning a crazy lady who said she had Satan inside her –”

“Ew,” said Harry.

“I know, right? Anyway, her house was basically a pile of mouldy wood and I fell through her rotting veranda.”

“It looks painful.”

“It is,” I said. “Not as bad as the cut on my arse, though.”

He raised his eyebrows. “The veranda cut you?”

I shook my head. “No, the cut was from –” Adam glared at me and I realised I should probably make up a different story from what had actually happened. “A gnome.”

“A gnome?”

I nodded. “Yep. My housemate has a collection.” That, at least, was the truth. Lea thought they were adorable and just kept buying them. I thought they were demonic and had ‘accidentally’ broken more than a couple. “I fell over in our garden and landed right on There’s No Place Like Gnome – it’s a commemorative Wizard of Oz gnome. It smashed and cut right through my pants.”

“Wow,” said Harry, and I had no idea if he actually bought the lie or not.

“Did you come here for a reason?” Adam asked, raising his eyebrows at his father. “Or just to chat about how clumsy Charlie can be?”

“Eli’s gone home?” Harry asked.

Adam nodded. “We dropped him off.”

“Right. I was hoping to speak to him, but I suppose I can ask you, Charlie.”

I raised my eyebrows, trying to play it cool and ignore my heart thumping in my chest. “Um, yes?”

“Dungeons and Dinosaurs.”

I paused, convinced that he’d discovered it was a total lie and wanted to know what had really happened today. “What about it?”

“Everything,” he said.

I frowned. “Sorry?”

“I want you to tell me all about it. I’m just so intrigued.”

“Harry,” said Adam, “now’s really not the time. Charlie has work to do. I’m sure you do as well.”

“Oh, nonsense. It’ll only take a minute. Please, Charlie.” He took a seat next to me. “Tell me all about it.

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