Harvest Moon (39 page)

Benny nodded. “What else you got?”

I stood and walked over to the car. I popped the trunk and dragged Alexander to the middle of the intersection. He was conscious, but I still had the chaining spell on him, so he couldn't move. With a broken jaw, he couldn't speak, either. I gathered the stones I'd used when I tried to bind Samael and rearranged them into a circle around the crossroads. The circle bisected the roads leading to the intersection. I'd only need to move one of the stones to open a way out.

“You'll release me?” Benny asked, looking at the stones.

“Yeah, you'll be free as a bird, Benny. Plus, I throw in Alexander to sweeten the pot.”

“So either I spend eternity with you trapped at this fucking crossroads, or I'm free and I get to take out my frustration on Alexander?”

“Yeah, that's the deal.” I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. “You ask me, it's a pretty fucking good deal.”

Benny nodded. “Okay, we're straight, Domino. Hell, it wasn't really your fault anyway. Like you said, we both got played. And I did try to shoot you. Anyway, I'm not really doing you a favor, you know. So you live a little while longer—big fucking deal. Most of it will suck and you're still gonna die. That's what I've been trying to tell you, Domino. The Angel never stops chasing you.”

“That's all it takes to lift the curse?”

“That's all it takes,” Samael said, appearing beside Benny's shade. “No power of this world can save you, Domino, but there's an out clause for a dead man's for
giveness.” He turned to Benny. “Is that your wish, Binyamin Ben-Reuven? You want to pull the contract?”

“About that,” Benny said, “maybe we can renegotiate.”

“On what terms?”

Benny pointed down at Alexander. “I want to put the hit on this sorry motherfucker,” he said. “I never liked the fucking guy.”

 

Detective Sullivan was planted with full honors by the Los Angeles Police Department. I knew it wasn't a good idea, but I stopped by to pay my respects when they put him in the ground. I didn't have any strong feelings about the guy, but he seemed like a decent sort and I felt I owed him that much. I stood alone by a tree a short distance from his grave and watched as the priest sent him on his way.

“I can't help but feel partly responsible for his death,” Samael said. I'd been expecting him, but my heart still skipped a beat. My hand went reflexively to the back of my neck, even though I knew the mark was gone. Samael was leaning casually against the tree with his arms crossed, chewing a toothpick and watching the funeral.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. “Figured you'd gone back to whatever hole you crawled out of.”

Samael laughed. “Why would I do that?”

I looked at him and grinned. “You didn't hear?”

“Hear what?”

“I put a contract on you, Sammy.” I gestured to Sullivan's grave. “This shit here has consequences. You should know that better than anyone.”

“You're bluffing, Domino. You don't have the juice.”

I smiled. A car door slammed behind me, and I turned. A black Mercedes was parked on the side of the road that wound through the cemetery. Shanar Rashan nodded at me and started walking toward us.

Samael gave a low whistle. “Damn, you put the Turk on me?”

“He's not really Turkish. He's Sumerian.”

“You sure he can handle me?”

“Word is, he taught Ismail Akeem how to eat spirits back in the day.” I shrugged. “Worst case, a spot opens up at the top of the chain of command. I'm willing to see how it plays. What about you, Sammy? You in?”

Samael took a long look at Rashan, and then glared at me. “Another time, Domino. I'll be watching you.” He winked and then he was gone.

My boss walked up beside me and looked at the mourners gathered at the graveside. “Is she the one?” he asked, nodding to Detective Meadows.

“Yeah,” I said. “She could be a problem. She could also be a friend of ours.”

“She has the sight, but no real juice.”

“She's smart,” I said, “and strong.”

Rashan looked at me and smiled. “Okay, Dominica. Don't force it. If the detective's interest in us persists, make sure she becomes a friend and not a problem.”

I nodded. “Thanks, boss.”

“Anything else?”

I glanced over at the spot where Samael had been standing. “I think we're all good for a while.”

Rashan nodded and returned to his car, and I watched as he drove away. I stayed at the cemetery until Sulli
van's friends and family had all gone, and then I walked up to his grave. I pulled the book about Samael out of my jacket pocket and flipped through the pages. Then I closed it and tossed it on top of the casket.

“Sleep well, Detective,” I said. “The bogeyman's gone away.”