don’t know where she is, but if I help you find her, you’ve got to help me, all right? Do we have a deal?”
“Yes. Yes, anything.”
“OK then. Do you know who would want to kidnap her? Do you have any enemies?”
And then it was like all of Bennet’s fury abandoned him, and he staggered to the sofa and collapsed on to it. “Too many,” he said, tears in his eyes. “Everyone knows. They know about …”
“They know you worship Darquesse?” Sebastian asked gently.
Bennet nodded. “I get rocks through my window. I … I lost my job. People around here, they hate me. My poor Odetta, she doesn’t even see Darquesse the way I do, but they still … they still went after her.”
Sebastian hesitated, then took a step closer. “What happened?”
Bennet looked up. “Who are you?”
“You can call me the Plague Doctor,” said Sebastian. “Like you, I see Darquesse differently from other people.”
There was a knock on the front door.
Bennet’s eyes widened. “Odetta!” he said, and lunged out of the room. Sebastian watched from cover as Bennet pulled the door open to reveal a pimply-faced boy.
“You Bennet Troth?” the boy asked.
Bennet’s shoulders fell. “Yes,” he said.
“Got a message for you,” said the boy. “It’s about your wife. You’re never going to see her again so don’t bother looking.”
Bennet grabbed the boy, shaking him. “Who sent you?” he roared. “Where is she?”
Sebastian ran forward as the kid struggled.
“Let go of me, you spanner!”
Sebastian pulled Bennet back, forcing him to release his hold.
“Easy now,” he said. “Easy. Let’s all just calm down.”
The kid stared. “Why are you dressed as a bird?”
“I’m not,” Sebastian answered.
“Yes, you are. You have a beak.”
“I don’t have feathers, do I?”
The boy shrugged. “Some birds don’t have feathers.”
Beneath his mask, Sebastian frowned. “All birds have feathers. Feathers are what makes them birds.”
“What about the duck-billed platypus?” the boy asked. “That doesn’t have feathers. It has fur. What kind of duck has fur?”
“The duck-billed platypus isn’t a duck. It’s a platypus.”
“What’s a platypus?”
“It’s a monotreme,” Bennet said miserably. “A mammal that lays eggs.”
“Oh,” said the boy. He looked back at Sebastian. “Is that what you’re dressed as, then? A duck-billed platypus?”
“No,” said Sebastian. “I’m the Plague Doctor. You have information about this man’s wife? Where is she?”
“Don’t know,” the boy said. “But if he grabs me again I’m gonna deck him.”
Bennet reached for the kid. “Tell me where she is!”
“Get your hands off me, you psycho! I don’t know where your stupid wife is! I was paid to knock on this door and give that message to a guy named Bennet Troth, that’s all.”
“Who paid you?” Sebastian asked.
“Some guy.”
“What guy?”
“I don’t know who he was,” the boy answered. “He was in a big coat and hat. Huge hands. Didn’t see his face.”
“What did he tell you to say? Exactly?”
The boy sighed again. “He didn’t say anything. Two minutes ago I was walking along and he shoved a note and some money into my hands. The note said to tell this nutbag that he’ll never see his wife again, so to not bother looking. If I’d have known I’d be attacked for delivering a message, I’d have asked for more money.”
“Only two minutes? Which way did he go? What direction?”
“I don’t know.” The boy looked around, then pointed to a street. “He went down there, I think.”
“Then we might be able to catch him,” Sebastian said. “Bennet – how do I get up on to your roof?”
“Where are you taking me?” Valkyrie asked. Xena ignored her, went snuffling through the undergrowth until she’d found a scent she liked, then set off in pursuit. Valkyrie sighed, and walked after her.
The night was cold, and she stuffed her hands into her coat pockets. She was getting to know the land around Grimwood pretty well, and didn’t need a torch any more. Pretty soon she’d be able to navigate these trails and paths through the trees without even thinking about it, like she’d been able to do back in Meek Ridge. She thought about Colorado, thought about how much she’d liked it there. She couldn’t go back, though. That part of her life was over. If things didn’t work out here, she’d go live somewhere new. Maybe even somewhere warm.
“How about it?” she asked the dark shape that was Xena. “How’s Australia sound?”
Xena didn’t answer.
“Find a nice place on the coast, far away from everyone. We could go swimming every day, what do you think about that?”
Xena bounded in front of her, looked around and bounded off again.
“We don’t have to decide now,” Valkyrie told her. “Take some time. Think about it.”
Her phone rang. Skulduggery. She chewed her lip, then answered on the fourth ring. “Hey,” she said.
“Hello. I’m at your front door.”
“Ah. I’m close by, just walking the dog.”
“A wholesome way to spend your time. May I join you?”
“I’ll light the way,” Valkyrie said, and hung up. Energy crackled around her hand, but she hesitated a little before letting it loose, straight overhead. It lit up the night for a split second.
Moments later, Skulduggery strode across the sky. He saw her and quickly dipped, keeping pace with her
