Maybe the anointing was overkill, but James would take it if it meant not driving off the road and nearly dying again. If the worst he got was a little acne from the oils, then so be it. He nodded solemnly as Father McEnerney swiped his forehead with oil, saying something too quiet for James to hear. He wished he could offer the same protection to the priest, but he apparently had set himself up, so he didn’t seem concerned.

They were sitting in James’s car outside of Polly Grace’s house again. He’d filled Father McEnerney in on their last visit, and he wasn’t sure what they were going to accomplish here. But the Father had insisted he wanted to see it.

“Should we have brought a medium in?” James asked as Father McEnerney tucked his small black bag into the back seat of the car.

“Oh, probably,” Father McEnerney said. “But they weren’t going to spare one of that team right now.”

“Is the entire security team in Ashburnham?” James asked.

“Not the whole thing? They don’t tell me everything, but as far as I know, it seems to be about half of the Foundation’s total agents protecting that house right now.”

A mix of frustration and relief surged through James at that. On one hand, he was relieved that those children were protected. But on the other hand, there were so many other things that needed attention. He knew cases hadn’t stopped. The hose was just blocked up to a slow trickle until they finished this one. Because the Delinskys had money and the Foundation wanted some of that money to keep flowing their way.

Apparently his feelings on the matter were obvious, because Father McEnerney shrugged as he adjusted his Roman collar. “What are you going to do, argue with the higher-ups?” he asked. “Not like it’s worked in the past.”

“Let’s just get this done so that we can go back to helping people who aren’t multimillionaires,” James muttered.

They got out of the car and walked into the rundown yard of the tiny cottage. Most of the snow from the other day had melted, exposing shriveled plants and waterlogged lawn decorations. James recognized a small scarecrow from the dollar store as it lay beside the worn pathway. The idea of this powerful conjurer going to Dollar Tree was just too weird to comprehend, so instead of trying to decipher his feelings on the matter, he just kept walking. James kept his eyes on the window, but the tattered curtain stayed in place as they made their way up the tiny walkway and to the front door.

Father McEnerney knocked on the door. Just like James had the other day, he paused and waited, but nothing came. He tried again. Still nothing.

“Hang on,” he said, stepping off the stairs.

James watched as he walked toward the side of the house, stepping over a broken lawn chair that was half-covered in dirty snow. He had his hands plunged into the pockets of his long, black coat as he casually disappeared around the corner.

James followed in time to see Father McEnerney looking in the side windows. “What are you doing?” James hissed.

“I’m trying to see if she’s here,” Father McEnerney replied evenly. “She knows we know. It’s not like we have secrets now.”

He looked inside again as James stood at the corner of the house, glancing around wildly for any sign of somebody spotting them. If someone caught them casing some old lady’s house, there was going to be hell to pay, priest or not.

“Nobody in the kitchen,” Father McEnerney muttered. “Alright, let me check out back.”

He walked to the back of the house as James followed, swearing under his breath. There was nobody in the back, not in the tiny mudroom or in what Father McEnerney said had to be the bedroom.

“Great, then let’s go before someone calls the cops,” James said.

“She’s not here,” Father McEnerney said as they walked back to the car.

“Maybe she’s just getting groceries,” James suggested.

From the priest’s skeptical look, he knew he wasn’t convincing either of them. But if she wasn’t there, where was she? And what was she capable of doing next?

---

James dropped Father McEnerney off at the Cottage at Delinsky Cove, sparing a disgusted look for the mansion before driving back to Leominster. It was a dull gray outside and even the trees along the highway seemed muted, like they’d been drained of life.

He was exhausted. And angry. And this case might be the turning point. The Foundation had never been a charity, he knew that. But the glaring difference between how they handled most cases and how they were falling over themselves for this case was too much to ignore.

As soon as he got in the door at Headquarters, Amelia was waiting for him. “Oh no,” was the first thing that escaped his mouth at the sight of her.

“We have a problem,” she said.

“Of course we fucking do. What is it?”

“Zach Delinsky just called a minute ago. I tried to reach you through Father McEnerney, but he said you’d already dropped him off.”

“We were at Polly Grace’s house. She was gone.”

“Yeah, we might know where she went.”

James’s stomach dropped. “What happened?”

“Zach is on his way to the Foxborough Delinsky’s location. He said that they just got a panicked call from Gary, the interim manager, that there’s something going on in the store. He said Gary didn’t say what, just that there was something evil, and he wasn’t staying. So Zach’s father sent him to check.”

“I’ll go,” James said, fishing his car keys out of his pocket.

“Hang on, I’ll come too.”

James held up a hand to stop her. “Amelia,” he said. “That’s probably not a good idea.”

There was a flash of anger across her face, then it drained away as she sighed. “You’re right,” she said. “I’ll slow you down.”

“No, I’m nervous you might get hurt again. Jesus. Look, can you stay on comms with me? I don’t have my phone, so I’m going to be relying on the comm system and I’m going to need you. Who’s here?”

“Gabriella and Madelyn.”

“I’m going to take Gabriella with me. We’ll go see what’s going on. Maybe it’ll end up being a simple cleanse or something.”

They both knew that wasn’t true, but neither of them was about to say it. Instead, James called up the stairs, “Gabriella!”

A second later, she poked her head out of the kitchen, long, blonde hair tied up in a messy knot as she ate an apple. “Yeah?”

“I need you to go to Foxborough with me.”

She clearly knew what had happened, because she didn’t say anything. Instead, she headed for the supply closet.

“What do we need?” she asked.

“All the standard stuff,” James said. “Holy water, knives. Hell, toss the cryptid supplies in there. I think she’s still human.”

“And who are we going after, again?”

“I think whatever is happening at Delinsky’s is linked with that Polly Grace woman we haven’t been able to find,” James said. “If she’s there right now…”

Zach was on his way there right now, James realized with a force that stopped him cold. Shit, he could be walking right into a trap. Even if he wasn’t a monster, he was a Delinsky, and that made him just as much a target as the others.

James ran into his office, ignoring Gabriella’s call after him. His desk was a mess, and it took a few panicked seconds of tossing papers aside and onto the floor before he found Zach’s business card half-crushed beneath a stained Tupperware lid. He grabbed it and, with shaking hands, dialed Zach’s number.

Zach picked up after a couple of rings. “James?”

“Zach, don’t go into the store,” James said. “It might be a trap.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, they’re the ones who did it. There’s two staffers at the Foxborough store. They hired someone to kill your family and you might be driving right into their trap right now.”

James heard Zach’s brakes screech as the other man’s car stopped short. “Tell me you’re not on the highway,” James said.

The car started up again. “I’m almost off it,” Zach said. “Hang on, I’m going to pull over as soon as I’m off the exit.”

It was quiet for a moment and James expected to hear steel colliding with steel, that screeching, screaming sound that still haunted his dreams after hearing it too many times in real life. But there was nothing, and he almost didn’t believe it when he heard Zach speak again. “Tell me everything.”

His voice was clipped and almost calm, but James could tell it was a front. It was almost identical to the way Bradley acted when shit was falling apart on a case. He took a deep breath. “I don’t have any definite facts,” he admitted. “But we met two staffers there before me and Amelia were in that accident, and they all but admitted they hired someone to curse your family. It’s revenge. Their manager was fired, and she killed herself.”

“Fuck.”

Zach’s voice was so quiet that James almost didn’t hear him over the sound of cars driving by. “We’re on our way, but it’s going to take at least an hour,” James continued. “Don’t go into that store.”

“But my father-”

“I don’t care what your father said to do,” James snapped. “Zach, listen to me. If you go in that store, you will die. Do you understand? This is personal. Stay out of there, for Christ’s sake.”

“What should I do?”

James’s heart sank as he realized he didn’t have a good answer to give. “Where are you?” he asked.

“I’m just off the highway in Milford,” Zach said.

“Don’t keep driving,” James ordered. “Stay in your car. Don’t talk to anyone, don’t let anyone in. For the love of God, do not go to that fucking store.”

“I can’t not-”

“DON’T!” James roared. “Goddammit, if you love your nieces and nephews at all, don’t go near that place. You will die and they will have to deal with it.”

There was silence on the other end. James knew Zach wasn’t used to being told no, no millionaires were. But then there was a reluctant sigh. “You’re right,” Zach said, voice watery.

“Of course I am,” James said, trying to keep his tone light. “I’m an expert. Hey, it’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah.”

“James, I’m ready.”

Gabriella’s voice came into his office, and he looked up and nodded at her. “Listen, we’re leaving now,” he continued. “This isn’t yours to fix. We’re going to take care of it.”

“Thank you.”

“I mean it, though. Do not leave your car. Go sit in a parking lot until you hear from the Foundation. Turn it off. Do a fucking crossword while you wait.”

Zach gave a tearful laugh and James was satisfied that he was telling the truth when he said he’d stay. “Call this number if you need anything and they’ll pass your message onto me.”

“Just be careful,” Zach said.

“I will,” James promised. “You too. Just stay safe, it’ll be over soon.”

---

CONTINUE TO CHAPTER 22