“If you ask me if I’m imagining it again, I’m going to punch you out, Dead Man Walking.”Michael raised his eyebrows and glanced at Eve. “He doesn’t sound crazy.”“Er,” she clarified, “crazier. He sounds like he’s back to normal, which is baseline crazy.”

“I’m Lila, and yes, he’s crazy. But you must have noticed that before now. He was crazy back when I knew him, and he’s obviously gotten crazier overtime.”

“I’m not going to fucking calm down. I’m going to hunt that bastard down and murderhim.”“Oh fuck,” Hank rocked back on his heels, his eyes went to the ceiling, his hands went to his hips.“What?” I asked.“Nothin’.”“What?” I asked, louder.His eyes came back to me. “You aren’thuntin’ anyone down.”“Wel … no,” I said, staring at him like he was crazy. “I was just saying that because I’m mad as hell. I wouldn’t begin to know how to hunt him down.””

“The ringtone was a dead giveaway, emphasis on dead . . . creepy organ music. She didn’t even have to glance at the image of fangedbunny slippers on the screen to know who was calling. She just sighed, thumbed it on, and held it to her ear.“Claire! I need you here immediately. Something’s wrong with Bob.” Myrnin, her mad-scientist, blood-addicted boss, sounded actually shaken. “Ican’t get him to eat his insects, and I used his favorites. He just sits there.”“Bob,” she repeated, looking at Shane in wide-eyed disbelief. “Bob the spider.”“Just because he’s a spider doesn’t mean he deserves any less concern! Claire, you have a way with him. He likes you.”Just what she needed. Bob the spider liked her. “You do realize that he’s a year old, at least. And spiders don’t live that long.”“You think he’s dead?” Myrnin sounded horrified. So wrong.“Is he curled up?”“No. He’s just quiet.”“Well, maybe he’s not hungry.”“Will you come?” Myrnin asked. He sounded calmer now, but also oddly needy. “It’s been very lonely here these past few days. I’d like yourcompany, at least for a little while.” When she hesitated, he used the pity card. “Please, Claire.”“Fine,” she sighed. “I’m bringing Shane.”After a second of silence, he said, flatly, “Goody,” and hung up.”

“He was crazy, Michael thought, but he appeared to be nice-crazy, and not I'll-kill-you-I'll-kill-you crazy.”

“I’m lying on Cash’s chest, tracing his tattoo.“What does this mean?” I whisper.“It’s the Chinese symbol for awesome,” he teases lightly.I giggle. “If it’s not, which I imagine it isn’t, then it should be.”“Are you paying me a compliment? I just want to be sure, so I don’t miss it.”I slap his ribs. “You make it sound like I’m mean and horrible because I don’t throw myself at your feet.”“You don’t have to throw yourself at my feet. Although if you want to, I’m sure I can think of something for you to do while you’re down there.”I look up at him and he’s waggling his eyebrows again.“I’m sure you could.” Shaking my head, I settle back onto his chest and resume tracing the ink shapes. “Seriously, what do they mean?”Cash is quiet for so long I begin to think he’s not going to answer me. But then he finally speaks.“It’s a collage of things that remind me of my family.”