Cold Hard Magic Read Online Free PDF Page B

Rob. Joan seemed speechless for the first time since Rob arrived.
     
    "You mean like Christmas decorations?" Carl finally asked.
     
    "No," Rob shook his head. "Like a real live animal. All normal and like but it glows."
     
    "Does it glow in the day or night?" Carl asked.
     
    "Well, at night. I guess."
     
    "There's no such thing as glowing animals, dear," Joan said.
     
    "Actually, there are several species of fish that posses a protein—"
     
    "But that's a fish not an animal," she pointed out.
     
    “Strontium Aluminate!” Carl blurted out. “It comes in those glow sticks.”
     
    Rob's head tilted to the side as the thought about it. “Ahh, yeeahh.”
     
    “Some kids they break up those glow sticks and spray it around.” Joan said with a knowing motherly look. “Kids do silly pranks and so on.”
     
    “Probably put some on that poor deer," Carl said. "Then you happened to come along.”
     
    “That could… explain it," Rob said. He thought back on that night.
     
    If it had been paint, it would have ended up in his hands or at least his coat since the doe had been so affectionate. But his coat hadn't glowed afterwards and he certainly hadn't. He looked up to see that the Hendersons were expecting something more from him.
     
    "That’s a keen idea there, Mr. Hendeson,” Rob said with a nod.
     
    “Nothing unusual about it," Joan said. "Some things are just explainable when you put your mind to it. The simplest explanation is usually the right one.”
     
    Carl turned to his wife, his brow furrowed.
     
    She looked up at him with a confident smile and nodded. "Right, Carl?"
     
    He nodded slowly. "Yuuup."
     
    “Well," Rob said, his eyes bouncing between both of the Hendersons, "I have enough here about your potential poltergeist.”
     
    Joan bobbed her head. "That's wonderful, dear." She walked out of the room and down the stairs with a definite bounce on her step. “We appreciate you coming over, Rob," she said over her shoulder. "I just knew you would be the one to help.”
     
    “You have a mighty interesting case here, Mrs. Henderson," Rob said as he climbed down the stairs.
     
    Carl Henderson snorted behind him.
     
    "Joan, please," she chided. "After this whole thing, I feel like we are practically family." She beamed.
     
    "Joan," Rob said, a smile lighting up his features. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
     
    The couple walked with Rob to the front door and waved as he pulled out of their drive.
     
    The sky was darkening as Rob drove home with only half a mind on the task at hand. He had started thinking about the Henderson's — nice couple — and their problem, which he had a nagging suspicion might not be much of a problem, after all.
     
    But it would still be really be great if Dennis was able to make it down for another show. They always had the most interesting conversions. Rob smiled.
     
    That made him think of Nancy.
     
    His smile broadened. She was such an incredible girl. Smart, funny, sweet. Just…incredible. He couldn't wait to see her again tonight. They had spent the whole afternoon yesterday just chatting away like old friends. They eventually chatted long enough to grab a mall dinner and that's when he decided to take a chance and ask her on a real date.
     
    Rob looked down at his clothes. He was glad he was wearing his nice jeans since the appointment with the Henderson's went long. There was really no time to go home and changed. He looked back up onto the road and slammed the breaks.
     
    The doe .
     
     
     

Chapter 7
     
     
    Rob stared at the doe, in all her glowing beauty, simply standing in the middle of the 810 looking back at him.
     
    "You are definitely, not coated with paint," Rob murmured, leaning his chin on the steering wheel.
     
    The doe tapped her hoof on the asphalt and shook her head. Then again.
     
    "Now, don’t you worry," Rob said. "You can go about your business and I won't get in your way."
     
    He recognized the futility