Lafferty, Mur Read Online Free PDF

importance to her, she finally said she’d come, but she had better be able to clock in overtime, and she was owed a day off.
    “Sure thing, whatever you like,” Michelle said.
    Samantha made her apologies and said good night, begging drunken tiredness. "Tell me everything that happens tomorrow night, right?" she asked.
    Peter nodded.
    Patricia arrived twenty minutes later, looking as if she had been drinking about as much as Keepsie had and did not appreciate being summoned. She stumbled a bit on her high heels and accepted Peter's steadying hand with bad grace.
    "You’re going to make this up to me, right?" she asked.
    "Yes. We wouldn't ask you to -"
    "I know," Patricia said, "You told me on the phone. It's ‘really important.’
    Incidentally, my date with Marc Sneed, an executive with Seventh City Bank and Trust, was kind of important too!"
    Ian scowled at her. He grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her, protesting, to the kitchen door. "If your date with Moneypants is more important than a villain who is currently stuck in Keepsie's kitchen, with Keepsie passed out and unable to free him, then you just go right on back to him. Why don't you let the Academy know about this on the way, and maybe you'll get a better job there than you will have lost here!"
    Patricia’s eyes got wide. She peeked into the kitchen, the color draining from her cheeks. She walked over to Keepsie and placed her hand on the back of her head.
    A strong whiff of alcohol permeated the air, as if someone had spilled a bottle of vodka on a hot radiator. Keepsie raised her head off the bar, scowling.
    She smacked her lips a couple of times. "Isn't it your night off?"
    "Hey, don't look at me, I've got a date to get back to," Patricia said, taking her coat from Peter. "Now, before I go, does anyone else need me? I'd like to be left alone for the rest of my evening."
    Peter gave Ian a look.
    "No, man, I'm cool," Ian said.
    Peter raised his eyebrows. "You're prepared to deal with that?" He pointed to the kitchen.
    "Fine, Dad, whatever," Ian said.
    After sobering Ian up, Patricia headed for the door. "Enjoy your battle with the villain, but don't get into too much trouble. I need this crappy job where my bosses call me in the middle of the night on my night off."
    "There goes her raise," Michelle said lightly.
    Keepsie rubbed her face. "Someone want to tell me what's going on? I mean, I appreciate the lack of hangover tomorrow, but Patricia’s not someone we want to lose."
    Ian looked at Peter. He took a deep breath.
    "Keepsie, that thing that the heroes were trying to get. Where did you put it?"
    Keepsie's eyes narrowed. "In the Lost and Found box. It’s still there."
    "Oh, yes," Peter said. "Only I believe someone has tried to steal it from you. I have to commend your power, Keepsie, I didn't know it was so effective."
    Keepsie's eyes widened. "Who would be stupid enough to -"
    "Clever Jack," Ian said in a low voice.
    Keepsie gave a low whistle. "Whoa. I didn't know he was back in town."
    "Peter thinks he's, like, working with Doodad or something,” Ian said. “I don't think Doodad told him not to steal from you, though." He grinned.
    "He's in there right now? Stuck?" Keepsie asked.
    "He's not going anywhere," Peter said. "That's why we had to sober you up. This is all you, Keepsie." “But we can't fight a villain!” she said. “Then again, I'll be damned if I call the Academy to help. If I set him free, he'll have that thing Doodad gave me. And if I don't, he'll be stuck in the kitchen. Colette won't like that."
    Peter smiled at the thought of the boisterous cook having to step over Clever Jack every time she needed to leave the kitchen.
    "Well. We could talk to him," Ian said after a pause.
    They gaped at him. "You do know who he is, right?" Keepsie asked.
    "Yeah. I mean, I've heard the stories. But they can't all be true, can they?" Ian asked, looking uncomfortable as they all started shaking their heads.
    "I've seen him in action, he's the