“Whatever,” he said. “I’m going to grab a quick shower.”

I hated that the tension eased out of my shoulders when Brian disappeared into the guest room. I shouldn’t let Adam get to me the way he did, but I just couldn’t help it. And I couldn’t help that Brian’s presence gave Adam so much more fuel to torture me with.

“So what are you two doing here this morning, anyway?” I asked. “And help yourself to my coffee, by the way.” I glanced at Dominic, slaving over my stove. “And help yourself to my kitchen.”

“Thanks,” Dom called cheerfully, frying up something that involved peppers and onions and filled the air with the most enticing aromas imaginable. Short of coffee. He must have been shopping before he’d come over—no way he’d gotten anything that smelled that good out of my fridge.

“I thought you might want to know that your parents have flown the coop,” Adam said, and I almost choked on my coffee.

“What?”

“When I went to interview them last night, they were gone.”

I figured I must not have had enough coffee yet. Surely he wasn’t saying what I thought he was saying. “What do you mean ‘gone’?”

“I mean packed up everything they own and disappeared.”

“That’s impossible.”

Adam shook his head. “Oh, I assure you, it’s quite possible. Aside from packing up everything they own, they also cleared out their bank accounts.”

Andy came over and joined us, looking as shocked as I felt. “But Morgan was just over there yesterday!” he protested.

“Yes, I know,” Adam said with exaggerated patience. “I was there, too, remember? But I assure you, when we went there last night, they were gone. Naturally, I’m trying to find out where they disappeared to, but no one can disappear this thoroughly and this suddenly without some kind of outside help.”

“Bradley Cooper,” I said, knowing the slimy little weasel had to have contacts all over the place. And that he wouldn’t hesitate to use illegal means to cover up whatever the hell it was he—and the Spirit Society—was hiding.

“His name did spring to mind,” Adam agreed.

“Have you had a chance to talk to him yet?”

“He claimed to know nothing. He said he was given the name of the demon to summon by his superiors, and he didn’t ask any questions.”

“Yeah, and cows grow on trees.”

“Of course, since we know what demon he summoned now, I don’t suppose his knowledge or lack thereof matters too much. I think we’re pretty much on our own with Der Jäger. But I’d definitely like to have another chat with him.”

So would I, not that I’d spoken to him anytime recently. I hadn’t been able to entirely cut my parents out of my life, but Cooper had been a different story.

The problem was, Cooper was in this up to his ass, and that meant the likelihood of us getting any straight answers out of him was approximately zilch. I shuddered as I took another sip of coffee, wondering if Adam would now use his special interrogation techniques on Cooper. Better than on my parents—at least, from my point of view—but still dangerous. If Adam resorted to violence, then he’d have to kill Cooper when he was done. Otherwise, he’d be declared rogue and his life would be forfeit.

I couldn’t stand Cooper, but I didn’t want his death on my conscience.

“Let’s hold off on talking to Cooper for now,” I suggested. “I’d say he’s about the last person we’re likely to get info out of.”

Adam gave me a penetrating look, telling me he’d followed my thought process easily. “And who would you suggest we talk to instead?”

Luckily, I had an idea. “Maybe my pediatrician. We have more than one mystery to solve, remember. I know he retired right around when I went to college, but we can probably track him down.”

Adam arched an eyebrow skeptically. “And what exactly do you expect him to tell us?”

“He might be able to tell me what happened to me at The Healing Circle when I was thirteen.”

“And the reason you expect to get a straight answer out of him is…”

I shrugged. “I probably won’t. But I might be able to tell if he’s hiding something or not.”

I remembered Dr. Williams as a kindly old man, who was nice to me even when I was my usual difficult self. I had a hard time believing he’d have been involved with any kind of evil plan to harm me. But he’d been my doctor at the time of what I now was convinced was a suspicious hospitalization, and he had to know something.

I’d have to deal with the Adam problem no matter who I approached with questions, but with kindly old Dr. Williams, I thought I was more likely to get cooperation—and less likely to trigger Adam’s dark side.

“So you’ve become a master interrogator?” Adam asked.

I kept my temper firmly in check. “I just plan to ask him a couple of questions, not interrogate him. And you’re going to stay here and keep the people I care about safe while I do.”

He laughed, as I’d figured he would. Brian, freshly scrubbed, his hair slicked back with water, emerged from the guest bedroom. He looked back and forth between me and Adam like he was trying to figure out the joke.

“Dominic?” I asked, raising my voice to something just under a shout to be heard over Adam’s laughter.

Dom seemed to have finished cooking and was now opening random cabinets in the kitchen, probably looking for dishes. He stopped with his hand still on a cabinet door.

“Yes?”

“Can you talk your boyfriend into staying here on guard duty while I go do a little investigating?” I tried not to emphasize the word “boyfriend,” and I also tried not to glance at Brian to see his reaction. I failed on both counts. When I accidentally caught his eye, he flashed me a rueful smile that could have meant anything.

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” Dom asked from the kitchen. He’d located the plates, and was now scooping something out of the pan.

“As long as I stay out in the open where people can see me, Der Jäger wouldn’t dare come after me. Not unless he wants a date with the state of Pennsylvania’s cremation ovens!”

“That’s true, I suppose,” Dominic said, carrying a pair of plates out to the table, which was barely big enough to seat four average-sized people. None of my unwanted visitors was average-sized—not that I was, either—and I didn’t know how we were all supposed to fit at the table.

Since I was asking for a favor, I decided to make myself useful and help serve. I saw the plates were laden with extra-fluffy omelets and home fries, and I was tempted to take two of them for myself.

I set the plates in my hand down on the table, then turned to go get the last one. I almost ran smack into Adam, who’d come up behind me like a sudden summer storm.

“Leave Dom out of this,” he said. “If you have to argue, argue with me.”

“All right, fine. I do not want your company when I go talk to Dr. Williams. I don’t want you—” I almost said exactly what I didn’t want him to do, then remembered just in time that Brian didn’t have the faintest idea what was going on. And despite the fact that Lugh had given me “permission” to tell him everything, I knew I wasn’t going to.

I glanced over at him and saw him watching—and listening—with silent curiosity. Damn it! We’d already said way too much for my comfort. That’s what I got for talking before being fully fueled up on coffee.

“Look,” I said more quietly, feeling almost defeated. “I need to do this my way. Let me at least try. I’ll be careful. I’ll take a Taser. I’ll stay in public places where Der Jäger won’t dare attack me. And I need to know these guys are safe.” I made a sweeping gesture to encompass Brian and Andy and Dom.

Dom grabbed the last plate from the kitchen. “Everyone sit down and eat,” he said, leaning a hip against the kitchen counter as he dug into his own breakfast.

I tried not to hold my breath as the rest of us sat at the table and I awaited Adam’s verdict. He, of course, had to stuff his face full of eggs and savor them before he spoke.