Page 37 of (Mostly) Human Resources

Charlotte was a close family friend and fellow researcher. They’d spent several years working together at Entity’s London branch. Nic hadn’t seen her in years, not for lack of trying on her part.And his mother’s. But their breakup had been messier than he’d intended, and he wasn’t entirely sure she’d be willing to help him.

Nic awkwardly cleared his throat and pressed on, “I have a favor to ask. I need you to pull any information you have on creatures that create, ingest, or are at all related to nightmares and premonitions. Unofficial channels if you’re able. Sorry to throw this on, but it is quite urgent.”

For a moment, Nic thought about asking how she was doing. Maybe asking after her family—last he heard her brother was living in Switzerland—or how work in London was going. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Any information you have would be appreciated, regardless of location or cultural influence.”

Nic sent the voice note through and then pocketed his phone.

With a long drive ahead of him, Nic hoped Charlotte would have something to share with him before he arrived.

CHAPTER 21

“Subtlety is key when discussing cases with non-clients. While gathering information is important to a case, it’s wise not to alert the entire town to your investigations as this can impede your work and cause unnecessary complications.”

Entity Employee Handbook: Warden Edition

Alexys got lost no less than three times on the way to Nanny Opal’s house. But for once, she could genuinely blame it on someone else’s directions and not her own poor navigational skills.

For starters, the road didn’tsuddenlytransition from gravel to dirt. It was more of a gradual change over the course of ten minutes. It took two attempts to find exactly where she was supposed to turn left.

After that, Alexys might as well have been driving blind because there was not a single trailer on the road that could have belonged to an Old Man Tom. Unless it was hidden among the trees or extremely far off the road, it didn’t exist.

Before she could lose her last drop of patience, Alexys passed a girl on an ATV—one that was far too young to have any sort of license—and she pointed her straight to Mossen Hollow.

Wouldn’t you know it, Alexys found the lake right away. Turning around was an absolute pain in the ass and took several attempts due to fallen logs, surprisingly large rocks, and inconveniently placed wildlife. She was stared down by a deer long enough to make her feel self-conscious and a little concerned for her safety.

When she finally pulled up in front of Nanny Opal’s house, Alexys was ready to kiss the ground in front of the porch. The afternoon sun had just slipped behind the mountain peaks, and the air was noticeably cooler as the shade of the trees crept further over the mountains. She was out of snacks and desperate for a bathroom. She was hoping the mountain witch would be kind enough to let her in.

There were two cars parked on the other side of the drive. One was an absolute rust bucket of a truck that looked like it hadn’t moved in at least five years. She thought the other might belong to Elliot. It looked as unprepared for a trip up the mountain as Alexys’s rental did and boasted two stickers on the back bumper which said: “I Swear It’s Medicinal” and “My Grandma Bakes Better Than Yours.” They were enough advertisement for her to be certain it belonged Elliot. She audibly gasped.

She’d found him!

Alexys looked up the hill at Nanny Opal’s house.

She hadn’t really been expecting much, but she was surprised when she saw the quaint mountain dwelling, with its moss-covered roof blending in against the dark cedar trees. Glass bottles hung from the porch roof, a variety of colors that were beautiful in their own right, clinking against each other as they swayed in the wind. The rocking chair on the porch was empty, but a warm glow came from one of the windows behind it.

Alexys marched up to the front door and knocked.

The woman that opened the door was short enough that Alexys had to look down to meet her eyes. She was wrapped in a large, knitted shawl with her white hair piled high on her head. Her wrinkled face was not unkind, but the lines around her eyes and mouthindicated she was quicker to frown than smile. Her eyes were honey brown, and they looked up at Alexys like someone might look at a bug on their ceiling.

“I’m gettin’ right tired of visitors,” the woman, presumably Nanny Opal, snapped. “Be quick or get gone.”

She was about to shut the door when Alexys, not even getting a chance to be quick or to get gone, blurted out, “I’m looking for Elliot.”

Opal narrowed her eyes. “Who?”

“Elliot,” Alexys said again. “Elliot Harman. The cashier at the convenience store said he gave him directions to your house.” She turned to point at the car parked across from her own. “I believe that’s his car there.”

Opal peered out past Alexys at the car and growled something unintelligible under her breath. Stepping out of the way, she beckoned Alexys to follow her into the house. Alexys didn’t hesitate.

They stood in Opal’s living room, a small space dominated by an oversized stone fireplace. Dozens of crystals and memorabilia covered the mantle with various plants hanging to dry beneath them. There was a rustic armchair and matching tattered couch. Opal lowered herself into the armchair, nodding toward the couch, where Alexys promptly sat.

Alexys wanted to look around for any sign of Elliot, but Opal’s critical gaze had her too nervous to look anywhere but at her own shoes. Instead of fidgeting, she pulled out her notepad and pen.

“What do you want with that boy?” Opal asked. Her voice was edged with a harsh inflection that made Alexys shrink into herself slightly.

Either she used to smoke, or Opal hated her.

“He works for me. I was supposed to meet with him yesterday in Charleston, but he left for Mercyhill before I saw him.” Opal’s shrewd expression didn’t waiver. “Um, I’ve tried calling him, but there isn’t any cell service up here.”