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happened.  I spent my share of nights wondering what I could have done differently.  But wounds can’t heal if you keep them open with false hope.  Hope just makes it worse.
    Austin came into the room and threw himself on the bed beside Mindy, completely messing up the artfully placed pillows.  Mindy gave a sigh.
    “Killian’s getting settled.  How long are you here?” he asked.
    “Don’t know.  Got myself a skip and another gig, so, we’ll see.”
    Mindy snapped her fingers, “Oh!  What was that thing you weren’t allowed to talk about?”
    Ah jeez, there wasn’t going to be any way to pussyfoot around the topic, so I just laid it out for her, “Evidently some nutter is trying to weaken the boundary between Earth and the Other Side.”
    Mindy sat straight up, “What?”
    “And what’s worse is that it turns out that nutter is our uncle.”
    “We don’t have an uncle.”
    “Actually, we do.  Dad had an evil brother.”
    “Nice of Mom and Dad to tell us about this.”
    I waved my hand dismissively, “Yah, I guess he came over to Earth to kill us all and then, I guess, this is just from Mom’s side of things, he got stranded here and now is trying to get back to the Other Side.”
    “Are you here to take him back over?” asked Mindy.
    “Just trying to get him to quit trying to tear through dimensions and stuff.  Hopefully, I can stop the guy from destroying the boundary and he can cool his jets here on Earth in a nice little retirement village or something.”
    Austin looked over at Mindy and gave her hands a squeeze, “I’ll make sure to have all our security systems checked in the morning.”
    “And here you thought you knew what you were getting into when you married me.  Surprise,” Mindy said as she planted a kiss on his cheek, “Okay, family gossip is officially banned for the next hour while I get dinner ready.”
    Mindy heaved herself from the bed, “And you, sir, are going to help me peel carrots.”
    With a pleading look to me, Austin groaned as Mindy pulled him up, “Save me!”
    But I’m afraid there are some types of trouble beyond even my powers.

Chapter 11
    After dinner, Killian and I sat in the living room as Mindy and Austin cleaned up.  Mindy is one of those gals who never lets a guest help.  I quit fighting years ago and tonight I was only too happy to surrender to my belly full of dessert and her comfy couch.  Killian sat beside me looking positively drunk on the sugar high.
    “I like pie.”
    I patted his knee as he gave me a blissed out little grin.  I dunno what my sister put in with the pecans and caramel, but Killian looked like he might be seeing The Face of God.  My sister had some mad kitchen skills.  I was more the Sara-Lee-thaw-it-on-the-counter type.  Sometimes even that was too much work.
    Austin came out with cups of coffee and set about firing up the fireplace.
    “So if you were my dad’s evil brother, where would you hide?” I asked him as he got the kindling going.
    Austin shrugged his shoulders as he stepped back from his handy work, “No idea, but I have to say, I’m so disappointed you had an evil uncle and didn’t even know it.  No trips to his evil lair or sitting by his side as he took over the world.  You totally got gypped.”
    Mindy came out, mug in hand and grinned, “I’m sure as soon as she finds him, Maggie will make up for lost time.”
    I laughed, “This family reunion is in dangerous peril if I can’t even figure out where to start.”
    “Google him?” offered Austin.
    “Right.  A Google search.  With the key words ‘Ulrich MacKay Evil Dimension Destroyer’.  I’m sure the hits will just come rolling in.”
    “Have you checked Dad’s office downtown?” asked Mindy.  “Maybe some of his old co-workers know something.”
    This was news to me.  I looked over at her, “I helped Dad all the time.  When was he working downtown?”
    Mindy blinked, “I always figured the two of you were over at his office