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and licked his fingers. “He ran away to earth.”
    “ Somebody needed to be looking after the humans while all you assholes were having a pissing contest! You ever think of that? Maybe spilling your brother’s blood got your rocks off, Michael, but it didn’t hold the first damn bit of interest for me! I loved Lucifer as much as I loved you!”
    Light shot from Michael’s eyes and the beer left in the mugs bubbled. Rafael slammed his arm across the table between the two.
    “ Enough! Don’t cause a scene! And I get damn tired of refereeing you two! Now we have a problem here! Agreed? So what are we going to do about it? I don’t even know where my break is! Neither does Michael!”
    Mi chael and Gabriel both settled back in their chairs.
    “No worries,” said Gabriel. “I know where mine is. Vegas. And I know who’s going to be there. Tomorrow. If I can just steer ‘em to the right place.”
     
     
     
    Chapter Eight
     
    I frowned as I settled into the front seat of the SUV. So far everything had run smooth as silk. We were flying into Vegas from Jacksonville, Mom and Dad would arrive about the same time from Atlanta. But something was wrong. Something was missing. I did a mental run-down of the checklist. All luggage loaded? Check. All pending War-N-Wit, Inc. jobs done? Check. Pine Whisper Plantation’s caretaker par excellence Buddy McAfee all set to look after all the animals while we’re gone? Check. And for us, that just wasn’t normal. What was missing? Oh, yeah! Ringtone signaling incoming trouble—magic world, Chad’s past law enforcement affiliations, whichever. Sometimes both, but gotta have at least one. And there it was, coming in loud and clear from the dash. Check. The nerve-pinging tingle from the theme for The Twilight Zone.
    “ Knew it was too good to be true,” Chad said. “Answer it.”
    “Hello?”
    “Yo, whut up?”
    Standard greeting of Gabriel Smith. At least, that’s the name he went by. G for short.
    “You tell us, G.”
    “You don’t have to sound so cautious. I don’t bite.”
    “Much,” said Chad.
    “I resent that. And besides, I was just calling to wish you a good trip. And send good wishes to your brother and sister. Glad Spike finally broke out of the closet. Been meaning to call and suggest you introduce him to us but I just haven’t had a chance. We can always use some more of the good ones, Spike and Stacy’d be welcome.”
    “We’ll be sure to relay the message,” I said.
    “Have a great time in Vegas, do the Strip right. Oh, and while you’re there—”
    “I knew it.” Chad shook his head mournfully.
    “Hey, it’s nothing! We just got wind one of the magic shows playing right now might be using some low-level magic to con some of the audience. Nothing big, just since you’re there anyway—”
    “I hate magic shows. Remember?”
    “That’s a hell of thing for the guy so many people call Magic Man to say.”
    “G, you couldn’t pay me enough to go near a magic show.”
    “Uh, honey?”
    “What?”
    “Sorry to tell you this, but Mom loves magic shows. There’s three playing on the Strip right now. Stacy’s already told her about ‘em.”
    “Should I groan now?”
    “’Fraid so. She’s planning to hit every one of ‘em. Which one’s using the low-level magic con, G?”
    “Magician by the name of Damien. So you’ll keep an eye open for us?”
    “Sure,” I said. “No problem.”
    I hit “End” and settled back in my seat.
    “You don’t have to go to the magic show. I don’t much care for ‘em myself, never have, but since Mom does, we’ll kill two birds with one stone.”
    “How so?”
    “Stacy’s Bachelorette Party. Such as it is. I mean, if a girl’s getting married with a big traditional wedding, they have last-fling parties too, you know. But since all of Stacy’s close friends are like—not in Vegas, we decided we’d just do it ourselves. Stacy and Mom and me.”
    “ You didn’t have one.”
    “ I was