Addison looked exhausted, rumpled, and stubbly.

The driver’s hood was pulled up over his head as before. Between helping Addison out of the car and the fact that the driver kept facing away from me, I couldn’t get a good look at who it was.

Addison tried to pay but the driver held up a hand to refuse, then drove away as soon as we were safely at the front door.

I poured him some ice water and we settled on the front room couch. He tossed a bunch of discharge papers including a recommended diet for heart attack patients on the coffee table and then put his feet up.

“The No Fun Diet,” he said to my curious glances. “I was told you sent the cab for me. Mr. Trey Signet. Thank you, my dear.”

Horror pooled in my stomach. I paused before answering with a fake smile. “Yes, you’re welcome. I mean, of course.” Another pause. “How was your ride?”

He shrugged. “Uneventful. He was driving a nice car, though. Very plush. How did you find him?”

“In the phone directory. The ad...it got my attention. So, how was the hospital?” I said, wanting to change the subject.

“Between all the tests, poking and prodding, and fluids checking, being in the hospital is not the restful place you’d think. But they saved my life. And you had a big part in that too.”

I sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to come back to visit.”

“I’d rather you stay home and out of mischief. I assume you took care of the pendant.” He looked spacey but not much got past him. I knew from experience.

“Yes,” I said. It wasn’t completely untrue. It was back with its original owner, in its original form.

“I’m sorry you had to get involved, it was always out of your hands. You don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

“I’m happy it’s over. Was the food at the hospital any good?” I asked, trying to sound innocent.

“I didn’t eat much while I was in there, but I imagine it was probably better than some of the things you’ve tasted in your life,” he said. “By the way, have you forgotten that we get mail delivered? Go grab the pile, please.”

I apologized and went out front to the mailbox as my mind tried to unravel what he’d said about tasting better things.

A wooden crate sat on the porch. I don’t know how I hadn’t noticed it when I walked by the first time. It was a bit heavier than I expected and I had to lug it inside.

“I’m glad I could trust you to hold down the castle while I was away,” he said as I set the crate down on the floor. Clyde was wrapped around his neck.

“Thank you,” I said, my brain failing to shut out the events of the last few days. “I’m glad you’re home. Really glad.”

He kissed my forehead and took the mail from my hands. “Thank you my dear, I’m very glad to be home too. Those must be books I ordered, I’ll get to them later. Look at all I have get caught up on.”

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” I said. “Taking a nap?”

“Sleep later. Work never waits.”

“I still can’t believe they released you after only a few days,” I said.

He shrugged. “They needed the bed. Such is life.” He went in the office and shut the door behind him.

I practically held my breath. A few moments later I heard him swear, the loudest I’ve heard him say yet. It was a word in his home country’s language that means something really profane and insulting. My stomach plunged. Then I heard paper ripping and more curse words from Helantha.

He opened the door. “Coralie, bring that crate in here. Let’s chat. You are not in trouble.”

I almost fainted with relief.

Suddenly I remembered the black dish. It had completely blanked from my mind in the aftermath of the evil pudding and I’d never gone back to get rid of it.

Cold prickles of fear ran up and down my spine as I stepped in. There it sat on his desk. I felt its smug arrogance, as if it believed it had every right to be there. Clyde was inspecting the perfectly normal grandfather clock.

Addison instructed me to put the crate on the floor and to have a seat in the chair opposite his desk. He was holding the letter that had been left for him. He held up the dish and winced. “Don’t try to tell me it’s a paperweight. It stinks.”

“It’s not,” I sighed. “I meant to come back in here. I cleaned up the rest of the mess, so I don’t know. Maybe I blocked it out. Wish I could forget the rest of what happened.”

He put down the dish and eased into his armchair. “In my life I’ve seen and heard it all, I’ve already read this letter, and I’m expecting you to tell me everything that went on while I was gone and not leave out a single detail.”

“I don’t want to stress you out.” I tried not to sound argumentative. Wild curiosity nagged me about what the letter said.

“My Chimbrelis is smashed to bits. Help fill me in.”

“The letter didn’t explain that?”

He waved with it for me to continue.

“But, your heart,” I trailed off.

He frowned. “I know something happened here. I knew the second I saw you today there was something different about you. I know Mister Gentry is involved. Now I’m relying on your account of things, so talk.”