I moved past the papers, ready to leave, but Ira was still blocking the door, forcing me to stop in front of him. The dwarf glared at me for several seconds before finally stepping aside.

   “Thanks,” I said. “Gotta get back to the lobby and see if my friends have had better luck than me.”

   He snorted and shook his head. “You’re never going to find those jewels because they aren’t here. Deirdre Shaw took off with them months ago.”

   “Maybe. Or maybe I’ll surprise you and everyone else and actually find them.”

   He let out another harsh laugh. “I thought that you were off your rocker when you attacked Brody during the show yesterday. But now I know that you’re crazy.”

   I grinned. “Sadly, that’s the nicest thing anyone’s said about me all weekend.”

   Ira blinked, then gave me a wary look, apparently thinking that I really was crazy. He wasn’t the first, and he certainly wouldn’t be the last person to believe that. But I slid past him, stepped out into the hallway, and left him and his mess behind.

   Too bad I couldn’t get rid of the mess of emotions in my head and heart so easily.

15

   I went back to the lobby and headed over to the winter-wonderland Christmas tree, where I’d agreed to meet the others once we’d all finished searching. One of the bartenders was watching me, and he pulled out his phone and texted someone, probably Roxy. But he didn’t approach me, so I ignored him and studied the holiday ornaments and decorations. My friends showed up a few minutes later, and we stepped to a more secluded spot behind the winter-wonderland tree.

   “Anything?” I asked.

   Finn, Bria, and Owen all shook their heads.

   “I just don’t see where Deirdre could have hidden the jewels,” Owen rumbled. “Every place I looked is too public with too many people constantly coming and going.”

   “Yeah,” Bria said. “I have to think that if those gems were here, someone would have found them already.”

   “I agree.” Finn hesitated. “Or there is another possibility.”

   “What?” I asked.

   He looked at me. “Maybe Roxy realized that you were watching her yesterday, and that’s why she talked about the jewels. Maybe she’s already found them. Maybe she’s just pulling our chains, watching us run around, and laughing at us the whole time.”

   I shook my head. “I don’t think so. She and Brody both seemed genuine when they talked about how long and hard they’d been searching. But who knows, with Tucker involved. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

   Since we’d struck out in our search, we had nothing to do but go back to our suites and get ready for our lunch with Roxy and Brody. I didn’t think that the two of them would try to kill us over plates of barbecue, especially since we hadn’t found the jewels yet, but it could always be a trap, so I went into the bedroom and unzipped my suitcase. Owen moseyed inside, plopped down on the bed, and watched me pull out all my clothes, then remove a false bottom from the suitcase.

   Nestled in the black foam underneath were four knives, three loaded guns, two extra clips of ammo, and several small tins of Jo-Jo’s healing ointment. I thought about sliding a gun against the small of my back, but I was already wearing my usual arsenal of knives, so a gun would probably be overkill, literally. Instead, I grabbed two tins of the healing ointment, stuffing them into the pockets of my black fleece jacket.

   “A false bottom?” Owen said. “That’s a bit James Bond, isn’t it?”

   I smiled. “This suitcase belonged to Fletcher. He loved all those old spy movies. He used to do marathons of them on the weekends, especially this time of year. Finn hated them, but I loved watching the movies with Fletcher. It was our own little holiday tradition.”

   Owen nodded, then got up, rummaged through his own suitcase, and retrieved a gun and a couple of clips of ammo that he’d folded up in a pair of blue boxers.

   “A gun stuffed into your underwear?” I said. “I see that I’m not the only one who came prepared.”

   He grinned back at me. “Well, I couldn’t exactly fit my blacksmith hammer inside the suitcase. Besides, after what happened the last time we went on vacation in Blue Marsh, I thought that it would be wise to have some extra insurance on hand.”

   “And that’s why I love you.”

   His grin widened. “I know.”

   I went over and kissed him, then we headed next door to Finn and Bria’s suite. Together, the four of us rode the elevator to the lobby and walked from the hotel down the hill to the theme park.

   Even though it was colder today than it had been yesterday, the theme park was absolutely jam-packed. More folks were out today since it was Saturday, along with double the number of costumed characters. Finn, Bria, and Owen wandered around the park, window-shopping and taking in all the sights. I followed along behind them, pretending to do the same, although I was really doing recon, like any good assassin would.

   Looking at the rides, kiosks, and carts. Memorizing the layouts of all the paths, walkways, and alleys. Peering through the chain-link fence that separated the theme park from the parking lots to see where the exits were and how many security guards were stationed around them.

   Knowing the turf made me feel better. Oh, I didn’t know the theme park as well as I did the mean streets of Ashland, but now if something happened, I wouldn’t be wandering around in here blind either.

   And something was going to happen—I was sure of it.

   I didn’t spot Hugh Tucker anywhere in the crowds, but I still felt his presence as clearly as if he were standing right in front of me. The vampire had engineered this whole thing, and I knew that he was lurking in the shadows. More workers were watching and following us around today too, all of them radiating tension the same way warm air blasted off the space heaters that were scattered throughout the park. Something had to give sooner or later—and I was betting on sooner.