Polterheist(44)

We were in the bookstore, where Max and I had come after being released. Jeff had gone home. Lucky, who had realized by mid-morning that we were both missing, had somehow found out what had happened to us (Gambellos had a way of getting information that was not necessarily available to everyone), so he had spent the day here at the bookstore, taking care of Nelli and making a gazillion phone calls, he said, in hopes of finding some strings he could pull to get us set free.

"Preston Fenster just . . . ain't pressing charges?" Lucky frowned. "That don't make much sense."

"I didn't think so, either," I agreed. "But since Elspeth is a Fenster-and the only Fenster they'd heard from after eighteen hours of holding us-the guards let us go when she told them to."

Max asked, "So that was not your doing, Lucky?"

"Nope." The old mobster shook his head. "Back when Connie Fenster was alive, the Shy Don could've worked something out quick. He's been trying all day to help you, too. He ain't forgot what you done for our family in the past. And him and Connie had a lotta mutual respect. But since she died this year . . ." Lucky shrugged. "We really ain't had contact with the family, and today turned out to be a bad day to try to establish it. So I don't think we're the ones that helped you out there." He thought it over. "Maybe the girl was telling the truth about her old man's decision. The Fensters do got a lot on their plates right now. Maybe dealing with you three was just too much for them to add to the load."

"Or maybe Preston was actually relieved that someone's destroyed so much of Solsticeland," I reflected. "I wonder if letting us disappear without charges is his way of thanking us. When he had his heart attack, you know, he was in the middle of saying that he wanted to shut that place down immediately, after all."

"So he's stuck in the hospital still, his nephew is in stir, and his sister and brother are scrambling to do damage control on every front and keep the company going in the middle of this mess," mused Lucky. "Yeah, I guess it makes sense that he sent the dead-looking girl to get you out, though she wouldn't normally be anyone's idea of a seminary."

"I think you mean emissary," I said.

Elspeth had been her usual sulky, sullen, socially inept, and rather creepy self when setting us free. She also seemed very pleased about something-insofar as Elspeth seemed capable of pleasure. I supposed she was experiencing schadenfreude over Freddie's felonious disgrace and her loathed family's steadily spiraling situation-the expensive hijackings were now exposed (the press claimed) as an inside job staged by a key family member, a big portion of Solsticeland was in ruins today, and her father was still in the hospital. This was an immense downturn in the family fortunes within just a few days.

I really didn't think, though, that in the throes of her sly pleasure over all this, Elspeth took into account that she was ill-equipped to live without her family's millions supporting her, in the event that they kept sinking in the world.

It occurred to me that the other people who were probably enjoying the Fensters' spectacularly fiery descent didn't have that inherent conflict of interest: the Powells. Bullied and marginalized for years by Constance, finally ejected from their own company, and then defeated in their various attempts at legal redress or restitution . . . They had not lived to have revenge on the Iron Matriarch, but they were probably delighting in the Fenster train wreck which had begun so soon after her death and seemed to be piling up by leaps and bounds now.

"Actually, it makes you wonder . . ." I said.

"What?" Lucky prodded.

"Whether the Powells could have engineered any of this."

Lucky seemed skeptical. "I only knew them by reputation, too, but they seemed like a family that thought of lawyering up as big mojo, not cooking up polterheists, kid. Their biggest talent, as far as anyone could tell, was slinking away with their tail between their legs after every tangle they had with Connie-for years before she kicked them outta the company, as well as after."

"Hmm." Max stroked his beard. "They are a couple of tragically unhappy and unappealing families, it seems to me."

"They make me appreciate my family, that's for sure," Lucky said with feeling. "I'm gonna go visit my daughter when this is over."

Max and I looked at each other.

Lucky noticed. "What?"

"There's some stuff we need to catch you up on," I said. "Something we figured out last night right after you left Fenster's. This isn't so much a polterheist situation, Max now thinks, as it is a demon-devouring-us situation."

"That don't sound good," Lucky said. "I think I liked this thing better when it was a poltergeist."

"I liked this thing better when it was just a humiliating day job," I said.

* * *

Dimension-crossing demon or not, I had to get some sleep. I insisted that Max did, too. We had worked a full day at the store yesterday, had barely survived a terrifying confrontation with mystical Evil last night, and hadn't slept in at least thirty-six hours. I was so exhausted that I'd keel over if a toddler gave me a firm tap, never mind being assaulted by a battle-ready solstice demon.

My fatigue was such that I treated myself to a taxi to get home from Max's. It was an extravagance I regretted as soon as I got to my apartment and discovered some bills in the mailbox. It occurred to me then: destroying about one-third of Solsticeland last night undoubtedly meant I had lost my job, and it probably also meant I wouldn't even get my final paycheck.

Damn, damn, damn.

This gloomy thought stayed with me as I stripped off my ruined elf clothes, took a hot shower in my chilly bathroom, and then went straight to bed. I couldn't face the problem of paying my bills this month-or any other problems-right now. Like Scarlett O'Hara, I would think about that tomorrow. I also couldn't be bothered to check my phone for messages. I didn't want to know if Lopez had called to tell me he'd found out about last night. I didn't want to know anything. For now, I just wanted to sleep . . .

And I did so. For almost twelve hours.

When I woke up the following day, I felt rested and peaceful for almost ten seconds. Then I remembered that we might all be killed soon by a solstice demon.

I also remembered that if New York was not shortly devoured by something from another dimension, I wasn't sure I had enough money to live on for the next few weeks.

Shit.

These thoughts were depressing enough to make the possibility of getting chewed out by Lopez seem positively sunny by comparison. So I checked my messages. There was one from him yesterday afternoon saying he was working long hours due to the case breaking with such a high profile arrest, but let's talk soon. Nothing since then . . . so I supposed it was possible he didn't know I'd accidentally destroyed part of Fenster's fourth floor a few hours after he'd kissed me in the park.

The next message was from Twinkle, who had called yesterday afternoon, too, while I was still incarcerated. "Dreidel, I got your number from Miles' file cabinet. I hope you guys are okay? I still don't know what happened, except that part of the fourth floor got demolished and three people were locked up on the sixth floor-which has been off-limits to everyone since late last night. So I'm guessing that was you guys?"

He continued, "But I swear, no one went in or out of the building last night . . . I'm a little punchy. Sorry. Just hoping you're okay. Oh, and maybe you heard? Freddie Fenster has been arrested. The way we found out around here was that Elspeth Fenster came down here and fired Naughty and Nice. Told them about Freddie and sent them packing. Naughty's going back to stripping, she says. Nice thinks she might have to move back home with her parents now that she's off Freddie's payroll."

Couldn't happen to a couple of more deserving elves, I thought.

"We're keeping Solsticeland open for the final day of the season," Twinkle said. "Well, sort of. About half the place is still intact. Solstice Castle, the Enchanted Forest, the solstice mural . . . Probably not much chance of running my lunar eclipse display, though, since things are in chaos and we're so understaffed. Drag Queen Santa didn't come to work today. So that's makes another one. I've lost count by now. Of course, you and Diversity Santa are being counted as no-shows, too, but I know that's not true."

After a pause, he concluded, "Well, call me when you get this, okay? Just to let me know if you're all right? It's getting weird, the way everyone just disappears around here."

And that's when I knew. It all came together in my head at that moment, thanks to Twinkle's rambling.

The final message on my phone was from my friend Whoopsy Daisy, who worked at the Pony Expressive with Satsy. It was from yesterday afternoon, too. As soon as I heard Whoopsy's voice, I knew I was right. I didn't really understand what was happening, but I could see the shape of the scheme now.

"Esther, sweetie, gimme a call when you get this. Satsy didn't show up for her show last night, and she's never missed a performance. I've left her three messages, and she hasn't called me back. Honey, this is not like her! You're working at that department store with her. When did you last see her? I'm really worried. All the girls here are. Call me."

I put down the phone and looked at my Dreidel costume. It was a wreck. I couldn't possibly work in that outfit. Besides, Dreidel would probably never be allowed on the floor at Fenster's again. Nor would Esther Diamond, I realized.