Page 26 of Death and Do-Overs

“Have you seen this face before?” I asked, pointing to myself.

“Umm…” He looked left and right, like the answer was anywhere but right in front of him.

“Yes or no?”

“I don’t think so? I don’t know. Don’tyouknow if you’ve taken the train before?”

“No. Did you witness any violent assaults during travel around a week ago?”

He gave me a strange look and stumbled a few steps away before turning and practically running back the way he came to the next train car.

With that unhelpful interaction at a close, I was left in solitude for the rest of the two-hour ride.

After the morning I’d had, time to myself was a pleasant reprieve.

Still, the investigation hung over my head. It hung over Nie’s head, too. I swear, the puns wrote themselves.

I kept my hand protectively over my bag as I watched land turn to sea out the window.

It appeared Nevermore was an island.

When we arrived at our destination, I exited from the train and stepped into a station not unlike the one in Piccadilly. Though this time instead of yellow, all of the cement was painted charcoal gray. Possibly it had been black before being subjected to the elements.

Fortunately, the station appeared to be smack up against the rest of the town, so not having a car would not be a problem.

Before venturing out, I took my time hunting down every employee I could find. Most conversations were identical to the one I’d had on the train—they had no idea if they had seen me before, they were confused as to why I would ask, and no one mentioned any attacks.

Everyone appeared to be telling the truth, so that could mean that Nie had walked safely off the train and away from the station without harm.

I wished Rose was here to procure security footage from this end of the station. When I asked politely for it at the ticket booth, I was denied.

Aside from gleaning the location of the town’s only hotel, I found it to be an all-around unhelpful experience.

As I ventured from the station, I found a palette that matched that of the station. The tall, narrow buildings all appeared to be built of dark stone in a style that had been stuck frozen in time since the Victorian era. The cool autumn air I’d left behind was replaced by a frosty atmosphere that carried saltwater through every molecule.

Against the bleak backdrop stood equally bleak decoration—faux spiderwebs, foam tombstones, and plastic bats. Due to the vibe of the town, the decorations felt as real as the cobblestones beneath my boots.

I could get lost in the blacks and grays, never to be bothered by anyone ever again. It was glorious. If I’d known about Nevermore’s existence, I would have wanted to travel here sooner, especially for Halloween. Nie would have, too.

“What do you think, Nie?” I gently angled my bag for Nie to get a better look around. “See anything familiar?”

She didn’t respond in any way that I could tell.

But thenIsaw something familiar—a man who starkly contrasted against the gloomy setting with his golden hair and white attire. The man was unquestionably Mr. Eyes, the wallet thief from the midnight market.

He was sharp angles and self-assurance.

He was also the cause of the viscous pool of dread growing in my stomach.

CHAPTER 7

MAR

Mr. Eyes leaned casually against a brick wall, watching me with interest from across the cobblestone street. Crossing paths once could be a coincidence. Running into each other twice in a single day suggested one of us was stalking the other. It wasn’t me.

I had hoped to never see his face again, but here he was, darkening my day for a second time.

Also for the second time today, his startling green eyes arrested me as I approached him. This time I wouldnotlet him disarm me.

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