Page 13 of Demon of Dreams

I’d been thinking about my answer for a while. “This is going to sound weird, but I’m doing an online scavenger hunt. We’re supposed to follow clues leading to a secret location, and whoever gets there first wins a thousand dollars. And bragging rights. I’m already a day into this thing, but I think I’m getting close.”

I gave her another abashed smile, hoping it made me look naive and harmless, and that my cover story helped explain theeau-du-bathroom-floorthat clung to my body.

“I know I’m not going to win,” I added, “but I just don’t want to be the last person to get there, you know?”

“Oooh, I like it.” She tapped a finger to her lips, her bright green nail polish glittering. “I feel like I should recognize that name, but nothing’s ringing a bell.” She paused for a second. “I’ve only been working here for five months, though. Before that, I lived in Green Bay. Maybe you need—”

“Kelsey, are you helping this young man check in, or are you just talking his ear off?” the older woman said suddenly, walking over to join us.

“I’m not—uh—not trying to—” I began, but Kelsey cut me off as she jumped and clapped her hands in excitement.

“Gloria! You’re a genius. You’re just the person he needs to talk to.”

Gloria gave Kelsey a doubtful look. “Don’t tell me you’re having trouble logging into the system again. Isn’t your generation supposed to be the tech-savvy one?”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s way better.”

I watched with trepidation as Kelsey burbled to Gloria about my supposed online scavenger hunt. Gloria looked skeptical, and a little annoyed, but when she finally accepted that I wasn’t trying to check into a room, she seemed to soften a little.

“Never heard of a place called Vesperwood, though,” she said when Kelsey finished. “You say it’s a school?”

“Maybe?” I shrugged apologetically. “Like I said, it’s this online thing with clues we’re supposed to follow. I’m not actually surewhatit is.”

“What are the clues?” Kelsey asked, her eyes alight.

“Um, well, they’re—I mean, I guess I can just show you.” For what felt like the two-hundredth time that day, I took my phone out and pulled up the mood-board. I was down to ten percent battery. I passed my phone across the desk for Kelsey and Gloria to see.

“Oh, thisishard.” Kelsey frowned at the screen. “I don’t recognize any of that.”

“I hope you’re not serious.” Gloria shook her head, pointing at the picture of the statue. “That’s right outside. If you’ve never noticed it before, you need to have your eyes checked.”

“Is it?” Kelsey’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, wait, yeah. Of course it is. I’m so stupid.” She frowned down at my phone again. “But I’m like,prettysure I’ve never seen any of these other things.” She glanced up at me. “I wish we could help you more.”

“Speak for yourself,” Gloria said tartly. “You may not be able to help him, but I can.”

“Wait, really?” I said at the same time as Kelsey.

Gloria nodded, then tapped a finger against one of the pictures. “I’d bet anything that’s a piece of cherry cream pie from the Balsam Inn. I’ve known Lola for thirty-eight years, Lord help me, and the woman is so proud of her pies I could smack her.”

Kelsey gaped. I did too.

“Brings one to every damn bridge night, then expects you to stand there, praising her to high heaven, like she hasn’t brought the same pie every second Saturday for three decades. Refuses to talk about anything else until she’s wallowed in compliments like a pig in mud.”

I looked at the picture Gloria had tapped—it showed a slice of pie, red cherries glistening, with a sky-high heap of whipped cream balanced perilously on top.

“Really?” I repeated. “You’re sure?”

Gloria made a vexed sound in the back of her throat. “I’m sure. You’d be sure too, if you’d been forced to choke down that tooth-rotting excuse for a dessert as many times as I have.” She looked up at me. “Lola Lonergan works the lunch shift at the Balsam Inn in Pointe Claudette, right up there on the lake. Does all the baking. I’d bet money that’s one of hers.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” I said. “That’s—that’s amazing. Seriously. I didn’t expect anyone to know—”

“Do you think it’ll help you win?” Kelsey interjected.

“Win?” I blinked. “Oh, right. The scavenger hunt.” I’d forgotten my story for a second. “Um, I don’t know. I guess it depends on how soon I can get there. I should probably head back out to the road and see if I can find anyone heading that way.”

“Oryou could wait twenty minutes and let me take you when my shift ends,” Kelsey said, grinning.

“Do you live in that direction?”

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