Page 7 of Fiendish Delights
This was one of those times when hiding my elvish nature and any hint of my magic would likely reap rewards. I was nothing more than a harmless adult helping out a forlorn child. Go me.
There didn’t appear to be a doorbell so I knocked quietly, arranging my face into a meek expression. It was as well I did; even though I’d been warned by Will, Mud McAlpine’s appearance was still somewhat surprising.
He was tall, with broad shoulders and a wide girth, though something about the way his skin sagged suggested that he’d recently lost a lot of weight. He had a waxy pallor and his eyes were slightly glazed and tinged with red. This was not a well man.
Gladys appeared to agree with Will that Mud was strange and I felt her blade vibrating against my hip as if she were itching to slice him open and taste his peculiar blood. I touched her hilt lightly, hoping she’d stay quiet. This was not a good time for a sentient sword to start singing.
‘Who is this?’ he asked, his lank, greasy hair shivering as his head jerked from right to left with every word he uttered.
‘I’m Daisy Carter.’
‘Mud McAlpine doesn’t know Daisy Carter.’ He looked me up and down. ‘What does she want? Mud McAlpine does not sell nasty spider’s silk.’
Maybe not, but Mud McAlpine was very observant. Few people noticed the ring of silver in my eyes that indicated I was an addict, and even fewer people knew what it meant. The lightwas very dim, making me wonder whether he possessed some shapeshifter blood as well as witchy qualities. That would make a certain amount of sense.
‘I don’t need spider’s silk,’ I said aloud. ‘I’m here for something else. I’m looking for a doll.’
His brows snapped together. ‘Mud McAlpine is not a toy shop.’
Perhaps not, but I was starting to think that he was toying withme. ‘It’s a specific doll that I’m looking for. It belongs to a little girl called Sophia. The doll was the last present her mother gave her before she died, and she lost it in Saughton Cemetery. I know you’ve been there and I hoped that maybe you’d found it.’ I linked my fingers together and blinked earnestly. ‘I’d really like to reunite them.’
He cleared his throat, gargling phlegm in a horribly off-putting fashion. ‘Mud McAlpine does not want this.’ But he didn’t step away, and he didn’t close the front door in my face.
I dropped my voice until I was speaking in little more than a whisper. ‘What does Mud McAlpine want?’
‘Much more than an elf like Daisy Carter could offer.’
He was definitely far more intelligent and aware than he looked, and the redness in his eyes didn’t disguise his gleam of amusement. First things first, however. ‘Does Mud McAlpine have the doll?’ I asked.
‘Perhaps.’
I waited, keeping my body relaxed. His mouth twitched and he nodded, then disappeared inside his flat leaving his front door wide open. I wasn’t foolish enough to follow; I stayed where I was until he returned holding a rather bedraggled rag doll by its hair. There was no guarantee that this was Sophia’s Nancy, but it seemed likely.
I reached forward to take it but Mud snatched it back. I raised my hands, palms stretched outwards. ‘I’m not trying tosteal her. I only want to check if she has a mark here.’ I touched my chest to indicate.
Mud pulled up the doll’s cotton top and showed me a small embroidered pink heart. Yahtzee. ‘This doll is not yours,’ I said.
Mud smirked and watched me. Hmm. It was still my move, then.
I chewed on my lip. I could unsheathe Gladys and take a clumsy swipe in a bid to free Nancy from his clutches, but I was no swordswoman. I doubted I’d have much success if I tried an attack now, for all that Mud McAlpine’s health was failing. I wasn’t a damned samurai, I was nothing more than an ex-delivery driver with a penchant for finding things.
Besides, something about the witch aroused my sympathy. Yes, he was strange but he didn’t seem dangerous, despite Will’s warnings. I didn’t want to throw magic at him; the poor guy was already sick and I didn’t want to get into a fight over a ragdoll.
But Sophia’s huge brown eyes were seared into my brain and I’d come this far. Eventually I came to a decision and took out my wallet. ‘Can Daisy Carter pay Mud McAlpine to hand over the doll?’ I asked carefully.
‘Mud McAlpine does not need money.’
I barely suppressed an irritated sigh.
‘But Mud McAlpine will trade Daisy Carter for the doll.’ He rocked forward on his toes. ‘Bring Mud McAlpine a fresh toe-clipping from a troll and Daisy Carter may take the doll.’ He smacked his lips and chuckled heartily.
Seriously? I couldn’t help myself. ‘Ewww. You’re kidding, right?’
He continued to laugh. ‘It must be fresh. No more than twelve hours old.’
‘Why would you—?’ I shook my head in frustration. ‘Takethe damned money. It’s not even your doll. You nicked it from a nine-year-old girl, for fuck’s sake.’
His laughter abruptly stopped. ‘No troll toenail, no doll,’ he snarled. And with that, he slammed the door in my face.
