“Your car will be fine,” Jolie told her, tossing back a box of tissues as she spoke. “You can pick it up tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m taking you home. Mojo and I will spend the night with you.”

I thought of the two break-ins at Bert’s, the text message, the death threat and the poisoned chow mein. “I can’t leave Russell alone all night,” I said.

“Russell,” Greer rallied enough to say, “is a dog.”

I had an uneasy feeling, not only about Lillian, but about Russell, too. Part of the magic that is Mojo, I guess. “You can both stay at my place.”

“Right,” Greer said snippily. “Jolie and I will just share your couch.”

Under other circumstances, I might have reminded Greer that she’d slept on bus-station benches—among other unsavory places—in her time, and my couch would probably compare favorably with any of them. The problem was that Greer was obviously on the ragged edge and she needed some slack, whether I felt like cutting it or not.

“Drop me off at the apartment, then,” I said quietly.

“It’s nice to know where your loyalties lie,” Greer retorted.

“Greer,” Jolie said, “put a sock in it.”

Everybody fell silent, and that’s how we left it.

The trip back to Cave Creek was a long one.

Back at Bert’s, Greer waited in the car, and Jolie came upstairs with me to collect a nightgown, her toiletries and a change of clothes.

Russell greeted me with sleepy gratitude. If Nick and Chester were around, they weren’t showing themselves. God only knew where Tucker was and what he was doing. The apartment felt overwhelmingly empty.

Jolie paused, coming out of my bedroom with her things. “You’ll be okay here?”

I nodded, bit my lower lip. I wasn’t usually fragile, but, hey, I’d been through a lot in the past week. I felt like somebody who’d just been flung off some hyped-up merry-go-round, and my equilibrium was disturbed.

Jolie approached, touched my shoulder with her free hand. She balanced her stuff in the curve of her arm, deodorant, toothpaste and brush resting on top of the pile. “Greer’s not herself, Moje,” she said softly. “I’m trying to be more patient with her. Are you in?”

I grinned wanly. Nodded again. “I’m in,” I said.

“Be sure to lock up behind me,” Jolie said.

I followed her to the door, Russell at my heels, and stood on the landing until she was safe in the Pathfinder again. As Jolie and Greer drove away, I put on the chain and turned the dead bolt.

I was almost relieved when I turned around and found myself practically standing on Nick’s toes.

“How long have you been here?” I asked.