“So he wrote it, but didn’t know he was writing it,” Skulduggery said. “Which means something or someone was guiding his hand.”

“Someone wanted him dead?” Valkyrie asked. “A sorcerer? Why?”

“There’s something we’re not seeing,” Skulduggery said. “Geoffrey?”

Scrutinous looked up. “Yes?”

“What are you doing? I thought you hated crosswords.”

“I do, yes.”

“Where did you get that pen?”

“It was on the pad.”

“What are you writing?”

Scrutinous laughed. “Writing? I’m not writing anything.” And even as he said it, he heard the scratching of pen on paper, and looked down. “Oh,” he said. “Oh, dear.” He dropped the pen to the carpet.

Skulduggery held out his hand. “Let me see.”

Scrutinous handed over the newspaper.

Skulduggery read what Scrutinous had written. “I’m going to be eaten by a shark.”

“Oh, dear,” Scrutinous said again. “This does not bode well for me.”

Valkyrie waved her hand, and the pen drifted up off the ground and hovered at eye level. “Haunted pen?” she asked.

“Cursed, more likely,” Skulduggery said. “Physical contact seems to be enough for the curse to pass on. Geoffrey, you had no idea what you were writing?”

“I had no idea I was writing anything,” Scrutinous replied. “I hate to be a pain, but do you think there’s anything you can do to help me? I really don’t want to be eaten by a shark tonight. The next round of my bowling tournament is on Wednesday and we’re not doing too badly, all things considered. I’d hate to miss it.”

“If a shark does come for you, it won’t be tonight,” Skulduggery told him. “The ink on the pad is at the very most a day old, Cassidy died four hours ago, and these kinds of curses really like the twelve-hour rule. Any more than that and the power starts to wane.”

“So I have twelve hours before a shark eats me?”

“Or you have twelve hours for us to save you, if you want to be glass-half-full about it. Cheer up, Geoffrey, you have our full attention focused on your dilemma. Wait, where’s my hat?”

Valkyrie picked it up off the armchair and handed it to him.

“Perfect,” he said. “Now you have our full attention.”

Scrutinous smiled gratefully, suddenly reassured that everything was going to be all right. The skeleton detective and Valkyrie Cain were on the case, and they would stop at nothing to solve it.

“I’m hungry,” Valkyrie said.

Skulduggery nodded decisively, said, “Then let’s find you something to eat,” and Scrutinous sagged.