“Of course she does. She won’t be teaching you, though.” Spinning on a heel he turned to give Pierce a derisive look. “You’re a mess. Get out of that circle. I won’t kill you today. Brew me a coffee while Rachel and I talk.”

His face white, Pierce let his circle drop. Al saw the direction of my gaze, and he shook his head at me. “You look even worse, itchy witch. You simply must take more care in your personal hygiene. I’ll not have it said that I’m bringing you up poorly.”

“I’ve been a little too preoccupied to worry about what I look like,” I said.

“Pish posh. Appearance is all we have sometimes. Make it a priority.”

I stiffened when he stooped to pick up first my splat gun, then Pierce’s hat, but he only handed me my weapon. “I smell pancakes,” Al said as he jauntily smacked Pierce’s hat back on the witch’s head. “Did the runt make you breakfast?” Al said, leaning over the stove. “Quickest way to a woman’s crotch is through her gullet, eh?” he said, leering at Pierce, who was now rinsing out the percolator. “Is it working? I’d be curious to know. I’d buy her a cake or something.”

Pierce was silent, his lips pressed tight as he washed the coffeepot. I didn’t know what to do with my splat gun, so I tucked it in the back of my waistband. “Al, I spent yesterday in Alcatraz,” I said, trying to sound reasonable. “I want my name back. We had a deal.”

Ignoring me, Al turned to the rest of the apartment, the tails of his frock coat furling. “Where are we?” he asked, flicking on lights as he passed into the living room. “Cincinnati,” he said dryly, peeking through the blinds and gazing out the black windows, hands on his hips as he surveyed the street below as if he owned it. “It stinks of trains and that chili with the chocolate in it. Ooooh, books!” he exclaimed suddenly, making a beeline for the small library.

I shoved the table back where it belonged and Pierce picked up my chair, draping his coat and vest over it and taking off his hat. The man was subdued, his anger simmering. He wouldn’t look at me, ticked perhaps that we’d attracted Al’s attention. Watching Al coo over the books like they were puppies, I realized he’d never been here before, which begged the question of whom Nick was summoning. The raised circle in the corner wasn’t for playing marbles.