“Thanks, Carl. You’re a pip.” Nelson wasn’t entirely sure what a “pip” was, but he’d heard it in an old movie once, and it sounded like the kind of thing Carl would like.

With that, Carl disappeared with a slight pop. Like the Cheshire cat, a single part of him lingered in the air. A transparent hand with one finger pointed skyward and the others bent back.

Nelson spun around on his heel and bowed to the room. Everyone applauded except for the priest and Bayliss. After he shook a few hands, Nelson walked over to his partner.

“Is it time for lunch?” he said.

“It’s nine in the morning,” said Bayliss.

“That’s lunchtime in New York. Hell, it’s dinnertime in England.”

“Yes, but it’s still nine A.M. in L.A.”

“I could go for a burrito. How about you?”

“This is dinner for you, isn’t it? You haven’t been to bed yet.”

Before he could say anything, the priest got between them. “You ruined my exorcism.”

“Wrong. I saved us from standing around until the next Ice Age. If I hadn’t done something they would have dug our fossils out in a million years and wondered why mine was strangling yours.”

“You can’t talk to me that way,” said the priest indignantly. “I’ll report you to your supervisor.”

“That’s him over there,” said Nelson, pointing to Woolrich on the dais. He was just starting to wake up. “Be sure to let him know who pulled the ghost out of his keister.”

The priest started to say something, but Bayliss cut him off. “You have to admit that Agent Nelson got results,” she said. “And faster than, well, you, Father.”

The priest looked sullen. “Well, I loosened him up.”

“Of course you did,” said Nelson. He put his arm around the priest’s shoulder. “And I’ll be sure to tell him just as soon as someone hoses all the guacamole off his face. Now, who wants a chimichanga? It’s on me.”

Most of the other agents in the chapel had left by then. A couple of medical techs had come in and were working on Woolrich.

“Let’s get out of here before he gets up,” said Nelson.

Bayliss looked at Woolrich. “Why? Don’t you want a pat on the back for saving the day?”

“Of course I do. I love people knowing I was right. But if we hang around, that priest is going to tell Woolrich I Mike Tyson-ed his balls. He won’t like that.”

They started out of the chapel. By the door, Bayliss said, “It horrifies me to admit that sometimes you don’t suck at your job.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll destroy your faith in me by the end of the day,” said Nelson.

“I know. That’s the only reason I said it.”