His eyes were soft with encouragement, their brown depths catching the glint from the ugly light hanging over Nick’s tiny kitchen/dining room. My attention went over the short, chest-high mantel dividing it from the living room as I tried to decide how to broach the subject. I had been harping on him for months about letting sleeping demons lie, and here I was, wanting to ask him to call Algaliarept up for me. I was sure the answer was going to cost more than what Nick’s “trial contract” would cover, and I didn’t want to risk him paying it for me anyway. Nick had a chivalrous streak as wide as the Ohio River.

“Tell me?” he asked, ducking his head to try and see my eyes.

I licked my lips and met his gaze. “It’s about Big Al.” I didn’t like chancing that Algaliarept would conveniently assume I was calling it every time I said its name, so I had begun referring to the demon by the somewhat insulting moniker. Nick thought it was funny; that I was worried about it showing up unsummoned, not that I called it Al.

Nick’s fingers slipped from mine and he pulled away to take up his wineglass. “Don’t start,” he said, his eyebrows furrowed in the first signs of anger. “I know what I’m doing, and I’m going to do it whether you like it or not.”

“Actually,” I hedged, “I wanted to see if you might ask it something for me.”

Nick’s long face went slack. “Beg pardon?”

I winced. “If it won’t cost you anything. If it does, forget it. I’ll find another way.”

He set the glass down and leaned forward. “You want me to call him?”

“See, I talked to Trent today,” I said quickly, so he couldn’t interrupt, “and we figure that the demon that attacked us last spring is the same one that’s doing the murders—that I was supposed to be the first witch hunter victim, but because I turned Trent’s job offer down, it let me go. If I can find out who sent it to kill us, then we have the murderer.”

Lips parted, Nick stared at me. I could almost see his thoughts fall in place: Trent was innocent and I was working for him to find the real murderer and clear his name of suspicion. Uncomfortable, I pushed the fork around on the plate. “How much is he giving you?” Nick finally asked, his voice giving me no clue to his thoughts.

“Two thousand up front,” I said, feeling it light in my pocket, since I had yet to go home. “Eighteen more when I tell him who the witch hunter is.” Hey. I’d made my rent. Whoop-de-do.