My cell phone buzzes in my pocket. Unknown number. Not odd, since Bran is the only contact I’ve ever had in this phone.

“Hey, Louis. It’s Charlotte. Instead of coming home, want to meet somewhere?”

“Sure,” I say, wondering what’s up.

“Meet us at Abbesses,” she says.

“Abbesses, the Métro stop?” I ask, and she confirms.

“I can take you,” Siaka offers.

“Sure you don’t mind?”

He smiles and hands me the helmet.

This time, I make sure there are no warm fuzzies going on between us during the ride. Just a colleague. Just a colleague, I repeat in my mind as the Vespa zips back in the direction we came from. Once in the cobblestone square next to Abbesses, Siaka parks the Vespa, while I look around. I know this place like the back of my hand. Nothing’s changed.

The air is thick with the sweet aroma of candied peanuts. The merry-go-round next to the Métro entrance is lit up with green and red lights and tinny, old fashioned carnival music pipes out. I probably rode that carousel five hundred times between the age I could first sit up by myself and around nine, when I was finally too embarrassed.

Siaka catches me staring and looks amused. “Want to try it out? I have some change.” He digs into his pocket.

I laugh. “No. But I used to ride this all the time when I was little.”

“No way,” he says. “This is your old hood?”

“Hey guys!” Charlotte waves as she walks toward us across the square. She’s accompanied by a tall, pretty girl with short strawberry-blonde hair and freckles.

They lean in to give Siaka cheek kisses, then the tall girl turns to give me the bises too. “I’m Georgia,” she says.

“You’re Kate’s sister!” I study her face for any resemblance but see none.

“And you’re Louis...bad boy turned good. Or at least we hope you have. Kate thinks so, anyway.”

“Arthur’s here.” Charlotte points to the air above our heads.

“I’m just here to make sure he behaves himself,” Georgia says, winking. She has a southern accent that sounds straight out of Gone With the Wind. (Yes, believe it or not, I have seen that film. Bran has a penchant for old American movies, even though most of them are super politically incorrect.)

“This isn’t an official out-looking-for-danger human-saving patrol,” Charlotte explains, “or else Georgia wouldn’t be along.”

“Hey,” Georgia says, looking offended.

Charlotte ignores her and continues, “So Siaka’s welcome to join us. The game plan is to take you places you might have gone as a numa. See if anything jogs loose a memory that could be useful or see if there’s renewed numa activity in the old places. I thought we’d start with your home.”