Read Online Aloha from Hell by Richard Kadrey - Free Book Online Page B

about these kinds of things. Some of them called themselves Sub Rosas. It just seemed silly at the time. You know, kids dabbling in old stuff no one understands to impress their friends and bug their parents.”
    His smile gets broader, like he’s found a memory that doesn’t hurt.
    “You’re not quite like them, though,” he says. “You look like you might have a clue.”
    “Thanks,” I say.
    I wish we had a fucking clue right now. I go to where K.W. is standing. He’s still in the hall. Hasn’t so much as stuck a toe into Hunter’s room.
    “Let me make sure I have this straight. Thomas, your older son, was heavy into magic with his fashion-victim friends. Did Hunter want to play Merlin, too? Even something small and silly like a Ouija board.”
    K.W. shakes his head.
    “Not after he saw what it did to Tommy. He was just a kid at the time, but he remembers. Hunter’s into sports, Xbox, and girls.”
    “You sure? You didn’t know he was taking drugs.”
    He waves a hand, palm up. A dismissal.
    “Thatft"x201C;Tx2019;s different. You can hide drugs. When Tommy was into that stuff, there were magical books, crystals, twigs, and potions all over his damn room. When Jen asked him to clean up, he said his friends were the same way. There’s a picture of him and a bunch of the kids. Would that help you?”
    “You never know.”
    He still won’t come into the room.
    “You, lady,” he says to Candy. “By your left foot, there’s a photo in a frame. Would you bring it to me?”
    She gets it and hands it to K.W.
    He looks at the photo for a minute, not sure he wants to show it to us, an intimate thing he doesn’t want to share. Finally, he hands it to me.
    “See what I’m talking about?”
    There’s a group of six kids. Harry Potter by way of Road Warrior. My neck hurts and my stomach is in knots. I hand him back the shot. Take out my phone and pretend to look at the time.
    “Mr. Sentenza, before we go any further, I think we should talk to Father Traven. Thanks for letting us have a look around.”
    “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to do?”
    “We’ll know how to proceed after consulting with the father. Don’t want to piss off any spirits by coming at them the wrong way.”
    “That makes sense, I guess. So, you’ll call when you know more?”
    “Exactly. Thanks.” I turn to the others. “Let’s go.”
    Vidocq and Candy look at each other, but follow me out. Vidocq shakes K.W.’s hand.
    “Thank you for your hospitality. Please say good-bye to your wife for us.”
    I’m heading for the door, leaving the two of them to catch up with me.
    “You’ll call back soon, right? Hunter is still out there somewhere.”
    I turn and give him what I hope is a reassuring smile.
    “We’ll call right after we confer with the father.”
    I head back to the Volvo and fire it up. I already have it in gear when the others get in.
    “What’s wrong with you?” asks Candy. “Why are we running out on that family?”

    I don’t answer until we’re down the driveway enough that I can’t see the house anymore.
    “I need to get clear of that place. I’ve got to think.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    Vidocq is in the front seat. He’s looking at me hard.
    “Thomas, the older kid in that photo? Hunter’s big brother? He’s TJ.”
    “Who’s TJ?” Candy asks.
    “He was in my magic Circle with Mason. He was there the night I got dragged Downtown. I never even knew his name was Tommy. I was going to kill him with the others when I came back, only Kasabian told me he’d already killed himself.”
    Vidocq nods.
    “It seems more likely now that the demon who sang that ‘Mr. Sandman’ song knows you after all.”
    “Doesn’t it just? But I can’t think of any demons I’ve pissed off. I kill Hellions and hell beasts.”
    “People, too,” says Candy.
    “They usually deserve it most.”
    Vidocq says, “Perhaps at Avila. Or something you did for the Golden Vigil. Perhaps you killed or injured a