Chapter 53: Ancient evil
Kaine pressed the buzzer for Gwen’s apartment. Her voice crackled through the intercom almost immediately.
"That was fast."
"Had motivation," he replied grimly.
The door buzzed open, and he and Marcus climbed three flights of stairs to her floor. The hallway smelled of coffee and old books, punctuated by the faint scent of something burning in a kitchen somewhere.
Gwen opened her door before he could knock, her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and there were dark circles under her eyes. Research mode. He recognized the signs.
"You look like hell," she said by way of greeting.
"Feel worse. That coffee I smell better be strong enough to wake the dead."
"Considering your condition, that might be literal." She stepped aside to let them in. "I’ve got a full pot brewing, plus some sandwiches. Figured we’d be here a while."
The apartment was exactly what Kaine had expected considering the ongoing investigation. Sheer organized chaos with books stacked on every available surface, newspaper clippings pinned to bulletin boards, and a laptop surrounded by empty coffee cups and takeout containers.
The two books Mrs. Miller had loaned her were spread open on the coffee table, surrounded by notebooks covered in Gwen’s neat handwriting.
"Marcus can wait in the hall," Gwen said, eyeing the ghoul with obvious discomfort. "No offense, but he makes me nervous."
"He makes everyone nervous. It’s part of his charm." Kaine nodded toward his companion. "Guard the door. Anyone comes up those stairs who isn’t supposed to be here, handle it quietly."