Yolks on You Box Set

Chapter 9-2

As the day continued to pass, wonderfully free of any further explosions in his store, Kiko began to relax a little. There was a good chance that whoever was responsible for the earlier bombs had lost their nerve now that someone had been injured. And Kiko was looking forward to a day full of no drama worse than a few children’s tantrums.

He took over a few of the Mother Goose story readings so that Katie could rest her voice and have the green tea she always brought to work. When he was finished, he brought Mother out of his display and held him so that the children could touch the goose. Hesitant hands brushed the feathers and one child made a grab for Mother’s tail feathers; Kiko pulled the goose away.

“Hey now, let’s not hurt Mother,” he said, gently, aware some parents took issue with others disciplining their child.

“But the gold egg’s in her,” said the child, reaching out again.

“No, the golden egg is hidden somewhere in town,” said Kiko, returning Mother to his display cage. The poor goose had been harassed enough for now. “And you’re in luck! It hasn’t been found yet.”

“I think you’re keeping it so no one gets the money,” said the kid. Kiko suspected the child had pessimistic parents; he occasionally heard something that a kid had to have picked up elsewhere. “‘Cause five hundred is a lotta money.”

“That it is, and I wish you the best of luck,” said Kiko, smiling. He was about to select another book to read when he noticed Katie on the phone, eyes wide, very pale. He put the book back, shot the nearby customers a reassuring smile, and crossed to Katie.

“What happened?” she asked into the phone, voice lowered either to not draw attention or out of fear of what the answer might be. He heard her take in a little breath. “And the kid?” Kiko waited impatiently until she nodded, thanked the person on the other end, and hung up the phone.

“Katie?” he asked, but she surged forward, a clearly-false smile pasted on her face as she rang up a customer. Kiko moved to help a child claim a prize, and when they were both free again he approached her.

“It’s terrible,” she whispered to him, voice so low he had to lean close to her to hear it.

Kiko wanted to ask what had happened, but he kept silent. Katie took a sip of her tea and a deep breath. He feared what was coming, but he wasn’t surprised by it.

“There was another explosion,” she said. “Someone…someone died.”

“Who?” he asked, suddenly worried for Dom. If Dom had been right, if someone was targeting Kiko, and he’d sent Dom to run his errands for him…“Katie, who?”

“A—a tourist,” she said. “She was only trying to help the kid…”

“What tourist?” asked Kiko, then relief rushed through him. “She?” He immediately felt guilt that another’s death had given him comfort. He swallowed, waiting for Katie to continue.

“It’s just terrible,” she said. “Over at the brewery. A little girl picked up an egg. Her aunt—she was helping her search—she thought it sounded wrong. And she—she swatted it away and held the girl when it went off. I don’t even know how…”

“The paramedics?” asked Kiko, shocked.

Katie shook her head. “She bled—Kiko, she bled out. Oh, God. Right next to that poor little girl…”

Not caring whether customers saw, Kiko pulled Katie to him for a hug. She seemed like she needed it, he told himself, regardless of what the tourists might think. She sniffled into his shoulder. After seeing the sharp metal and plastic shards Chad had been peppered with, it was not difficult for him to envision how easy it was for even a small explosive to kill a person. Severing an artery would be enough.

He was still holding Katie when the door opened and Dom walked in, boxes in hand, not looking happy at all.