#Chapter 66: “Bob’s Your Uncle”

Kadeem Kadeem strode away from Ardal’s with such an inexplicable calmness, even he didn’t fully understand it. Whatever the reason, he was glad his cooler head had prevailed. He was ready to go to battle, and he wasn’t about to succumb to his own self-destructive impulses. As he walked down the sidewalk, he wretched his phone out of his pocket and quickly scrolled for Riley’s number. He waited for what seemed like ages for her to pick up, but there was no answer - only her voicemail greeted him. A surge of annoyance swept over him. “Riley,” he growled, “Call me back.” He clenched the phone in his fist as he marched down the sidewalk, the sunlight radiating off the pavement as he moved. Finally determining it may be a longer delay than he’d hoped, he slid the phone into his pocket with a sigh. Riley’d better respond soon, though, or he’d go knock down her door. Kadeem passed by a string of storefronts. He lingered for a second at the window of an occult shop - crammed full