He invited her to play pool with him and she turned out to be a god damn shark. Never mind that, he said internally. I simply need a sounding board for my evil plans. From Neptune he was, he started the explanation after managing a satisfactory break, sinking his own 10, 14 and 15 but also her 2. The same as the Joker, he said about his hometown, the same as the Penguin also before him. But he was a new type of Waynesvillian. He had managed to trap the most powerful witch of all time named Hazel and incorporate her into himself. Hazel Wood.
“Funny name,” she said, sinking the 6, 4, and 5 in a row before barely missing the 1 with a tricky jump shot over his 11. They were playing 8 ball, his favorite. Until tonight.
“Not so funny if you’re face to face with the ancient hag. Down in the cellar she is. I took away her power, made it my own.” He produced a bit of electricity from his fingertips to demonstrate.
“Not so helpful with pool, it seems,” she then opined, watching him miss hitting the 12 in a corner pocket with those same hands. She surveyed the table and predicted a win in her next turn. She promptly sank the 3, 7, 1 and then 8 to accomplish this. “‘Nother one?” she asked about a follow up game while assuming a victory stance with the pool stick.
“Nah not right now. I want you to come back over to my desk. I want you to see something.”
“Alright. But no *funny* business.”
“Why Miss… Krakow isn’t it? Whatever do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.” She’d felt him staring at her while they played.
“No no no, nothing like that. I want to show you the *book*.”
“Oh. Okay I guess.” The mowing became louder outside as Jack edged closer to the house with the John Deere, new shocks in place for a less bumpy ride. Jill’s electric hedge trimmer hummed just beyond the window. Both were hoping to get a glimpse of that book. This is the reason they came back at all after the dual absences.
—–
“Well?” he asked. “What do you think?” The mowing had stopped outside, the trimmer silent along with it.
What *did* she think?
“Biff Carter?” he prompted further. “Does *that* ring a bell?”
“Did you hear that,” whispered Jill excitedly over to Jack. “An actual name from the thing.”
“We have our lead,” he whispered in turn, and they left the scene before being spotted.
