Parker and Jamie stood in front of a two-story house in one of the nicer parts of Karlsburg, white with pale blue trim. Ivy grew up a lattice beside the house and a low hedge ran along the winding path up to the house. The old woman in the house next door watched them from her window.

Jamie usually avoided this part of Karlsburg. In this section of the neighborhood, the immigrant vibe was more German, Irish, and Italian than Indian, Hispanic, and Arabic. She always got funny looks when she came around here, and Parker's haphazard parking job didn't help. Even coming up the walk to the door, all of the gnomish lawn spirits up and down the street watched them with suspicion, leaving Jamie with the feeling that the snooping wasn't just contained to one neighbor.

"Really?" Jamie asked as P...

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