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She’d thought about clueing Gran in but had decided against it after being informed Gran had been proposed to by Soul Science’s supposedly godlike leader.

No woman would ever dish on her future husband’s private affairs, not even to please a loving granddaughter, so that avenue was closed, too.

So finally she’d decided to do things the old-fashioned way: she was going to stake out the Soul Science headquarters, take pictures of everyone going in and out and try to piece together a snapshot of its power structure.

And so it was that she was sitting in her car, across the street from Tavern Street 56, keeping a close eye on the goings-on at that auspicious address, when she became aware of a familiar face trudging up the steps to ring the front doorbell, immediately followed by a second familiar face: Gran and Scarlett Canyon.

She relaxed when she realized this was probably the date Mom had mentioned when relating Gran’s shock wedding announcement. The only question was: what was Scarlett doing there? Unless she’d been earmarked as Gran’s bridesmaid, which wasn’t likely.

Moments later, Gran came stepping out again, and judging from her expression no wedding bells were going to ring out any time soon.

So Odelia, against the unwritten rules of her guild, decided to break cover and rolled down her window.

“Gran!” she yelled. “Over here!”

Her grandmother eyed her a little dully at first, then, acknowledging her presence, shuffled over, not half as energetic and full of vim and pep as she had been upon arrival.

She got into the car and sank down onto the passenger seat.“If you’ve come here to gloat, don’t bother. Scarlett’s already done all the gloating I can stomach for one day.”

“What happened?” she asked simply. She could see Gran was not in her usual can-do devil-may-care frame of mind.

“I made a big fool of myself, that’s what happened,” said the old lady, who was rocking a mauve pantsuit. “I went in there thinking I was going on a date with Omar, but instead he merely wanted me to join his inner circle.”

“But I thought that’s what you wanted?”

“Until last night, that’s exactly what I wanted. But after what I assumed was a proposal of marriage being offered a seat at the man’s table suddenly doesn’t cut it.”

“I’m sorry, Gran,” she said, taking her grandmother’s hand and patting it consolingly.

Gran raised her eyes to Odelia’s and said in a piteous voice, “They laughed at me, honey. They all laughed at me.”

“The jerks,” she said, and gave her grandmother a big comforting hug.

“I’m never going back there,” said Gran. “I wouldn’t be able to face those people.”

“It’s fine,” she said, for lack of anything else to say.

Gran straightened and regained her composure.“So what are you doing out here? Spying on Omar for your newspaper?”

Odelia was taken aback by these words. She thought about denying the charge, but catching Gran’s gaze, abandoned this strategy. The old lady might be a little banged up emotionally, but even now she wasn’t one to allow the wool to be pulled over her eyes.

“Yeah,” she admitted. “That’s exactly what I was doing. How did you know?”

“Oh, honey. We’ve been in the trenches together how many times now? Of course I knew the only reason you joined me last night was to spy out the place and collect material for an article. But why are you sitting here on the outside while you could be an insider?”

“There’s this guy I want to talk to. His name is Jason and Max overheard him complaining about Omar and the way he treats him, so I’ve been hoping to have a word with him. Only I have no idea what he looks like, or even what his last name is.”

“Jason Blowhard,” said Gran. “He works security for Omar, and it doesn’t surprise me that’s he’s unhappy with the way things are going. He used to be Omar’s right-hand man, before being supplanted by Jaqlyn Jones.”

“Do you know where he lives? Can you introduce me? I really want to talk to the guy.”

Gran hesitated, pulled between loyalty to Omar and affection for her granddaughter.

“You’re not going to write some slanderous article about Omar, are you? He’s a good dude, even if he doesn’t want to marry me.”

“I just want to find out everything I can about Soul Science, and write a balanced and objective article,” she said, and meant it, too. She didn’t have a grudge against Omar, and wasn’t planning on doing a hatchet job on the man or his movement.

“Okay,” said Gran. “Yeah, I know where he lives. And sure I can introduce you. But if I tell him you’re there in your capacity as a reporter your cover will be blown, you do realize that, don’t you? And I’ll probably get into a heap of trouble with Omar.”

“Yeah, I do realize that,” said Odelia. “But I’ve been trying to land an exclusive sit-down with Omar and no dice. So I need to get my information elsewhere.”

“If you promise to go easy on Soul Science, I’ll get you your exclusive,” said Gran. “Omar owes me.”

Odelia smiled.“Gran, you’re the best.”