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for.
    With his head down, Ray had plenty of time to think of
    answers to that. Most of which he couldn"t say. He finished
    his sandwich, munched a fried plantain, then closed the
    carton and put it on the floor at Cal"s feet without actually
    touching him.
    “Why are you here?” It was a potentially explosive
    question. Maybe fairies sucked at deception, but they could
    always try. Not that Cal had any reason to lie. He just looked
    hurt—Ray could see him clearly even with little light. He
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    wondered how much Cal could see. All he had to go on about
    fairy vision were tidbits about shining and seeing the truth .
    “What?” Cal went with innocence. “We can"t pretend
    that it"s a full moon and one of those nights where you"re
    alone in your car, and you just happen to drive by wherever I
    am?”
    Ray gave a startled flinch and turned his head so Cal
    couldn"t read his guilt. He never meant to do that, find Cal
    like that, it was just, sometimes, with the windows down and
    the moon so bright, he found himself trailing Cal through the
    city and not realizing it until he saw the puff of glitter and
    the small, iridescent wings.
    He swallowed and thought that he should have gotten
    something to drink. There honestly wasn"t an answer he
    could give Cal that wouldn"t reveal too much. But not once
    had he ever thought that Cal had known he was there. He
    wanted to ask how or why Cal hadn"t confronted him about
    it until now, but his throat went tight at the possible
    answers.
    “Okay,” Cal changed the subject in a light voice, like he
    was granting Ray mercy, with a strange tact even a half-fairy
    shouldn"t have possessed. “I"m here because it occurred to
    me just now… what Ross and the boys said in there….”
    “Never mind that, Daffodil.” Ray couldn"t manage much
    more than the feather-soft insult. He quickly glanced back
    over, watched Cal watch him in the dark, watched the
    longing come and stay in Cal"s face.
    “No, Ray, it made me think. What if we"re going about
    this the wrong way? I mean. I know I"m only here to consult
    about magic but—”
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    “Knock it off,” Ray interrupted. “If you"d ever bothered,
    you"d be detective by now.” Cal"s grin was beautiful, a flash
    of light in the shadowy interior of the car.
    “A situation that would have been unacceptable to most
    other fairies and entirely too acceptable to my pain-in-the-
    ass father, but thank you, Branigan. I"m touched. I love you
    too.”
    “Back to the case.” Ray was really hoping fairies
    couldn"t see in the dark as well as he could, so his flush
    would stay hidden. He tried to sound annoyed, but he could
    almost hear Penn saying, With a capital „T" again. “And I
    mean this case, the one you are supposed to be sticking your
    nose into.” He also pretended that he hadn"t been wishing to
    have Cal around to help with Nasreen and Audrey"s case.
    Cal paused quite obviously for one moment, and then,
    without actually admitting it, let the subject change to
    Nasreen and Audrey anyway.
    “You know, Audrey"s shop serves everything in these
    cute heart-shaped boxes, ribbon and everything. Pricey, but
    totally worth it. Aesthetics, Ray. They count. Hmm.” So he
    had been there. He was probably a regular and not just
    keeping track of Ray"s cases. Or both, Ray instantly thought.
    “Cal.”
    “Ray.”
    Ray inhaled to try again. “I don"t need you to….” He
    couldn"t say it. Anyway, Cal would do whatever he wanted
    just the same. “I saw that place and knew you"d been there,”
    he said instead. Cal reeked of delight at that, even made a
    sound, almost like a purr, and Ray felt a touch of guilt to
    think that so little from him could make Cal so happy. He
    pressed on. “If they"re friends of yours, you should know that
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    we caught the guy. She doesn"t have to worry. The trial won"t
    be pleasant, but I think Nasreen can handle