Closeted

Michael and Gabriel approached the bookshop to find the lights off and the door locked.

"I don't see why two of us needed to run this errand," said Michael.

"Last time I saw him I told him to shut up and die. Sandalphon didn't want to go, and I didn't want to go alone."

"Are you afraid of him?" asked Michael.

"Pff, No! Of course not ...I don't sense him," said Gabriel.

"We can just leave the memo on the door."

"A human might take it."

"I doubt it."

"We should take it inside and lay it on the counter."

"Why couldn't someone just make it appear in his hands?"

"It's been sort of more difficult to get ahold of him that way lately," said Gabriel fiddling with the lock and opening the door without a key. "I mean I don't blame him for being unavailable—"

"You don't blame him? That's a new one." Michael said as they entered the dark bookshop quietly. "What could he be out doing at this hour?"

"Oh, probably something human and unnecessary like drinking alcohol or watching a movie with demons."

"I believe it's just the one demon," replied Michael, approaching the counter to leave the memo on it.

"Wait," said Gabriel. "Let's take a look around."

"A look around? For what? You want to shop?"

"No, we haven't been able to get any clues to what he's up to—"

"Probably because he isn't up to anything—"

"And a quick look around couldn't hurt."

"It's books, and packets of cocoa, that's it. That's the whole shop," Michael said, with crossed arms, leaning back against the counter. A passerby glanced in and saw just long enough to think, "What a beautiful woman." Michael smiled awkwardly at him, willing him to go away.

"Yes, but there's an upstairs," said Gabriel. He looked into Michael's eyes and waited patiently.

"...Ugh fine," Michael said finally. "If I had known you just brought me here to snoop around..."

"It's fine, we'll just take a quick look upstairs, and then we'll go."

The upstairs contained normal human things. The most suspicious thing they found was a cup of tea on the left bedside table that was growing mold.

"He really has pulled away from us, hasn't he?" said Gabriel which earned him an eye roll in return.

"Can we go?" asked Michael.

"Maybe he keeps secrets in the closet." Gabriel said opening the sort of closet with folding doors that look like blinds. "You know the human expression."

"... which one?"

Gabriel didn't answer. The bell above the door downstairs jingled. They could smell alcohol and tomato sauce. They could here laughter.

"Let's go!" said Michael.

Gabriel snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. "Oh no... There's some kind of protection here."

"Protection? What do you mean? We entered just fine."

"I can't use a miracle to get us out."

"What?" Michael tried as well but nothing happened.