by T. G. Ayer
She raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean ‘in case things don’t pan out’?”
“I’ve just come from Venice, and there are a few things weighing on my mind regarding this case.”
“I see,” she said, her voice calm and neutral. But the woman’s eyes seemed to give away a lot about her emotions.
While she may believe she possessed a poker-face and could control people with a mere look, her glare failed to work on me. “What is it?”
She didn’t say it, but I knew she was hoping I wasn’t about to waste any more of her time.
“I do believe there’s more to this robbery than meets the eye. At first I thought your son was attempting to steal the diamonds, maybe to fund his alleged vigilante venture, but after having scanned the store, and viewed the footage, I’m not so sure anymore.”
Elise laughed, got to her feet. “I’m not sure how to take the fact that you’ve gained access to the footage without my permission.”
“You hired me on as an investigator, you hired me to find your son. I’m not in the business of asking for help every few seconds, especially when those things are almost trivial, things I could easily obtain myself.
“I have the contacts and can access most anything that I need. I was under the impression that was the reason you hired me . . . my efficiency and ability to get the job done.” I raised my own eyebrow at her now.
My defiance in the face of her cold haughtiness seemed to have broken through her ice. She gave a deep sigh and then took her seat again. Picking up the phone she spoke, “Catherine can we have two coffees?”
But Catherine cut her off and whatever she’d said to Elise drew an alarming reaction. The skin on Garner’s face darkened, and grew tighter, more lined.
She was back up on her feet within a second. As she put the phone down she glanced up at me. “I apologize Ms Morgan, we seem to be having a few issues on the security front. If you wouldn’t mind waiting here for me, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
She headed out of the office—without even waiting for my response—and closed the door behind her.
“What is it Catherine?”
“Security just called. Something strange was caught on the cameras in the elevator shaft. Anderson thinks he detected some kind of movement. It could be nothing, but we just want to let you know.”
“With my son flitting around the world, causing mayhem for me, I hardly think this is nothing. I’ll go down and speak to Anderson myself.”
I returned to my body, surprised at her dedication to something as minor as security. It only proved to me how afraid the woman was of her son.
And we probably wouldn’t have too much time, so I settled in, keeping my back to the door and projected into the interior room.
Erik was having a spirited conversation with a bound elf, at the same time attempting to fix the camera behind a portion of loose paneling.
“I assure you, Raulfir, your daughter will be found and we will do everything in our power to ensure she is safe.”
The elf glared at Erik. “All you’re going to do is get my daughter killed.”
Erik shook his head. “You need to keep your voice down. I’m not sure this room is soundproof.”
The elf laughed. “Of course, it’s soundproof. Do you think your mother makes it easy for me?”
“How do you know she’s my mother?” Erik asked Raulfir, distracted now by the elf’s line of questioning.
It was time to give him a bit of a helping hand.
Chapter 27
I teleported straight into the room causing the elf—Raulfir—to flinch as I appeared right beside him.
Erik gave me a relieved glance. “Can you please speak to him? Got to get this camera situated.”
I knelt beside the elf, regretting that I was unable to help him remove his restraints. “We don’t have a lot of time,” I watched Erik as his fingers deftly intertwined wires within the panel, “Elise will be back any second now. Erik, you must’ve set off their motion sensor in the elevator shaft—they’re all swarming the shaft looking for an intruder.”
He gave me a worried glance, but continued twisting wires and setting up the camera.
I looked at the elf. “My highest priority is to find your daughter and take her away to safety. I promise you . . . I will take good care of her. My name is Mel Morgan. I’m a tracker. My job is to look for missing people. Even if your daughter is not being held in the building, I will still find her.”
The elf frowned. “Do you think they’re holding Silvanya here?”
I didn’t need to answer. He’d figured it out all on his own. Just the way Erik had done. The elf’s shoulders sagged and he sank against the backrest of the chair. “I should have known not to trust her.”
I sighed and patted his shoulder. “Nothing we can do about that now. What we would like you to do is help us put her in jail where she belongs. Your daughter . . . Silvanya . . . will be fine. I just wanted to assure you that our intentions are good, and if you could please cooperate with Erik. I apologize for not taking you to safety immediately, but do you think you could find it possible to help us trap her?”
The elf stared at me for a long moment, his gray eyebrows bunched as he mulled over my words. Then he inhaled sharply. “I’m Raulfir, King of Kil’rith and Beyond.” He inclined his head while I tried to absorb the fact that we had royalty on our hands—royalty that we want to keep in Elise’s cell. “What would you have me do? Or refrain from doing?” he asked, straightening his shoulders stiffly.
I blinked for a moment while Erik and I exchanged a worried glance.
The elf chuckled. “If you are concerned about my status and title, please stop. By now, my position back home would have been taken over by my son, which means that, technically, I’m a mere co-regent. In absentia.”
More confusing Elf politics. But I made a mental note to research the geography and politics of the White Elf realms.
With time running out I couldn’t stand on ceremony. Giving him a respectful nod, I said, “I need for you to do as Elise instructs for now. At most, a couple days.”
He nodded, his eye narrowing as he considered what I was asking of him.
Freedom so close and yet so far.
“Give it a few hours—just until we can locate and retrieve Silvanya—then begin to resist her. Don’t take it too far because I don’t want her killing you in the process. But we need it all caught on camera to give us something concrete. We need proof in order to put her away.”
He smiled coldly. “I understand. And do not worry. You will get your fodder. The woman is a menace.” He shifted his shoulder and glanced at his arm, indicating that he wanted me to see something.
I lifted the sleeve of his cream robe and sucked in a harsh breath. His skin had been branded—almost every inch of it—the surface now tight and shiny, covered in scars that would likely never fade.
Even Elf magic would be unlikely to heal his scarring.
I held my tongue and got to my feet, giving the Elf King a nod. Then with a quick projection, I found that Elise was on her way up.
“I have to go. Erik. Get yourself out of here as soon as possible.”
I jumped back into the office, landing safely in my armchair and was just straightening my jacket when Elise entered the room again. I relaxed, glad that she didn’t have cameras in her office.
“So what is it you think is going on?” Elise sat back down, and faced me, her expression neutral and back down to business. “Why is it necessary for you to come all the way to Hong Kong to speak to me about this when a phone call would have been sufficient?”
I raised an eyebrow, appearing annoyed. “Well . . . I particularly do not like lies, and I do not like suspecting that I’m being played.”
She pursed her lips as she considered my words, then leaned back with an admiring smile.
“I have to admit that from the moment I met you I’ve admired your attitude. It’s good to be a strong woman. Pity that
people don’t like strong women, nor do they like women who speak their mind.” She sighed and sat forward. “There is more to this case than I’ve let on. I’m sure you’ve suspected as much if you’re here.”
I nodded but didn’t speak, leaving the floor to my client. Like her son she seemed on edge, very likely to stop talking if I said the wrong thing.
“My son didn’t just run away. He left because I refused to leave my business to him,” her sigh was filled with sadness, “He’d thought he’d inherit it all when his father died. And when he understood that that was the last thing I’d ever do, he threw a fit. You have to understand my son has always been the do-gooder. The Greenpeace-humanitarian-I-love-the-whole-world-kind of boy. And the problem with him is people will fall for his bullshit—he’s very convincing. He believes I’m involved in something nefarious and underhanded.”
She let out a laugh and got to her feet, her thoughts focused on her son. I doubt she even realized that she’d begun to pace, revealing to me how upset she was.
“And are you?” I asked. I’d already gathered she wasn’t about to spill anything important. I didn’t really care because this whole meeting was about giving Erik an opportunity to plant the camera.
And that was done.
Elise smiled, nodding to herself before she faced me. “And that’s a very good question. The answer to that is no. I would never jeopardize everything my husband built. I’m not sure what Erik’s objective is, but he will never get this business.”
“So what exactly do you think he’s going to do?”
“Like Venice, he’ll continue to create problems with each store. Continuing robberies will make it appear to the general public that our stores lack security,” she paused, then met my gaze, “Maybe even steal from me.”
I shifted and slid my hand into my jacket pocket, withdrawing the black velvet case containing the pink diamond. I placed it on the desk in front of me without saying a word.
She reached for it without a word and flipped the case open. Elise paled and the contours of her face stood out in contrast. “Where did you get that?”
I didn’t answer. Instead I said, “I believe you know what this is.”
She scowled. “It’s a pink diamond.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
She didn’t respond.
“It’s a blood diamond.” Her eyes flitted from the stone to my face, then back again. Her muscles were stiff, tense as if the stone would at any moment turn into a spitting cobra. “And it was found on your premises.”
Elise walked slowly toward her seat and sat, the movement controlled and equally slow. “What are you trying to accuse me of?”
I shrugged. “Nothing. I just wanted to warn you that it looks like someone is trying to set you up.” A load of bullshit if I ever heard one. It was my save, so I hoped she’d take the bait.
Her face relaxed, and her shoulders slumped just a fraction, enough to let me know that she believed herself in the clear.
She nodded rapidly. “I believe that’s quite possible.”
“And do you think your son would do such a thing? Plant a blood diamond in your store so you’d be arrested?” Poor Erik. I was colluding with his mother to put the blame on him.
“I don’t think so,” she spoke so softly I almost didn’t hear her, “I hope not.”
I frowned. “Maybe it was the Phaser? I was told he was in the store, apparently chasing away the robbers. If you believe this vigilante is your son, why would he be chasing away suspects?”
She smiled and walked to the desk. “I’m not exactly of the belief that the Phaser is my son. I have to admit I’ve suspected that was the case, but as yet I haven’t seen proof. The thing is, he always seemed to be in the vicinity of an attack on one of my properties. Why that is, is the million-dollar question.”
I sat still for a moment and nodded as if taking in everything that she’d said. I’d gathered that Elise was the kind of woman who would both love an audience, and enjoy playing the role of superior mentor.
With a sigh I got to my feet. “I apologize for the sudden meeting. But I’m glad I came. Sounds like you’ve had a lot on your mind, and hopefully I can help relieve some of that stress. I’m confident your son will return soon, and you’ll be able to work things out.”
Elise smiled, although her lips remained a thin line. She got to her feet and reached out to shake my hand.
She seemed relaxed and at ease, despite the security threat, despite the burgeoning of her deepest fears.
The woman was a good liar.
She guided me toward the door and handed me over to her assistant. I was well and truly dismissed. Catherine led me to the elevators, like a guard dog wanting to confirm I left the building. Thankfully, she didn’t accompany me to the ground floor, just waited until I entered the elevator and the doors closed.
As the elevator descended, I projected into the secret room, hoping Erik had gotten himself safely out. But he hadn’t left yet, and seemed to be fiddling with the wires for the camera.
What the hell was he still doing?
In her office, Elise was flipping through a stack of folders when she turned her head and stared at bookshelf which hid her torture chamber.
Was it possible that she’d heard something?
No. Erik had mentioned soundproofing.
I shook my head impatient for the elevator to reach the ground floor and spit me out. I headed out of the foyer and then onto the street, instinct urging me to run. I had to force myself to slow down, aware of the cameras all around me.
Crossing the street, I hurried around the corner and ducked into a little cafe. I headed through the throng of people, hoping nobody would see me as I went straight for the telephone tucked into a back corner.
A soon as I slipped behind the screen I jumped to the hidden room, grabbed hold of Erik, barely noticing that he was finally twisting the last screw in place. Raulfir met my gaze, his eyes filled with understanding. I didn’t wait to see anything else, just held on and teleported us back into our hotel room.
As I deposited Erik inside the room, I felt a pang of regret for having left the elf . . . Raulfir behind. Still I wondered what he was in for now, especially since—if I had anything to say about it—Elise would soon be without his daughter.
Erik stumbled then regained his footing, spinning around to look at me, a satisfied grin on his face. A smile that disappeared the moment he set eyes on my face.
“Shit.” He stared at my nose and pointed.
Groaning, I reached for a wad of Kleenex, tipped my head back and dabbed at my nose to clean up the mess.
The room spun and I refrained from closing my eyes. It usually made the vertigo worse. But my body seemed confused, as if I was still getting my footing.
Blinking as I straightened my neck, I became aware that the room was still spinning around me. I sank on the nearest bed as carefully as I could, reluctant to show Erik my weakness.
The last thing I needed was his doubt. Or his loss of confidence.
Done cleaning up, I squashed the tissues into a ball and tossed it into the trash can.
Then I turned to a very silent Erik and said, “We need to get to the daughter as soon as possible. You never know when Elise would decide to move her for security reasons.”
Erik nodded, although he still didn’t look convinced as he stared at my face.
I shifted and lay on my back, looking over at him. “I’m going to project. It’s going to take a while; the building is quite big.”
Erik hesitated. “Is that wise? So soon after . . .” He waved at my nose.
He had a point. But I couldn’t afford to waste any more time.
“I’ll be fine,” I said softly, giving him an encouraging smile.
He said nothing, just grabbed more tissues and handed it to me without a word.
Chapter 28
Irritated, I swiped hard at my nose, not caring that I was leaving it bruised and red.
I
sank into the ether and projected into the high-rise building. Like many of the Hong Kong skyscrapers, this one was no less impressive with its glass walls and five-sided design, it looked modern and sleek.
No surprise Elise Garner had decided this particular building would suit the nature, and the clientele, of her business.
I focused on the top floor, scanning each room, each corridor and office and slowly descended through the building. Thank goodness projection wasn’t as bad a stress on my body as actual teleportation. Even while scanning the building, I was getting much-needed rest.
Hopefully my cells would regenerate fast enough because once we find Silvanya we’d have to move our asses.
The Garner International floor was clear, and Elise was back in her office flipping through some paperwork with Catherine. I wondered what she’d think if she knew she was being watched.
When Elise raised a hand and slid it along the inside of Catherine’s thigh, and then further up her skirt, I got the hell out of there. I certainly didn’t want to become an ethereal voyeur.
Not now, not ever.
I wondered if Erik knew about his mother’s sexual preferences, and if that was maybe a point of contention for them.
Pushing the thought out of my mind, I focused on the job at hand. I descended further through the building, confirming that none of those occupants currently in the structure, were Silvanya, the elf girl.
Wait. That should be Silvanya the Elf Princess.
How’d I miss that?
King Raulfir had been adamant that she be found and I was just as determined to find her. Raulfir seemed to believe that anyone held in captivity by Elise Garner would not survive for too long.
And I was inclined to agree with him.
As luck would have it, I ended up finding Silvanya in the basement. And I wasn’t sure if that luck was of the good persuasion.
I finally drifted below the lowest parking-deck to a basement level, locked away behind steel doors. It housed heat pumps and air conditioning generators, as well as other metal equipment I couldn’t identify.