Catching a Man

by Elizabeth Corrigan

  “I asked you to do one thing, Miss Stone. You had exactly one job function.”

  “I did make the java, sir.” Well, most days. Actually, all days. Just because it was undrinkable the first day doesn’t mean that I didn’t do it.

  “You did,” Fellows said. Kadin wanted to glance at his face to see if she could tell where this conversation was going, but she couldn’t get up the nerve. “But you also took it upon yourself to investigate a high profile murder without any particular skill or authority. Can you offer any justification for that behavior?”

  Kadin didn’t know what to tell him. She didn’t think he would believe that she had tried to stay out of the case.

  She sighed. “You told me I could do whatever I wanted. I wanted to do my job.”

  Fellows took a deep breath. “Do you know why I only hire young women to be my aides, Miss Stone?”

  “I’m sure I don’t, Detective.” That’s a lie. Everyone knew why he hired young female aides, but Kadin didn’t think it polite to say so.

  Fellows stood up and came around the desk to stand in front of Kadin. “I’ve been here so long that I’m almost always put in a primary position on the major cases. I get a whole team of idiots reporting to me, and usually they don’t have a brain between them. Oh, sure, they can handle a basic homicide with one obvious suspect, but give them any actual detecting to do and they stand around surprised that the universe expects them to do their jobs. I decided a long time ago that any employees under my control would stay out of my way.”

  Fellows put his finger under her chin and raised her head to look at him. “But you have demonstrated that there may be some people around here worth working with, people who can add more than what I can to an investigation. I never even thought to check the details of the guard’s story.”

  “Oh, sir, I’m sure that’s not true!” Kadin could feel herself flushing. “You’re a brilliant detective. I’ve read about some of your past cases. You would have thought of the book eventually. Lady Elyesse happened to be reading it when I went to question her. I wasn’t even planning to ask her about it.”

  “Stone, don’t argue with me. I’m trying to give you a compliment. And I’m letting you keep your job.” He gave a little snort. “I’m going to have an aide who works. This should be interesting.” He walked back to his chair and sat down. “Now get out of here, Stone. These magic burns hurt like nothing else, and I’ve got the Deity’s own mountain of paperwork to get through before I can go home tonight.”

  Kadin stepped out of his office, closing the door behind her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she realized Olivan was sitting in her chair, and probably had been for most of the meeting.

  Kadin groaned. “Ollie, I have had a worse day than you can possibly imagine. My head hurts, my stomach hurts, and I am absolutely exhausted. Could you please wait to yell at me until tomorrow? Or maybe next month, which is about when I think I will have recovered sufficiently to deal with anything emotionally straining?”

  Olivan put his feet up on her desk. “I have decided to forgive you.”

  Kadin almost snapped that she hadn’t done anything in the first place, but she bit back her words. “That’s great to hear, Ollie, but I can’t deal with this right now.”

  Olivan put his feet back on the floor and stood up. “Look, K, I really am sorry. I may have overreacted a bit the other night—”

  A knock on the door interrupted him. The both turned to see Ralvin DeValeriel—no, Vinnie Royal, Kadin corrected herself—standing in the doorway.

  “Hi, Vinnie.” Olivan’s face brightened into what Kadin recognized as the smile he got when he crushed on someone. “I thought we weren’t meeting for another hour.”

  Oh, no, thought Kadin. Please, please, please do not tell me that Ollie is dating Vinnie.

  “Oh, we aren’t.” Vinnie’s lips curved upward. “I came by to see Kadin and congratulate her on solving the murder of the century.”

  Olivan raised his eyebrows. “News travels fast.”

  “It does when you own shares in the newspaper.” Or when you were there the entire time because the murder victim was your wife. Kadin had done a little research on “Vinnie Royal” and had discovered that “shares” understated the matter. Vinnie Royal owned enough of the newspaper to control everything that went to print. She’d had to dig pretty hard to find the association, and she’d known about it beforehand.

  “I’ve got a couple of things to finish up in my office.” Olivan gave Vinnie a dopey smile, but he turned to Kadin and hissed, “Be nice.” She was pretty sure Vinnie heard, but Olivan may have intended that.

  As soon as she was sure Olivan was out of earshot, she turned and glared at Vinnie. “What in the name of the Deity are you doing? You’re dating Ollie?”

  Vinnie shrugged. “He called me yesterday. He wanted to apologize personally for your behavior and assured me that you were usually quiet and self-effacing. I explained what had really happened with Dawban Steel, and he felt terrible. Then we started talking about some other things, and we kind of hit it off.”

  Kadin looked at him with her mouth gaping open. “Is this some kind of joke? You can’t date Ollie. He really likes you.”

  Vinnie stuck his hands in his pockets. “I like him too.”

  Kadin crossed her arms and lowered her voice, aware that Fellows could be listening from the next room. “And what’s going to happen when he finds out there is no such person as Vinnie Royal? I have half a mind to tell him myself.”

  “Quiet and self-effacing, those were his exact words.” Vinnie shook his head. “And you’re not going to tell him.”

  “No.” Kadin heard the resentful tone in her voice. “I promised I wouldn’t, and I won’t. And let me tell you, Fellows was not amused when I wouldn’t tell him who told me where Baurus was.”

  “Well, I didn’t come here to argue with you about Ollie. I came here to thank you for helping Baurus like you did. Everyone thought he was guilty, even me, but you managed to see past the obvious to the truth.” He reached out his hand and put it on her arm. “If there’s ever anything I can do for you, you only have to ask.”

  Kadin met his eyes. “You could end things with Olivan.”

  Vinnie looked stricken. “Do you really want me to do that?”

  Part of her wanted to say yes, but Vinnie looked so upset at the prospect, and she knew from Olivan’s expression that she wouldn’t be able to talk him out of his new crush. Besides, they were both grown men who were capable of taking care of themselves.

  “I guess not. But I do want you to remember that I can hurt you as badly as you can hurt him.” She reached out and flicked a finger at his abdomen. As she expected, he cringed from the attack on his burns. “See you around, Vinnie.” She smiled to herself as she strolled out, leaving him to stare open-mouthed behind her.

  Jace Combs was in the lift when she stepped inside. “So how does it feel to solve your first case?” he asked.

  Kadin laughed. “I’m fairly certain that all records will indicate that Caison Fellows was the lead detective.”

  “Oh, I’m sure they will.”

  They rode in silence for a moment until the elevator came to a stop, and Kadin started out into the lobby.

  Combs nodded his head at her feet. “I see you’re still wearing those shoes.”

  She looked down at her heels and then back at him. “Well, this is a different pair, but, yes, my heels are still high.”

  He reached out to stop the elevator door from closing and carrying him down to his lab. “You know, when we first met, I thought you were a silly girl, willing to destroy her feet to look pretty.”

  “Oh really?” Kadin tried to sound nonchalant, but his words stung.

  “Yeah, but I changed my mind.” He gave her half
a smile. “Now I think you’re the kind of girl who isn’t going to be defeated by a pair of shoes.”

  Kadin considered his words as she watched the lift doors slide closed in front of his perfect features. She felt her own lips turn upward.

  Maybe he was right.

  Acknowledgements

  So many people have helped on this book that I’m sure I am going to forget someone. So I apologize in advance and state that if I have talked to you since I started writing this in 2007, you have probably contributed in some way, and I thank you.

  First, I thank my alpha readers, Kevin and Stephanie. They read the very roughest draft of Kadin Stone, which I can now say with some certainty was pretty terrible. And they still liked it enough to want me to develop it.

  Next, all my beta and gamma readers, in no particular order: Mom/Ginny, Anne, Jason, Julie, Greg, Maddy, Ashley, Steve, and Mary. You have offered me constant support and advice, and this book would be far worse without your thoughts and contributions.

  The team at Red Adept Publishing: In working on the Earthbound Angels series, you taught me so much about writing that has influenced these pages. And your feedback on Catching a Man was invaluable.

  Streetlight Graphics: The cover and formatting are amazing. I could not ask for a better representation of a 1950s fantasy/mystery.

  All my readers and reviewers: Thanks for your support as I branch out and “go indie.” I hope this did not disappoint.