Smoke and Mirrors

by Angus McLean

  ‘Yeah, that too,’ he conceded.

  There was an awkward silence for a moment. Nobody seemed to know what to say. Molly looked to her husband, but he remained silent. She felt her cheeks flush.

  ‘Anyway, I better get to court,’ Neil said eventually, ‘justice waits for no man.’

  ‘I think you mean time,’ Dan told him.

  ‘Don’t I know it.’

  Neil grabbed his briefcase, took a quick slurp of coffee and was gone, banging the door behind him again as he left.

  Dan and Molly looked across the office at each other.

  ‘Be careful what you wish for,’ he said.

  ‘D’you think he heard me?’ she frowned.

  ‘Probably.’ He groaned and rubbed his face. ‘Now we really need someone. Better book dinner for four at Luigi’s, I guess.’

  ‘Ooh, are you taking your wife out for dinner?’ she cooed, making eyes at him across the room.

  ‘Hmm, something like that.’ He grinned. ‘In company, of course, so you don’t get any fancy ideas.’

  ‘Typical. Where’s the romance gone?’

  ‘He could’ve given us more notice than a day,’ Dan grumbled. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the edge of the desk.

  ‘That’s what you get for taking on a contractor,’ she told him, ‘all care, no responsibility. I think we should take on a permanent employee this time.’

  ‘Then I’d have to pay them holidays and sick and whatever else they can think of.’ He shook his head in despair. ‘Just can’t get the staff.’

  ‘You’ve gotta try first. What about Buck?’

  ‘What, Buck himself? Na, he’s got it too cushy where he is, why would he give that up?’

  ‘Being the Ellerslie community cop can hardly be stimulating,’ Molly opined.

  ‘Not too taxing either, though. He hasn’t got himself in trouble since…well…’

  ‘Since he stopped working with you?’

  ‘Exactly.’

  His mobile bleeped on the desk with an incoming message. He smiled as he checked it.

  ‘Mike,’ he said, ‘wants to meet for a coffee urgently.’

  ‘Wonder who he’s in love with now?’ Molly speculated.

  ‘You’re such a cynic.’

  ‘You know it’s true. Ten to one it’s a drama about some woman.’ She gave him a challenging look. ‘Go on, bet against me.’

  Dan shook his head and got up.

  ‘That’s a sucker’s bet.’ He bent over her desk and kissed her softly on the cheek. ‘And I’m no sucker.’

  ‘No, you’re a hot shot private eye.’ Her eyes twinkled at him. ‘But you know what it’ll be.’

  ‘Maybe.’ He kissed her firmly on the mouth now. ‘I’ll shoot down and see Buck first, then go see him then head off and do the Parker and Philips case.’

  ‘Hey.’ Molly caught him by the sleeve. ‘Maybe Mike wants a job?’

  ‘You think?’ He considered it for a second then shook his head. ‘Na, can you really see him as a PI? Doubt it. We don’t do debt collection.’

  ‘You used to,’ she reminded him, and he shrugged.

  ‘Yeah, but now we’re chasing better money than that. Any port in a storm I guess, but I’d rather Mrs MacNamara brought her friends to see us. At least you know you won’t get your head stoved in investigating a cheating husband or corporate fraud.’

  He leaned down and kissed her again.

  ‘I’ll call you later.’

  He left the office, wondering what it was that Mike had got himself into now.