"Oh! Temper, temper." Gary waggled his blond eyebrows and tsk-tsked.
Aislyn appeared in the doorway, puffing and out of breath. She fired a glare that should have made his eyeballs sizzle. "You could have waited for me."
"Oh! What have we here?" Gary circled Aislyn then looked her up and down like an exhibit in the city zoo.
Seamus ground his teeth together, yanked his office door open and stomped inside leaving Aislyn to Gary’s tender mercies.
Aislyn stared at the male who gawked so rudely. Yes, she had all her teeth. Her hands crept up to check her hair. Okay, it was messy, but that was nothing out of the normal. Finally, she quit the self-conscious preening and studied him right back. He wore a smart suit, but it was his hair that made her stare hardest. The male had shoulder length hair and the color ... well, Aislyn had difficulty deciding. In the sunlight that streamed through the huge ceiling to floor windows, his hair looked like a rainbow. Tiny strands of blue, green, red and violet were interspersed with his natural blond. "Your hair is beautiful," she blurted finally. "Could I have my hair done like that?"
The male stepped closer, picked up one of Aislyn’s spiral copper curls and rubbed it between his fingers. "Why would you want to? Your hair is gorgeous. No wonder the boss has kept quiet about you. I’m Gary, by the way. You must be Aislyn."
Seamus appeared in the doorway, his face hard and stuck fast in the grumpy expression, or so Aislyn decided. "When the two of you are finished with your mutual admiration," he snapped, "perhaps we could start our meeting?"
Gary shrugged and strolled into Seamus’s office, apparently unruffled by his boss’ temper. Aislyn followed with a little more caution.
"You’ve kept her quiet, boss," Gary said, halting a few feet from where Seamus stood near a desk.
"Can we get down to business?" Seamus roared.
Gary hitched a hip onto a large wooden desk. He winked at Aislyn and offered Seamus another shrug. "Go right ahead. I’m not stopping you."
Aislyn took one look at the vein pulsing at Seamus’s temple and edged back against the wall. No way was she getting caught up and blamed for Gary’s wrong doings.
But instead of exploding, Seamus dropped into the fabric chair the other side of the desk. A pained expression crossed his face, as though he’d eaten too many of Mistress Devlin’s famous green apple pancakes. He gripped the edge of the desk, his chest expanding under his cotton shirt. "Aislyn is moving into the dorm with the rest of the recruits and will be helping out with Operation Scavenger Hunt. I want you to make sure her luggage has arrived at the dorm and show her what to do. She’ll report to you."
What? Aislyn jerked away from the wall. Report to Gary? Since when did the fairy force members report to an administrative clerk? "Why will I report to him?" Aislyn demanded, "I’m part of the investigating team. I--"
"I’m assigning you to the administrative team and that’s where you’ll stay. Don’t bother arguing because my word is final."
Aislyn reached the desk in three rapid steps. She placed both hands on the wooden surface and leant over to glare at him, eyeball to eyeball. "Your word is final," she mocked. "Follow my orders or else?" She leaned so close she smelled his familiar scent. Her gaze flicked across his face and settled briefly on his mouth. Instantly a flood of memories assailed her--an action replay of the kisses in the lift and she wrenched her eyes away. Pain shafted through her, as did a sense of despair. "You’ve known you intended assigning me to desk duties for a week. You must have realized I assumed I would take part in active fairy force duties." The swelling knot in her throat halted her tirade and to her horror, she felt a flood of moisture to her eyes. She gulped. "Why didn’t you tell me the truth?"
Gary coughed delicately from somewhere behind. "I’ll just wait out in my office, shall I?" The door closed with a soft click, indicating his retreat.
Seamus’s face gentled, and a flash of what Aislyn thought might be regret flickered briefly then disappeared. "I promised Duncan I would look after you."
Like she believed that. It was more likely the colony rules and regulations again, and those pompous, interfering board members. The tight sensation in her throat sank downward to grip her chest. Her hands slid across the surface of the desk to grip the edge. Aislyn closed her eyes then opened them again two seconds later. "Don’t you have a dream?" She swallowed painfully. "Isn’t there something you’d give up your fairy wings to have the chance to do?"
For a fleeting moment, Aislyn thought she’d got through to him, that he understood how she felt.
"Aislyn, the colony rules are clear." Seamus stood and stepped to the window to stare out at the scenic view of Auckland harbor. He remained silent for a long time before turning back to look at her. "You have to remember that your presence here is a punishment, not a treat. And I did promise Duncan I’d watch out for you. Can’t you try the admin job first? We’re overworked and could use the help. Clerical work might not sound exciting but give it a go. Maybe we can look at extending your duties later."
An ironic smile curved Aislyn’s lips. Did he think she was that stupid? "Specify the length of time," she suggested, nailing him with a determined stare.
"Three months."
Aislyn’s head jerked up in surprise. Wow. She hadn’t expected him to agree to the time limit so quickly. Sudden suspicion made her frown and ponder all possible angles. Was there something she’d missed?
"At least you’re on the human side," Seamus reminded her. "You’re the first female allowed off the colony since the late 1800’s. You’ve been given the responsibility of testing the anti-cat remedies. You’re a pioneer, Aislyn. You’ll go down in the colony history books."
"Yeah. I can see the headlines now. Rebel Rouser." She smirked. "I know what the board call me behind my back."
"So you agree? Three months trial?"
"I don’t have a choice." Aislyn kept a neutral expression despite Seamus’s open satisfaction. Some way she’d find a way to take an active part in the investigation. Seamus couldn’t watch her every minute of every day.
* * * *
Seamus hung up the phone and rubbed the heels of his hands across gritty eyes. Without warning, his office door flew open and crashed against the inner wall with a solid bang.
"Where the hell have you been?" Gill bellowed, storming into the office. "I’ve rung Gary. I’ve paged you. I’ve tried your cell phone."
Seamus shrugged and picked up a pen. "I had things to do."
"I saw Aislyn in Gary’s office. I’m not stupid. If she’s your cousin then I’m a purple polka dotted dinosaur."
Giving up all pretence at paper work, Seamus leapt to his feet, happy to purge his angst in an argument with Gill. "We’re not involved," he snarled. "Her brother is my friend, and I promised to keep an eye on her."
A teasing grin replaced the tense irritation as Gill propped his butt on the edge of Seamus’s desk. Seamus straightened in alarm.
"Then you won’t mind if I ask her out."
Fear, stark and vivid, grabbed Seamus by the scruff. A searing stab of jealousy followed on the heels of fear, and he glowered at his friend. "Leave her alone."
Gill’s grin widened to a full-out smirk. "Fine. Now we know where we stand regarding the luscious Aislyn, could we concentrate on our case? In particular, the body that was found floating in the Viaduct Basin early this morning."
Interest peaked in Seamus immediately. Gill was renowned for his instincts or hunches and a legend at Auckland Central. If Gill’s gut told him something, Seamus had learned to listen. "Who found the body? What condition? Where? How did they die?"
"The crew of Team New Zealand found the body when they put their boat in the water this morning. No identification as yet. The body is bloated and fish or birds have got to it. Difficult to tell how long it’s been in the water."
Seamus dropped into his swivel chair and leaned back, making it creak and wobble dangerously. He tapped his pen against the chair arm while he thought out loud
. "Difficult to tell if a drowning victim has died of natural causes."
Gill nodded. "Yeah, but the body wounds tell a different story. There were severe abrasions all over the body. Looks as though it was weighted down."
"Have you checked the missing persons reports?"
His partner stood, a troubled look passing across his face. "I asked Gary to check, but Seamus, I think it might be Elsa."
"Shit."
"Yeah." Gill paused before moving to the door. "My fault. I shouldn’t have forced her into agreeing to help us." He stepped from the office without his usual swagger.
Seamus heard him speak to Gary. A feminine laugh rang out. His stomach clenched, hard and tight. Hell’s teeth. It was bad enough helping her train back in the colony. How was he going to cope with having Aislyn around the office? Especially now, since he’d made matters worse and kissed her.
Gill strode back into the room and parked his butt in its normal spot on the corner of Seamus’s desk.
"Can’t you sit in a chair, like a normal person?"
"What’s with you today? You keep looking at me as though you want to punch me into next week. I have an excuse, but you don’t." Gill’s eyes wandered out to the outer office, landing on Aislyn. "Why don’t you sleep with her? Either that or concentrate on work. That should help."
Seamus grunted. "Hasn’t so far." His feet hit the floor with a thump. "Damn, I can’t believe I said that." Sucking in a deep breath, he told himself that Gill was right. Work was the only alternative since sleeping with Aislyn was out of the question. "Any luck with the identification?"
"Gary’s gone to check the missing persons files as well as follow up on Elsa."
Seamus shot to his feet. "Did he take Aislyn with him?"
"How the hell should I know? Dammit, will you concentrate? Do you want me to bring you up to date on Operation Scavenger Hunt or not?"
"Yeah." Seamus strode to the end of his office and back again. "Go on. I’m listening."
Aislyn had to leave the building some time. She was with Gary, human size, and on the pill. Nah, nothing could go wrong. Aislyn would be fine. They were probably on their way back from records now. Seamus glanced at his watch, making a mental note of the time. He’d give them half an hour.
"According to the information Hone obtained, the scavenger hunt started yesterday. The guy that operates the launch between Auckland and Maximillan’s resort told us he’s ferried a lot of extra supplies during the last two weeks. A number of high rollers have arrived at the resort."
"Competitors in the scavenger hunt?" Seamus asked.
"I don’t know. Probably. We’ve tightened security around the offshore islands and for all departing passengers at airports. Apart from that, there’s not much else we can do. It’s a waiting game."
Seamus paced the length of the office for a second time. "Do you have that list of items the competitors need to collect?"
Gill rustled through a thick pile of papers and pulled out a single sheet. "One live kakapo chick, one live tuatara, a fertile kiwi egg, an Australian parrot, a small mammal from Brazil, a copy of a Suzanne Brockmann’s book called Ladies Man, a tiara worn by royalty, a postage stamp used prior to 1900, a bottle of Chile wine, Freddie Mercury’s autograph, a pint glass from The Goat Tavern in Kensington High Street, London, a dress owned by Princess Diana, a photo of the competitor in front of the Eiffel tower, a sapphire, and a Scottish rugby jersey." Gill paused, shaking his head hard enough that his fringe flopped over his eyes. He jerked it away with a trace of irritation. "I don’t know who decided on the items, but they’ve made it interesting for the competitors."
"And us," Seamus mused. "Five of the items are rare birds and animals."
Gill frowned. "And three are from New Zealand. Stinks of Maximillan collecting for his private zoo."
A loud crash sounded from Gary’s office. Seamus spun about and charged out to investigate with Gill hot on his heels.
"Who’s there?" Seamus demanded.
Gary’s colorful head poked up from behind the desk, his mouth wreathed in a sheepish smile. "Just me. I dropped a pile of files. Woke you up, did I, boss?"
Seamus’s head whipped about, his gaze taking in the rest of the room. "Where’s Aislyn?"
"She helped me search the files at the records office, and then I took her to the hostel. We checked her luggage had arrived, and I left her there. She’s making her own way back to the office. I thought I’d take her through the routine stuff when she arrives back."
Seamus’s curse rattled the windows. He saw Gill’s brows rise, but his partner did nothing more than lean against the wall to enjoy the show.
Gary sighed loudly. "Boss, don’t get your boxers in a knot. She’s an adult. She might be female, but she is an adult." Gary opened his mouth to say more, glanced at Gill and stopped.
Luckily for him, Seamus thought, attempting to push back the panic that had seized him by the throat. Steady. Steady. Gill’s here. Don’t say something you’ll regret.
"Don’t worry, boss. I explained everything to Aislyn, about the manual and how important it is that she read it and retain the information. Boss, she’s not stupid. I know she doesn’t want to return to her parent’s farm." Gary phrased his sentence carefully, mindful of Gill’s presence, but Seamus had no trouble understanding.
"A country lass, is she?" Gill smirked. "No wonder you’re so protective. Look, we should go. We need to check with the crime scene team. Seamus?"
Seamus shook away his unease. "Yeah." The smile he directed at Gary held not a shred of humor. "Ring me when Aislyn gets back."
"No problem, boss." Gary plunked the files he’d retrieved from the floor onto the desk. "We’ll work through these files this afternoon, and I’ll see what else I can find out about Elsa. If Aislyn doesn’t make it back this afternoon, I’ll take her through the routine tomorrow. I’ll be seeing her tonight at the party anyway."
Party? Seamus froze. Gary wouldn’t take Aislyn there. "The recruit party?" he asked, keeping his tone casual while his mind screamed at him to keep Aislyn far away from the randy recruits.
"For God’s sake, Seamus. Stop trying to live Aislyn’s life for her and think of your own," Gill ordered. "The crime scene team is ready for us."
Hell’s teeth. He didn’t have time for this. His eyes narrowed on Gary, his warning glare promising retaliation as he followed Gill from Auckland Central.
CHAPTER TEN
"Sorry, I’ve taken so long!" Aislyn flew into Gary’s small cubbyhole of an office, the breeze she created sending several papers leaping from their neat piles. "I missed the bus."
Gary slapped his hand on the closest pile of papers and looked at her with a knowing glint in his brown eyes. "Too busy gawking, huh?"
Shame-faced, she nodded. "Something like that. What do you want me to do?"
"I’m checking through the missing person’s files we collected earlier."
Aislyn accepted the file he handed her and plonked onto an upright chair. She wriggled her bottom to the edge of the chair and placed her feet on the nearby two-drawer filing cabinet. "How do we know that these women haven’t simply disappeared to start a new life?"
"We don’t. But we want to check the descriptions in the files with the details we’ve received about the floater. Clothes, facial features--that sort of thing, though in the case of a drowning and since the body’s been in the water for a while, it’s a little more difficult."
Aislyn nodded then turned her attention to the report. She flicked over the page and read the other side. The phone’s strident buzz cut through the industrious silence.
Gary scooped up the phone. "Auckland Central," An animal roar blared down the line, making Aislyn jump. After a roll of eyes and much facial grimacing, Gary extended the phone to Aislyn. "It’s for you."
As she accepted the phone, the ferocious roaring became more recognizable. "And hello to you too," she said sweetly.
"What the hell are you playing at?" Seamus demanded. The a
ggressive voice subsided to an icy chill that made a shiver run down her spine.
Her chin lifted. "I’m doing my nice little admin job, just as you and the board instructed." If Seamus thought he was going to rule her life, he could think again. As long as she did her job and tested the anti-cat remedies in a timely fashion, he had no right to complain.
"Put Gary back on," Seamus ordered.
Aislyn saluted with her free hand and thrust the phone toward Gary. "Seamus wants to talk to you."
"Oh, joy." After taking a deep breath, he spoke into the phone. "Yo, boss, I’m all ears. Mmm. Okay. Got it." He replaced the phone. "The body’s been identified. It’s Elsa. I’ll send these files back to missing persons and then show you what you need to work on for the rest of the week."
Sorrow at the death of the young girl hit Aislyn first, then a surge of acute disappointment. That was it? A taste of police work then wham, bam that’s your admin corner and don’t you forget it. Aislyn blinked rapidly to dispel the tight sensation behind her eyes. It wouldn’t always be like this. Somehow, she’d wear Seamus down. One day she’d take part in an investigation, and from closer proximity than this hole-in-the-wall office.
"What should I wear to this party tonight?" she asked. "Is it casual or dressy?" With his fancy duds and colored hair, it seemed natural to ask Gary.
He grinned. "Think casual sexy," he said. "With your coloring, I’d suggest opting for your basic black. Black trousers and a snug black top."
Aislyn nodded. Basic black, she had. Sexy ... Well, that might take a bit longer, but she’d give it a go.
* * * *
Streetlights lit the road, piercing the gloom of the night by the time Aislyn left the hostel with a group of recruits.
A brown-haired recruit waved his arms at a passing cab. "We’re going to need two," he said. "There’s another one. Grab it."
Aislyn climbed into the back seat of one of the cabs.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
"Muddy Farmer," the brown-haired recruit said as he slid into the taxi beside Aislyn.
The cab pulled away from the curb. Aislyn pressed her nose to the window, eagerly taking in the sights on the way to the pub. They whizzed past huge buildings that shot upward into the sky and brightly lit shop windows displaying intriguing fashions and products to tempt customers to part from their money. Vehicles of all colors and descriptions zapped past in both directions until her head spun. They moved so much quicker than the Clydesdale pulling the milk cart back in the colony.
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