by Tom Keller
With that said he put down his napkin and stood up. Taking a card out of his jacket, he wrote something on it and handed it to me. "I must go. It was good to meet with you. I put my direct line on the card, please do not hesitate to call," he said, reaching to shake my hand.
I followed him into the casino where we parted ways. Then I walked back to the garage to my car. Once I closed the door and started the engine I glanced down at the card. On it was the message," meet" and an address and time: 8:00 p.m., so much for an early day.
So she's like a Vampire, I thought. Bummer. I put the car in gear and headed for my office.
The office was a madhouse. Hailey had half her runners out serving subpoenas on some big civil case while the other half was running paper between lawyer's offices. I had to make a dash for the coffee pot when I got there and then wade through the bodies just to get to my office. I took it as a sign that it would be a good day to get some paperwork done so I locked the door and finished a stack of online research requests and billing.
I spent the rest of my time researching Dryads and other so-called myths. It was interesting but I wasn't sure how helpful it was going to be. I really didn't know how much was real and how much was bullshit but at least it was a start.
The Lilith history did interest me. There are stories about Lilith that date back to ancient Sumerian writings. There were some references to the drinking of blood as well as her seductive nature. But there are so many different legends it's hard to figure out just what Delia could really be. I must have gotten carried away. I was reading up on Vampires when I looked down at my watch, it was already 7:30 p.m. I shut everything off and headed out for my rendezvous with Siegfried.
I punched the address into my nav and followed the car's directions. I wound up at a diner on North Jones Road, an old section of town. I'd seen the place before but it was buried in the back of an old strip mall so I'd never been inside. To be honest, I'd thought the place was closed.
The place appeared to be new inside, if you disregarded the fact that it looked like it had been transported here from the 40's or 50's. The place reminded me of a restaurant in an old drug store picture. The bar was long and had stools. The booths were red leather. The ceiling had old style fans and aluminum tiles; the floor was red and white checkerboard. There was even a jukebox and glass displays for the pies. It must have cost a fortune to recreate.
I saw Siegfried in one of the back booths waving at me. I walked over and joined him, sliding into the booth.
"Nice place, I thought it was closed."
"The owners prefer it that way, as do the patrons," he replied with a grin.
The waitress took that moment to come over. "Hey, Sig, who's your friend?" she asked, giving me the once over.
"Shayla, this is Robert, Robert, meet Shayla," he answered, introducing us.
"Pleasure to meet you," I said, leaning over and doing my best to stand.
"Well, isn't he the polite one?" she snickered, winking at Siegfried. "What'll you have?"
We both ordered coffee, and she swiftly returned with a carafe and cups.
"So, Siegfried, why are we here?" I asked, deciding to make the first move.
It was Siegfried's turn to give me the once over. He took a moment before he spoke. "First, you must understand that my loyalty to the Milagre's is not in question. I am in their employ, and as such, I will not do anything that betrays that duty." He looked serious.
"I understand."
"I asked you here because we have a kinship and I also have a duty to that."
"A kinship, what kind of kinship" I asked, interrupting him. This was definitely interesting, even if I had no clue what he was talking about.
He pulled out his cell phone and showed it to me. On the screen was a picture of the oak leaf symbol from my gun. Then he startled me by putting a knife, almost a short sword, on the table. He pushed it towards me.
It was long, maybe 18 or 20 inches in length. The blade was highly polished and single edged, tapered to a sharp point. Below the guard a symbol was etched into the blade, an oak leaf almost identical to the one on my gun. The blade itself appeared to be made of a number of layered metals and had a pattern of leaves on the top. Siegfried watched me as I examined it.
"That is a seax. This particular seax has been in my family for many generations. The symbols you see are my family's."
I inspected the blade, surprised at the similarities between the crests. Sure, a leaf is a leaf, but these were almost identical in design. "So what does this mean?"
"The oak was a sacred tree to the Gods. Thor's chariot and the handle of his hammer, Mollinir, were crafted of it. It is said that Thor once visited Jotunheim, the land of the giants, to recover Mollinir which had been stolen. To aid him, the oak's offered a score of their kind to be transformed by the dark Elves into warriors. They became his personal guards. I am descended of that line. While my line is not of the Dryad, I am still of the Fae, we are kin." He reached over and removed the weapon from the table.
"Why are you telling me this, Siegfried? I have no quarrel with Milagre," I asked, not sure what he was getting at, especially after the loyalty speech.
"I did not mean to imply that you did," he said matter-of-factly. "But you know little of the Fae. You will need a guide, and possibly a friend."
"Why?" Should I trust him, hell, could I trust him?
"Robert, you know nothing of the Fae," he said with a grin." This is not the human world with its laws and rules. Nor are the Fae here in the new world like the Fae of the old. The lines between clans blur here. Here, the Fae live as they always have. It is a world where alliances are formed through strength, the strength of magic. Have you not read your history? The Greek and Roman Gods were not benevolent. They were vain and jealous. They fought one another continuously. My Gods were no better. Thor, Loki, Odin...always battling one another, pitting one against the other. Even magic is not always enough as the Gods themselves found out. You must not only know when to wield it, but when not too. Such is the world of the Fae."
This did not bode well. I'd already seen some of that battling the Werewolves. Sure, I was able to defeat them. But I had no idea how I did it or if I could tap into that power again. He was right, I would need some help.
"Thank you for the offer, Siegfried. I will consider it."
"That is all I ask."
"I'm still confused though. What was the deal with Meredith?"
"Magic knows magic," he answered. I must have had a blank look on my face. "You sensed her, did you not? I saw it on your face."
"I suppose I did."
"She is eldest of her clan, a powerful Fae, yet she did not know you were there. I have never heard of that happening before. It is most unusual."
"But what does it mean?" I asked, still not sure of the significance.
"It means that you are dangerous," he answered, again watching my reaction.
Just frigging great, now I had more problems.
"Magic is what binds all Fae," he continued. "Most Fae can feel magic in the air, or the lack of it. In most creatures, the sense is limited. But Meredith is a very powerful Fae, she should have sensed you. That she could not means that you are different. Do not confuse what I say. Meredith would not seek to harm you, but she would want to use you for her own benefit. As kin, I needed you to know that your power is unusual. You can choose how that information should be used. Be careful who you trust with this knowledge. Others will want to use that power and not all will be for good."
It seemed like the more he said the less I understood.
"What about you, Siegfried? Can you sense me?"
"No, but I am not like you. My gifts lend themselves to doing battle and I have never been bested." He pulled out the seax again and I watched as he twirled it around several times in an elaborate display. It danced in his hand before he thrust it into the table. It was pretty slick for a guy sitting down.
Note to file: Don't get into a knife fight with Sieg
fried.
"Hey, hey, watch the table boys!" the waitress, Shayla, commented as she walked up. The mood lightened as she replaced the carafe and filled our mugs. Maybe this was normal behavior in a place like this.
"Nice knife work," I commented as she left.
We talked for several more hours. Not all of it was about magic. The most interesting part was how the Fae took over the mob in this town, but that's a story for another day.
Chapter 7
The noise of the alarm clock was only part of the reason I was awake. The big dog licking my face was the other.
"Charlie, down," I said, pushing him away.
Waking up to dog slobber isn't pleasant but you have to admit it's effective. Reaching over to focus on the time I saw that it was 8:32 a.m. Why would I set the alarm for then? There was another ring. It wasn't the alarm, it was my cell phone.
"Hello," I said, trying not to sound like I just woke up.
"Rob, it's Hailey," said the voice on the other end. "Did I wake you?"
"No, Charlie did that for you," I said. "What's up?"
"Oh, that lug, give him a hug for me." She had a soft spot for Charlie and always brought him a treat when she visited.
"I will Hail, so why the early call?"
"Well, I have Mr. Carmine Pontedra on the other line. I thought it would be a call you'd want to take."
"Oh thanks, can you transfer him?" I got out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen for coffee.
"Of course," Hailey responded. "By the way, are you coming in today?"
"I plan to, unless this call changes things. Probably around 10:30 – 11:00. Why, anything up?"
"No, just wondering. Alright, see you in a bit, here's Mr. Pontedra." I heard the click as the call transferred.
"This is Robert Hoskins, is this Mr. Pontedra?" I said as I pushed the button to start the coffee brewing.
"Yes, Mr. Hoskins, I believe you have something for me."
"Yes I do, I have a subpoena for you. I was wondering if you would be available sometime later today. I can bring it by the property." I hadn't expected him to be so pleasant. His reputation had made me think he was going to be difficult despite my new found friendship with his boss.
"That won't be necessary. I have some business in the downtown area. I have your address from the card that Mr. Milagre gave me. Will you be available around 11:00?"
"11:00 would be fine, Mr. Pontedra, I'll see you then."
"Please, call me Carmine. I'll see you at 11:00 then. Oh, and Mr. Hoskins, Mr. Milagre told me about what happened the other night. Please allow me to express my thanks for your intervention. Mr. Milagre means a great deal to me. I would like to return the favor. If there is ever anything I can ever do for you, please let me know."
"Thank you, Carmine; I'll keep it in mind. I'll see you soon."
"Goodbye," I heard him say as the phone disconnected. Well that was interesting, now I've got more folks that wouldn't give me the time of day a week ago offering me favors. What's next?
I poured myself a cup of coffee in a General Dynamics mug as I watched Charlie push his bowl around the tile floor. I distinctly heard the word "food" in my mind. He looked up at me and the word was repeated.
Great, I actually could hear him. I guess I had found out what was next. I filled his bowl from the bag in the pantry and set it down in front of him.
"What, no thank you?" I asked, watching as he gulped down his food.
He stopped and raised his head, his eyes watching me. I heard a bark and the words "thank you" as he went back to eating. Well, at least he could be polite.
I went upstairs and showered and then dressed in my standard business casual attire. Tan pants and a long sleeve collarless shirt. Heading back downstairs I refilled my mug, dumping what was left and got the pot ready for the next time.
I told Charlie to guard the house and waited to see if he was going to say anything else. I guess not, as he just headed out the doggie door without a glance back. I wondered if any of my days would ever be normal again.
I got in my car and headed toward the 95 to downtown. Aside from talking dogs, it was a nice day. Although the morning weather report had said it was going to rain today. It sure didn't look like it yet, but that's the desert for you.
It was almost 10:00 a.m. by the time I pulled into the back lot of the building where my office was. Once inside, I spent a minute chatting with Hailey and then retrieved my mail and messages. With that done I poured myself a fresh cup of coffee and sat down at my desk.
As I looked over my mail and caseload I got the paperwork ready for my meeting with Carmine. Looking over my messages, I saw that I had one from the attorney who had asked me to serve him. I figured that one could wait. The rest were return calls or calls from other business acquaintances. I was trying to decide who to call back first when Hailey came in to tell me that Carmine was here.
I grabbed my file and went into the small conference room we had in the building. Placing it down on the table I went out to greet Carmine. As I entered the front office area I was a little caught off guard when I realized that Carmine wasn't alone. He was with another well-dressed man carrying a flap over leather briefcase. He turned and introduced himself.
"Mr. Hoskins, Gerry Cornwall, I'm Mr. Pontedra's attorney, I hope you don't mind that I've tagged along," he responded, giving me a business-like smile.
"No, not at all," I replied, finding this meeting even more interesting.
Gerry Cornwall was perhaps the leading civil attorney in the Las Vegas area. His client list represented most of Vegas' movers and shakers, including the mayor who was his old business partner. He probably also represented over half the other casino owners as well. Frankly, I'd never been able to get any of his business, I just didn't move in his circles.
He was wearing an impeccably tailored business suit. Custom tailored, I might add. Probably a Gary Franzen, he was Las Vegas' most sought after tailor. I knew that because I had one myself. Of course, I only had the one, and I was guessing Cornwall had a bigger wardrobe than me. There was one other thing. I felt it the minute they walked into the office. Although I couldn't detect anything from Carmine, Gerry Cornwall smelled like magic! I knew he was Fae. I was a little startled by my ability to detect it but I figured it was best to act as if I wasn't aware of it.
"Let's move on into the conference room, shall we?" I said, gesturing to the hallway that led to the rest of the office. We all sat down at the table and I removed the subpoena from my file, handing it to Mr. Cornwall.
"You may consider Mr. Pontedra served, Mr. Hoskins," he said, handing the paperwork to Carmine who glanced over it and placed it down in front of him.
"Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to come to my office with your client."
"Not a problem. Carmine and I had other business this morning so this was not out of our way," he said, giving me one of those smiles that always made me think of a used car salesman. "Actually, since I am here, why don't we call Mr. Lagisto and try to resolve this right now?"
"Ok, although to be honest, I didn't work this investigation. I merely handled the subpoena for him." I was surprised at this turn of events. This wasn't the usual way things like this worked.
"Of course, but since we are here and I know Andrew would like to get this resolved, let's get him on the phone."
Andrew was of course, Andrew Lagisto, a local attorney who I did a lot of work for. He had offered me a considerable fee for this service so I figured he'd really be amazed at this turn of events. Since I had nothing to lose I grabbed the phone on the table and dialed his private number.
"Andy," was all he said when he picked up the line.
"Hey, it's Robert Hoskins, how are you?" I asked, looking over at Carmine and his attorney.
"Rob, I'm fine, what's up, any problem getting that subpoena served?"
"Actually, that's why I am calling. I have Mr. Pontedra and his attorney, Gerry Cornwall, in my office. Do you mind if we go on s
peaker?"
"You're kidding. You have Cornwall in your office. What the hell did you do?" He sounded more surprised than I was.
"Go ahead, this should be interesting."
"We can go over it later. I'm going to put you on speaker now," I said as I reached over and switched the phone to the conference speakers.
"Andy, can you hear me, we're on conference now?"
"Yes, Mr. Cornwall, Mr. Pontedra, thank you for contacting me, what can I do for you?"
"Andrew, it's Gerald. Carmine and I received your subpoena today. Do you have a moment to discuss?" He said "discuss" like it was an event and it probably was, a billable event.
"Absolutely, Gerald," he replied.
"Well, Carmine and I were aware that you were going to subpoena him in this case." Cornwall looked over at me and winked.
I almost fell to the floor.
"After some discussion with Mr. Hoskins, it is Carmine's wish to try and resolve this. Have you given any thought to where you stand on this issue?"
"Well, Gerald, put simply, my client feels that he was unfairly treated by Mr. Pontedra in his employment ratings and at the termination hearing. There's also the fact that he feels that he has been blacklisted. I'd like to see him get reinstated if that is a possibility. As you may be aware, he had a stellar reputation prior to the Neptune and this matter has severely damaged that in the industry."
I saw Pontedra shake his head and start to say something when Andy was talking. Cornwall put his hand on his arm to stop him. Carmine didn't look happy, but he didn't say anything either. All I knew about the case was that it involved a long time Vegas host that used to work for the Neptune.
"Andrew, you know that is impossible. However, in an effort to be fair, we are willing to allow your client to resign. We can offer him a considerable severance for that action. That should remove the stigma of the termination and allow him some breathing room until he can secure employment. Would that be agreeable?" Cornwall asked, keeping his hand on Pontedra's arm.