By the time we entered Palm Springs, I had forgotten the sentence I was repeating. Something about Nina. But Junette kept shouting in my head about not trusting the woman, which distracted me from remembering. I wanted to tell her to shut up. But Nina would think I was talking to her, despite her being silent for most of the trip.

  “This is the address.” I pulled up to the large iron gates and pushed an intercom button. Moments later, a female voice sounded through the speaker. “May I help you?”

  “Is this Fionna?” I asked.

  After a pause, she replied. “Who are you?”

  “I’m a private detective. I had a couple of quick questions for you.”

  “Ask them.” She said.

  “I’d prefer a face to face.”

  “My fiancé isn’t home. I wouldn’t feel comfortable bringing guests into his home.”

  “I have his firm’s phone number. Would you prefer I call him and ask permission to talk to you about Mamma Mooi?”

  “I… No… He doesn’t…”

  A buzzing sound almost made me flinch. The gate slid open.

  “Drive up to the porch, but please don’t get out of your car.”

  We drove up the long driveway. A short, petite woman paced in front of the porch. Two men stood by the front door, both wearing identical black suits and sunglasses.

  After I parked, she approached my car, stopping a few feet away and crossing her arms. “I have nothing to do with Mamma anymore. My fiancé knows only a little about my past. Can we keep this discrete?”

  “Of course,” I replied. “Would you like us to join you on the porch?”

  She glanced around. “We can talk here, but please keep your voices down.”

  Nina opened her door and stepped from the car. Both men took a step forward and reached inside their jackets. The one on the right said, “Ma’am.”

  “It’s okay, Gerold.” She fidgeted as Nina approached.

  “My name is Nina. My husband is missing and I’m just hoping to get a little information.”

  “And you think I can somehow help?”

  “A man you know was hanging around our hotel. Vlad.”

  Fionna shook her head. “He’s little more than a petty criminal. If your car radio is missing, then he may be involved. But not with a missing husband.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Mama keeps Vlad on a short leash. She says keeping to the small stuff allows them to remain under the radar.”

  “If he moved onto kidnapping, where would he bring the victim?” I asked.

  Fionna rolled her eyes, then focused on Nina.

  “Please answer him,” Nina said.

  She closed her eyes. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this.” She put her hand on Nina’s arm. “You remind me of Mamma’s freshly baked cherry pie. As horrible as she was when I got older, the woman seemed so sweet when I was a little girl.” After leaning closer to Nina she sniffed her. “Anything worth real value is kept on Mamma’s boat. If you have a piece of paper, I’ll write where it’s docked.”

  After getting the information, Nina returned to the car. Before backing up, I thanked Fionna and promised her we would not bother her any further. Nina handed me the piece of paper.

  “Something ain’t right Lud,” Junette said. “Her shady ass wouldn’t want to ask those questions if she’s involved in her husband’s disappearance. And I know she knows. Vlad is a dead end.”

  I drove out the way we came. As I passed through the front gate, I noticed a car parked to the right that wasn’t there before, a black sedan with heavily tinted windows and a thick antenna attached to the roof. My first instinct was to believe it was an extension of her security. But why does the future wife of an architect need such beefed-up security?

  The car pulled out when I made it halfway down the first block. “We might have a tail.” I turned right and gunned the gas until I reached the next intersection, then whipped to the left. I parked the car and watched the roads to see if the vehicle drove by.

  “You think it’s the Russian? Or maybe the wizards? They might have found out you’re talking to a Yaksha.”

  “Could be nothing.” I waited for ten minutes before getting back in the car and taking an alternative route back to Johnny’s place. If the wizards found out about Johnny, both he and his wife would vanish before I could get back there. Mama Mooi didn’t seem to have the resources required to keep a tail on me or watch Fionna around the clock, unless her enterprise grew a lot bigger than Fionna gave her credit for.

  I again had Nina stay in the car while I entered the dusty little store. Tinesi stood behind the counter. Her eyes now appeared brown, and makeup coated her face. She, like her husband, wore long sleeves, but for different reasons. He wanted warmth, but she wanted to hide as much of her shiny skin as possible. The back of her hands didn’t appear oily. She must have added some makeup, but her palms gleamed as if they were sweaty. “Welcome back Mr. Ludwig.” She bowed.

  “Has Johnny finished?”

  “He has.” She smiled. “I figured since I’m all dressed up, I should just mind the store for a while and give him a break.” She placed two vials on the counter. “They should last about twenty minutes.”

  “I’d think you’d keep one for yourself. In case she comes in here.”

  Tinesi bit her lip. “Wigon recipes created for humans don’t work the same for Yaksha or Elves.”

  I thanked her after pocketing the two potions, then glanced at the clock behind her. Three-thirty. Time to chat with T-Bone.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Nina gawked at me as I strolled by the car, trying to stay as far away as possible, so I didn’t have to waste one of the two potions. “Fifteen more minutes. Wait here.”

  “Was he helpful?”

  “I’ll know soon.”

  I hurried across the sidewalk, toward the place Johnny said I’d find T-Bone’s friends.

  “How will you get them to talk?” Junette asked.

  I shrugged.

  “Are you gonna wizard them?”

  “My training was in absorption.”

  “Will you absorb them?”

  “They would die.” I shook my head. “I’ll come up with something more subtle.”

  As we got closer, I spotted two young men with low hanging pants standing on the corner.

  “Modi,” Junette said. “I didn’t imagine they’d be white boys.”

  The bandana-wearing taller man tapped the pudgy guy to his right. Both scowled at me.

  “Excuse me, gentlemen,” I said.

  “Hey, Pops.” The taller man said in a slow, low voice, which reminded me of Lurch. “You looking for something?”

  “Actually,” I said, “I have the five hundred dollars I owe T-Bone.” After surveying the area, I added, “Is he around?”

  “Now they’re gonna rob you,” Junette said.

  The pudgy one put his hand out. “I’ll make sure he gets it.”

  “He told me to give it directly to him.”

  Pudgy’s chin jiggled as he spoke. “He disappeared with that Barbie-looking chick yesterday. He ain’t gonna want visitors.”

  Lurch glared at Pudgy.

  “Is he talking about Cinderella?” Junette asked.

  I froze, then blinked a few times. “Did she have a French accent?”

  “Man, we didn’t conversate. I just seen them getting all close and shit.”

  “Dude,” Lurch said, elbowing him.

  Pudgy’s face turned red. “Maybe we take the cash and let T-Bone sort it out.”

  Lurch nodded as his fists balled up.

  I yanked the small baggy from my pocket. “This may interest you more.”

  “Doubt it,” Pudgy said, watching me pour the white powder into my hand.

  “Good idea, Lud,” Junette said. One of her friends from Haiti shipped me the expensive powder.

  Lurch’s head tilted up and his eyes widened. He pointed with his overgrown cranium, as if signaling someone. I glanced over my shoulder. On the second floor of an apartment complex, a shorter muscular man slammed a door behind him and threw up his arms. His eyes darted down at me, providing a decent view of his tattooed-covered face. He froze for a moment before fleeing.

  “You look like a snitch,” Junette said.

  I turned my head in time to see Pudgy and Lurch lunging at me. Lifting my hand, I blew, sending a white cloud into their faces. While they flinched, I spun and bolted for a nearby alley.

  As I sprinted, Lurch and Pudgy coughed and hacked behind me. A moment later, their heavy footsteps clopped closer than I liked. I darted through the alley and ducked beside a green dumpster.

  Both men ran past me, rubbing their eyes and flailing their arms to avoid running into things. The powder appeared to blur their vision as advertised. According to Junette, they’d have a hard time thinking straight for a few hours.

  “Very subtle,” Junette said, her voice dripped with sarcasm. “Can you catch Face-Tattoo?”

  Lurch and Pudgy collided and stumbled a bit before they turned the corner.

  I whispered, “No need.” Then I slunk from the alley and raced toward the apartment. “That room he left is close to his hangout spot. Most likely, he lives there. He’ll be back.”

  Jogging across the street and up the stairs, I hustled to the door T-Bone had exited.

  “Can you pick it?” Junette asked.

  I nodded, then twisted the knob. In his haste, T-Bone had failed to lock up. The wooden door creaked as it swung open. I lurched into the dark space. As my eyes adjusted, a moan escaped from the back.

  Charging through the living room, I pushed open a door and entered a bedroom that lacked the expected furniture. Instead, a bound man slumped on a wooden chair in the room’s center. He twitched as his head tilted toward me. I stepped across the plastic-covered floor and over streams of blood, then leaned for a closer look. Even with the deep slashes in his face, I recognized Claude from his ID. Similar wounds peppered his nearly naked body. His once white boxer shorts were stained red.

  I focused my mind on his life force, but felt very little. He lost too much blood and would expire soon. “Why didn’t I study healing instead of absorption?”

  “You’ve healed yourself,” Junette said.

  “Healing others is different.” I tilted his chin to make eye contact. “Claud, Nina hired me to find you. You won’t make it. Instead of moving on, you can join me and help catch this monster.”

  “You’re wasting time,” Junette said. “Do your thing.”

  “Will you help me keep Nina safe?”

  Claude’s irises bobbed, as if nodding.

  “Good enough.” I closed my eyes and cupped my hands over his temples. Instead of seeing the surrounding room, I floated through a thick fog above a large lake. In the distance, a figure stood on a boulder and yelled for help. I soared through the air, not stopping until I swooped down and plucked him from the ground.

  My arms trembled. The sensation of wind blowing between my skin and muscles almost broke my concentration. Ripples rang through my head like bursts of electrical current. His body vibrated until splitting apart into millions of molecules. They swirled around like tiny moons circling a planet, getting closer with each rotation. Finally, they slammed against me, wiggling through my skin like worms into an apple.

  Energy swirled through me. I soared through the sky, heading for my mansion in the fog. Bursting through the door, I didn’t stop to address Junette. She jumped from the couch as I careened through the room and into the hallway.

  A door formed on the wall opposite Junette’s room. I rushed into the dark space and landed in the center. As I concentrated, Claude’s body pulled away from mine, as if I split into two people. His lips moved as he stood in the small room, but no words came out. I held one hand over his mouth and the other over his ear, then concentrated.

  My eyes flipped open. Back in the real world, I almost collapsed onto Claude’s body.

  “What the hell!” Claude’s voice rattled in my head.

  “Don’t know if you were heading there, Sugar, but you detoured to Ludwigville,” Junette said.

  “Who is that? Am I blind?”

  I pushed myself up. “You normally see with your eyes.”

  “They’re gone, Frenchie,” Junette added.

  “Please, Junette.” I sighed. “Give us a moment.”

  Claud screamed. “Et merde!”

  “Learn to see with your mind. Try to imagine yourself in your favorite spot. A place to be alone.”

  “This is insanity.”

  “Nina’s waiting in the car, and a murderer is on the loose.”

  “Nina’s in danger,” Claude said. “Okay, I’m picturing my study. A place where….” He paused. “Sacre Dieu. It’s like I’m there.”

  “Picture a large monitor on your wall.” I closed my eyes and did as Tungee trained me, imagining myself running through a hallway and opening doors, creating a path to Claude’s room. A practiced wizard connected minds instantly without using so much life force. But I went AWOL before finishing my training. Once the connection was completed, I opened my eyes.

  “Wow,” Claude said. “The TV powered up. I see a dark room.” His voice quivered. “Is that me in that chair?”

  I turned away. “Claude, listen-”

  “Oh, no.” His voice rose with each word. “No, no, no.” He paused. “Am I dead?”

  “I remember going through this,” Junette said. “My brain didn’t want to register what happened to me either.”

  After sliding the phone from my back pocket, I scrolled to Yasmin’s name and hit call.

  After two rings, she answered, “Detective Artigas.”

  “Hi Yasmin, this is Ludwig.”

  She exhaled louder than necessary, as if she wanted me to know my very existence irritated her. “Call me Detective or Ms. Artigas.”

  “The attitude on Detective Uppity. She refers Psycho Cinderella to us, then gets all pissy when ya reach out.”

  “I have an issue,” I said.

  “And?”

  “I’m at 213 West Market.” After pausing, I added, “I found a body.”

  “My body?” Claud asked.

  Yasmin said, “Jesus.” Based on the muffled sounds, she must have cupped the phone to talk to someone. “Stay put. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Touch nothing.”

  “I checked for vitals.”

  She sighed, then spoke even louder this time. “Nothing else.”

  I waited outside as two black-and-whites arrived and secured the scene. Yasmin screeched into the parking lot five minutes later. She raised her finger as she strolled by, signaling for me to wait, then disappeared inside for another ten minutes before coming out.

  “Who the hell is that?” she asked.

  “Claude,” I said.

  “Oh god. It is me,” Claude said.

  “Claude who?”

  “Nina’s Claude.”

  The expression on Yasmin’s face screamed confusion. “Nina?”

  “The woman who reported her husband missing.” I raised my eyebrows. “You referred her to me.”

  She scoffed. “I wouldn’t refer a lost dog to you, let alone a person.” She crossed her arms. “I’ll need some time.” She glanced up and scrunched her brow. “Meet me back at the station in two hours.”