《Vic Cross, PI》 Chapter One Victoria Cross sat in her shabby leather chair, listening to soft jazz and watching rain pour over the darkened rooftops outside. The sun never completely dispelled the gray smog that hung heavy over the streets of Arch City, but it was easier to ignore the gloom and stench under blue skies. The dreary haze magnified the oppressive buildings lined by dirty alleyways and distorted the harsh neon that flowed through the streets like a lifeblood. Vic hated the rain. A knock on the office door shook her from her melancholy thoughts. Sighing, she spun away from the spattered window. Rainy nights were good, for one thing at least, for her business. There was never a shortage of misdeeds on nights like this. Through the glass, she could see the distorted silhouette of a large man. Unconsciously, she touched the gun strapped to her thigh. The man who walked through the door was massive, his thick neck straining against the collar of his wrinkled button up. He hadn¡¯t bothered to close his cheap sports jacket, leaving his gut and the piece at his waist hanging out. He was a typical middle management thug, common in the streets but somewhat unusual in her office. ¡°Can I help you?¡± She leaned back and pulled a cigarette from the tin on her desk. The big man narrowed his close-set eyes before speaking. ¡°Have a job needs doing. Now,¡± he clenched his beefy fists, but otherwise stood rigid near the door. This was a guy who wasn¡¯t used to asking for things politely, or at all. ¡°What kinda job?¡± Vic gestured to the chair opposite her with a wry grin. She knew he¡¯d never take it, but pleasantries couldn¡¯t hurt. He took a step further into the dim light. ¡°Missing woman.¡± Vic raised an eyebrow at this. ¡°Who do you work for?¡± This type of guy was more likely to cause missing women than look for them. He hesitated, rolling his eyes around the room as if he could find the answer in her dented filing cabinets, ¡°...don¡¯t work for anyone.¡± Of course, she couldn¡¯t be entirely sure he wasn¡¯t there on his own, looking for a cheating girlfriend or maybe someone with a debt; she¡¯d certainly taken stranger cases. But she was a good PI, and even a bad one would be suspicious of this guy. Like her dad used to tell her, ¡®you don¡¯t ignore the gun to your head for the splinter in your toe.¡¯ This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult for me to do the job without all the details,¡± she stood and walked to the side of the desk; leaning on it, she lit her cigarette. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to pass.¡± His hand twitched at his side before he shot a quick look at her weapon. She could see the wheels turning slowly behind his beady eyes. Very slowly. Obviously, independent thought wasn¡¯t a big part of his day job. Did he risk intimidation here? Vic didn¡¯t look like much of a threat, but a bullet was a bullet no matter who pulled the trigger. After a moment, he rolled his beefy shoulders and relaxed. She hoped that would be the end of it, but he reached into his jacket and pulled out a thin manila envelope, throwing it on the desk behind her. ¡°Jobs for Emerson Gunn,¡± was all he said. She removed her hand from her pistol but ignored the package. ¡°Emerson Gunn? The boss of Barstolt Row? Nah, that doesn¡¯t check. What would a big-time gang goon like that need a lowly PI for?¡± ¡°Missing woman,¡± he growled. ¡°Hmph...aren¡¯t you helpful¡­¡± she mumbled. He reached into his jacket once again, and she was on her feet, hand on her gun. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to stop doing that.¡± She was growing impatient with his antics. He gave her a mocking grin, but threw a smaller envelope on top of the first. ¡°Consider that a down payment. There¡¯ll be more if you find her, but Mr. Gunn expects quick results.¡± Despite her better judgment, Vic picked up the smaller package and peeked inside. As expected, it was enough to cover her fee for three jobs. Maybe even enough to make her consider working for Emerson Gunn. She wasn¡¯t exactly rolling in the dough lately. She pulled the larger envelope towards her and flipped open the cover. Inside was a stack of papers topped by a black-and-white photo of a beautiful woman she recognized immediately. ¡°Is this a joke?¡± She looked up. Her office was empty. ¡°Hey! Wait¡­¡± crossing the room, she pulled open the door but found nothing but an empty hall. Damn buffoon moved fast. Slamming the door again, she switched off the neon open sign and closed the blind. One strong arm was enough for the evening. She perched on the edge of her battered desk and took a long drag of her cigarette while she stared down at the woman in the picture. What the hell have I stepped in this time? Chapter Two Vic woke at her desk after a cold night spent reading the file left by Emerson Gunn¡¯s lackey. In the rain-soaked dark, the whole thing gave her bad vibes. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t look any better in weak sunlight. The more she read, the more this case stunk. Usually she dealt with runaways, jilted lovers, or possibly finding where some doped-up kid hocked stolen family heirlooms. Stuff easily solved with a little brains and maybe a shakedown or the right greased palm. This case, though, was going to require a few house calls, and she wasn¡¯t looking forward to any of them. But time wasn¡¯t on her side. Vic didn¡¯t know the boss of the Barstolt Row Gang personally, but she¡¯d heard things and she doubted he would put up with delays. Especially after paying in advance. Still tired and stiff, she splashed water on her face in the cramped office bathroom, grabbed a cold slice of pizza from last night''s dinner, and headed to her first stop, Arch City police HQ. Not a place you¡¯d typically find a PI of questionable repute, but she was an exception. Her father had been a well-respected detective in Arch City for years, and running the halls of HQ had been her favorite pastime as a kid. She¡¯d taught herself to read on Guns and Ammo mags in his office. Detective Cross was a decent man, even if parenting wasn¡¯t his strong suit. He did his best, though. At least until he was offed by some meathead out for revenge when Vic was 17. That was a lifetime ago. But the old chief remembered the little girl with pigtails and a dirty face and took pity on Vic when she started her agency. He was always good for a few crumbs, if she asked nicely. Most of the guys got used to seeing her around, so when Chief Sosey died a few years back, she was sorta grandfathered in. The detectives put up with her as long as she didn¡¯t come around too often or ask for too much. Most of them did anyway. Still, it was never a place she¡¯d felt particularly comfortable. Gray clouds hung low in the morning sky as she made her way up the front steps of the decaying building on Wiamut Avenue that housed the cities ¡®brave protectors¡¯. That¡¯s what the inscription over the dusty glass doors said, anyway. She¡¯d known that was pretentious bullshit, even as a kid. The inside of the building smelled as stale and decrepit as the city it served. ¡°Cross, what the hell do you want?¡± The man behind the front desk didn¡¯t look up from his magazine as she walked in. The phone in front of him was lit up on every line and his dark blue uniform was already covered in breakfast crumbs. ¡°Barry, how the hell do you still have a job?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it this time, Cross? Little Suzie run away with a banger? Or baker¡¯s wife screwing the plumber?¡± His multiple chins wobbled as he laughed. ¡°Whatever, Barry. Need to talk to Logan? He around?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± he finally looked up properly, his bloodshot eyes wide with curiosity, ¡°thought you two called it quits.¡± Vic rolled her eyes. ¡°What are you, a sidewalk super now? Ain¡¯t about that. Have a case.¡± ¡°Damn. That dicks been busting my ass for months. You fuckin¡¯ again would be great for morale.¡± He gave her a nasty grin. ¡°Jesus Barry, is he here or not?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± He waved a pudgy hand dismissively and went back to his magazine. ¡°He¡¯s in his office.¡± Vic found Detective Ward hunched over a stack of papers that nearly obscured his metal desk. She started to knock on the open door but hesitated, watching. She had been hoping to put off this meeting for much longer. They hadn¡¯t exactly left things on good terms the last time they¡¯d spoken. She watched the muscle in his jaw twitch, as it did when he was under extra stress or more tired than usual. It was a strong jaw, what those flowery romance novels called chiseled. That aptly described nearly every feature of Logan Ward, if she was honest. And she¡¯d seen them all in delightful detail. She didn¡¯t have to see his soft dark eyes to know they were tired or that his crooked grin was still as boyish and charming as ever. ¡°Victoria?¡± Lost in thought, she hadn''t noticed him look up from his work. He did look tired. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Uh¡­,¡± damnit she was too old for brooding over a pretty face, ¡°hello Logan,¡± she stepped into his sparse office and gave him a friendly smile. ¡°I need a little help on a case.¡± His eyes returned to his work almost immediately. ¡°I¡¯ve got cases backed up,¡± he gestured to the littered desk. ¡°Now¡¯s really not a good time.¡± Vic had to stop herself from sighing. ¡°It¡¯s kinda a big one or I wouldn¡¯t have come to you, Logan, and time ain¡¯t on my side.¡± She took a seat across from him. His mouth thinned in annoyance, but he put down his papers. ¡°This department isn¡¯t your personal information stash Vic, despite what you¡¯ve been led to believe.¡± Damn, but the man could hold a grudge. He wasn¡¯t going to make this easy, and she didn¡¯t have time to stroke his bruised ego. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Maybe not,¡± she leaned toward him over the desk, ¡°but I imagine you¡¯re as eager to find Nicole Quinn as I am.¡± That got his attention. It was a risk, but she figured there was no way Arch PD wasn¡¯t involved in such a high profile to-do. And Logan was good at his job. Good enough to have his hands in the big stuff. ¡°How the hell do you know about that?¡± He whispered through gritted teeth. ¡°How the hell have you kept it quiet?¡± Logan crossed the room and shut the door. ¡°It was necessary until we could work out the details,¡± he hesitated, ¡°and Mr. Quinn insisted. We didn¡¯t even know she was missing for sure until this morning.¡± He stopped and looked down at her, ¡°so I¡¯ll ask again, Victoria, how the hell do you know about it?¡± ¡°Told you I got it as a case. Missing person.¡± ¡°Who hired you?¡± She laughed and shook her head, ¡°you know very well I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± ¡°The hell you can¡¯t,¡± he brought his fists down on the desk, scattering his papers, ¡°how about I run you in for obstruction? Would that jar your memory?¡± ¡°Come on, Logan, you know how this works,¡± she held up a hand to stall another outburst, ¡°and even if I wanted to tell you, you¡¯d be looking for me next if I did.¡± He lost some of his bluster at that. Logan was more bark than bite, and she knew it. ¡°Fine. But I can¡¯t give you anything,¡± Logan shook his head, ¡°not on a case this big.¡± ¡°Come on, Logan. You know I have ways and means you can¡¯t use¡­.¡± ¡°Like harassment and assault¡­.¡± ¡°...we can help each other out. I¡¯ll give you a heads up on anything good I find.¡± He sat back down and stared at her from behind clasped hands. Finally, he shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t have much to share anyway,'''' he gestured to the papers still strewn about on his desk, ¡°no personal belongings missing, all the money still in her account, her passport still in the safe, credit cards unused since before she was last seen. There¡¯s nothing here to go on.¡± Vic rose from her seat and moved to his side of the desk. Fingering through the papers, it seemed he was right. What he had was an exact copy of what Gunn had given her. The gang leader must have a man inside. ¡°Come on,¡± she threw a stack of photos down in frustration. ¡°Nicole Quinn is the wife of the most powerful politician in Arch City, and you¡¯re telling me all you¡¯ve got are some takeout receipts and paparazzi photos?¡± She sat on the edge of the desk facing Logan and leaned closer to him. Close enough, her leg brushed his. ¡°Who reported her missing?¡± His hand twitched, almost reaching for her; old habits. But instead, he pushed his chair out of reach and got up, turning his back to her. She didn¡¯t find that side of him any less distracting. ¡°You know it¡¯s my job if I tell you that. Never thought you¡¯d resort to dredging up old feelings to get what you want.¡± ¡°I never meant¡­.¡± He waved away her protest and moved to a dented file cabinet on the other side of the room. He brought a small evidence bag back and dumped the contents on the desk beside her. An inscribed leather datebook and a key. Logan picked up the book and handed it to her. ¡°This is the only other thing I¡¯ve got. Found it in her private room at the Quinn estate. Pretty obvious the room had been combed before I ever got there though. I¡¯ve been over it about a hundred times. Nothing useful.¡± As she flipped through the pages, she had to admit it seemed he was right again. The book was filled with regular meetings, hair appointments, and tv appearances, probably all made by assistants and covered by the tabloids. They loved following around the Queen Bee of Arch City. There were very few names, and none of them were helpful. The only one that didn¡¯t belong to a well-known figure in the city was an entry from a month ago just marked ¡®Nadia-Birthday¡¯. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s this,¡± she turned to a mostly empty page, ¡°it¡¯s from two days ago. Just says AZURE on the 8:00 pm line. Isn¡¯t that some shady club down in Dellner Ward? What the hell was she doing going there?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t easy, but I managed to get the tapes from every entrance of that club for the last week. She never came near the place. Must¡¯ve gone missing before that, or it means something else.¡± ¡°How exactly did you manage that? And how do you know the tapes are good?¡± Logan shrugged. ¡°Called in a few favors to a sergeant that works that way. He leaned on the owner a bit.¡± ¡°And the key.¡± She picked up the small bronze key and turned it over in her hands. There was nothing distinctive about it except a small number 72 etched neatly on one side. He just shrugged. ¡°It''s not a house or car key. Doesn¡¯t go to a safe deposit or P.O. either, but beyond that, no idea.¡± Tossing the key down, she shook her head, ¡°is it foul play or is she running you think? And what could be big enough to make someone cross Anthony Quinn? Either wife or stranger that takes balls,¡± she sighed, ¡°looks like I¡¯ve got more legwork to do.¡± Vic nearly reached up to pull him in for a kiss goodbye. Old habits. Instead, she turned and headed for the door. ¡°Thanks, Logan. I do appreciate the help.¡± ¡°Yeah, I want that information you promised. And this time maybe as soon as you get it and not after the case is solved?¡± He sat back down to his paperwork. ¡°And Victoria, watch out for yourself. This whole thing smells wrong.¡± Chapter Three Leaving the station, Vic wandered down Wiamut Avenue, lost in thought. Logan wasn¡¯t wrong. This case was a mess. Nicole Quinn was the wife of billionaire businessman Anthony Quinn, one of the most influential people in Arch City. There wasn¡¯t a successful business, legit or otherwise, that he didn¡¯t have his hands in. And everyone knew he¡¯d only gotten into politics to keep that hand heavy. Nicole was the perfect showpiece for a man like Quinn. Model turned comically ditzy yet devoted wife; she fawned on her husband, attended all the ritziest parties, spent ungodly amounts of money, and set fashion trends. She also banged gang leaders on the side, it seemed. That sure wasn¡¯t public knowledge. Oh, Gunn hadn¡¯t added that little detail to his packet, but Vic¡¯s job was putting two and two together, and this was an easy four. Gunn wanted her found, quick and quiet, and he was desperate if he was turning to a PI to do the job. That meant he wanted her back in his bed. Sure, he could be trying to track her down for more nefarious reasons, but no way he got anywhere in this city if he was stupid enough to try and off Tony Quinn¡¯s wife. Gunn was a pretty big fish, but Quinn was a shark. For him, just hiring Vic was risky regardless of motive. And lover was about the only thing that made a man that desperate. She felt a little guilty keeping that from Logan. It would likely prove vital at some point, but she hadn¡¯t lied when she¡¯d told him ratting out Emerson Gunn would end up with her floating in the river. ¡°Tori! Is that Tori Cross walking down Wiamut and not stopping to see Old Mac? What is this world coming to?¡± ¡°Hey, Mac.¡± Vic smiled at the heavy-jawed old man with a mostly toothless grin. Of course she¡¯d wander this way. Ol¡¯ Mac had been slinging hot dogs and lemonade on the corner of Wiamut and 5th since before she was born, and he was probably the only reason she hadn¡¯t starved every summer as a child. His lined face hadn¡¯t changed a bit since those days, either. Mac tossed a hot dog together with all her favorites before she could ask. He pondered her with slightly clouded eyes as he poured a lemonade. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you that deep in thought in a long time. You must be working on a real head-scratcher,¡± he wiped knobby hands on the long green apron he always wore, ¡°or has Billy O¡¯Leary been pulling on your pigtails again?¡± Vic chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a head-scratcher for sure. I never had a problem with Billy pulling my hair after I broke his nose.¡± ¡°No,¡± he barked a laugh, ¡°then you had a problem with him being in love with you.¡± He looked at her more seriously, ¡°need to talk it out?¡± ¡°Bit tricky on this one.¡± She took a small stool to one side of the stand while he helped another customer. Mac had been getting her to ¡°talk out¡± problems since she was no higher than his knee. Sitting on his little stool, she¡¯d talk about everything from algebra to Suzie Kane¡¯s bitchy attitude. He rarely had much to add, but she usually left with a solution, or at least a clearer head. That didn¡¯t change when she started up the PI business. Although she hadn¡¯t had a case that needed talking out for a long time. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Come on, Tori,¡± Mac had moved to chopping pickles, preparing for the lunch rush, ¡°you¡¯re gonna give yourself wrinkles.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll give it a go.¡± She thought as she finished off the last of her hot dog. ¡°So a rich lady with a richer husband goes missing.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re moving up in the world.¡± She gave him a noncommittal grunt, ¡°but it¡¯s not the rich hubby that hires the PI to find her. It¡¯s the only slightly less powerful and very well-hidden side piece instead. Which stinks of desperation. But that in itself makes no sense for a guy like this.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­.¡± ¡°Hubby¡¯s looking too, though. Through legit channels, of course. But he doesn¡¯t have any more information than the lover. Which seems odd. Or does he not want to offer more? It¡¯s possible his missing person call is just a cover.¡± She paused and shook her head. ¡°Both are trying very hard to keep the disappearance quiet, but probably for different reasons. Did she have dirt on one? Or maybe got caught in a scandal too big to cover up. Maybe she fleeced them both and ran?¡± Vic sighed. ¡°Only useful clue I¡¯ve got is the name of a shady club written in a datebook, otherwise full of the mundane. And she never even made it to the club, so it¡¯s not useful at all.¡± Mac worked quietly while she finished her lemonade, deep in thought. ¡°Was she going to the club and got nabbed on the way? And why was she going to this club at all? It¡¯s not a place a woman like her would go for fun, that¡¯s for sure. Can¡¯t imagine her going there at all unless she had a lot to gain from the visit. But based on what I know of this lady, she¡¯s not likely to scheme up an ingenious double-cross or something. No, this girl¡¯s working with beauty, not brains, I think.¡± There was a long pause while Mac worked, and Vic watched people pass on the street. ¡°Another side lover, maybe? That seems unlikely. She¡¯s risking a lot with just one, like a lot. Between the side guy and the seedy club, she¡¯s bound to be outed no matter how careful she is. Hell, it¡¯d probably be a scandal if she even mentioned going...¡± Vic closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°The club is a clue, at least. Like the old man used to say, ¡®silly to cry for steak when you got beans in the cupboard¡¯. And where there is one clue there may be more. At least that¡¯s a place to start.¡± She gave the old man a peck on the cheek, ¡°thanks, Mac.¡± ¡°Anytime, doll,¡± he smiled at her fondly, ¡°anytime.¡± Vic thought hard on the walk back to her office. She was sure Azure was a clue even if Logan had dismissed it already. Nicole Quinn had it in her datebook for a reason. There had to be more, either at Azure or in Quinn¡¯s apartments. Logan was a damn good detective, but even he could miss something. She needed inside both Azure and the Quinn house. Neither would be easy. Picking up the phone she suddenly felt like the down payment from Gunn now stashed in her safe was way too little for this headache. Chapter Four Scheming your way into the most secure house in Arch City is no easy task. Vic regretted the number of favors she had to call in but finally landed on a plan that was likely to get her where she wanted without getting her arrested or dead. Hopefully. Through the rumor mill; mostly a plumber in Shangshi and his sister-in-law; she¡¯d discovered Nicole Quinn was shopping for an interior designer in the months leading up to her disappearance. This had caused a bit of a stir due to Quinn snubbing the larger firms and looking for an independent ¡®free spirit¡¯ to do the work. And Vic was going to be just that. According to her sources, Nicole hadn¡¯t settled on someone before she disappeared. She was banking on Anthony Quinn¡¯s desire to keep his wife¡¯s MIA status under wraps to get her through the door. With no way to confirm her story, she should be gold for a few ¡®measurements¡¯ of Mrs. Quinns'' private rooms. Hopefully. 4:00 that afternoon she stepped from the yellow cab and into the shadow of the Quinn mansion. The cab was another regrettable expense, but she doubted even a struggling interior designer would be caught dead in her beater. This was normally the type of racket she¡¯d take days to plan, refine, and coordinate, but that wasn¡¯t an option this time. Still, the outfit she¡¯d thrown together looked suitably eccentric yet classy enough to pass. She always kept a few nicer things around for jobs that required undercover work, although she detested wearing skirts where a quick exit might be needed. And having her hair down made her itch. The rest of her ploy would rely on improv more than anything else. The elderly man who answered the door reminded her of a character from a Holmes novel. He even had the proper sneer and held the lapel of his pressed waistcoat just right when he disdainfully droned, ¡°may I help you?¡± Vic flashed her most vapid smile, ¡°I have an appointment today to take measurements.¡± When lying your way through a tricky situation, it¡¯s always best to keep the details slim and the tone light. ¡°We have no appointments today.¡± He began to close the door. ¡°Mrs. Quinn said it was very important I got started today. I¡¯m sure if you ask her¡­,¡± the door was opened again abruptly, ¡°She certainly said today was the day for the measurements. I¡¯m sure of it¡­¡± Vic made a show of pulling a datebook out of her large floral bag and flipping through the pages. ¡°I¡¯m new in town, you know. Well, fairly new. It¡¯s wonderful of Mrs. Quinn to give me this opportunity. I¡¯m terribly excited and I just know today was the day.¡± She discreetly watched the man become more flustered as she nattered on. Finally, he opened the door completely and stepped to one side. ¡°If you would step into the foyer please,¡± he pointed to a low bench along one wall, ¡°please sit while I alert the lady of the house to your arrival.¡± Was he trying to call her bluff or was he unaware that the woman was missing at all? Keeping it from the public was one thing, but keeping it from staff would be much harder. She wondered how far Anthony Quinn was willing to go to keep his wife''s disappearance a secret. She continued to smile stupidly and look around in wonder as she sorted new information. The doorman slipped away down another hall. He returned much quicker than she expected and with the owner of the house himself in tow. Vic was happy she hadn¡¯t tried to slip away in his absence. Anthony Quinn was a surprisingly plain man for all she knew of him. His sandy hair was cut short, and he had too little chin to be called handsome and his expensive suit was drab and unadorned. His gray eyes gave away a little, but she found the smile he turned on her slightly unsettling. The holes in her plan were suddenly very clear. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Ms. ¡­?¡± ¡°Maple. Victoria Maple.¡± She took his offered hand. ¡°I understand you had an appointment today with my wife, but she has sadly slipped out on some unexpected business. I¡¯m sure you understand¡­¡± Well, at least Vic hadn¡¯t raised any alarms yet. She¡¯d been banking on someone in the house, being familiar with Nicole¡¯s designer hunt. ¡°Oh, no problem at all, Mr. Quinn. I assured your wife I wouldn¡¯t need her here for this phase of the process. I simply need to take some brief measurements of her rooms. Nothing that can¡¯t be done without her here. I shouldn¡¯t need to consult directly with Mrs. Quinn for a few weeks at least.¡± Vic held her breath. Either this worked or they¡¯d tell her to reschedule three weeks from never and see her to the door and she¡¯d be behind the eight ball. Hopefully, the promise of in and out and then no contact for weeks would be enough. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Whatever Tony Quinn was thinking, his smile never faltered. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure we can accommodate that,¡± Vic didn¡¯t bother to hide her sigh of relief. It would be unnatural not to be nervous around this man. She also noticed the brief look of surprise from the doorman. Seems he at least was aware of his mistress'' disappearance. ¡°I¡¯m just so glad my wife was able to finally settle on someone for the job. She¡¯s been searching for so long and just informed me recently of her decision.¡± Vic widened her smile in response to his fake compliment. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone show you to my wife¡¯s apartments.¡± He gave a quick nod to the doorman and abruptly left. A slim young woman with far too much nose appeared and quietly led the way up two flights of stairs and down a long carpeted hall. Everything in Quinn¡¯s home was ritzy, from the gold inlaid vases to the shining bronze fixtures. The personal apartment of Nicole Quinn was no exception. Vic was ushered into a room that could easily have graced the pages of a magazine collecting dust at the local doctor''s office. For show, she pulled a notebook and tape measure from her bag and began to pace around the room, making meaningless notes. The woman, who had sharply introduced herself as Anna, watched her with disinterest. A few attempts at small talk were met with noncommittal grunts, so Vic gave her up and focused on anything Logan might have missed in his original search. There were three rooms off the main bedroom; a bathroom, a spacious sitting room, and a walk-in closet. Every room had the same pristine, unlived in air. Oh, there were clothes in the closet, toiletries on the sink, and throws on the sitting room chairs, but they were all arranged too perfectly to be anything but show. Someone wanted these rooms to look lived in and had done far too good a job. On a side table in the sitting room, there were several books neatly stacked. All but one looked like it had never been opened. It was a leather journal. Anna was busy staring curiously into the hall and Vic took the opportunity to slide it out and open it on top of her notebook. She was immediately disappointed, however. Every golden lined cream page was completely blank. Just another prop, it seemed. Unfortunately, whatever had distracted Anna lost her attention again. Vic had to retreat deeper into the room and was considering slipping the journal onto another shelf when something on the front cover caught her eye. A handwritten inscription. For dreams ¨C Nadia Nadia. The same name from Nicole¡¯s datebook. She left the journal hidden in her own notebook and walked to the door. These rooms were going to get her nowhere, might as well take a little risk. Anna was standing by the open door to the hall watching her. ¡°Do you know Nadia?¡± Vic asked lightly. Surprise crossed Anna¡¯s pointed face before she answered sharply. ¡°She doesn¡¯t work here anymore.¡± An employee? That¡¯s certainly not what Vic expected. ¡°It¡¯s just Mrs. Quinn mentioned her once or twice while we were planning.¡± ¡°I bet she did,¡± Anna snorted. She was now giving Vic her undivided attention and clearly knew something interesting about this Nadia. Well, as her father used to say, ¡®quiet was for Captians and corpses¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, Anna,¡± Vic stepped closer and lowered her voice, ¡°I¡¯m new in town, and doing a good job here could really help me a lot. I got the impression Nadia knew a lot about Mrs. Quinn¡¯s taste. If you know how I could reach her, I would be grateful¡­¡± Before she could finish, Anna¡¯s attention was drawn to the hall again and this time Vic was close enough to hear it too. Voices coming up the hall. Anna must have heard someone enter earlier. Anna focused again, but any chance of weaseling information from her had passed. ¡°I told you Nadia don¡¯t work here anymore. You about done? I have other work to do.¡± The voices in the hall were getting closer and although they were too quiet to make out they sounded heated. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Vic looked down at her notebook of fake measurements and realized she still had Nicole Quinn¡¯s journal tucked inside. She hurriedly held it to her chest and smiled at Anna., ¡°I think I have everything I need. Lead the way.¡± But as they turned to leave the room, Anthoney Quinn entered, followed closely by Detective Logan Ward. Chapter Five Logan¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw Vic. She quickly swallowed an impressive string of swears and focused on Mr. Quinn. ¡°I have everything I need here, Mr. Quinn,¡± she said loudly. ¡°Thank you so much,¡± she clutched her notebook protectively and smiled. ¡°Anna was just going to show me out.¡± The haughty man barely acknowledged her words. He waved a hand and nodded dismissively, but Logan blocked her way out. She tried to silently will the dunce to move, but he stubbornly refused to look at her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t allow people in here,¡± Logan was looking at Anthony Quinn suspiciously. Vic threw on a look of vague curiosity and hoped the politician wouldn¡¯t like making the help curious. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind him, Ms. Maple. He¡¯s just here to do some plumbing repairs.¡± Vic had to fight down a laugh. ¡°I will, of course, let my wife know you stopped by and I¡¯m sure she will be in touch very soon.¡± With a stern look at Logan, he escorted Vic and Anna out of the room. Before they got far down the hall, she could hear their heated exchange continue. Outside, Vic took off at a brisk walk as soon as Anna was out of sight. She had planned to take a cab home again once she was done, but she couldn¡¯t risk waiting near the Quinn¡¯s and running into Logan. Hopefully, whatever he was there for would keep him occupied until she had a few blocks between them. Her hopes were quickly dashed when Logan¡¯s black sedan pulled beside her just a few minutes later. He must have left on her heels. He rolled down the window and followed her slowly for half a block. She tried to ignore him but eventually gave it up as pointless. ¡°You know you look a bit of a creep, right?¡± she asked. ¡°Get in the car Victoria.¡± He did not sound inviting. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to do my job here, Logan¡­¡± ¡°Get in the car.¡± ¡°Are you planning on arresting me?¡± ¡°You planning on making me?¡± Vic sighed. He could if he wanted. She doubted he actually would, but there was no point pushing her luck. She dropped into the passenger seat unhappily. ¡°You want to explain what you were doing there?¡± ¡°Taking measurements for new wallpaper,¡± she smirked at him. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the station now. What happens to you when we get there depends entirely on this conversation.¡± ¡°Oh, come on Logan. You know exactly what I was doing there; working a fucking job.¡± ¡°Wanna explain to me why you think nosing in on my case and contaminating my crime scene are a part of your fucking job, then?¡± ¡°Bullshit. That ¡®crime scene¡¯ was contaminated before I ever got there. The whole thing was staged.¡± Logan ignored her. ¡°Not to mention if Tony Quinn had seen through your ridiculous cover, he would have buried you under the floorboards without a second thought.¡± ¡°Hey, my cover was gold. It worked, didn¡¯t it?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Not the point, Victoria,¡± he objected. ¡°Yeah, yeah I know. I wasn¡¯t trying to step on your toes, Logan, but we both know what the answer would¡¯ve been if I¡¯d asked first. If I wanted to ask permission every time I need to do shit, I would have become a cop like my old man wanted.¡± ¡°Victoria¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Nadia?¡± He hesitated, ¡°why?¡± He turned to look at her suspiciously, ¡°what did you find out?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know if I should share that information, detective. Seeing how I got it in an unauthorized search and all.¡± ¡°You think this is funny?¡± ¡°No. You going to arrest me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Alright then. I found this.¡± She pulled Nicole Quinn¡¯s journal from her bag. ¡°You stole that?¡± ¡°Well, I was going to put it back but I was suddenly in a hurry to leave,¡± she flipped the book open and showed him the inscription. ¡°So, who is she?¡± ¡°What makes you think I know?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a better detective than you are a plumber?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to butter me up¡­¡± ¡°Damnit, Logan. Quit being difficult. Just tell me,¡± she sighed and rubbed her head, ¡°please.¡± ¡°Nadia Meriaz was Nicole Quinn¡¯s assistant,¡± he answered, ¡°sort of.¡± ¡°Sort of?¡± ¡°According to the staff, she was more of a personal maid. Helped with shopping, dressing, light cleaning, that sort of thing.¡± He shook his head, ¡°but she was promoted, I guess. Started handling more of Mrs. Quinn¡¯s business along with everything else. But she was fired a couple of weeks before Nicole went missing.¡± ¡°Fired? Why?¡± He shrugged, ¡°no idea. Tony Quinn said his wife did it and didn¡¯t give him any particular reason. No problems up until then, according to him. He said they were fairly friendly. Staff corroborated¡± ¡°And have you tracked her down?¡± He gave her an exasperated look but answered, ¡°no. Seems she moved out of her apartment shortly after getting the pink slip and left no forwarding address. No other ties in the city I can find.¡± ¡°So worker gets the ax without notice, drops off the grid, and employer goes missing shortly after.¡± Logan laughed, ¡°that about sums it up.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but I don¡¯t think she was involved. At least not enough to put any more effort in finding her just yet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I think that yet but you have to admit it is suspicious,¡± she absently flipped through the pages of the blank journal. ¡°Too much doesn¡¯t add up around her. There is no way I¡¯d count her out without some serious concrete to back it up.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t been seen in the city since she was fired,¡± he began, holding up fingers as he went, ¡°she has no family or close friends here, and according to Tony Quinn, she received a nice severance when she left. At Nicole Quinn¡¯s request, by the way. Doesn¡¯t sound like someone about to take on the biggest name in Arch City now does it?¡¯ ¡°Alright, I get your point. It doesn¡¯t. But I still wouldn¡¯t count her out. Something feels off about the whole thing.¡± ¡°Well, I know your hunches well enough to take that seriously. I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t dig a little deeper there if nothing else turns up.¡± He grinned and finally looked at her. ¡°Nice outfit, by the way.¡± ¡°Much appreciated Detective Ward.¡± She suddenly found herself missing him intensely. ¡°Logan¡­¡± His grin faded, ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± he bit. ¡°Right,¡± she sighed, and they spent the rest of the ride in stony silence. Chapter Six The sun was setting by the time Logan dropped her off outside HQ. Vic walked back to her office in the deep shadows of the city and her thoughts. Her next order of business was Azure. The club was located in a part of the city far from her normal haunts, but it just so happened she¡¯d done a quick and quiet job for a slimy small-time politician in Dellner Ward last year involving his mistress and some illegal imports. Although he was rather unhappy to hear from her, he became more cooperative after learning she had no interest in blackmailing him. Aside from the usual racketts of slummy strip joints; prostitution, drugs, and hired thugs. Azure also housed a forger. The selection of ladies at Azure was likely below Nicole Quinn¡¯s standards, and she could score at a lot less dangerous places closer to home. The forger was her only lead, no matter how slim. Lucky for her, she knew just the guy to get her in. Rodney Foureyes was less than welcoming when Vic knocked on the door of his run-down apartment. He stared at her through the crack in the door, his eyes distorted by thick, dirty glasses. ¡°Go away Cross,¡± he whined. ¡°Now Rodney, that¡¯s not very nice.¡± ¡°I told you last time I don¡¯t help PIs no more.¡± Vic smirked and lit a cigarette, ¡°and yet you did and were very useful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you tied me to a chair and threatened to set my place on fire.¡± ¡°It all worked out in the end, didn¡¯t it?¡± She placed a hand on the door. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not looking for one of your clients today. Just need a little dirt on your competition.¡± ¡°Competition?¡± ¡°Come on Rodney. Don¡¯t make me kick in your door. Again.¡± The little man muttered to himself, but finally opened the door to let her in. ¡°No smoking in here. Hurry up. You¡¯re bad for business.¡± Vic snuffed her cigarette before shutting the door behind her. She immediately grimaced at the smell of the cramped flat; chemicals and dirty socks. She never knew if it was coming from Rodney¡¯s equipment or the lanky little man himself. ¡°Whatcha mean about competition, Cross, huh?¡± He moved quickly through the maze of books, cabinets, and reams of paper to the other side of the room and began shoving things hastily into desk drawers. ¡°Not like I know every ape with a copier in the city, ya know.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. But I bet you know the guy working out of Azure? Fellow doesn¡¯t get his own office without being pretty big.¡± ¡°You mean Jackie? Down in Dellner? Pfft. Little punk. He¡¯s nothin'' but a hack.¡± He stopped what he was doing and shuffled across the room to her. ¡°You need some docs, huh? How come you didn¡¯t ask me?¡± Vic thought she saw genuine hurt in Rodney''s eyes, but it could have been the chemicals finally getting to her. ¡°I don¡¯t need work done, Rodney. I need to find out who he may have done work for.¡± She pulled another cigarette out of her case but left it unlit. The forger watched her nervously. Fire was his biggest fear and she knew it. ¡°I¡¯m just asking for a little help gettin in front of this guy. No harm in that right?¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s harm. I ain¡¯t no rat snitch.¡± ¡°But you are a rat snitch Rodney, that¡¯s why I keep coming back here.¡± ¡°I told you last time to stay gone.¡± ¡°And yet here I am. But the quicker you tell me what I want, the quicker you get your wish.¡± She smiled down at him menacingly. ¡°Fine, but you didn¡¯t get it from me. Guy¡¯s name is Jackie Flex. Works outta the basement there at Azure. But that¡¯s it, that¡¯s all I know about any of it.¡± Rodney Four Eyes was a damn good forge but he was a terrible liar. Rather surprising, considering his line of work. ¡°That is not all you know. Tell me how you get to him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know man. Not like I ever went there.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Oh, quit your bellyaching and answer me before I clear off one of these chairs for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fucking hector, Cross,¡± he rubbed his hands nervously on his stained shirt, ¡°fine. Guy you want to see is Marcus, white door on the north side of the building. Tell him you need to buy some lumber. That¡¯ll get you in. I don¡¯t know no more.¡± Vic dropped a small envelope on a stack of books as she walked to the door, ¡°good doing business with you Rodney.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come back here no more, Cross!¡± The longer Vic sat outside the Azure nightclub, the more doubts she had. Why would Nicole Quinn come all the way out here and risk her neck for a forge? Forgers were quiet and discreet by trade. Despite Rodney¡¯s weasel nature, she had never gotten much from him on actual clients and she only got what she did because she wasn¡¯t on the city payroll. No, if Nicole needed a forger, she had the contacts to find someone closer to home and not working out of a trash joint like Azure. Vic imagined Jackie Flex made his money from local thugs, low-level politicians, and the occasional lucky working girl. She rubbed her eyes irritably and got out of her car. Despite her doubts, the situation hadn¡¯t changed. She was low on leads, so even slim ones would have to be played out. Marcus looked just as sleazy as the club he half-heartedly guarded. The little hair he had left on his head was made up for by a heavily oiled mustache. He leered at Vic as she approached the small, white door she¡¯d been watching for over an hour. ¡°Umm, but you¡¯re a sweet thing.¡± She stood up straighter. Vic deeply regretted her pistol was now locked up in her office. It had been the right call, no reason to cause a fuss if it wasn¡¯t needed, but she¡¯d always found iron on your thigh was the best deterrent to catcalling. ¡°I think you got the wrong door honey, stripers go in that way.¡± He waved toward the front of the building without looking away from her chest. ¡°I¡¯m looking to buy some lumber,¡± she tried to sound convincingly intimidated, but the overwhelming desire to punch Marcus in his greasy mustache took away from the effect a little. But Rodney Foureyes knew what he was about and the phrase was all she needed to be ushered into the grimy hallway behind the white door. The short hall led to a single plain door. Behind it was a brightly lit room that looked like some unholy mix of medical laboratory and drug den. A young man stood up from his desk when she walked in. He looked like a younger, greasier version of Rodney. Maybe there was a guild dress code for forgers. ¡°Well baby, you must have found just the right mark. Or the wrong one,¡± he gave a nasal laugh, ¡°well you just come right on in and tell Jackie everything you need.¡± He offered her a chair, ¡°new name? New job? New passport? Anything you need. At the right price, of course,¡± he licked his lips and stared at her. She was beginning to miss Foureyes. ¡°I don¡¯t need papers,¡± she pulled out an envelope and laid it on the table between them, ¡°but I am paying.¡± He looked at her suspiciously but took the money offered. ¡°Whatcha payin¡¯ for, then?¡± ¡°Information.¡± ¡°Oh, no,¡± Jackie took a quick step away from her, ¡°I don¡¯t talk to cops and I ain¡¯t fingering nobody.¡± He glanced at the door nervously, ¡°how¡¯d you get in?¡± ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not a badge and Marcus is still out there leering at anything with tits.¡± Vic had dealt with the underbelly of Arch City most of her life. The trick was to hide your disgust and come at them like alley cats; moving slow and offering handouts. ¡°I don¡¯t want names, already have names. Just need a little confirmation is all. Nothing more than yes or no. Easy scratch, right Flex? And no one¡¯s the wiser.¡± ¡°My clients expect privacy. And they pay well for it. I go squealing and that dries up.¡± ¡°And my clients pay me for information,¡± she pulled another envelope identical to the first from under her coat. He eyed it longingly. ¡°Private Dick then? Not much better than a cop in my books.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. I pay better.¡± She tapped the envelope she was still holding. ¡°Whattaya want then?¡± ¡°Nicole Quinn.¡± ¡°Never been in my office.¡± ¡°Wrong answer, Jackie,¡± Vic smirked at him. ¡°I¡¯m tellin'' the truth.¡± ¡°Maybe you are Jackie. But some PI walks into your sleazy office asking after the most prominent dame in Arch City you¡¯re either going to laugh her out or ask for a hit of whatever she¡¯s smoking. That is unless you know I got some reason to be askin¡¯.¡± She stood up from her chair and took a step toward him, ¡°So, why don¡¯t you be a little more clear, yeah? Before I have to ask, not so nicely. So, you done any work for Nicole Quinn lately?¡± ¡°Not her, no,¡± Vic moved towards him, shoving the envelope of money back under her coat. ¡°But¡­I did some work for another girl who had a plus one that looked an awful lot like her.¡± Vic stopped, ¡°three days ago? Around eight?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know what time for sure,¡± he shrugged, ¡°sounds about right, though.¡± ¡°She give you a name?¡± ¡°Nah, don¡¯t usually. Real looker though. Real mean but paid top dollar. New everything for her and the plus one ¡®friend¡¯. Didn¡¯t get a name on her either before you ask but the headshot she passed me was dead on for that fancy bitch Quinn in a bad wig. Thought maybe I was seeing things, though.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Girl paying said her friend had scored big with a flush mark. Figured if it was that Quinn lady she don¡¯t need to score big with nobody, right?¡± ¡°At least not with her husband¡­,¡± Vic mumbled. She¡¯d heard what she needed and made her way to the door. ¡°Wish I could say it¡¯s been a pleasure, Jackie¡­¡± ¡°Ehem¡­¡± She turned to see Jackie Flex staring at her expectantly. She rolled her eyes but threw the second envelope on the table. No reason to burn bridges she might have to cross another day. Chapter Seven Vic would have bet her next rent check the looker from Jackie Flex¡¯s office was Nadia Meriaz and the mark her ¡®friend¡¯ had fleeced was none other than Emerson Gunn. He¡¯d given her something, and she¡¯d skipped town. But what? And Why? It would have to be something huge to force her to abandon the high life. There was one person who could shine some light on that, but Gunn wasn¡¯t the type of guy who made himself easily found. She could wait until one of his goons showed up for an update, but she might lose the lead by then and still not get any information on his whereabouts. There was another option. Someone who would keep tabs on the big-name criminals in her part of town. But she¡¯d probably have as much luck asking him as waiting for Gunn¡¯s lackeys and bribing them with tea and cakes. Well, ¡®if you have to start kicking, start with the lightest door¡¯, as her dad used to say. She turned her car towards Wiamut Ave once again. Logan Ward was not in his office. In fact, according to the night clerk, he was not in the building at all. Just her luck, the one night he doesn¡¯t work late. Vic got back in her car and headed for the Marble Residential District. The name was a farce. There was not a stone or marble in sight. Maybe there was once, or maybe they picked the name because it sounded fancy. Now it was just narrow streets lined with stunted trees and squat brownstones. The place was filled with people pretending to be better than everyone else while ignoring they all lived in the same putrid city. It took Logan a long time to answer his door. ¡°Christ. What are you doing here?¡± He looked exhausted and maybe a little drunk. ¡°I just need a little information¡­¡± ¡°Wait until morning like everyone else, Victoria.¡± ¡°I would if I could, Logan. Trust me. But I need it tonight.¡± ¡°Of course you do. And god forbid someone make you wait, right?¡± He groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Fine, what do you want? Make it quick.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Vic gave him a small smile, ¡°I need to know where I could find Emerson Gunn at this time of night.¡± Logan stared, and finally deciding she was serious, started to laugh. He turned and walked into the house without a word. Vic followed, waiting for his chuckling to die down. She picked up a half-empty bottle of brandy from a side table and poured herself a glass. ¡°You always did like the good stuff.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long week,¡± he took the glass from her and finished it in one drink, ¡°hell, it¡¯s been a long year.¡± He poured another glass and left it on the table. ¡°Why are you looking for Gunn?¡± ¡°For a case,¡± she hesitated. She couldn¡¯t tell him much whether she wanted to or not. He¡¯d haul Gunn in himself if he thought it would lead to Nicole Quinn. Then she¡¯d be in hot water with Barstolt Row and lose her last lead to solving this case. ¡°One of his goons dumped some work on me a bit ago, and I need more information. Really hoping to put this one to bed by the end of the night, ya know?¡± He shook his head and sneered, ¡°doing work for the gangs now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. You know very well I don¡¯t take banger jobs.¡± ¡°Do I? I thought I knew a lot about you Victoria,¡± he gave a bitter laugh, ¡°you proved me wrong.¡± ¡°You know me better than most.¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± ¡°Logan, don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t?¡± He poured another drink. ¡°I proposed to you and you laughed in my face!¡± ¡°And I told you, I thought you were joking.¡± ¡°I was on one knee, for Christ''s sake.¡± ¡°What the hell about me screams I¡¯m the marrying type, Logan? I was happy with things just the way they were. I can¡¯t help it. You wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°You were happy? Living in a one-room flat over your shitty office, spending your days harassing low lives and barely making rent? I was trying to offer you a better life, Vic. Fix things for us¡­¡± ¡°When did I fucking tell you I wanted my life fixed, Logan?¡± she sat her glass on the table with a little too much force. ¡°I¡¯m not some wayward damsel living in the slums because of misfortune, just waiting to be whisked away from the grit and squalor. I am this, right here. I¡¯m mean and selfish and vulgar. I like my shitty office. I like eating day-old pizza, drinking cheap wine, and harassing lowlifes and I don¡¯t need anyone to fix that. That was our real problem Logan, you thought if you chipped away at enough of me you¡¯d find the girl you wanted underneath. Instead, all you found was more me and that was never enough.¡± Logan stood staring for a moment. Finally he walked to his desk and scribbled something on a piece of paper before walking back to the door. He handed her the paper, ¡°this is the place you want,¡± was all he said before opening the door. She took it without comment. Back in her car, she put Logan out of her head. She had work to do and it needed her full attention. The address he had given her was a hotel not far from where she was. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to find, but getting in might be an issue. But she was not in the mood to drag this Quinn case out any longer. It had been nothing but a headache from the start. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Nearing midnight, she pulled up outside the Double Majesty Hotel and Spa. The desk clerk droned at her unenthusiastically, ¡°welcome to Double Majesty. How many nights will you be staying?¡± ¡°None. I need to speak to a guest.¡± The boy rolled his eyes. ¡°We don''t give out guest names or room numbers for any reason, mam.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a name or a room number, you little shit. Mr. Gunn. Room 408,¡± he looked shocked, ¡°yeah, that Gunn. Call him and tell him Vic Cross is here to see him. Now.¡± She left to sit in the small lobby, depending on the kid''s fear of pissing off Gunn to outweigh any doubts he might have about doing what she asked. She didn¡¯t have to wait long. The elevator slid open five minutes later to admit the same lummox that had presented her with the Nicole Quinn file. He looked less than pleased to see her. ¡°Unless you have information on Mr. Gunn¡¯s¡­situation, he doesn''t need to see you. We¡¯ll be in touch when you have what we need.¡± He headed back toward the elevator. ¡°Hey! If Gunn wants his situation solved, I need to talk to him.¡± ¡°I provided all the information we got already.¡± ¡°No, you provided all the information Arch PDs got. And they haven¡¯t been able to do jack with it,¡± she stood up, ¡°look, he either wants this solved or he doesn¡¯t. But if he does, I need a chat. Five minutes.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he grumbled, ¡°you better figure this shit out fast, though.¡± She wondered why he gave a fig where Nicole Quine was. He blocked the open elevator door. ¡°You packin¡¯?¡± ¡°No.¡± He grinned, ¡°you think I¡¯m just gonna take your word for it?¡± Vic irritatedly opened her long coat and pulled up her pants legs. ¡°We good?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Come on.¡± Emerson Gunn had a reputation in her part of town as being ruthless, cunning, and ambitious. But it was well known he¡¯d inherited his role from his father, who¡¯d run the gang for decades before him. She¡¯d heard whispers here and there. He wasn¡¯t living up to the old man. She found Gunn lounging in an overstuffed armchair, and he was definitely not what she¡¯d expected. No more than middle-aged, well-manicured, but not even close to handsome. His tailored blue suit strained over his bulk, and he held a crystal tumbler in one meaty hand. What the hell was a woman like Nicole Quinn doing with this guy? ¡°Ah, Ms. Cross. So good to see you. Please come in and sit down.¡± Gunn sounded morose. His bloodshot eyes followed her as she took the seat across from him. ¡°I know you have not completed the job I tasked you but I hope you have some information to shine a light on this tragedy.¡± ¡°Tragedy?¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Cross. Tragedy,¡± he sighed dramatically, ¡°do you not think so as well? I really can not see any other explanation. Nicole¡­Mrs. Quinn would never have just left.¡± There was an implied ¡®me¡¯ at the end of his statement. Vic noticed Gunn¡¯s goon, who had removed himself to the shadows in a far corner, was looking at his boss with open disgust. She couldn¡¯t blame him. It was hard to be taken seriously as a ruthless gang leader when you were acting like a sullen teenager. ¡°Have you been watching me, Mr. Gunn?¡± ¡°Of course. Much easier to keep track of your process than the more official investigation. I am doing that as well, but I can¡¯t risk being too interested. For various reasons. And I suspect they are being paid off by Anthony Quinn to cover up his crime.¡± He nodded to her, ¡°it is part of the reason I hired you, your particular connection to the Arch City PD.¡± Vic felt foolish for missing that connection, and the apparent tail she¡¯d had, but Gunn overlooked her discomfort, ¡°now come, you must have something important to share if you came here without an answer for me.¡± ¡°I needed to ask you a few questions. To help with the case.¡± ¡°I do not generally like answering questions, Ms. Cross.¡± Gunn¡¯s bully moved from his corner towards her, but Gunn held up a hand. ¡°But if this will help you with the investigation, I will be happy to.¡± The goon looked irritated not to be throwing her out, but returned to his corner. ¡°Did you give Mrs. Quinn anything recently? A large gift maybe or¡­¡± ¡°Bah, she needed nothing from me except freedom and secrecy. I used all my resources to provide both.¡± That explained the ill will from his man, at least. It would have taken a lot of resources and a heavy hand to keep that secret. Gunn gave another dramatic sigh. ¡°Alas, she was still trapped, despite my efforts.¡± He paused then turned toward the man in the corner, ¡°leave us for a moment, Manuel.¡± The big man hesitated and Gunn raised his voice, ¡°if you¡¯ve done your job properly, what is the problem?¡± Manuel left looking like he¡¯d be perfectly fine if Vic offed his boss while he was out. When he was gone, Gunn sat in silence for some time, brooding. ¡°I wanted to take her away from here. I told her we could leave this wretched city behind,¡¯ he said. ¡°Just the two of us. Her husband must have found out. He¡¯s done something to her in retaliation, Ms. Cross. I am sure of it.¡± ¡°You were going to leave the city?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. For her I would leave this,¡± he waved vaguely around the room. ¡°I would have protected her. Away from here, no one could touch us.¡± Vic thought he was underestimating the reach of a man like Anthony Quinn, but she kept her mouth shut. ¡°She wanted that, more than anything she said,¡± he was whining now, ¡°I even bought the tickets and prepared our bags. But the very day I told her my plan, she was gone.¡± Vic had to restrain herself from groaning. ¡°Did you give her the tickets?¡± ¡°Her¡¯s yes, of course. And the key to the airport locker, where everything we needed for our new life was waiting. We planned to meet later that day, but she never returned. I have been in anguish since, thinking that it was those very things I gave her that may have gotten her hurt. I would have killed him myself if it was within my power.¡± He hung his head in shame. Vic could not believe this man was even a member of a gang, much less the supposed power behind one. ¡°And when had you planned to leave?¡± ¡°What does it matter now? She is gone, isn¡¯t she? He killed her,¡± he wailed dramatically. ¡°I don¡¯t know that for sure, Mr. Gunn, but if I had the specifics, I could confront Mr. Quinn¡­perhaps trip him up with the information.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, of course. Excuse me, I lost my head.¡± He wiped his hand across his eyes. ¡°We¡¯d planned to meet at the Raston Motel a few miles from the airport and stay there until our departure. Our tickets were for tomorrow morning at eight, a Highline flight.¡± ¡°I will need you to lose the tail on me for one day Mr. Gunn,¡± Vic hoped she wasn¡¯t pushing her luck here, ¡°I need to do some digging on Anthony Quinn and I can¡¯t risk him getting wise.¡± Lying to this guy would have given her the shivers before tonight, but she was betting this love-struck idiot would tap dance naked for her if she convinced him it would bury Tony Quinn. Gunn nodded and rose, crossing the room and calling Manuel back in. He turned and offered his hand to Vic. ¡°That will be your new task, then, Ms. Cross. To make sure that monster gets his due. I will not rest until I see it done,¡± he declared. ¡°It is the only thing that is important to me now.¡± Well, Vic thought as she left, there was one good thing about Emerson Gunn¡¯s love-induced idiocy; based on the look Manuel was giving him, he wouldn¡¯t be around to know if she never solved his case. Chapter Eight A heavy mist hung over the streets of Arch City when Vic left the Double Majesty. The damp air and her fatigue weighed her down, but she was too close to the end to lie down now just yet. She pulled up the frayed collar of her coat and headed to her car. Although she thought she could trust Emerson Gunn to drop his tail, she knew better than to trust her gut when it came to crime lords, even particularly stupid ones. It would take a couple of hours to be sure no one was following, but she had the time to spare. Of course, she had no intention of going near Anthony Quinn, but she didn¡¯t want anyone to see her destination until she was sure what she would find there. After lazily criss crossing her way through dark back alleys and hazy city streets for hours, it seemed Gunn was good to his word. The only thing she¡¯d seen regularly were junkies and napping patrolmen. The sun was just beginning to lighten the sky over the city when she parked her car at the already bustling Fred Jager Airfield. Moving through the terminals she found what she was looking for, a long bank of grey lockers. Halfway down the third row, she found locker 72, the key missing and the red ¡®rented¡¯ tag showing. She dug a few coins from her pocket and deposited them in the closest available locker and pulled out the key. It was identical to the one Logan had shown her in his office. It was one small mystery solved, but it didn¡¯t help much in finding Nicole. Vic scanned the large departure board for Highline flights scheduled to leave at eight. There were two. Both were on time and not yet boarding, but the terminals were too far away from each other for her to watch both. She¡¯d have to take a guess and hope for the best. She picked the destination that felt most like the place a love-sick gang leader would woo his mistress with and found an out-of-the-way corner to watch. At half-past seven, the seats began to fill around her and by quarter till she was beginning to question her choices. If she picked the wrong flight, she could be waiting here while her mark was already sipping martinis in first class. Or she could be halfway across the world already, or chained in the basement of Anthony Quinns'' estate, or laying in an alley off Kellerman, the victim of some random crime. Vic sighed. She was so sure she¡¯d been right, but now, in the glare of artificial light and drone of a faceless crowd, she felt a bit ridiculous for her assumptions. The last call for boarding sounded and people began moving more frantically around her. An elderly woman and her rather severe-looking helper rose from a seat near her. The old woman¡¯s shawl covered her head and the shoulders of her shabby dress. A hint of red under her hem caught Vic¡¯s eye, and she laughed. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Quinn.¡± The woman gave a start even as the younger tried to pull her along. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not working for your husband.¡± It was Nicole Quinn¡¯s companion that finally spoke up. ¡°If you are not of the police then you have no right to detain us.¡± She was a small woman with a heavy accent and, upon closer inspection, quite beautiful. Vic could see she had tried hard to cover it, but her tight bun and oversize clothes only worked from a distance. Her striking eyes and high cheekbones were harder to hide up close. ¡°Nadia Meriaz?¡± ¡°That is not my name,¡± she said defensively. ¡°I have documents to prove it.¡± Nicole Quinn laid a hand on Nadia¡¯s arm before she could continue. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she abandoned her stoop and turned to address Vic, ¡°if you are not the police, then who are you, and what do you want? I have no money to give you if you were hoping for a bribe.¡± She spoke forcefully, but there was an edge of panic in her voice. ¡°My name is Vic Cross, PI. I was hired to find you by an¡­interested party,¡± Vic smirked. ¡°I believe it was not my husband. I doubt I¡¯d still be conscious if you were in his employ.¡± ¡°No, not your husband. But someone who knows you as intimately.¡± Nadia tossed her head angrily but Nicole only nodded. ¡°I see. And what do you propose to do now that you have found me for this interested party, Ms. Cross?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to ask you a couple questions if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Vic ignored her shock. ¡°Namely, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Obviously trying to get on a plane,¡± Nadia snapped. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive Nadia. This has been a stressful few days for us. And to be so close to our goal and be delayed is especially upsetting,¡± there was an unspoken question in Nicole Quinn¡¯s statement, but she continued, ¡°but to answer your question properly, I am leaving Arch City and everyone in it forever.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°But why?¡± Vic wasn¡¯t sure why she cared, or even if she did, but she hadn¡¯t decided yet what to do with her quarry so a little more information wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°What are you running from? Embezzlement? Political scandal? Too many high-profile flings?¡± Vic was surprised when Nicole Quinn laughed at her. ¡°Is that really what you think? That my life is so enchanted I could not possibly want to leave unless to avoid disaster?¡± She sighed heavily. ¡°I am sorry to disappoint, but there is no such drama here. The only thing I am running from is my own bad choices.¡± It was Vic¡¯s turn for amusement. ¡°Bad choices? You are the richest dame in all the land. I¡¯d say you¡¯ve done alright.¡± ¡°Maybe you would. And I would have agreed with you not so long ago. I thought power and money were the goals and I would have sacrificed anything to get them, including myself. Do you truly believe me, the empty-headed beauty with no aspirations beyond my next dress or expensive bottle of champagne?¡± She toyed with the fringe of her brown shaw, ¡°I would not blame you if you did. I am that person now, after all. It is the price I pay for being the ¡®riches dame in all the land¡¯, as you say.¡± She shook her head, ¡°it is a high price to pay, too high I think now. But by the time I realized my mistake, it was too late. My husband controlled everything. Not just the money but my public image, my friends, even my looks were dictated to me daily. I was a tool, and he worked hard to make sure I did the job he designed me for.¡± Nadia looked at her sadly. ¡°The harder I pushed back, the tighter his grip became. Can you imagine, Ms. Cross, expected to be someone you are not, someone you don¡¯t even like by those you love the most, to be molded into a facade of a person?¡± ¡°Maybe, yeah,¡± Vic rubbed the back of her neck, ¡°I guess I can.¡± ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t imagine it anymore. I was going to put an end to it however I had to,¡± she touched Naida¡¯s shoulder affectionately, ¡°Nadia saved me. She refused my husband''s bribes and ignored his threats. She was the first person to see under the mask he¡¯d created for me, the only friend I¡¯d had in years, and the only person I¡¯ve ever truly loved.¡± ¡°Then why have her fired?¡± Nadia laughed bitterly, ¡°is that what the bastard told you? Are you not listening? Nikki has no control. She was told I was fired, and it was what she wanted. She had no choice.¡± Nicole nodded. ¡°I believe Anthony got suspicious of our time together. It was then I knew we had to leave, and soon.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s where Emerson Gunn came in?¡± ¡°Yes, and no. Emerson was supposed to be a cover only. A way to keep my husband¡¯s eyes distracted from the real plan and my small communications with Nadia.¡± ¡°Your husband didn¡¯t care you were sleeping with another man?¡± ¡°No, Ms. Cross. I know my husband. In Emerson, I chose a man powerful enough to have some protection, but not attractive enough to bruise Anthony¡¯s ego. My husband cared little. He saw it as a laughable attempt to break his grasp on me and he was well aware it would never work.¡± ¡°But it is Gunn¡¯s ticket that¡¯s getting you out, right?¡± ¡°That was very lucky for us indeed,¡± Nicole answered. ¡°We found ourselves quite stuck. We had intended to leave as soon as we had new documents. I stared at that date in my book for weeks. It was all I had,¡± she shook her head sadly, ¡°but it cost more than we had hoped. Nadia¡¯s severance was only enough to pay for our new identities and I could not handle any of my own money, or even take my own things out of the house without my husband growing suspicious. Then Emerson gave me exactly what I needed, even if it will not end the way he had hoped. I left his room that night and came straight here. The contents of the locker were enough for a second ticket. I went home intending to stay there until our flight left but I could not¡­¡± her eyes glittered with unshed tears, ¡°I could not face another night there surrounded by all the things I had come to hate.¡± As she finished, the final boarding call was repeated. Nicole Quinn pulled her shaw closer around her, never taking her eyes off Vic. ¡°Well Ms. Cross, that is my story and I believe your questions answered. You have solved your mystery and now you have a choice. Let me start over or turn me over to Mr. Gunn or my husband.¡± ¡°Nah, not your husband. He picked the wrong horse for this race. I don¡¯t answer to him.¡± ¡°Then Mr. Gunn. Will you deliver me to him?¡± ¡°I imagine very soon Mr. Gunn is going to be too buried by his work to care about you or me or a stolen plane ticket." Both women looked at her curiously. ¡°I¡¯d hurry if I were you. They won¡¯t hold that gate forever.¡± Nadia¡¯s dark eyes widened in surprise, ¡°you¡­you would let us go then?¡± Vic laughed, ¡°what would I do with you, turn you over to Arch City PD? They already know I¡¯m better than them, so there¡¯s no point in it.¡± Nicole Quinn grasped Vic¡¯s hand in two of hers, all pretense of age lost as she beamed up at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to thank you, Ms. Cross.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. You are off to a foreign land with nothing but the clothes on your back and each other. I can think of about a hundred ways this could go south in under a week.¡± ¡°You may be right, Ms. Cross, but at least the choice is mine to make, wherever it leads.¡± Vic watched them disappear down the ramp hand in hand and wondered how long it would take Logan to swallow his pride and ask her if she ever found Nicole Quinn. She smiled to herself and thought she might even tell him the truth.