The Black Merchant

by Shannon Reber

  “That’s what I thought at first,” I admitted, my eyes fixed on the road. “Now, it’s my new life.”

  Serena blew out a long breath and tipped her head up to look at the roof of my car. “And you’re serious? You’re not pranking me because you think I’m a few sandwiches short of a picnic?”

  “No.”

  “Wow.” She turned in her seat to look at me. “Are vampires real? Are werewolves? Are angels and demons and fairies real? What about mermaids?”

  I laughed. “Serena, I had no idea you were a fantasy junkie,” I said and shot her a speculative look. “Yeah, though. Those things are real. Most of them aren’t like the ones in the books you’ve read. The majority of them are monsters. Very few of them are beautiful.” I let out an involuntary shudder at the memory of the demon from the night before.

  And that was it. Serena peppered me with questions. She asked everything from ridiculous to intelligent queries. It turned out to be the most fun I’d had in two weeks.

  By the time we got to Hope House, Serena looked like the girl she had been. Her eyes were alight as she smiled and that made me feel so much better.

  I held up my hand to stop her as we got out of my car. “Talking about this stuff in front of other people will get you stuck in a padded cell. Let it go for now and you can interrogate me on the way home.”

  “Deal,” she said with a bold smile.

  It was funny as we walked into Hope House, to feel something different about the place. It looked the same, with the same people loitering in the halls and the same workers scurrying around. What was different . . . was me.

  Talking to Serena had brought that home to me. I had changed. In the last day, I had gone from my usual pragmatic, temperamental self, to a confused and angry child. Serena had opened my eyes to that. I would not allow myself to stay that way.

  I smiled as the same girl from the night before handed me a volunteer’s badge. I had entered Serena’s information into their system as well, so her badge was handed over and we went off to the kitchen.

  My stomach fluttered as we walked in to find Ian already there. He looked as exhausted as I felt. As his striking eyes met mine, something inside me shivered. I had been thinking about him all day and there he was.

  He walked over and unexpectedly reached out to offer his little finger to me. It had been mine and Emma’s peace offering when we were little. I wrapped my little finger around his and burrowed in when he used it to pull me in for a hug.

  Serena stepped away, apparently deciding to give us a minute.

  Ian guided me back, his blue eyes dimmed by exhaustion. “I’m sorry, Maddie. I was a—”

  “Don’t,” I cut in and laid my hand on his arm. “I get it. I understand. Don’t worry about it.”

  “I can’t take it, Maddie. I can’t lose you. We have to find a way to stop this.”

  “And we will. I have absolute faith.”

  He leaned in and touched his lips to my brow. “Erkens told me I was a confounded blockhead when I called him earlier to see if you were okay. He called me a few other things that were less polite. I’m sorry I walked away from you. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  I rolled my eyes while my lips quivered. “Erkens has a very special way with words, doesn’t he?” I asked and laid my hand on his chest. “I know you, Ian Gregory. You get stressed out and you blow your top. It’s how you operate. I’ve known that all my life. I’m fine with you. If I had a problem, I would have smacked you or something.”

  He tucked some hair behind my ear and smiled the tiniest bit. “Yeah, Mads. I know you too. If you were mad, you would have flattened me.”

  I balled my hand into a fist and tapped it against his arm in agreement. “So true,” I said and took a step toward the commotion in the kitchen. “Come on. Let’s see what they need us to do.”

  He took my hand and linked his fingers with mine. It was a sweet move, one that spoke of his concern as well as his desire for more. I reveled in the feeling. I was sure that if anyone could help me become the person I was before, it would be Ian.

  Serena gave Ian a small smile as we stood next to her in the food distribution line. It was clear she was still nervous to be around him, probably because he had been Dylan’s friend.

  Looked like those two needed to talk as much as she and I had. I was determined to make that happen. I wanted the people in my life to be okay both with each other and in their lives.

  And for the second evening in a row, the work we did was like a balm for my soul. It was amazing. Serving food, gathering up plates, breaking up squabbles, talking to people, we did it all. All three of us were entirely diverted from the tribulations in our own lives.

  By the time we were done, it was like nothing had happened. The three of us were as open with each other as we had been before.

  Serena leaned against the wall with a happy sigh. “Okay, I admit it. I thought Madison was smoking something when she said we should volunteer here. I thought about shrugging her off. I’m so glad I didn’t.”

  One of the other guys smiled at her, very clearly besotted by her like most guys were.

  Serena sublimely ignored him, her delight in the distraction of being there as clear as it was for me.

  One of the girls rushed into the kitchen, her eyes wide. “Julie’s dead,” she burst out before she began sobbing. “I just heard. She went into labor last night and she hemorrhaged and . . . she’s gone.”

  My body jerked with a mix of shock and sorrow. Julie had been such a sweet woman. I had liked her. Now, she was dead.

  “Did her baby make it?” I asked, my voice a little lifeless.

  The girl glanced at me and shrugged. “I didn’t hear that. What I heard was one of the girls up front talking to Deegan about it.”

  Everybody started talking at once. They asked questions, made statements, and did their best to comfort each other.

  I wanted to join in. My heart wasn’t in it. Another life was gone from this world. How many more people I cared about or even simple acquaintances would die? Why? What was the point?

  I turned to walk away. I had to find Deegan. He would have known Julie longer. He might be in pain. I would not let a friend suffer alone.

  Ian wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we walked and Serena hooked her arm through my other. It was like they had made the same vow. They had become my safety net. I would not fall because they had caught me.

  It didn’t take long to find Deegan. He stood with a small group of people next to the reception desk, all of them seeking comfort for that loss in their lives. Julie had been pretty and so friendly. It was clear her loss would hit them all very hard.

  Deegan’s face was pale as my little group stopped in front of him. He didn’t look at me or acknowledge any of us. It was like another death laid on his overburdened back was too much for him.

  A sobbing girl ran over and wrapped her arms around him. “It’s so horrible. Julie and her husband tried for years then she gets pregnant with this miracle baby and Julie dies? The baby is all alone now. It’s horrible,” she cried into his shoulder.

  Deegan didn’t return the girl’s hug. He slowly turned his eyes to meet mine. “What’s turned me into the heartless automaton you see now, is death. Everybody I care about dies,” he bit out, his body as stiff as a poker.

  I stepped out from under Ian’s arm and faced Deegan eye to eye. “Nothing we say can make it better. I’m here if you want to talk and I’ll hold the heavy bag if you want to fight.”

  He blinked and gave a slow nod before he backed away from the girl who’d been hugging him and turned to leave. I knew better than to go after him.

  Deegan needed time. He had lost everyone he loved. The loss of a woman he worked with must have been excruciating for him.

  I turned to look at Ian and Serena, more grateful than there were words to express that they were with me. If I had found that out alone, it would have been so much worse.

  I would find out everything I
could and go to Julie’s funeral. There had to be something I could do. Maybe something as easy as offering to babysit would work. I had no idea.

  Serena hooked her arm through mine again and tugged me toward the door. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s get you home,” she said and glanced at Ian. “Are you coming?” she asked, taking the first step toward a moderate friendship.

  Ian shot me a questioning look, clearly not sure if he was invited.

  I held out my hand in offering, relieved when he wrapped his hand around mine and gave it a little squeeze. I was not alone. Death was around us though we would fight to keep it at bay.

  TEN

  Erkens and I sat in his office the following day, going through even more books. It felt like reading was all I had done in weeks. I had begun to feel like we’d never find whatever that demon was.

  Out of sheer frustration, I picked up my laptop and again searched my facial recognition software for Hadley. There were security cameras in the city, cell phone cameras, people who posted those pictures on social media sites. In the last week, Esther had dropped out of sight. There were a few shots of Hadley around, though not many and nothing in the last two days.

  I hadn’t been able to find any other transactions from Hadley’s debit card either. With all the ways there were to get out of the city, it wouldn’t be difficult for one or both of those girls to hop a plane, train, or automobile. Neither of them had while using any form of credit. Could they have done it with cash?

  The last charge to Hadley’s debit card was from maybe twenty minutes after she’d left me and Erkens at the diner. She had filled her transit card. Why would she have filled the card if she planned to leave the city? It made no sense.

  The thing was, train stations were full of cameras and so were the light rails. What I needed was to find Hadley specifically in the stored footage and follow her through the cameras. It would take time but I could do it.

  I settled in and began the process, my mind wandering. Hadley had been worried about Esther. She had come to us and had, from the one image I’d found of her on the busses, been heading in the direction of Hope House.

  Why had she stopped? Could she have found Esther herself? Could she have been kidnapped?

  I jerked in surprise when a loud knock sounded on the door. In the two weeks, I had worked for Erkens, Hadley had been the only person to come by. To have someone else show up was weird.

  I closed my laptop and set it on one of the piles of books before rising. I was tired. I was not in the mood to deal with someone else. There was no choice, though.

  My jaw almost hit the floor when I opened the door, to find the Kevin guy from the day before along with another man. The second man was in his forties, with graying, dark hair, and brown eyes that were obscured by glasses. It was weird as I looked at the man to feel certain we had met before. That was the second time it had happened in the last two days.

  Kevin smiled at me like we were old friends. “Madison, it’s good to see you,” he said and reached out like he was going to hug me.

  I took a step away from him, not at all sure what to make of the guy. “May I help you?” I asked, my eyes fixed on the dark haired man.

  “I am Ceslav Novak,” he said, his voice thickly accented in a way that made me have to think about what he’d said before it registered.

  Novak was what got me. This was Hadley and Infinity’s dad. I’d had no idea he was foreign. I couldn’t pinpoint the accent. I thought maybe it was Russian, though that didn’t seem quite right.

  I held out my hand to him. “Mr. Novak, I’m Madison Meyer,” I said politely, unsure which of his daughters the man would be more like.

  He gave my hand a firm shake and tipped his head to the side. “You are looking for Hadley?”

  I nudged my chin to beckon them in, taking a step back to allow them past me. I had no idea how we were all going to fit in that cramped office. Protected from demons or not, the place was a hazard.

  Erkens rose and walked around his desk, motioning them out into the hallway. “Madison and I were heading down to the diner for some coffee. Why don’t you join us and we can talk there. I’m afraid my organizational skills leave a lot to be desired,” he said in a jovial tone.

  Mr. Novak gave a brusque nod and stepped back as though to wait for us.

  Kevin gave a wide, toothy smile and held out his hand to Erkens. “Since your little helper isn’t polite enough to speak to me, I’ll make the introductions. I’m Kevin Marchand, a friend of the Novak’s.”

  I ignored the guy and moved to pick up my laptop, placing it in my bag. I had no interest in talking to such a dumb man. I couldn’t have cared less that he didn’t like me either if I’d tried.

  Erkens didn’t take his hand. He folded his arms and narrowed his eyes, his jaw set. “My name is TC Erkens and Madison is not my little helper. She’s an associate whose intelligence rivals our greatest minds of today or any other generation,” he bit out, each word hard and clipped.

  Kevin stared at Erkens for a moment before he raised his hands in surrender. “I didn't mean anything. I was surprised by the lack of politeness. I’m sure Madison is a valued associate,” and he gave another of those toothy smiles.

  Erkens harrumphed and stepped away to allow me to pass in front of him so he could lock the office behind us.

  I didn’t like to be touched by strangers. The fact Kevin still blocked most of the door made me not want to pass him.

  No. No way would I allow some idiot man to turn me into a timid child. I would nut up. That was all there was to it.

  I moved past the guy, nervous to feel his eyes on me. I didn’t know why he bothered me so much. He was nothing more than an ordinary a guy and my instincts about people were definitely not on the mark. I had been fooled by too many people. I WOULD give that guy the benefit of the doubt.

  Mr. Novak walked next to me, his head still tipped in that quizzical way. “You are the Madison who my Infinity struggled to beat in classes?” he asked, his tone not accusing in the least.

  I glanced over at him and smiled. “Yes, Mr. Novak. I was in the same AP classes Infinity was.” And she had made it her mission to not only beat me but annihilate me. She’d never succeeded. That hadn’t made the girl happy.

  Mr. Novak surprised me as he smiled. “I would not have expected to find a girl with your talents working as an investigator.”

  I glanced at him as he opened the outer door for me, my heart heavy. “Emma’s death changed everything. I always thought I’d be the next pioneer in computer science, maybe be the one to make androids available to everyone. After she died it didn’t seem important anymore. This job does feel important, far more than anything else has in a long time.”

  He stepped out to walk with me, making a small motion with his hand like he tried to shake loose a thought. “And your parents are both teachers?” he asked.

  I inclined my head in acknowledgment. “Yes, Mr. Novak. My mom is a professor of Biomechanical Engineering at Temple and my dad is a Computer Science professor at Carnegie Melon.”

  “Interesting,” he said, stopping next to an Explorer. “Madison, may I ask why it is that you care about the fact my daughter is . . . missing?” he asked, his voice quiet.

  “I care because I’ve been in her shoes. I don’t know Hadley yet the one time we did really meet, she impressed me with her loyalty and determination to find her friend. To find out that she hasn’t been seen since and—” I broke off, giving the man a hard look.

  He was there. He cared about his daughter. It made me feel certain he could be trusted.

  I decided it was best to tell him the real reason. “Mostly, I want to find those girls because it doesn’t seem like anybody cares. I will stand up for them if no one else will.”

  Tears filled Mr. Novak’s eyes. “I thank you, Madison. I would like to hire you to find my daughter. According to the police, the fact she is so close to adulthood and that she has not even been gone for forty-eight hours yet means
that I must wait. Please, help me find her.”

  “I will do everything I can, Mr. Novak.”

  By the time we got to the diner, Mr. Novak had pulled himself together and had become a fantastic ally in finding Hadley. He knew far more details about both her medications and her habits. That was my way to find her.

  He gave me her phone number and passwords that he read off a little sheet of paper, peering over my shoulder as I began doing my thing. He looked fascinated by my work, more fascinated by the algorithm that hid me from view.

  “And this can help you to find my Hadley?” he asked as he watched the flow of faces as my program searched for Hadley’s face.

  “It might. It would help more if I had access to her phone records. It’s possible that’s why she got off the bus and filled her transit card at the light rail station.”

  Kevin leaned back in his seat and gave me a disapproving stare. “Invading the privacy of others is how you plan to find Hadley?”

  I didn’t look at the guy, too annoyed to bother. “To find a girl who has been missing for around forty hours makes me willing to do pretty much anything. All I’m doing now is searching through public records. People post pictures on social media, security cameras watch and record people’s movements. All I’m doing is searching through those images.” For now. Later I’ll hack into every camera in the city to find her.

  “And if I asked the police if what you’re doing is legal?”

  I pulled out my phone and slid it toward him. “Go for it.” How stupid can one man be?

  He didn’t pick up my phone, his demeanor suddenly changing. He went from cold and accusing to bold and friendly in half a heartbeat as a pretty waitress walked over to refill our coffee cups. “Hello there, hot stuff. How are you?” he asked with a wide, toothy smile.

  She shot him a flirty grin and reached around him to refill Mr. Novak’s mug. “Can I bring you anything?” she asked, fluttering her lashes prettily as she moved to fill the mug in front of him.