“Hello,” said Tallow, pointing his cane towards three vans that were parked at the side of the building. They were plain white Ford Econolines without rear windows,
The detectives walked over to check them out. Unfortunately, none of them showed signs of the damage Tallow’s magic had done. Neither did any of them have the license plate number of the van that had abducted Asher.
Ross peered through the front windows. “I don’t see anything to give us probable cause for a search.”
Tallow placed his hand on the side of each van and sent magical feelers through them. “The steel bodies on these vans limit what I can see, but as far as I can tell they’re just empty.”
“Let’s go inside before we garner too much attention,” Douglas said, looking up at the dark office windows above. “We can come back for these later if we get a warrant.”
The three of them walked back around to the front of the building and opened the door. An old-fashioned bell chimed as they entered.
The interior of the building was much more modern than the exterior. Perhaps there had been a recent remodel. The floors were polished green tile. The walls were a fashionable light brown with white trim and the desk that faced the door was black with a marble top that matched the color of the flooring.
The receptionist looked up in surprise when they came in and Douglas was relieved to see that she didn’t have a toothy grin. She was a brunette in her thirties wearing a white blouse. She put down her smart phone and gave them a polite smile as they approached her desk.
“Welcome to ERL Investments,” she said, pronouncing ERL as if it was the name Earl. “What can I do for you today?”
Douglas pulled out his badge and showed it to her. “I’m Detective Jones with the Atlanta PD. My associates and I are conducting an investigation into some of the businesses your company leases to. We have some questions.”
Her polite smile didn’t fade. “I see. One moment, sirs.”
She picked up the phone at her desk and dialed an extension. “Hello. There are some police detectives here. Evidently they have some questions about some of our leased properties-.” She winced slightly, holding the phone an inch away from her ear, and Douglas could faintly hear a loud voice on the other end of the conversation. “Uh huh. Right. Yes, sir.”
She hung up the phone. “Mr. Hill will see you.” She pointed to the elevator to her right. “Go to the third floor. Someone will be waiting to take you to him.”
“Thank you,” Douglas said and the three men walked to the elevator.
“That’s weird,” said Ross as they stepped inside and the doors began to close. “I was reading up on the business earlier. Mr. Hill is the president of the company.”
“And he agreed to see us that easily?” Douglas said in surprise.
“Oh, this reeks of hubris.” Tallow’s smile had a predatory look to it. “I think we may just be about to meet the wizard behind all this. I love it when an enemy is overconfident. Dark wizards love to gloat when they think they have the upper hand.”
Douglas and Ross looked at each other as the elevator started to rise.
“I don’t like the sound of ‘dark wizard’,” Ross said. “I’ve read my share of fantasy and that’s always a really bad thing.”
“True, but you have me with you,” Tallow said confidently.
Douglas couldn’t help but wonder if Tallow wasn’t the overconfident one. From the look on his face, Douglas had a feeling his uncle was planning on walking in and having a duel. “Look, just let me and Ross take the lead with the questioning. Don’t get involved with your magic unless you have to.”
“Of course,” Tallow said. “But our interviewee may not give me any choice. Before we arrive . . .” The wizard quickly pressed between each of their foreheads and both detectives felt the now familiar click in their minds. “I want you to see what I see.”
“Warn me before you do that!” Ross said, rubbing at his eyes.
The elevator doors opened on the third floor and a man stood waiting. He looked much like the mute swordsman that was currently sitting at the downtown detention center; a tall, thuggish looking man with a crewcut. He was wearing a bulky suit and a dour demeanor.
“This way, detectives,” he said and led the men down a short hallway and took them to a large oak door that was labeled with a silver placard that said, ‘Erl Hill, President’.
Douglas raised an eyebrow and looked at Ross. “ERL isn’t an acronym?”
“Nope,” Ross replied. “It’s his first name. I was surprised too.”
“Hmm,” said Tallow.
The man with the crewcut knocked on the door once, then opened it and gestured inside.
The interior of the company president’s office was far different from the modern ground floor. The walls were made of the same brick as the outside of the building and covered with paintings of nature scenes in golden frames. The floors were lacquered wood that could have been original to the building’s construction. Running through the structure of the place were faint shimmering lines of black and blue. Douglas knew them to be threads of earth and water magic, but he didn’t know what their purpose was.
At the end of the room, in front of the windows, was a massive desk made of dark wood. The desk was intricately carved and arranged on top of it were a multitude of tiny ornaments and figurines, each of them glowing with an inner power to Douglas’ awakened eyes.
Sitting behind the desk was a huge man. He was easily three feet wide at the shoulders. The top of his head was covered sparsely by a black combover and he had chiseled features, a wide handlebar mustache perching under his nose. A lazy curl of smoke rose from a pipe that was clenched in his mouth.
Was this the short bodybuilder Aarin had spoke of? He certainly didn’t look short. If he was, his legs had to be dangling from that chair. A button-up shirt and tie covered his chest and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His heavily muscled arms rested on the desk in front of him. Several glittering rings adorned his fingers, dull glows of magic surrounding them.
Standing behind him and to his left was another tall and thuggish man in a suit. He looked straight ahead, his arms clasped in front of him.
The balding muscleman took a draw from his pipe as they approached. He smiled at them and blew smoke out through the gaps in his teeth. His voice was deep and gruff. “Well, howdy, detectives. I’m Erl Hill, president of this here company. I hear you have a beef with some clients of mine?”
“Just some questions,” said Douglas. “I’m Detective Jones and these are my partners, Detective Ross and . . . Tallow.”
“Ask away then, boys. I’d be happy to help,” he drawled. Douglas could see why Aarin had referred to the man’s accent as ‘bad guy in a western movie’. “We try our dag-gum best to vet our clients. Don’t want nothin’ untoward goin’ on at any of our properties.”
Douglas took out a notepad. “I’d first like to ask you about a company you deal with, S&C Travel.”
“Dealt with, as in past tense,” corrected Erl. “They wasn’t always on time with their payments and left the place in a dag-blamed horrible state of disrepair. Good riddance to ’em, I say.”
“I imagine you are aware that the building they leased from you at 314 Poplar Avenue is currently the site of a police investigation?” Douglas said.
He cocked his head at them. “You three the boys that gave our realtor such a fright the other day? I tell you, he was beside hisself when he called me. Said he was certain you was breakin’ laws the way you snuck yerselves in. Manhandlin’ him and such.”
“I assure you we did everything by the book,” Ross assured him.
“Well that’s good. Our lawyers are lookin’ into it nonetheless,” Erl said with a smile.
Douglas ignored the threatening tone in his voice. “What do you know of the goings on at the property when S&C Travel was leasing it from you?”
Erl leaned back in his chair and took another puff from his pipe. He let the smoke
roll around his tongue before answering. “Call center, weren’t they? Don’t know too much about it. Never been at the place myself.”
Douglas really didn’t like his attitude. He wrote down what the man had said. “Is that so? We have a witness that places you at the travel agency a little over a month ago. Not long after the disappearance of a seventeen-year-old girl. Reportedly you were in the lobby of the place along with a certain receptionist with big teeth?”
“Like I said, I’ve never been there,” said Erl forcefully. “Y’all accusin’ me of somethin’?”
“No accusations at the moment. Just questions,” Ross said.
“Let’s move on to another subject for a moment,” Douglas said. “This refers to your company’s business with Peachtree Warehousing Inc.”
“A fine and reputable client,” Erl said with a nod.
Douglas made another note on his pad. “Do you recall an incident a year ago regarding an employee of theirs? A Mr. Kevin Roberts?”
“The name don’t ring to me specifically. But they had a blasted terrible accident on the docks ’bout that long ago if I remember right,” said Erl. “A man fell, didn’t he? Mangled himself up in a gall-durn trash bin?”
Tallow grunted. He still hadn’t spoken, but Douglas could hear his uncle’s cane tapping irritably on the floor behind him.
“That is the incident I was speaking of,” Douglas replied. “We show that after his ‘accident’ your company began depositing monthly amounts of $2000 in his bank account.”
Erl smiled. “Yes, I believe that was part of an out of court settlement we made with Mr. Roberts’ lawyers seein’ as how we owned the building his accident was in. Weren’t our fault, but we figgered it was better to avoid a trial. ’Sides, I felt awful sorry fer the poor man.”
“You have proof of this arrangement?” Ross asked.
“Not on me, but I’m sure my lawyers can wrastle it up,” said Erl.
This guy was much smoother than Douglas had expected. He was about to ask the reason for Polly being on their payroll and tie the two cases together, when Tallow stepped forward. He pushed his way between the two detectives and leaned over, placing his hands on the desk as he looked Erl in the eyes.
“You want to know what I think happened?” Tallow said. “I think that when you brought your basilisk through the portal it was disoriented. You had it sent to the warehouse and when Mr. Roberts opened the truck to let it out, it went berserk and tore into him before you could stop it!”
Douglas’ eyes went wide. Ross made a choking sound in the back of his throat. Erl’s jaw dropped.
Tallow continued his tirade. “The man survived and you were content to pay him off, but then something happened. Now I don’t know if you knew that Polly was Roberts’ daughter when she started working for you, but I’m guessing she saw something she wasn’t supposed to and freaked out, so you abducted her. When Roberts found out what had happened, he called you and threatened to rat you out if you didn’t return her. So you sent the basilisk back after him to finish what it had started that day on the dock!”
“Who in the garl-friggin’ hell are you?” Erl growled.
Tallow reached into his jacket pocket and slammed something down onto Erl’s desk. It was a triangular piece of stone that looked like it had been carved into the shape of big square teeth. Douglas realized that it was a chunk of the receptionist’s mouth.
“You were carrying that around in your pocket?” said Ross with a grimace.
Tallow raised his left hand and showed it to Erl palm out, giving him a full view of the tattoo on his hand. “I am Master Tallow, Wizard of Mysteries. I demand that you release Polly Roberts and everyone else you’ve abducted, take whatever creatures you brought with you, and go back through the portal you came from!”
Douglas didn’t know what that statement was supposed to mean to Erl, but if he was intimidated he didn’t show it. The look of surprise faded from the man’s eyes, replaced by one of anger.
“I ain’t listenin’ to yer ravin’s! Y’all are no longer welcome. Get out!” he demanded.
Tallow raised back up to his full height. “Imagine my surprise when I found out that a dwarf smuggler had made his way to Atlanta, Georgia. What family are you from? Cragstalker?”
“Me a Cragstalker? Wouldn’t take a free drink from them piss-dribblers! Get out!” Erl demanded and the man standing behind him began to walk around the desk towards the three detectives.
Tallow gestured and Douglas saw golden lines of energy form around the thug, holding him in place. The thug grunted as he struggled against the magic, a snarl twisting his lips.
“I understand now. The clue is in the name you’re using in this world,” said Tallow. “Erl Hill. You’re from the Hillstomper family, aren’t you? Tell me. Who is the wizard that’s pulling your strings?”
Erl snarled and jumped out of his chair to stand on top of his desk, his pipe clenched in his teeth. Aarin had been right. The man was barely as tall as he was wide.
He clenched his fist and a multicolored glow surrounded him. He pulled a short wooden rod from a holster at his belt and pointed it at Tallow. “Nobody pulls a Hillstomper’s strings.”
“An honest to goodness dwarf,” Ross said in awe.
The door to the room burst open and several men came in, each of them with hands on holstered guns.
“You prepared to fight it out right here and now, wizard?” Erl asked.
Tallow’s hand tightened around his cane. “My demands remain unchanged. Release the people you have captured and go back to the world where you belong.”
Erl let out a guffaw. “Or what? Nobody’s gonna believe yer crazy arse. Magic? Here? That’s just in the movies! Now I suggest you officers clear out of here before I lodge a complaint with your superiors and you better not come back without a warrant. I don’t think you got the evidence to get one.”
“Tallow,” said Douglas worriedly.
Tallow gestured and released the thug from his spell. “Very well. We’ll leave for now. But this isn’t over. Tell your boss that I am coming for him.”
They turned to leave and as they walked through the door Erl laughed. “You got no idea who yer dealin’ with.”
Chapter 22: The Farmhouse
Erl’s security escorted them all of the way out of the building. Two of the men stayed outside the front door watching until the detectives got into their car and pulled away.
“Whoo!” said Ross, grinning widely. “You know, in the books I never really got why dwarfs were supposed to be such good fighters. But man! Seeing that dude up close? I was thinking, give him an axe or a battle hammer and that dude could totally fell a giant!”
Douglas couldn’t believe that after everything that had just happened, his partner was fangirling over the bad guy. “Tallow, I’m going to need a bit of an explanation about what just happened.”
“Could you have taken him?” interrupted Ross.
“Most likely,” Tallow replied. “He had a lot of anti-magic trinkets around him and dwarves are naturally resistant to magic anyway, but I have ways around those problems. That wasn’t why I backed off. The thing is, even if I did manage to truss Erl up and protect the two of you while disabling all of the men that were coming through that door-.”
“Hey! The two of us could have held our own,” Ross protested.
Tallow inclined his head. “Okay. Let’s says that’s true and we’re able to take them all down. Then what?”
Douglas didn’t have to think hard for an answer. “We don’t have the evidence to arrest Erl Hill and no matter how odd he looks no one would believe he’s a dwarf from Gaiana. In fact, we’d have rights organizations calling us bigots just for calling him a dwarf. That’s what I was thinking the whole time you were trading threats with the guy.”
“That’s what you were thinking about, Doug?” said Ross in disbelief. “You find yourself face-to-face with a real live mythological dude and you’re worried about political correctne
ss?”
Douglas sighed. “We’re cops. We have to stick with due process or we get nowhere. The bad guys would go free. And we’d probably lose our jobs. That’s what I was worried about.”
“I understand how the law works just as well as you do,” Ross said. “But considering who and what we’re dealing with, hasn’t it crossed your mind that we might have to go around the law to get Asher back?”
Douglas clenched his jaw. “Of course it has! And I’d be happy to lose my job for that. I’d go to jail for that too. But this wasn’t the moment to make that decision.”
“You’re right. It wasn’t,” Tallow agreed, reaching out to grip Douglas’ shoulder. “And I’m sorry that I put you two in the position I did. My point was to put Erl on his toes and let him know that he wasn’t going to be able to hide. Dwarf smugglers get a lot less loyal to their clients when they know that the authorities are on to them.”
“And you’re certain he’s not the boss?” said Douglas.
Tallow shook his head. “There’s no way that a dwarf smuggler could set something like this up on his own.”
“Okay, now this you’ve got to explain,” said Ross eagerly. “I’ve read a lot of fantasy and dwarf smuggler is a new term for me. I thought dwarves were supposed to be the good guys.”
Tallow let go of Douglas’ shoulder and settled back into his seat. “You’re right, Ross. Most dwarves are good people. They’re usually farmers or adventurers or merchants. But just like any group of people, they have their bad eggs. Dwarf smugglers are a lot like the Gaiana equivalent of the mob. They specialize in moving slaves and rare or magical animals as well as magical items. And since dwarves have an innate resistance to magic they’re not scared to deal with dark wizards.”
“There’s that term again,” Douglas said.
“I’ll get to that in a minute,” Tallow replied. “Now there are many different smuggler families and some of them are more vile than others. The biggest family is the Cragstalkers and their chief rivals are the Hillstompers. They say it started because the Hillstomper family picked their name first and the Cragstalkers picked theirs to one-up them.
Tallow Jones: Wizard Detective (The Tallow Novels Book 1) Page 26
