Easy Money

by Rik Hunik

  I shook my head. "Working for the government isn't for me. I've told you that before, and for your information, this puny office brings in lots of money."

  "But it's so dangerous."

  "At least I'm not selling love potions from a street cart and sleeping in an alley."

  My mother put up her hands and backed up a few steps. "You're right, I'm sorry, it's your life to live. You're doing good at what you chose to do and I should be proud of you. I am proud of you."

  "Thank you. Here are your earrings." My voice was tense, my movements abrupt.

  "Thank you. I'm sorry. I didn't come here to upset you. I came to tell you that I'm seeing a man you would approve of, a good man."

  "Well good for you." Half an hour ago I would have meant it. "Go ahead and enjoy your man but I'm sure I don't want to meet him."

  "You already have."

  "I really don't want to hear about him right now."

  "Very well." She walked to the door. "Do stop in for lunch soon."

  As soon as my mother was gone Tiona wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close. "I thought she would never go." Our lips met and stayed together for a long kiss.

  I pulled away and said, "I'll get the door."

  As I reached for the bolt Tiona said, "Oh no." I saw her looking out the window so I peeked through the little round window in the door. A plain, sturdy coach had just pulled up and Acastus was stepping out.

  I looked at Tiona, she looked at me, we both sighed and I didn't shoot the bolt, but we kept kissing until we heard Acastus opening the door. "I'll miss you," Tiona said as we parted.

  Acastus said, "I'm sorry I came a little bit early, but I see you've finished saying your good-byes." The twinkle in his eye said he recognized that as a euphemism, but how was he to know my mother had been here the whole time we were supposed to be euphemizing?

  Tiona crossed the room to join Acastus.

  Acastus took my hand in a firm grip and didn't let go until he looked me in the eyes and said, "Thank you for all your help. I think you should go back to R.I.M.."

  I gave his hand a firm shake before taking mine away. "No thanks."

  "I'm sure you would do well enough to get elevated and I would be more than glad to take you on as an apprentice. The police need more talented people like you. The field of forensic magic is expanding rapidly and if you get into it now you can go far."

  Tiona, slightly behind Acastus, where he couldn't see, nodded enthusiastically. It was obvious what she thought I should do but I smiled and shook my head.

  "Good sales pitch, Acastus, Tiona, but I'm not buying. I've already explained my position."

  He sighed and shrugged, then smiled a bit with one side of his mouth. "I had to try. You would be a real asset to the force. I know you're a good person and I think you'll do well with your own business, but you could do so much more as part of a big team."

  "I'm still young. Maybe I'll change my mind someday."

  He laughed, but shook his head. He believed that as much as I did. "That would be good but I won't count on it."

  Tiona came forward. "I wish you would."

  "You know I won't."

  She smiled and nodded. Then she grabbed me and planted a big wet kiss full on my lips. Not the best thing to do in front of her boss but she and I both enjoyed it. I held her waist and resisted the temptation to roam with my hands. When we separated Acastus acted as though nothing untoward had happened.

  "Tiona told me about all those missing women you can't find a trace of, even with your talent, but I thought of something that might help. It's called the Rhadamanthus Death-Check Spell. You'll find it in the library at the local university."

  "Isn't that a Wizard-level spell?"

  "Well, yes, but I'm pretty sure you can handle it. I know it's a bit complicated to set up the first time but if you're careful and follow the directions exactly you'll be alright."

  "Thanks, I'll be sure to check it out."

  "Thank you, Berk, and good luck." He shook my hand once more before leaving without looking back. Tiona hesitated a second, then followed him.

  I stood in my doorway, watched them climb into the coach, saw her smile and wave. I smiled and waved back, but my smile died as she rode out of my life.

  I looked up at a gloomy sky. Had it been that gray this morning, or did it suddenly get darker when Tiona left? I sniffed the air. It smelled like rain coming, after more than a week of clear weather.

  Chapter 34

  The next day only one customer came in, another lamenting mother with limited funds. I went through my routine but her daughter had disappeared as thoroughly as those before her, so when it started raining and didn't let up I felt no inspiration or inclination to work on the older cases, returning to my office instead.

  After office hours my door opened and Silvina walked in, catching me sitting at my desk, finishing the hot meat pie I'd bought for dinner from Delmar up on Rope Avenue. Holding up both hands in mock terror I squeaked, "Please don't hurt me. I swear I paid the rent twice already this week." I brought my hands down and said in a normal voice, "What brings you here? I'm already closed for the day."

  She smiled and I watched her come closer to my desk. "I was collecting some late rent from one of my other tenants but I'm not here on business, I just saw you sitting here all alone when I walked past your window. Your door wasn't locked, so I thought I would come in and invite you down to my store for a drink. What do you say?"

  She cocked a hip and put a hand on it, displaying her attributes at my eye level. She was quite a bit slimmer than Tiona but she had an enticing way of moving that drew a guy's attention.

  Before I had time to think about what I was saying, I said, "I have a bottle of apricot brandy upstairs." Then, to avoid looking like a complete idiot, I had to invite her up. She accepted eagerly.

  While I locked my office door I felt her hungry eyes on me and when I turned around my hungry eyes devoured her. With every meeting the sexual tension between us had increased, then my last meeting with Tiona had been interrupted and cut short, so I was wound up tight now. Without a word I turned and climbed the stairs. She followed close behind.

  I found a couple of clean glasses and poured us each a shot of brandy. Silvina stood close to me and when I gave her the glass she looked me in the eye and tossed the amber liquid down her throat. I grinned and did the same. Then our lips connected in a kiss made sweet and doubly delicious by the brandy, and I don't know which went to my head more.

  She wasn't Tiona but she was a beautiful woman, made all the more desirable because she was lusting for me. At each of our meetings she had grown bolder and now she latched onto me, my arms closing naturally around her back. Her hands rubbed my back while she pressed close, her slim, athletic body under the thin dress alive in my hands, her hips making little circling moves that drove me wild, my arousal obvious to her because she pressed tightly against the growing proof of it.

  She let out a short laugh before she tilted her head back for another kiss, her lips hot against mine. My hands roved from her shoulders down to her butt cheeks, our mouths separated for a few seconds and one of her hands drifted around to the front and rubbed my erection, I slid one hand up from her waist to cup her breast, she pushed at my erection so it stood straight up, I gently pinched her nipple, wondering what I was doing, but it felt good and, despite a few misgivings about this peculiar woman, it felt so good I didn't look for a reason to stop.

  Her hands loosened my clothes and got underneath them, hot on my skin as she explored my muscles. Under my hands her skin was warm and smooth, her flesh tender, enticing. She seemed to know exactly what a guy wanted and liked best. I tried to give her what she wanted.

  After we were both satisfied she got dressed, kissed me on the cheek and left. I went down to Caracalla's for a couple of hours. A couple of guys there greeted me as "Hero" so I gathered that the story of Mangena's rescue was still up on the News Bulletin board.

  Chapter 35


  The next morning I went for a long, wet walk, turning at random through Old City's maze of rainy streets, not caring where I went because what I was looking for wasn't there anyway. After wandering for about an hour my head cleared of all the useless, repetitious thoughts cluttering it and the rain let up.

  I didn't see how it would make much difference in this case, but Acastus thought it might help, and I had nothing else to try, and nothing to lose, so I decided to try out Rhadamanthus's Death-Check Spell.

  I hit the baths and got some dry clothes, then hoofed it to the university where I gained access to the locked shelf of spell books that aren't allowed off the premises, and copied out the spell I needed. Then I set out to get the supplies and ingredients I would need, some of them rather rare and a little bit pricey, but I was committed to it now, so I shelled out the money. I was paying out of my own pocket, but the setup would remain in place and could be used for years to come, so I looked at it as an investment.

  The weight of too many parcels and bags tired me out, and the sun shining through a break in the cloud cover made me sweat, but when I turned the corner and saw Zena standing in front of my office my load felt lighter as I hurried up the hill to meet her.

  Even though I had only dated her a few times I felt guilty about my wild fling with Silvina yesterday, and the old flames I had rekindled with Tiona. Silvina was too strange for my taste so, even though I had lots of fun with her yesterday I didn't plan to do it again. Ever.

  Tiona I would never forget, no matter how much I tried not to think of her.

  Zena's face lit up in a smile as she greeted me and I felt my face smiling back. At least in her case the attraction seemed to be mutual.

  I said, "Have you been waiting long?" She shook her head and took a couple of bags from me so I could get my key. I unlocked my door and pushed it open. "So what did you lose?"

  "My job."

  One look at her unsmiling face assured me she wasn't joking. I ushered her inside and set my purchases on my desk. She did likewise. "Did you quit or were you fired?"

  "Cal called me into his office this morning and grabbed me around the waist. When I tried to push him away he said, ‘Do you want a raise or do you want to be fired?' Then he put his face down to my breasts." She paused and drew in a breath, drawing my eyes to the breasts she was talking about. I quickly looked up to her eyes again but she was on a roll and her eyes were looking right past me. "I elbowed him in the head and pushed him away and said, ‘Don't worry about firing me. I just quit.' Then I grabbed all my stuff and got out of there."

  "In that case I don't have to entice you away from Cal with a week's wages in advance."

  Her mouth dropped open and her head jerked as she looked right at me. "Would you have?"

  I nodded. "Certainly." I smiled and did some calculations in my head. "I still will, if you need it."

  "Oh, please. It would make the transition so much easier."

  I counted out a small wad of talents and handed them to her. Before she took them she grabbed my head with both hands and planted a kiss on my lips. "Thank you." She stepped back before I could react.

  After a couple of seconds I dug the key to the office out of my pocket and handed it to her. "You might as well take care of this."

  "Do you have a copy?"

  "I have a key for the back door." I pulled out a second key to show her.

  "You don't keep them on the same ring?"

  "Why?"

  "Never mind, I'll get a copy made." Her eyes roved around the room. "I'll need some expense money for the office."

  I peeled off a twenty-talent note. "Let me know when you need more."

  "I need more."

  "For?"

  "Furniture."

  "Right." I peeled off a few more banknotes. The wad left in my hand was too thin to call a wad.

  "That's plenty. I'll buy second hand." She sat at my desk and picked up a pen. "Do you have any blank paper?"

  "Uh, no. I've been meaning to get some."

  Her eyes rolled back into her head for a second. "So how do you expect me to keep track of how much money you've paid me and how much you gave me for office expenses? For that matter, how do you even expect me to make a list? And how could either of us take notes if a client walked in?"

  "Well, there's no client here now so if you hurry back..."

  She shot me a glare but didn't have time for a comeback because the street door opened and a woman walked in. I recognized the type, uncertain, desperate, a bit wild-eyed. Poor.

  "You are Berk?" she asked me.

  I nodded. "And your daughter is missing."

  She froze for a second, then nodded rapidly. "How did you know?"

  "Just tell me about your daughter."

  Turned out she disappeared a couple of days ago, on the way home from visiting a friend, and no one had seen her since.

  When she was done I said, "Your case is similar to some others I've taken on and I have to tell you, right at the start, that I haven't found any of them, not even a clue. I just want you to know that before I take your money."

  Her shoulders slumped and she looked down at the banknotes in her hand, then she straightened, looked me in the eye and said, "I understand, but I want you to try anyway."

  "As long as you understand." I took her money, fifteen talents, but now was not the time to bring up the matter of a minimum payment.

  When Zena left to go shopping the day got gloomier, so I went out with the mother to investigate the missing daughter, using up the time she paid me for without getting any impression or finding a clue. The sky darkened along with my mood and when the rain started I called it quits.

  All I had to go on was the assumption, based on flimsy grounds and the faintest of impressions, that the women were all in the same dark, wet place. If it was a cult they were well hidden or had a good disguise, and if they were transient, just coming to Agrippina to harvest a couple dozen young women for their nefarious purposes before moving on, they would be even harder to find.

  # # #

  By mid afternoon of the next day Zena had transformed everything except my desk. The big empty space by the door became a reception area, with a second hand couch, some shelves, a chair, and a small table for her to use as a desk. I was surprised at how much she bought with the amount of money I gave her. She even got a little "Open" sign to hang in the window.

  "You did good, but I think you deserve a real desk."

  "I'll get by for a while. I don't want to divert too much of your cash flow and there are other things you still need."

  I didn't argue. I wasn't broke yet but a bit of cash flow is always comforting.

  When Zena started going through my accounts she said, "You're lucky you hired me. With a record-keeping system like this you would have been audited for sure, come tax time." She bought a whole mess of paper and forms and account books, the like of which I had never seen before, but she assured me they were standard in any business.

  Inspired by her industriousness I made an effort to clean and organize my desk. I came across the brochures I had taken from the university and considered tossing them, but decided to keep them, then changed my mind again. Zena grabbed them from my hand before I let them drop into the wastebasket.

  "What's this?" She scanned them with a quick glance and said, "So you want to be a lawyer."

  I laughed and shook my head. "Not a chance. I'd rather be a cop and I don't want to be a cop." I explained Orfeo's idea of taking one law course to become a law student to gain access to certain public records.

  "That's a great idea. Why didn't you do it?"

  The silence stretched while I tried to come up with a good reason I hadn't enrolled yet. "Ummmm, I guess I just don't want to go back to school."

  It was her turn to laugh and shake her head. "That's a pretty feeble excuse not to do something that could be so useful to you."

  "If you think it's such a great idea, why don't you do it?"

  Her eyes narr
owed and she looked right at me. "alright, I will. The university is only half a mile away. I'll see you in an hour or so."

  After my smart remark I had to let her go.

  On top of all her other work Zena had organized the personal items of all the women I was searching for, putting each one in a separate envelope, labelling it clearly, and storing it on one of the shelves she'd bought. That motivated me to start working on what I soon came to think of as my death-checker, but it was slow going and I didn't have much done before she returned, an hour an a half later, her hair damp from a light rain.

  I bought her dinner and took her home, then, full of mixed emotions, I went to the gym for a heavy workout. Zena, now my employee, had quit her previous job when Cal started putting his moves on her, and now I felt like putting some moves on her myself. I'd felt that way from the first time I saw her, before I even thought of hiring her, but now I didn't want to risk losing her as an employee. So why had I hired her? To have her near me?

  But she had kissed me.

  The next morning Zena announced that the office needed some dusting and washing. I had to admit the place had been getting a little bit dirty, but not so bad that I would have done anything about it on my own for quite a while, even though some of it had been here when I moved in. I wanted the business to make enough that I could afford to have a cleaner come in once a week, but I wasn't organized enough to make that happen yet.

  I told her she didn't have to do it but she insisted, so, rather than help her, I engrossed myself in assembling my death-checker. By noon I was finished but I decided to eat before double checking all my connections.

  Right after lunch a rich woman came in and hired me to find some missing jewelry, which I quickly found in her home. When I got back to the office Zena had another jewelry-finding job lined up, a job I probably would have lost if she hadn't been in the office.

  When I returned from that I spent an hour on my death-checker, making sure I had everything in place and connected right. I sat back and rubbed my eyes.

  Zena said, "Are you going to try it now?"