by Gina LaManna
The woman looked us up and down, gave a satisfied little grunt of approval, and stepped back to her tower. “Enjoy your stay in Gilded Row!”
“Enjoy yourself,” I muttered as the guard pressed a button and two huge plates of gold separated on the road before us, allowing us entry. “I don’t think...oh, my word.”
Matthew watched me with a smile. I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn’t seem to restrain my reaction. While this was all new to me, Matthew had obviously been to Gilded Row before. His incredible disinterest in the view before us was almost a sin.
A whole new level of riches and prestige sprawled before us. Gilded Row lived up to its name. Every building had been formed into ornate golden structures, all of them glittering and shimmering so desperately against the sunlight that I was forced to avert my eyes to the ground for a break. Until I realized even the ground was paved with golden brick.
All the brightness gave me a headache; it was like staring directly into an eclipse, or straight at an expanse of dazzling snow. I blinked and glanced over at Matthew.
“Thanks for the warning,” I muttered. “I take it you’ve been here a time or two?”
He shrugged, still smiling. “I preferred for you to go in blind.”
“Yeah, now I am blind,” I said, raising a hand to shield my eyes. “This is nuts. How do we find Leonard when everything looks the same?”
“Nothing looks the same,” Matthew said, his eyes roving over the gold-plated miniature city imprinted against the skyline. “Everything here is unique.”
“Well, one windowsill around here is worth more than my entire apartment,” I said. “So where to?”
Matthew gestured toward a cathedral-like building at the end of the street. On it was a badge across the front that read Luca. The name was surrounded with intense swirling curls and images I couldn’t make out from this distance. A family crest.
“I see now why the chief wants you on this case,” I said dryly. “It would be an expensive one to screw up.”
“To put it lightly,” Matthew said. “Which is why I put my best man on the job. And by man, I mean woman.”
“What’s your theory on the case?”
“I don’t have one,” Matthew said. “I have facts so far, and nothing more. Two elves were found dead this week. Another one is missing. That’s it. I will reiterate, however, that the elves are very secretive. When questioned about the initial disappearances, the elves were not helpful.”
“But now we’re dealing with Linsey Luca,” I said, nodding toward the golden cathedral ahead. “I’m willing to bet the other girls didn’t have the same political pull that she does. And why would the elves hide information? It’s not like they have an incentive... unless it’s an inside job.”
“That’s what we need to find out,” Matthew said. “Let me ask the questions. I’d like you to scan for Residuals and see if you can pick up on anything strange.”
“Strange?”
Matthew didn’t have time to clarify because a short, slender elf with jet black hair and a thin mustache appeared on the front steps of the Luca manor. Though he would only come up to my waist standing next to me, he towered over us at the top of the staircase.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said in a grandiose, trumpeting declaration. “Welcome to the house of Leonard Luca and family.”
“This is a house?” I gaped, forgetting I was supposed to let Matthew ask the questions. “Holy smokes. I thought it was a church.”
“I am Edward, and I am the butler for the Luca family. Let me show you inside, Captain King. I assume your help will be waiting outside?”
“Hey, buddy,” I said. “I’m not—”
“Detective DeMarco will be coming with me,” Matthew said. “At Chief Newton’s request. You have your orders, now let us in.”
Edward’s gaze hadn’t left Matthew’s during the entire conversation, but at last, he spared me a very quick glance. His once-over must have proved disappointing because he gave a disgruntled sort of sniff. “Very well.”
Edward stroked his finger over one of two large, gold-plated doors, and they opened beneath his touch. He marched inside.
I waited a beat, following close behind Matthew. I sensed I was already edging toward the captain’s bad side, and I was intrigued enough that I figured I’d better shape up. I didn’t want to give him any reason to throw me off the case and replace me with Marcus.
“This has been the Luca estate since the 1600’s,” Edward said as we entered through a magnificent hallway. “Generations of Lucas have passed through here.”
“What do they do?” I asked, and Matthew gave me a sharp glance. “You know, for work.”
“Work.” Edward tittered with a sharp laugh at my curious expression. “Funny. You must be the Reserve.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked. “I must be the Reserve?”
“Clearly you didn’t become a detective based on your intelligence and charisma.”
I almost gave him a good shot of charisma right to the face, but Matthew’s glare had deepened to an impatient sort of warning. I kept my mouth shut.
“Wait here, and Leonard will be right with you,” Edward said, leading us into a grandiose office. “Would you like something to drink, Captain King?”
“No, thank you,” Matthew said dryly.
“Don’t worry,” I added. “I’m good, too.”
Edward left the room, and the door closed silently behind him.
“What a tool,” I said. “Man, people are getting on my nerves today.”
“Would it kill you to try and be friendly?”
“You try being a woman in this business!” I said. “First, I have Marcus hitting on me over the sludge machine, then I have Edward over here pretending I don’t exist. I’d like to see your reaction!”
Matthew didn’t have time for a reaction because a second set of side doors opened. In walked a platinum blond male, a tall and slender elf, but not as wiry thin as Edward. He had the palest blue eyes and creamy complexioned skin, and when he looked at me, I had the distinct impression he saw right through my skin.
“Captain King,” the elf said, giving him a nod. He gave me a quick nod as well, though he didn’t make eye contact. “Thank you for joining me today. Please sit.”
When the elf sat behind the expansive mahogany desk, looking relaxed at his place as head of the room, I took him to be Leonard Luca. He looked important, dressed important, and even the sandalwood and jasmine scented room smelled important.
Opulence burst from every corner of the room, every shelf on the wall. I was beginning to understand that nothing was simple in Gilded Row, and I suspected our case would follow suit.
“You Commed the Sixth Precinct this morning.” Matthew dove in quickly, holding eye contact with the peculiar elf. “And reported your daughter missing.”
“Linsey didn’t come home last night,” Leonard Luca confirmed. “She was participating in an etiquette event at her school—”
“Sorry,” I interrupted. “An etiquette event?”
“Yes,” Leonard said, his gaze flicking toward me before returning to Matthew. “Etiquette: manners, such as not interrupting while someone else is speaking.”
“Sorry. I’m just trying to understand what happened. Where was the event held?”
Matthew’s foot slid over to mine and began to press down on the toe of my boot, hard, and then harder, until I winced and glared at him.
“The event was held at Margaret’s Finishing School for Young Elves, where my daughter attends weekly classes,” Leonard said. “It’s an exquisite school for young women to impress upon them the importance of manners, etiquette, and other life skills. Once a month, the class has a sort of gala—a dinner and a ball. The children learn to dance, to properly eat and serve meals, to respectfully court the opposite gender. As I said, it teaches them the ropes of civilized society. The ropes we follow here in Gilded Row.”
I raised my eyebrows, but I figu
red Matthew was about ready to sink his fangs into me, so I merely gave a nod of thanks and remained silent.
“What time did she leave the house?” Matthew asked. “And who was the last person to speak with her?”
“Her mother and I inspected her before she left,” Leonard said. “As is tradition. She was wearing a beautiful white gown, a silver tiara, and jewels with the family crest on them. I suspect someone wanted her things.”
“It’s hard to say for certain what exactly happened, or exactly why she was taken,” Matthew said. “I assure you I will make no assumptions. The first thing we must do is determine she is actually missing.”
“Of course she’s missing. My daughter is hardly a child,” Leonard said. “She wouldn’t have just wandered off. She is seventeen, and she will be available for marriage in six months. She’s lined up to be wed to the prince of our people, Henry Thermont, and she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”
“You sure about that?” I asked. “Being forced to marry when you’re eighteen might be a tough pill to swallow. I wouldn’t have been ready for marriage at eighteen. Hell, I’m almost thirty, and I’m still not sure if it’s for me.”
“That may be fine for you,” Leonard snapped, finally turning to look at me. “But my daughter is different. She is a Luca of Gilded Row, and she has a destiny to fulfill. You...”
He trailed off, as if remembering his shiny little etiquette rules at the last second. I felt a pinch of satisfaction at rattling his perfectly golden cage.
“Traditions aside,” Matthew said, “we are pulling out all the stops to find your daughter. Please walk us through last night.”
“We saw her off to the ball,” Leonard said. “A carriage picked her up at our front steps. She was to meet Henry Thermont and the others at school. We didn’t think much of anything until the ten o’clock hour came and went. She participates once a month, and has ever since her fifteenth birthday, and there have never been issues at a school function. Margaret runs a safe and very prestigious academy.”
“I’ve no doubt,” Matthew said. “What happened when she didn’t come home at the scheduled hour?”
“I received a Comm from her driver, wondering where she was,” Leonard said. “The name of the carriage company is called Castle Caravans, and they are renowned for their work in Gilded Row.”
“Do you have the name of the driver?” Matthew asked.
“I don’t offhand, but the company will. They send a different driver depending on the night. They are all excellent.”
“Did you talk to anyone at her school?” Matthew leaned forward. “Did you confirm she arrived at the gala?”
“Yes, of course. I spoke with Margaret, who confirmed she saw my daughter at the gala. Margaret distinctly remembered complimenting Linsey on her tiara. It had been passed down from her grandmother, and Linsey told her so.”
“Okay, so Linsey arrived at the gala,” Matthew said. “What time did Margaret see her?”
“At the beginning. It’s customary for Margaret to greet the students as they enter,” Leonard said. “That’s when she last spoke to Linsey. There are over six hundred young elves who attend these functions; she can’t keep her eye on them all at once. There were plenty of other chaperones, but not one that has come forward with a memory of seeing Linsey after the grand march. The entrance, that is.”
“Okay, so she shows up,” I said. “Marches into the place. Neither Margaret nor any of the chaperones see her after that. So, it’s possible someone grabbed her right after the entrance march. Or, it’s possible she took off.”
“My daughter—”
“She’s seventeen,” I said. “I’m sure she’s a wonderful girl, but we have to consider the fact that she might have ditched the party to do something else with her friends.”
“Something else? Like what? Everyone she knows is at that event. All her friends and even her cousins. There’s nobody else she might have been with.”
“We’re operating under the suspicion that she was taken without her permission,” Matthew said smoothly. “Detective DeMarco is only suggesting that it’s dangerous for us to assume anything. Our first priority is to get your daughter back safely.”
“You will have to discuss further details with the school,” Leonard said. “I was not there, so I am basing all I’m telling you off hearsay.”
“We’ll go there next,” Matthew said. “I assume you can arrange a visit for us?”
Leonard gave a slow nod.
“Before we leave,” Matthew said, “I have a few more questions. Has your daughter’s behavior changed at all in recent weeks?”
“Changed?”
“Her routines, schedules, attitudes...even her sleep patterns. Has she been chattier? Quiet? Home all the time, or maybe not at all?”
Leonard’s pale face bloomed with the slightest hint of pink on his cheeks. “You’re assuming she left of her own accord, too.”
“No, but I am trying to understand your daughter,” Matthew said. “I need to know what she was thinking, where she was going, who she was talking to. There’s a very good chance your daughter wasn’t snatched at random.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means,” Matthew said, “that she might have been taken by someone she knows.”
“For what purpose?” Leonard asked. “Ransom money? Everyone she knows lives in Gilded Row—nobody needs her money. Her friends are all extremely wealthy—we’ve made sure of it.”
“Ransom is just one route a kidnapper might take,” Matthew said, “but I suspect you know there are plenty of other reasons why someone may have taken your daughter.”
Leonard looked livid. “Like what, Captain? What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that we need to know everything we can about your daughter. That’s all.”
“No,” Leonard said. “We are private. We don’t bother others. I don’t know who would have done this, let alone why.”
“Mr. Luca.” Matthew let out a long sigh. “We have discovered the bodies of two elves just this week. I’m hopeful there’s no correlation, but we have to take everything into consideration, and we believe your daughter’s life may be in jeopardy. If there’s anything at all you can remember about her or her friends and family, please get in contact with us.”
“We’re not missing any of our people from Gilded Row, and we do not associate with the residents of Silver Street,” Leonard said. “So, I don’t see how it’s related. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting I simply can’t reschedule.”
Matthew stood, and it was clear I was supposed to follow suit. He waited for me to walk ahead of him, probably so he could ensure I kept my trap shut for the rest of our stay.
“And, Captain,” Leonard said, his voice a thin ribbon winding a threat through the air, “I suggest you find my daughter. Fast. Or the new mayor will be hearing about this, and so will the chief.”
We let ourselves out of the house, though Edward scurried valiantly behind us in an effort to perform his duties as butler. By the time we climbed down the stairs, Matthew’s speed had picked up to a superhuman rate, and I had to jog to keep up.
“He’s hiding something,” Matthew said. “He knows something, and he’s playing a dangerous game. If he doesn’t come clean, his daughter could die.”
“What about Linsey’s mother?” I asked. “I’m willing to bet if she knows anything, she’ll talk. Why wasn’t she there?”
“She has taken ill,” Matthew said with thinly veiled distaste. “The stress of finding her daughter missing has made it impossible for her to entertain company.”
“Or so Leonard says?” I guessed. “We have to get her to talk. There’s something weird going on here. When you mentioned the bodies of the two elves being found, Leonard Luca tried to hide it, but he knew them. Or knew of Maybelline and Lillie, at least.”
Matthew bit his lip, surveyed the golden cathedral behind us. “All that glitters...”
I stood next to h
im, feeling the frustration radiating from his body. Resting a hand on his arm, I murmured quietly, tugging the sleeve of his suit away from the Luca residence.
“Come on,” I said. “We’ll find Linsey with her father’s help or without it. We have to meet Margaret before it’s too late. Which way to the school?”
Chapter 3
Margaret’s Finishing School for Young Elves was located in the center of a glittering park. A golden road led the way between carefully constructed pools of metallic liquids. A mercury like substance slid smoothly beneath the bridge as we crossed it, and glittering bulbs of silver and platinum bobbed in the grassy greens where flowers should have been.
It was an ethereal sort of place, perfectly manicured and dutifully exquisite. Places to sit were few and far between, and it was clear this beauty was meant for looking only.
Matthew and I made our way to the entrance of the stately building. The roof was held up by ten golden columns over a sleek golden floor. The sun glinted off every surface, and I had to squint my eyes until we stepped indoors.
“Do elves have bionic vision?” I asked. “I can’t see a thing out there.”
“They have incredible sight,” Matthew said, “and they’re drawn to gold. Wealth. Hence Gilded Row and the Golden District.”
“If I could just have one of those columns from out front,” I said, thumbing over my shoulder, “I’d never have to work again.”
Matthew gave a bark of laughter, which drew the eyes of the receptionist toward him. The rest of the lobby was silent as a tomb.
“You tried to give up work and stay away from the precinct,” Matthew said with a low murmur. “How’d that pan out?”
“Ha-ha,” I said, marching straight for the front desk. “Hi, I’m Detective DeMarco, and this is Captain King. Any chance you’re expecting us? We’re here to see Margaret.”
The stern receptionist blinked, her smooth skin crinkling ever-so-slightly in dismay, as if I’d dropped a dead fish on her desk, and she was trying to be polite about it. “Mr. Luca called and arranged for a meeting. Please have a seat, and Ms. Margaret will be with you shortly. Would you like something to drink?”
