Of Murders and Mages Read online

  I bumped the door shut with my hip and went inside, closing the door to the garage. “Patagonia. Your food’s here.”

  I kicked off my shoes and set out the cat bed. “Patagonia? Where did you go?” I blew out a breath. “Pat!” I heard a meow from overhead. Looking up, I spotted Patagonia walking across an exposed roof support beam. “Get down from there.”

  She effortlessly leaped from the beam to the top of a bookcase then soared through the air to land silently on the couch next to me.

  I gasped. “Don’t do that.”

  She looked at me and blinked slowly before jumping off the cough to sniff at her food bowl. She reached out to take a bite then batted at the bowl. It went sliding across the floor, slammed into the refrigerator, and sprayed little crunchy kitty kibble everywhere.

  I sighed and started to get up to sweep up the mess before my robotic vacuum that used to be my only companion got clogged on the mess, but something caught my eye. The small chest that my father had left me was sitting on the coffee table, and it really looked as if there was a light coming from inside.

  Everything my father had was left to me in his will, not that any of it was worth losing him. But the simple wooden chest was the only thing mentioned in the will as something he specifically wanted me to have. It was actually a stipulation of the will that I always keep it even if I sold everything else. When the lawyer gave it to me, I knew I would never have gotten rid of it even if the will were different. The inside smelled of my father’s cologne, a woody scent that brought back memories of all the time we had spent together. The interior was packed full of photographs of the two of us from our vacations all over the world. I could barely stand to look at them because my grief tore a hole in my chest. Maybe one day.

  I picked up the pile of photos and set them on the table carefully. The top picture was of me in Italy, pretending to hold up the leaning tower of Pisa. I wiped away a tear. Lifting the chest into my lap, I examined the bottom of the chest. Where the bottom met the sides, there was a thin line of light radiating up on all four sides.

  In the center of the bottom was a round divot the size of a quarter. The light slowly turned purple. I wiped my brow and realized I was hot. A trickle of sweat rolled down my chest, and as I wiped it away, I brushed against the stone egg, which was toasty to the touch. When I pulled it out, the stone glowed with a hazy purple light.

  I looked back at the box with the round divot in the middle. Patagonia came over to sit next to me. I reached over and scratched behind her ears. “I’m no genius, but I think my next step is obvious.”

  I took the egg and set it in the box, spinning it until it settled into the divot perfectly. The egg and light glowed then went out with an audible click. I lifted the egg and tucked it back into my cleavage then tipped the chest so the false bottom shifted and fell into my hand.

  Inside were a short handwritten note in my father’s distinctive script and a necklace with a large peach translucent stone the size of a quarter. The stone was surrounded by diamonds, and the necklace was quite heavy as I picked it up.

  I read the note out loud.

  “Dear Ella,

  Never forget how much I love you. I never want you to have to follow in my footsteps, but if you do and I can’t be there to guide you, then I know that Bear and Badger will train you well. They are my closest friends, and you can trust them. At this point in your studies, you will need this necklace. Wear it and know I am near.

  Love, Dad.”

  I stared at the note and reread it then flipped it over, but nothing was on the back. “That makes no sense.”

  I didn’t know anyone named Bear or Badger, and I had never heard Dad speak of them. There was so much that I didn’t know about his life. I regretted deeply that I hadn’t asked more questions about his life. I didn’t even have the excuse that I was young, as he passed when I was in my midtwenties, old enough to know better, but after college I was always so busy at my job.

  What did he mean about following in his footsteps? I had planned to research the casino after my weird day, but none of that mattered now. I put on the necklace and carefully put everything back in the chest. I needed to know who my dad was and what he did. I stood up and headed for my bathroom. I would shower, then I would see what I could find on the internet and in my father’s papers.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  When I woke up on the couch the next morning, there was a heavy weight on my chest and an unfamiliar chiming filling the air. I struggled to push Patagonia off my chest, but she dug her claws through the fabric of my thick robe and yowled her displeasure.

  “Off!” I used a firm voice that the internet assured me would tell an animal that I was the boss.

  She glared at me while the chiming continued then slowly rose and turned her backside to my face before jumping to the coffee table. She meowed once, kicked my notebook onto the floor, knocked over a cup filled with colored pens, then glared at me. After sighing in disgust, she winked, jumped to the floor, and slowly padded off.

  I rubbed my eyes. I had fallen asleep at the crack of dawn after spending all night trying to figure out what my father’s note had meant and who Bear and Badger were. I had discovered nothing.

  The chimes started again, sounding like church bells, then my cell phone started ringing as well. The name of the security firm on the second floor was on the screen.

  “Hello?” I croaked into the phone.

  “Sorry to bother you, Ella. This is Lou Freeman of Freeman Security. I saw a car drive up to your place and wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “Oh, the doorbell,” I muttered into the phone. That explained the chimes. No one had ever visited other than the tenants from downstairs who called before they headed up and I met in the garage to let them in. I hadn’t heard the doorbell before.

  “I ran the plate, and it belongs to Vin Russo. If you would like, I can come up with some of my men.”

  Vin was here? “No, I think it’s fine. I took a job at the Golden Pyramid casino yesterday, and I guess I overslept.” I wandered over to the coffee maker and pressed Start.

  “And they sent over Vin to wake you up?” The doubt was heavy in his voice, and I couldn’t blame him. It didn’t make sense to me either.

  “It’s okay. Thank you so much for calling and checking on me, but I’m fine.”

  The line was quiet for several beats before he replied. “Keep your emergency signal in hand, and I would like to come over soon to talk to you.”

  “I have it in my hand right now. I’ll be in touch soon.” I clicked off the line. He was a good tenant, and part of his rent was paid in the most up-to-date security measures on the planet. I grabbed my keys with the emergency button on them.

  The chimes went off again, and I slowly padded to the front door. I couldn’t imagine how much of a train wreck I looked like, but I took the time to grab my butt-length red hair and twist it into a bun before unlocking the door—a process of turning over the heavy bolts and pressing a shoulder to the door to relieve some pressure before it creaked open.

  Vin stood at the threshold, radiating intense anger. His face was red and his hands in fists. “I’ve been standing out here for ten minutes.”

  I stared at him then gave a leisurely yawn. “And you can stay there the rest of the day if you act like that. What are you doing here?”

  I turned around and strode back toward the kitchen to get coffee, partially to cover my morning breath but mostly to wake me up for this conversation.

  “You said you would be in this morning at nine a.m. Olivia sent me over when you didn’t show up or answer your phone.”

  I hoped he didn’t see my flinch at his reply. His anger was evident, but despite Lou’s concern, I didn’t feel unsafe. In fact, I was feeling sassy and bold. “You can come in for a cup of coffee and explain why they would send you over for a mere accountant.” I aimed for bored and casual and hoped he didn’t detect the hesitation in my voice.

  “I’ll take some
coffee.” He shut the door and followed me into the kitchen. “Nice place. Does it normally look like it’s been hit by a tornado?”

  I looked around at the destruction from my late-night search. Books and journals had been pulled down from all the bookshelves. The file cabinet was still open, and there was a stack of folders on the desk. The cat food was still dotting the floor along with the pens and notebook that Patagonia batted around this morning. “I was looking for something.”

  Patagonia jumped on the counter, and before I could yell at her, she shoved one of the coffee mugs off the edge. It shattered into a thousand pieces, then she ran and disappeared.

  I gasped and grabbed a broom to sweep up.

  “Sure.” He followed me to the counter where the coffee maker was. “This is a nice place, but what did your dad have against walls?”

  I chuckled and got down a new mug. “It’s a loft. It’s not supposed to have walls. It is all one great room. Except the bathrooms. Obviously.”

  “What about the bedroom?” He had his back to me as he spun slowly to take it all in.

  A chill passed through me at his mention of the bedroom, and surprisingly, it wasn’t altogether unpleasant. “It’s tucked into a back corner, and there are barn doors that you can roll shut to keep the temperature more comfortable. It’s kind of its own room, I suppose.” I busied myself getting out the sugar cubes from the cabinet and heavy whipping cream from the refrigerator. No mere half-and-half for me.

  Vin came over and reached around me to grab a mug. The heat radiating off him made me painfully aware that I was in my pajamas under my robe.

  I stretched my neck and spotted my cat on top of the cabinets, eyeing Vin. Before I could say anything, she leapt smoothly across the dozen feet to land on his shoulder then bound to the floor.

  Vin didn’t even flinch. “I see Patagonia is settling in.”

  That raised a whole mess of questions that I had been pondering all night between searching for clues from my father. “Why did Olivia give me Patagonia? And what was the deal yesterday with the whole ‘witnessed by one’ business?” I took a sip of the piping-hot coffee, it fueling my curiosity. “And the sheet with the numbers? And no one really explained the thing about thinking my dad only had a son.”

  “If you had come in today, you could’ve asked Olivia all that yourself.” He gave me a smug smile.

  I shook my head. “I kinda have some other things to figure out first.”

  “You’re coming. Now.” His voice carried a weight that made me want to give in.

  I took a step toward the bathroom before Patagonia twined between my feet and sent me tumbling to the floor. My mug hit the floor and shattered. Coffee sprayed out around me and soaked into the robe. The couch was between us, so while Vin had seen me fall, he couldn’t see the hot tears that started to spill. That mug had been one of my father’s. I wiped them off my face and stood up. Hot rage drove out any embarrassment. I jabbed a finger in his direction. “You don’t tell me what to do. No one does.”

  “You work for the casino.”

  “Then I quit. The casino hired me to be an accountant. I don’t want to get mixed up in your weird family voodoo stuff.” I whipped off my coffee-covered robe and examined the red silk pants and chemise I had underneath.

  Vin’s eyes darted down then quickly back to my face. “Let me start over. Olivia would like you to come. She said that she has a lot of answers for you.”

  That was something that interested me. “Answers?”

  “Yes. Why don’t you change and I’ll drive you over. They’re waiting for you. They’ve been calling for hours.”

  “Before I go to sleep, I set my phone to only allow calls through from certain numbers. I have insomnia.” I looked down at the coffee and mug shards.

  “Get ready, and I’ll even clean up your mess. Where’s a mop?”

  I could get my answers then come home. “Deal. The farthest right cabinet in the kitchen.” Then I went to my bedroom to get ready.

  A quick wash of my face, running a brush through my hair then pinning it up, and a clean change of clothing were pretty much all I needed. After brushing my teeth, I dropped my sopping-wet robe and pajamas into the washer, where they clanged against the metal drum.

  Fishing around in there, I pulled out the moonstone egg that had been in the robe pocket. I attempted to jam it into my jeans pocket, but when it stuck out awkwardly and dug into my hipbone, I wedged it into my cleavage again and buttoned up my shirt to hide it. Then I adjusted the necklace I had found last night.

  I found Vin and Patagonia sitting on the couch, enjoying a cup of coffee together. The loft was much cleaner. Not only had he cleaned up the coffee and mug, but he must have swept up the cat food, picked up the pens and notebook, then arranged the rest of the files and books in neat piles. A prickly feeling of unease made me wonder if he didn’t also take a quick glance through them as he helpfully cleaned up.

  “Thank you for cleaning. If you ever need some extra cash, I could hire you as a cleaner.” I grabbed my purse off the counter.

  “You can’t afford me. Make sure to grab Patagonia and your channeling key.”

  I turned to face him. “I’m not bringing Patagonia, and what’s a channeling key?”

  “Fine, don’t bring Patagonia. And I mean that moonstone egg. You have been carrying it with you, haven’t you?” He sneered a bit and sounded just like a disapproving teacher.

  I smirked and pushed out my chest. I stared him right in the eyes and hooked my index finger into the top of my shirt, pulling the fabric down until I revealed my bra-enhanced cleavage and the egg nestled in between my breasts. I wanted it to look sexy and intimidating. “Good enough?”

  Vin and the cat burst out laughing. “You look like you’re trying to hatch an egg, but I guess that’ll work.”

  My cheeks heated, and I knew I didn’t want to be trapped at the casino without a car. “Let me just grab one last thing, and I’ll be ready to go.”

  I raced into the garage and started my car. As I backed out of the garage, Vin came storming out after me before running to his car and following me down the driveway. At the bottom of the driveway, Mike Clinton, the owner of Clinton Automotive, stepped out and flagged me down.

  I rolled down my passenger window and leaned over. “Hi, Mike.”

  “Hi, Ella. Say, I think it’s time for you to bring your car over for an oil change.”

  “Thanks, Mike, but not today.” I checked my rearview mirror and saw his employees were pushing a car across the driveway, blocking Vin from following me.

  Vin laid on the horn.

  Mike casually looked at Vin then back at me. “Your friend is awfully impatient.”

  “He’s no friend, just a work acquaintance. You can take your time with that car. He’ll be fine waiting a bit.”

  Mike gave a little chuckle. “Understood. I’m serious about your car. You need to bring it over within a week. Putting off car maintenance is dangerous.”

  “Deal.” I checked the rearview mirror. Vin was getting out of his car. “And thanks for dealing with him. I just need a head start.” I rolled up the window and couldn’t resist peeling out of the driveway.

  CHAPTER SIX

  When I strode into the Golden Pyramid casino, I found myself checking over my shoulder for Vin. He was going to be hopping mad when he arrived. I stopped in front of a life-size replica of the Sphinx—though this version housed a bar—to figure out where I should go. If I went left, I could go to the accounting department, as I had yesterday, and ask my boss what to do, or I could go right to security and ask them to call upstairs to Olivia.

  I knew they were expecting me, but I wasn’t sure where they expected me. I was confused, unsure, and had no idea why I was here. Maybe this was why Vin was so determined that I drive with him.

  “Miss Ramono?”

  I turned around, and a tall man stood behind me. He was in a suit and could pass for a businessman if not for the earpiece that all secu
rity staff wore on duty.

  “Yes. I’m supposed to meet with Olivia Santini.” I threw back my shoulders and tried to give off an air of confidence.

  “She’s waiting for you.” He turned and walked off.

  I assumed I was supposed to follow him and struggled to keep up without jogging as his long legs ate up the distance ahead of him. His people skills could use some work.

  Eventually, he stopped in front of the elevators and pressed the call button. One instantly opened. He stepped in and pressed a button then held the door.

  After I stepped inside, he lowered his hand and stepped out. “Ms. Santini will meet you there.”

  The elevator door closed and started up as I mentally rehearsed my questions. I wanted to know why they gave me a cat and what the deal was with the cat bite. And why she gave me the stone. What had Vin called it? A channeling something. How had it opened that box my dad left me? Maybe it was magnetic or electronic. I hadn’t looked at that sheet of numbers she had given me, but she needed to be honest about what was going on first.

  I blew out a breath. Too many thoughts and questions were bouncing around my head. I would never remember them all. What was the most important question? I would start there. What did they know about my father? That was the most vital thing. What had they heard about him, what did he do when he worked here, and did they know anything about why he was killed. The cat, stone, numbers, and such could wait.

  The elevator opened, and I hesitantly stepped out onto a floor that was under construction. Tools were stacked in a pile, and exposed wooden beams formed the skeleton of rooms.

  “There you are, Ella. Where’s Vin? Where’s Patagonia?” Olivia waved me over to where she stood next to Auntie Ann.

  Light filtered in through the windows, which were covered in thick plastic. I carefully picked my way through the mess. “What are we doing here?”