Read Online Hazardous Goods (Arcane Transport) by John Mackie - Free Book Online

classifications if you like. Each Class is categorized Inert, Non-restricted, Restricted and Prohibited. Restricted means that you are required to advise us in the event the device is lost or stolen.”
    OK, so I was wrong. The guy was still a dick.
    “This is some sort of government legislation?”
    “No. These are classifications developed by BOA working together with leading practitioners.”
    I snorted. Leading practitioners? Who were they? The Amazing Kreskin and Criss Angel?
    “OK. Thanks.”
    He stared. She stared. I fiddled with the pen in my hands. They stared. I unscrewed the pen top and began to lay the innards out on the table. Spring, ink sleeve, some plastic doohickey. Part of me was debating telling them about the possible relationship to Legenko, but it still seemed too thin. Besides, I wasn’t sure I wanted these two “crack investigators” on the case.
    “I take it you are unwilling to cooperate with our enquiry?”
    “Well, let’s say I will think about it. Do you have business cards in case I need to reach you?”
    Both of them slid over their cards, fancy embossed plastic cards with their names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. No office address.
    “Let me ask Kara to see you out.”
    Switzer stared at me for a moment, then gestured to his colleague. I waited until they were halfway out the door before calling to them.
    “Did you want the name of the mugger?”
    The two of them turned.
    “Niki Kuzmenko. Calls himself the Bull.”
    Both of them turned away and stepped out into the cool May air. I watched them climb into their car – a Range Rover, of all things – and considered the fact that neither of them had written down Kuzmenko’s name.
    My mind was spinning. How had they even heard of the mugging, and what was with the attitude? Weirdness prevailed.
    “How was it?” I turned to see Kara holding the door open for me.
    “Oh, it was great. Just like my last visit to the dentist.”
    That brought forth a smile.
    “By the way, what the heck is a divination device? I thought the folks at Sun said it was some kind of dowsing thing. Isn’t that like a fire hose, or something?”
    “Fire hose?”
    A little off base, apparently.
    “Device? Is that what they called it? Well, it could be anything. Cards, runes, Ouija board, crystal ball—.”
    I suspect my cynicism was quite apparent.
    “Hey, I didn’t make this stuff up.”
    “So the Sun Consulting guys were using us to ship something that could be used to tell the future ?”
    “Or whether your girlfriend is cheating on you. Where you left your watch that morning. People use them to answer questions, sometimes locate things.”
    That jibed with Helen Findlay’s comments earlier in the week.
    “Hmph. Can you use them for anything ?”
    “No, not that I know of. A restricted Class 2 device would be pretty powerful, though. Think of it like accuracy. Prohibited devices are the most accurate. I think Clay said he had seen a set of rune stones once that were supposed to be accurate 99.9% of the time.”
    “Cool. Great for lotto tickets.”
    “No kidding.”
    The day had just started and I was already behind.
    As if things weren’t bad enough, Jamar was three hours late getting in. By lunch time I felt like I had seen most of Southern Ontario, just trying to keep up.
    I was munching on a sub when Jamar staggered in. Kara followed right behind.
    “Don’t tell me. You lost your shirt at the Casino. No, your girlfriend is pregnant, but she’s not sure whether it’s yours.”
    Sometimes the comments come out before I can stop them.
    “Hey, Donnie.”
    Jamar couldn’t have looked more down if he tried. Dark shadows under his eyes hinted at a sleepless night. Either that, or he had been doing some sparring. With a heavyweight.
    “Hang in there, big guy,” I pulled a chair out for him. “Take a seat and tell Nurse Kara about your problems.”
    She gave me a look that suggested the only person requiring a nurse was going to be