the drawer next to a long, rectangle box about the size of a television remote. Took the box, held it in both hands, and thumbed the top open.
Inside was a flawless, six-sided, lavender amethyst, Marquise-cut and roughly as wide as a credit card. It was mounted on polished ebony, only slightly bigger than the gem itself, backed with a blue bird’s feather, and flanked on either side by lavish beads and dried bones.
There wasn’t much light in my office, but what little there was danced and shimmered across the gem as if from a distance, the way the sun looked when seen from underwater. It was as hauntingly beautiful as winter fire, eerily cold and invitingly warm.
I stared at it for a while, but didn’t really see the gem – just what it represented. It had belonged to my mentor, a Haitian voodoo man called Solomon Huxley. One of the few I called friend. Huxley trained me, opened me up to the world of the Midnight, and was proof enough that not everyone in the Hand was a complete fuck-hole like Hunter.
Then, as if waking from a trance, I snapped the box closed and slipped it into my pocket.
As I waited for the phone to ring, I grabbed a beer and worked through a few rounds of solitaire on the laptop before falling asleep. When the phone actually rang, my head was on the desk.
The phone rang again. I just stared at it for a moment, confused. I didn’t remember falling asleep.
The phone rang again.
“Hello?” I breathed into the receiver, barely getting it to my ear.
“Jono?”
I moaned an approval.
“Jono! Thank God, I’ve been calling,” said a female voice.
“Nadia, hey. Sorry. I was waiting for a phone call and…”
“You had us worried.”
“Who’s us, love?”
“I’m with Ape. We picked up a new case.”
Ape said something in the background, sounded bored or irritated. I didn’t make it all out.
“I shouldn’t say much,” she continued. “I’ll tell ya later. Ape wants to know if you’re coming home soon?”
“Fuck. Right. We’re supposed to see the parents.” I patted down my jacket, felt the invoice still in my pocket.
“Watch your language, Jono. There’s a lady present.” She giggled.
“Technically, not present. What time is it?”
“Almost eight. Are you okay?”
“Eight? Fuck.” I looked around the room, not sure what I was looking for. “Tell him I have something to do first. I’ve gotta see a horse about a man. It might be too late tonight.”
“Who are you meeting with? Did you pick up another case?” She didn’t ever really sound worried, but she started to sound a little frantic. Maybe she was just trying to keep up with me. I was scattered.
“Yeah.”
“Not another missing child? Ape told me about earlier. We’re both worried.”
“There’s nothing to be worried about. I’m fine. He’s wrong. That was something else.”
“What was it then?”
“I was…” What, admit I was terrified? I couldn’t say that to her, I don’t even know why it happened. “It’s nothing. Nevermind.” I found my beer bottle sitting on the desk, took a swig of old ale. “Look, love, what I have to do is a little time-sensitive. I’ll tell you more later.”
“Jono,” she said. “You don’t get out of it that easily. Something’s been bothering you. I’m going to find out what it is.” She sounded like my mother. So much wisdom in her young age. Maybe it was a by-product of being the only woman in the house with two pre-occupied men.
“I’m fine, love. I’ll see you later, alright. Gotta make a quick stop off and I’ll be home.”
“Be careful, Jono.”
“Give my love to the monkey,” I said. Then I hung up.
I sat back in the chair for a minute, ran a hand carelessly through my hair. I started to feel a little more awake, but was still so tired. Somehow, I managed to get a little nap, but was far from getting any rest. I needed to close this case first. Needed answers and was going to get some. Seven would be there. He’d know
Inside was a flawless, six-sided, lavender amethyst, Marquise-cut and roughly as wide as a credit card. It was mounted on polished ebony, only slightly bigger than the gem itself, backed with a blue bird’s feather, and flanked on either side by lavish beads and dried bones.
There wasn’t much light in my office, but what little there was danced and shimmered across the gem as if from a distance, the way the sun looked when seen from underwater. It was as hauntingly beautiful as winter fire, eerily cold and invitingly warm.
I stared at it for a while, but didn’t really see the gem – just what it represented. It had belonged to my mentor, a Haitian voodoo man called Solomon Huxley. One of the few I called friend. Huxley trained me, opened me up to the world of the Midnight, and was proof enough that not everyone in the Hand was a complete fuck-hole like Hunter.
Then, as if waking from a trance, I snapped the box closed and slipped it into my pocket.
As I waited for the phone to ring, I grabbed a beer and worked through a few rounds of solitaire on the laptop before falling asleep. When the phone actually rang, my head was on the desk.
The phone rang again. I just stared at it for a moment, confused. I didn’t remember falling asleep.
The phone rang again.
“Hello?” I breathed into the receiver, barely getting it to my ear.
“Jono?”
I moaned an approval.
“Jono! Thank God, I’ve been calling,” said a female voice.
“Nadia, hey. Sorry. I was waiting for a phone call and…”
“You had us worried.”
“Who’s us, love?”
“I’m with Ape. We picked up a new case.”
Ape said something in the background, sounded bored or irritated. I didn’t make it all out.
“I shouldn’t say much,” she continued. “I’ll tell ya later. Ape wants to know if you’re coming home soon?”
“Fuck. Right. We’re supposed to see the parents.” I patted down my jacket, felt the invoice still in my pocket.
“Watch your language, Jono. There’s a lady present.” She giggled.
“Technically, not present. What time is it?”
“Almost eight. Are you okay?”
“Eight? Fuck.” I looked around the room, not sure what I was looking for. “Tell him I have something to do first. I’ve gotta see a horse about a man. It might be too late tonight.”
“Who are you meeting with? Did you pick up another case?” She didn’t ever really sound worried, but she started to sound a little frantic. Maybe she was just trying to keep up with me. I was scattered.
“Yeah.”
“Not another missing child? Ape told me about earlier. We’re both worried.”
“There’s nothing to be worried about. I’m fine. He’s wrong. That was something else.”
“What was it then?”
“I was…” What, admit I was terrified? I couldn’t say that to her, I don’t even know why it happened. “It’s nothing. Nevermind.” I found my beer bottle sitting on the desk, took a swig of old ale. “Look, love, what I have to do is a little time-sensitive. I’ll tell you more later.”
“Jono,” she said. “You don’t get out of it that easily. Something’s been bothering you. I’m going to find out what it is.” She sounded like my mother. So much wisdom in her young age. Maybe it was a by-product of being the only woman in the house with two pre-occupied men.
“I’m fine, love. I’ll see you later, alright. Gotta make a quick stop off and I’ll be home.”
“Be careful, Jono.”
“Give my love to the monkey,” I said. Then I hung up.
I sat back in the chair for a minute, ran a hand carelessly through my hair. I started to feel a little more awake, but was still so tired. Somehow, I managed to get a little nap, but was far from getting any rest. I needed to close this case first. Needed answers and was going to get some. Seven would be there. He’d know
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