I returned to the office much later than I intended. The other suites in the building were closed for the night. All their lights were out, and I presumed their doors were locked, as well.

Just like mine should have been. Instead, it was cracked open.

In dangerous situations, people are said to respond in fight or flight behavior. It’s like nobody ever considered freezing as a perfectly normal instinct. But then again, maybe the ones who freeze like me never really earn the title of survivor.

My panic faded when I heard Walter’s slow voice carry into the hallway. “What time will he be back?”

Igraine muffled an answer back through a mouth full of food. “I don’t know, he said he’d be here when I came back.”

“Not surprised,” replied Walter.

I stepped into the suite. “Sorry about that, but I’m here now.”

Igraine was sitting on the worn-out green couch along the wall, with a fast food burger in her hand and the grease-stained bag on the coffee table.

Walter had a folding ladder out, and at the sight of me, started to climb up. Almost like he was waiting for me to get started on his work. It was my turn to throw him a suspicious glance.

Igraine finished chewing and asked, “Are you all here?”

“Don’t think I dropped any part of me on my trip.”

She was relieved and took another bite of food.

“How’d you get back so fast anyway?”

“Bernie is fearless. And it’s kinda like he knows where all the speed traps are.”

“Did Dolly suspect anything?”

I could feel Walter’s attention sharpen on our conversation.

“No, I kept my hands at ten and two the whole time. A couple of times, the brakes didn’t work, but I just told her it was all your fault and she seemed to believe it.”

“Smart not to blame Bernie.”

“More like common sense. I’m not blaming someone whose driving that fast while they are driving that fast.”

“Must have been record-breaking fast, not only did you beat me back, but you had time to get food too. Did you bring me any?”

“Yes but no. Sorry. I hadn’t eaten all day.”

“You ate two meals?”

She nodded with a guilty but satisfied smile.

Damn. Another night of microwave noodles for me.

Walter started banging on a pipe in the ceiling. I leaned in and spoke a little softer.

“Before you and Dolly showed up, Burton Maurer walked in.”

Her eyes widened with fear.

“He was looking for us? How did he know to look here?”

“He didn’t. And he wasn’t looking for you, he needed my help on another matter.”

“Why would he hire you?” she asked in surprise, which had once again caught Walter’s attention.

I lowered my voice. “That’s between me and him, or rather just me, since he used the memory-wiping ring Dolly handed over.”

“Wait, you said he came here before we did.”

I nodded.

“So how could he use the…” She gestured putting on the ring.

“He—”

“He was here when we were here!” She was beginning to get mad. “Are you crazy?”

Walter had started stepping down the ladder, and the surprise of her outburst nearly knocked him off.

We didn’t acknowledge him. I responded, “On occasion. But not this one. He had confessed to what had happened at Bunny’s, and he promised that he wouldn’t do it again.” Well, mostly confessed. He had understated the amount Dolly had been carrying.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Walter chimed in while packing up his tools. “You had two client’s today?” I suspect his interest was in whether or not his family should step up their half-assed surveillance on me.

“If a client is someone who paid you, then I had no clients.” I should take solace in the fact that Dolly’s money was used to clear her debt with the Butcher as she had intended. Still, it hadn’t been easy to part with it.

Igraine countered, “Wait, so he didn’t hire you? Why exactly was he here?”

“I’m keeping that to myself, for now. But what you may be interested in is that after everyone left, I returned the ring to the Butcher.”

Igraine’s eyes showed a different kind of fear. The guilty kind.

I continued, “Now, imagine my surprise when I learned the Butcher expected a favor from me.”

Igraine waved with her hands as she spoke, a sign she was thinking on the fly, “I can explain.” Her hand waving stopped in a position that signaled she needed a minute.

I waited for an explanation, and apparently so did Walter because he was the next one to speak. “Well?”

She gave up, “Ok, I can’t explain.”

I didn’t need an explanation I knew all the players, and Igraine navigated her and Dolly out of a dangerous situation. However, there was another part of the Butcher’s story that needed clarification.

“He said my business partner promised him I’d look into something for him.”

Her eyes lit up again, this time with complete shock.

“I never said I was your partner.”

I sighed in disappointment. “Too bad, because if I had a partner I could share the details of my conversation with Burton.”

Walter folded up his ladder.

Igraine and I paused our conversation.

He picked up the watering can that had been catching the water. “You shouldn’t have used this. When I came in, there was water all over the floor. I had to mop it before I could use the ladder.”

The floor was no longer wet, but it was covered with broken drywall and dust from the ceiling. Walter had carved out a much larger hole than had been here in the morning.

I asked, “Are you done for today?”

“Be back tomorrow to patch up.” And he walked out with his tool kit, his ladder, and the watering can I had borrowed from the maintenance closet.

Igraine waited to make sure Walter was really gone before asking her next question. In the meantime, I snagged a stray fry from her bag of fast food.

“Are you asking me to be your partner?”

“Let me first ask a different question.” I took the Butcher’s black metallic ring out of my pocket and placed it on the table.

“You told me earlier Dolly offered you the ring, and you refused because it went against the Butcher’s wishes. I’ve secured his permission for you to use it now. So the question is: Do you want to use it?”

“No, not after seeing what Dolly went through. Plus, what if it’s like the magic that cursed Avalon? Or dark magic?”

“Good question. There isn’t an action, magical or otherwise, that is free of consequence. But, if you use this ring, you wouldn’t be obligating yourself to anything, the way Avalon had.”

She stared at it as if there was a chance it could tell her what the right decision to make was.

I continued, “If you become my partner, you can’t go trying to deny this life or encourage anyone else to deny it. It’s your normal now. People from your old life won’t like it. They may even try to rescue you from it.”

“I know. They kinda don’t like me right now.”

“So… what will it be?”

I’ve worked with a lot of people over my career, and the ones who’ve experienced the paranormal I would expect would take the ring. Still, something about Igraine told me she wouldn’t.

“Tell me why he was here, dammit!” She smiled, and her posture was more relaxed. I’m not sure if she knew that her acceptance was a relief.

“Just to be clear, you’re the junior partner.”

“Fine!”

“Alright. Burton was a member of a group of paranormal deniers. Part of what I like to call a ‘web of conspiracies’ to keep the existence of magic—”

She was impatient and cut me off. “I know this. Dolly already told me about these weird groups that oppose each other but oddly work toward the same objective.”

I did not appreciate being cut off, but I also acknowledge that I struggle to hear people when they tell me something I already know.

“Did she tell you that every once in a while a group of deniers tries to infiltrate a group of magical users?”

The case was beginning to click.

“And Burton was one!”

There was a pause.

“You’re an investigator now, see if you can—”

“He saw magic and couldn’t not believe! Or couldn’t disbelieve? How do you say that right?”

I ignored her question in favor of continuing her correct line of thinking.

“He left the magical group because he could never oppose them, but couldn’t go back to the one he originally belonged to either. So he tried going out on his own.”

A light bulb went off in Igraine’s mind, “That's why he was following Dolly! He wanted her help.”

“Good guess, and you’re on the right track. Burton originally wanted Dolly’s help, but he was skeptical. So he wanted to hear from one of her clients. He had been following her for a few days, and this morning, before you met her at Bunny’s, she met with one of her clients. Burton followed the client after their meeting and asked the individual a few questions. Didn’t take long for Burton to realize Dolly was running a scam.”

“I bet that was the person who kept calling all day.”

“Could be.”

“Why was he here, then? I can’t imagine you could help him get back to his old life.”

“He told me he saw something familiar in the second client of Dolly’s that he met today.”

“Me?”

I nodded. “And whatever that familiar reason was, he wanted to clear his conscience.”

“That’s it?”

“Not necessarily. He did give me a case, even if he couldn’t pay for it. I’m putting you in charge of it.”

She looked perplexed.

“Burton and I didn’t get a chance to talk about the details before you arrived. He only gave me this to work from.”

I pulled from my coat pocket a silver necklace with a turquoise ornament. The light of recognition shined in Igraine’s eyes. It was the one that Avalon frequently wore.

Igraine took the necklace and then hugged it.

I wasn’t being entirely honest about everything. Burton hadn’t brought this to me on his own. I had been asking around for it. Thinking it might bring some closure or finality. It brought me something else instead. Information.

“He was there. He witnessed Avalon’s curse in action and how an agent of the cult lifted it just in time.”

“She’s for sure alive?”

“According to Burton, she was alive when the cult took her away.”

“We’ve got to get her back.”

“Agreed, which is why it’s your case. But I want you to run everything by me, for everyone’s protection.” Including my own.

She stared down at the necklace. And didn’t have any more words for me.

I picked up the ring and said, “I should get this back to the Butcher.”

“Viktor, what happened to Dolly’s money?”

“The butcher has it. He took it in exchange for the services you promised.”

“Dang, I was hoping I could use some of that for rent.”

“And I was hoping to use it for new… everything.”

--Viktor Krelig