Adriana Vega opened the door to a two-bedroom apartment and gestured for Gretta to come inside.

“This is how I found the place.” Adriana’s face told a story of frustration and sadness.

When Gretta spotted the destruction in the apartment, she hesitated a moment. Then, taking a breath, she recovered her professional demeanor and stepped in. From her position, the living room and kitchen were visible. The kitchen chairs were knocked over, the kitchen table was broken in half, and a large section of the living room couch was missing, as if a piece of reality had simply been cleanly scooped away.

Gretta frowned. “Looks like there was a fight here. Why didn’t you call the police?”

Adriana walked over to the couch and indicated the sphere of nothing that should have held fabric, stuffing, and wood. “I don’t think I can get the police involved in this, do you?”

“I can’t think of anything that destroys a space this cleanly. But who knows—maybe there’s a mundane explanation.” Gretta gave the couch another look. It looked like magic had disintegrated it. The matter had been removed.

Adriana shook her head and sighed. “I wouldn’t have come to a private eye with absolutely no experience if I thought I had any other choice. No offense.”

Gretta swallowed her retort. I need the money. I need the money. Besides, she’s only lashing out because she’s worried about her son and granddaughter. “Does your son often get into magical brawls?”

Adriana grinned. “Now and then.”

“You know that I’m a PI, not a bodyguard,” Gretta said. “I might be able to track down your son and granddaughter, but I’m not a fighter.”

“That’s not what I heard,” Adriana said but continued before Gretta could respond. “I don’t expect you to fight or do anything heroic. Find them and call me. I’ll figure out the rest.”

Gretta cleared her throat. “I see pictures of Sofia and your son, Miguel, but I don’t see any of your daughter-in-law. Why is that?”

“Ah, Lucia,” Adriana said. Her voice cracked, and she looked away. “She’s no longer in the picture. I think Miguel finally realized she was keeping secrets from him.”

Gretta walked across the living room to a computer desk. “Could Lucia have taken Sofia and Miguel?”

“Maybe, but I don’t think she succeeded,” Adriana.

“Why not?” Gretta asked as she shook the computer’s mouse.

“Well, Miguel’s car was missing. So, he probably escaped whoever attacked him.”

Gretta glanced at the screen, which required a password, then flipped over the keyboard to find a sticky note with passwords written on it. After a quick scan, she set the keyboard back down and entered the password.

Adriana walked over. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for clues as to where your son went,” Gretta said. “If you had involved the police, they would have checked with his bank for any charges.”

Gretta typed and clicked to scan Miguel’s browsing history, spotted a link to a banking account, navigated to it, and then logged in using the password saved in the browser.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Is this legal?”

Gretta flushed. “Um. I won’t tell if you don’t. I thought you wanted your son found.”

Adriana smiled. “I won’t say a word.”

Gretta scrolled through Miguel’s recent purchases. The last two purchases were at a gas station and then a diner in Marana. There weren’t any unusually large deposits or withdrawals, and as she scanned through the previous month, it seemed that Miguel lived a fairly predictable life. The only odd thing was the number and frequency of his spending at a gardening store—but judging by the sheer number of potted plants, maybe he was just really passionate about them. She took a quick picture of the screen. She pulled up a map webpage and looked for the diner and the gas station.

“Looks like they passed through Marana. They stopped at the gas station first and then the diner. Maybe they are heading west.”

Adriana shrugged. “Or maybe they got back on the freeway.”

Gretta took down a picture of Miguel and his daughter Sofia. It looked like they were at a birthday party. “Mind if I take this?”

“Go right ahead,” Adriana said.

“You said that Miguel gets in fights sometimes? What sort of magic does he have?”

Adriana grinned. “Miguel is a disciple of the Wild Mother, like you. So, you can imagine why he likes a good fight.”

“The Wild Mother values growth and adaptability,” Gretta said.

Adriana smirked, which was the first time she hadn’t looked upset since Gretta had met her. “What about strength and cunning?”

Gretta shrugged. “Yes, but only in that strength and adaptability helps to protect others. We don’t seek out fights.”

“If you say so,” Adriana said.

Gretta wanted to press the issue but remembered that Adriana was a paying customer. She looked around the room and spotted a framed picture. Gretta removed the photo from the frame. “I doubt we’ll get much more from here. Do you know what kind of car Miguel drove? Maybe a license plate number?”

“He drives a blue Toyota Corolla with a white hood and a grey trunk,” Adriana said. “I don’t know the license plate number.”

Gretta scanned a stack of bills and spotted an insurance bill. She scanned it and then took a picture when she saw the license plate number.

“I have your contact information. I will check out the diner and see what I find.”

“I should come with you. Every moment they are on the run is another moment that they might come to harm.”

“I expect they are long gone, and I’ll just be interviewing people there. If I find a lead, I might have to act fast, and I’d rather be free to use more of my powers.”

Adriana shook her head. “Shapeshifters. Always want to do things alone.”

Gretta blinked. There were three people who knew she was a shapeshifter. Her father, her mother, and her ex-boyfriend, Todd. Had Todd told anybody else? She hadn’t seen him since high school. Or did Adriana have the ability to determine her powers?

“You’ve done your homework,” Gretta said.

Adriana shrugged.

The fact that Adriana knew this much about her was unsettling. Adriana had known that Gretta had powers, but that might have been explained by a prayer that led to a deity nudging Adriana toward the only disciple of the Wild Mother who might be able to help. As far as Gretta knew, only the Wild Mother would know Gretta’s abilities, and it felt unlikely she would have revealed them to a stranger. Adriana was not a disciple of the Wild Mother. Her magic felt potent, but it wasn’t that of a storm or nature. It was more like the power of the sun.

Gretta could see why Adriana wanted to be present, but she also couldn’t see a way to keep Adriana alive if a fight broke out. “Like I said, I’d rather be free to use more of my powers if there’s trouble, and I don’t think I can keep you safe while investigating.”

Adriana looked weary. “And exactly what do you think you are keeping me safe from?”

Gretta pointed to the disintegrated couch. “Maybe a disciple of destruction?”

Adriana’s expression turned shocked. “Nobody has seen or heard of anybody following the Lord of Destruction.”

Gretta shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe your son was doing something that got the Beacon of Light riled up and seeking justice, but I’ve heard things get fiery when she gets involved. I don’t see any signs of fire here.”

“If it is one of the Lord’s disciples, you won’t be a match for him alone.”

Gretta nodded. “But I’ll feel better if we both don’t die.” Gretta turned away from Adriana.“If I don’t check in by tomorrow, pack your bags and leave the state.”