In Plain Sight

“And now he’s missing,” Alex said. “Did Rockwell know Quinton Sanders?”

“Not that we know of,” Sorsha said. “That’s why we need your help. Clearly Thomas saw the original runes and copied them into his book. We think Quinton is trying to find a runewright with enough skill to help him decipher the finding rune so he can locate the Archimedean Monograph.”

“What if the Monograph doesn’t exist?” Alex asked.

“That’s not a chance the government is willing to take,” Sorsha said. “Now I’ve put my cards on the table, Alex; it’s time you did the same. Who is your client?”

Alex hesitated. He didn’t want to out Evelyn to the Feds, but he couldn’t see how she could be involved. So far nothing he’d discovered pointed to Quinton Sanders or anyone else.

“Rockwell’s sister hired me,” he said at last. “She was supposed to have dinner with Thomas and he never showed. All she knows is that he kept talking about making some big discovery.”

“I need to talk to her.”

“Sorry,” Alex said. “If I think she can help you, I’ll arrange a meeting.”

Sorsha glared at him with a look that explained how she got the title Ice Queen.

“I wasn’t lying about my reputation,” Alex said. “You need to let me handle this. If I run across anything about Quinton Sanders or the Monograph, I’ll call you right away.”

“Fine,” she said, producing a card with her name and number on it from the pocket of her vest. Alex took the card but Sorsha didn’t release it. “But I want Thomas Rockwell’s rune book,” she said. “Right now.”

“I can study the runes for you,” Alex said, still holding the card. “Maybe give you a clue to what Sanders and Rockwell were up to.”

The Ice Queen sighed and for a moment she looked tired. “You seem like a decent person, Mr. Lockerby,” she said. “People who investigate these runes are never seen again. You may be irritating and arrogant, but I don’t want your death on my conscience.” She released the card. “Now, if you don’t mind,” she said. “I’ll take Thomas Rockwell’s Lore book.”

Alex hesitated. He really didn’t want to turn over the book. He’d copied the runes last night of course — it was the first thing he did after getting home with the book, but he promised Evelyn he’d find her brother’s killer and he might need Thomas’ book to do that. That said, turning over the book looked like the only way to keep Evelyn out of whatever Thomas had gotten himself into. In the end he really didn’t have any choice.

He pushed the key on the intercom on his desk. A moment later Leslie answered.

“Would you bring that blue book in here, Miss. Tompkins?”

A moment later, Leslie entered with the book. She handed it to Alex and withdrew. Once the door was shut, Alex offered it to Sorsha.

“I give you the book, you leave my client out of this. Deal?” he said.

“Unless she has information about the Monograph,” Sorsha said, taking the book. “Deal.”

Alex started to stand, but Sorsha flicked her hand and suddenly he couldn’t move. He strained against the invisible bonds, but it was as if he’d been imprisoned in amber like some unfortunate insect. He couldn’t move or even blink. Sorsha put the blue book and the folder of pictures into the briefcase Agent Davis left beside the chair, then she stood and walked around the desk.

“If I find out you’re hiding something from me,” she whispered into Alex’s ear, so close he could feel her breath, “I’ll make certain you regret it, and I won’t bother the FBI about it. Understood?”

Her spell ended and Alex gasped, slumping against his desk. He wanted to say something glib about how she didn’t intimidate him, but he was busy suppressing the tremors that threatened to break out all over his body. When he finally mastered himself, he stood and tucked her card into his pocket.

“Understood,” he said.

Sorsha favored him with her cold smile, picked up the briefcase, and walked out.

Alex waited until he heard the Sorceress and her FBI escort leave the outer office before he slumped down, into his chair. So far today, a police captain had threatened to put him in jail, and a sorceress had threatened to do worse. And it wasn’t even lunch yet.

11 The List

“You seem a little rattled.”

Leslie’s voice startled Alex and he sat up in his chair. His receptionist stood at the open door to his office holding a cup of coffee in each hand. She stepped to his desk and set one down, then sat down in the chair Sorsha had occupied only moments before.

“Was that…?” Leslie nodded toward the door. Alex opened his bottom desk drawer and pulled out a half-empty bottle of Scotch.

“Yep,” he said, pouring some in his coffee. “Irish?” he said, offering the bottle to Leslie. She smiled and shrugged, holding out her cup so he could add some of the amber liquid to it. Leslie sipped at her coffee.

“What did they want, besides that book?”

“It looks like Thomas Rockwell may have been involved in the theft of government secrets,” Alex said.

“Must be a big deal if they got the Ice Queen down from her floating castle to chase leads.”