In Plain Sight

“It looks like someone wanted to rob the customs warehouse,” Danny said pointing to the drawing.

“Where’d you get this?” the Lieutenant asked Alex.

“I used a rune to reveal what Pemberton wrote on the page just above this one before it was torn off.”

“What makes you think this is the warehouse where he works?” Callahan said. “It could be a map of his mom’s kitchen and this is where she hides the brownies.”

“Lieutenant!” Danny protested, but Callahan waived him silent.

“I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I want to be sure you’re right before we go off half-cocked. How do we know Pemberton drew this for the people that killed him?”

“Look at his fingernails,” Alex said, walking back over to the body. Three of the nails on his right hand had been torn off. Danny looked confused but Callahan sighed and nodded his head.

“They stopped when he gave them what they wanted,” he said. “Otherwise they would have torn off all his fingernails.”

“Whoever killed Jerry Pemberton wanted to know how to get into the customs warehouse at the aerodrome,” Alex said. “If Pemberton was killed last night, there’s a good chance your killers will show up there tonight.”

“Unless they’ve already been and gone,” Callahan said.

“No,” Danny said, shaking his head. “If they went straight to the warehouse, there wouldn’t be any reason to cover up Pemberton’s murder. By the time we got here and figured it out, they’d already be gone.”

“He’s right, Lieutenant,” Alex said. “All you have to do is lie in wait and Pemberton’s murderers will come straight to you.”

“Pretty neat,” he said. “All right, finish up here, detective. I’ll go over to the precinct and put together a squad to stake out the warehouse.” He put on his overcoat and hat and headed for the door. “Nice job, scribbler,” he said to Alex. “Maybe you aren’t useless after all.”

Danny grinned at Alex as the lieutenant left. “I think he’s beginning to like you,” he said with a smirk.

“As long as he pays me,” Alex said with a shrug. He was used to not being liked by cops as well as his fellow runewrights for being a private detective.

“I’ll make sure they cut you a check,” Danny said. “It’ll probably take a couple days though.”

“No problem,” Alex said. “I know you’re good for it.”

He felt a magical tremor hit him, just a tiny brush against his senses, but he felt it.

“Are your boys about done with that corpse?” he asked. “Cause your ten minutes are almost up.”

“What happens then?”

“It crumbles into dust,” Alex said.

Danny made sure the photographers had taken all the pictures they wanted, then had everyone step back. Alex felt the pulses of the decaying magic coming faster and faster until, at last, the earthly remains of Jerry Pemberton disintegrated into a pile of fine, white ash.

“You need me for anything else?” Alex asked, packing away his oculus and the multi-lamp. Danny looked around and shook his head.

“Thanks,” he said. “You really helped us out.”

“Just keep your head down when they bring these bastards in.” Alex patted him on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t put it past them to be packing.”

“I’ll be careful,” he said.

Alex put on his hat and picked up his bag. The pad with the drawing of the warehouse was on the coffee table so he picked it up too.

“Say hi to Amy for me,” he said, passing the notepad to detective Pak. Danny’s face grew stern but he wore a smile with it.

“You stay away from my sister,” he said as Alex stepped out into the hall.

Alex was in such a good mood that he took the stairs rather than taking the self-service elevator. Working with the police could be tense and uncomfortable, but it paid well. Leslie would be thrilled. For the first time in half a year they’d be ahead on the bills instead of desperately behind, racing to catch up. It felt good.

Something bothered him though — a thought in the back of his mind. Something to do with the notepad he handed to Danny. He thought about it for a moment, but it continued to elude him. Shrugging, he decided not to let doubts ruin his good mood, so he pushed the thought from his mind and whistled as he made his way back out onto the rain-swept street.

3 The Missionary

Alex didn’t bother with a barrier rune this time. There was a five-and-dime just across from Pemberton’s building and he wanted to tell Leslie the good news. He held his hat down and sprinted across the road.