Ghost Hunter (11 page)

“Not everyone believes that, but never mind. Go on.”

“Image issues aside, the cops don't have the resources to track down and neutralize a rogue hunter who can pull blue ghost energy,” Cooper said. “Even if they could track one through the tunnels, which is where guys like that tend to retreat if they're in danger of getting caught, they wouldn't have the firepower to bring him down. You know how it is down in the catacombs. Like most other high-tech devices, guns don't work well there.”

“Okay, I think I see where you're going here. Let me guess; it takes a blue hunter to stop one of these blue freaks, right?”

“Yeah, that's pretty much what it comes down to in the end.”

“Wow.” She propped her elbows on the table and cradled her chin on her hands. “Those guys must be the mysterious
enforcers
I used to hear my brothers whispering about from time to time.”

“Enforcers?”

“That's what they called them. They would never tell me exactly what an enforcer did, of course. Big Guild secret, you know. Probably weren't exactly sure, themselves.”

“I'd like to think that was the case,” Cooper said dryly. “Only members of the Guild Councils are supposed to be aware of the blues and everything that goes with them. But now that I've learned how gossip runs through the Guild halls, I won't hold my breath.”

“I told you once before: Never underestimate the power of rumor and gossip.”

His jaw tightened. “Believe me, I haven't forgotten.”

She got up and went back to the counter to pour herself another cup of tea. “So the Guilds have these secret enforcers to deal with blue freaks?”

“That is more or less the job description.” He paused a beat. “The hunters who pursue that particular career path prefer the title of investigator, I believe. Enforcer sounds like a hit man.”

She waved that aside. “I suppose the reason I haven't heard more gossip about the blues and the enforcers over the years is because we never had any problems of that sort in the Aurora Springs Guild. One of the advantages of being a small-town organization, no doubt. Lower crime rates.”

“Got news for you.” He watched her very steadily from the other side of the table, “The Aurora Springs Guild did have a problem with a blue freak a while back. He went into the murder-for-hire business. Sold his services for
nearly a year quite successfully before someone on the Council realized what was going on. The freak was always careful to take contracts out of town in one of the big cities so as to lower the risk of drawing attention to himself at home.”

“Are you serious?”

“I never joke about Guild business.”

“True,” she agreed. “Well? Who was he? You've told me this much, you have to tell me the rest.”

He shrugged. “The freak was Haggerty.”

“Haggerty?”
She couldn't believe her ears. “Douglas Haggerty, the former Guild boss? Your predecessor?”

“Yes.”

“That's amazing. He was the boss of the Aurora Springs Guild for over ten years. Good grief, the man made a pass. He wanted to
marry
me.”

Cooper raised his brows. “Your father was the Council member who first became suspicious of him. That was one of the reasons John made sure Haggerty didn't get anywhere near you.”

“Holy dust bunny.” She whistled softly. “This is incredible. So that's the reason Haggerty disappeared, huh? The Council brought in one of those enforcers to get rid of him?”

“They voted to bring in an
investigator
who worked undercover for a while, figuring out exactly what was going on and gathering evidence.”

“Undercover?” She shook her head. “Real cloak-and-dagger stuff, I guess.”

“Well—”

“Who was the enforcer?” she asked. “Is he still hanging around the Guild Hall back in Aurora Springs, or did he ride off into the sunset after getting rid of the bad guy?”

“As a matter of fact, he's here in Cadence.”

“What's he doing here?” she demanded. “Or is that top secret?”

“At the moment he's having breakfast. Hoping for a second cup of tea.”

She closed her eyes and sagged back against the counter. “You.”

“Afraid so.”

She opened her eyes and smiled wryly. “And to think that I mistook you for a genuine Guild librarian.”

He got up abruptly, heading toward the kitchen counter. “I
was
a genuine Guild librarian. Still am, for that matter.” He picked up the teapot. “Just because I'm now the chief exec of the Aurora Springs Guild doesn't change the past or my training.”

She had managed to put a dent in his icy self-control with that last comment, she realized. He had not liked the implication that he had misled her.

“You just said you were an enforcer,” she reminded him.

“Investigator.” He splashed tea into his cup. “But since an investigator invariably has to do his work undercover, it means he has to have a real job that provides a legitimate cover.”

“So you became a real librarian?”

“I like the work.” He put the pot down on the hot plate. “I believe in learning from history. And the profession provided convenient camouflage for my investigations, regardless of the location. Every Guild has a historical archive. It never ceases to amaze me how people are inclined to underestimate folks who work with books and manuscripts.”

“Well, I suppose your old job description isn't the issue any longer. You are now a Guild boss with a talent for raising blue ghosts. Last night we discovered that a blue freak tried to kill Bertha, presumably because she uncovered his drug operation. Obviously we have a situation here.”

“Afraid so.”

“What happens next?”

“I'm going to do some preliminary background work today. Then, tonight, you and I are going to dinner at the home of a friend of mine.”

“You've got a friend here in town?” she asked.

“You don't have to look at me like that. Just because I'm a Guild boss doesn't mean I don't have friends.”

“I didn't mean . . . oh, never mind.” She raised her eyes to the ceiling and sighed. “What's the name of this friend?”

“Emmett London. He and his wife, Lydia, have a town house in another section of the Old Quarter.”

“What?” She straightened. “We're invited to dinner at the home of
the
Mr. and Mrs. Emmett London?”

He raised his brows. “Is that a problem?”

“They were all over the newspapers about three months back. Emmett London took over as Guild boss here in Cadence for a while when Mercer Wyatt was hospitalized.”

Cooper looked amused. “I heard that.”

She ignored the interruption. “Emmett and Lydia were local celebrities for a short time. The tabloids made a big deal out of their relationship. It was so romantic. And the wedding was spectacular. I saw the photographs in the papers. Lydia wore the most gorgeous gown.”

“When the invitation was extended, I happened to mention Rose. I was told that you should feel free to bring her along.”

“Really?”

“Evidently Lydia London also has dust bunnies.”

“Good heavens,” Elly said. “This is the first time Rose has been invited out for dinner. She'll probably spend hours choosing the right bracelet for the occasion.”

SHORTLY AFTER ELEVEN O'CLOCK THAT MORNING, ELLY
saw the door of Thornton's Alien Antiquities open. Doreen Thornton, the proprietor, emerged. She was cutting-edge trendy, as usual, in a tight, tiny pink skirt and snug green sweater that showed off her hourglass figure to advantage. Fishnet stockings and pink-and-green heels finished the look.

Doreen's tight black curls framed pretty, dark-brown features and riveting dark eyes. She wore an amber pendant around her neck.

Elly knew that the amber in Doreen's pendant was genuine. The stone was of good quality and professionally tuned. Doreen had spent a lot of money on it.

Like Bertha, Doreen was an ephemeral-energy para-resonator, a tangler who could handle the dangerous illusion traps that peppered the catacombs. Like Bertha, she had never had the advantages of a college education and therefore had never qualified to join the exclusive Society
of Para-Archaeologists. Drawn to the world underground, as were so many with her type of parapsych abilities, she had chosen to eke out a living as a ruin rat.

It was either that or get a job as a cocktail waitress, she had explained to Elly.

Doreen had been one of the first on Ruin Lane to welcome Elly to the neighborhood. Elly had been grateful for both the friendship and the fashion advice. Until she met Doreen she had not realized how sadly unstylish her Aurora Springs wardrobe was.

Doreen darted across the mist-bound street and opened the door of St. Clair's Herbal Emporium. The bell tinkled.

“Man, I don't think this fog is ever going to lift,” she announced, closing the door. “I know this is the season for it, but I can't remember the last time it hung around for so long. Not good for business, that's for sure.”

“Tell me about it,” Elly said, leaning on the counter. “I've only had two customers all morning.”

Rose, crouched over her little box of bracelets at the end of the counter, chortled a greeting.

Doreen patted her affectionately. “You are looking fabulous today, my little fashionista.” She peered more closely at the strand of green stones that sparkled in Rose's gray fur. “New bracelet?”

Rose preened.

“She helped herself to it out of my jewelry box this morning,” Elly explained.

“Give the girl credit. She knows what looks good on her.”

“Maybe, but at the rate things are going, I'm not going to have any bracelets left,” Elly said.

“So take Rose shopping.”

“I may have to do that. How was the visit to the parents?”

“The usual. Dad coughed up a small loan to help with the rent on the shop this month.” Doreen made a face.
“Had to listen to another lecture from my mom and my aunt on the subject of getting serious about a Covenant Marriage. I drove back here as fast as I could very early this morning.”

Elly went to the hot plate and poured two mugs of the herbal tisane that she had made earlier. The aromatic blend of Harmonic honey, redstick spice, and amber root made a pleasant contrast to the damp, gray day.

“Did you tell them about the new boyfriend?” she asked, carrying the mugs back to the counter.

“No.” Doreen picked up one of the mugs and inhaled the fragrance with an air of delight. “Figured they would just start asking questions, and I really can't talk about him yet. I gave him my word that I would keep our relationship quiet until after he's finished with this new assignment.”

“Must be hard dating a cop.”

“The hours are weird, that's for sure.” Doreen grinned. “Kind of exciting, though. He's such a hunk, and he sure doesn't dress like the average detective. The man has a sense of style like you would not believe.”

“I can't wait to meet him.”

“I'll introduce you as soon as he's off this current case. He says that until it's finished, he has to keep a very low profile, especially in the Old Quarter. He can't risk being seen by the bad guys. So, what's up with you? I heard you had a visitor last night.”

Elly winced. “Word travels fast.”

“Especially on Ruin Lane. I got the story from Phillip and Garrick first thing today. They said they saw a black Spectrum EX parked in the alley behind your shop last night and that it didn't leave until after eight this morning. Can you confirm or deny?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I'll take that as a confirm.” Doreen grinned. “Well?”

“There's not much to tell,” Elly mumbled. “Just a friend from out of town. I let him stay overnight at my place. No big deal.”

“How can you say that? He spent the whole night.”

“Not in my bed,” Elly said.

It was always nice to be able to tell the truth.

BOTH THE BLUE VORTEX AND THE UTILITY SLED WERE
gone.

Impossible.

Shaken, the killer stared at the section of the catacombs where he had rezzed the blue and anchored it to the sled.

He checked his amber for the fifth or sixth time, wondering if he had taken a wrong turn somewhere in the catacombs on his way back to this place. But when he pulsed a little psi power through the navigational device he got the same reading. This was the precise spot where he had nailed Newell's sled.

There was no way the woman could have de-rezzed the blue. She was a tangler, not a hunter, let alone a blue hunter.

Nothing and no one could have destroyed the vortex except another dissonance-energy para-rez who could do what he could do with energy from the blue end of the spectrum. That kind of parapsych talent was so rare that it had become the stuff of myth and legend.

There was no escaping the obvious: Another blue had de-rezzed his vortex. Coincidences of this magnitude were even more scarce than hunters who could raise blue ghosts.

That damned blue freak, Cooper Boone, was in town. Somehow he had found Bertha Newell last night.

“WHEN IT COMES TO BARBECUING FISH, THE FIRST RULE IS
to make sure the grill is clean and well-oiled.” Emmett London made an adjustment to one of the gleaming knobs on the giant outdoor grill. “That's what keeps the filets from sticking, falling apart, and dropping into the fire.”

Cooper lounged against the deck railing, drink in hand, and surveyed the massive grill. Flames leaped and smoke roiled out across the deck, mingling with the fog.

“That thing is as big as a car,” he said.

“Sure is,” Emmett said, looking pleased. “Mercer Wyatt gave it to us for a wedding present. You should see the manual.”

“Tricky to operate, huh?”

“It is more than merely tricky,” Emmett said. “Grilling is an art, my friend, one that requires innate talent, practice, a passion for perfection, and the ability to work under pressure.”

“I can see the problem with the pressure,” Cooper said.
He glanced at the three dust bunnies perched on the railing beside him.

The one introduced as Fuzz and his small companion, who went by the name of Ginger, wore little satin ribbons on top of their furry heads. Rose hovered next to them, glittering like a high-class showgirl in the green-stone bracelet she had selected to wear for the evening.

None of the bunnies had seemed surprised to see each other tonight. Cooper got the feeling they had all been previously acquainted. The fluffy beasts supervised the grilling process with close attention.

“In my admittedly limited experience, dust bunnies are big on barbecue,” Emmett said. “Probably because they are not what you'd call vegetarians.”

“How did you end up with two of the little guys?”

Emmett glanced at the bunnies wearing the bows. “One's a girl, I think. She's Fuzz's friend. He started inviting her to dinner a few weeks ago. Got a bad feeling I'm going to look under the bed one of these days and find a bunch of baby dust bunnies.”

“You know, until I arrived here in Cadence yesterday and discovered that Elly was rooming with Rose, I never knew anyone who kept a dust bunny as a pet.”

“Until you and Elly showed up with Rose tonight, my wife was the only person I knew who lived with one. Lydia once told me that it was Fuzz who initiated the association. Just appeared on her balcony one evening and made himself at home.”

“Elly says that's how it was with Rose. Brings flowers every so often, and in exchange, she likes to wear Elly's bracelets.”

“I'm not sure what's going on between Lydia and Fuzz, but I've got a hunch there's some kind of psychic bond.”

“The experts say there's no such thing as a true psychic bond between animals and humans,” Cooper reminded him.

“Tell that to Fuzz and Lydia.”

Cooper smiled. He was enjoying the evening, in spite of the complications of the last twenty-four hours. He hadn't intended to have the blue ghost problem turn into a social visit with an old friend, but that was where the phone call to Mercer Wyatt, the chief of the Cadence Guild, had led.

“If we're dealing with a blue,” Wyatt said, “we've got to keep a low profile. Whoever he is, he may be anywhere at or near the top of the organization. I don't think you and I should take the risk of being seen meeting to talk about the problem. This is a secure line, but we both know that there is no such thing as perfect security.”

“This is your town,” Cooper said. “How do you want to handle the situation?”

“I know you're not officially an enforcer any longer, but it's not like there're a lot of guys with your kind of talent I can call on. You know that as well as I do.”

“Had a feeling you were going to say that.”

“In addition, you've already got a jump on this thing because you were first on the scene last night,” Wyatt added. “Will you do me a favor here and take care of the business?”

It never hurt to have the chief of one of the other Guilds in the position of owing you a favor, Cooper thought, but he wasn't in town to make nice with his opposite number in the Cadence City Guild. He'd had other plans.

Nevertheless, the freak had to be uncovered and dealt with as quickly as possible. Bad press of the kind that a criminally minded blue was capable of generating would be devastating for all of the Guilds, not just the Cadence organization.

“I'll look into it,” Cooper said, reluctant but resigned.

“Emmett will be your contact. Now that he's no longer officially associated with the Guild, no one in the organization is paying any attention to him. With luck, that includes
our blue freak. You two should be able to communicate without arousing any suspicions.”

Emmett London was the former head of the Resonance City Guild. He had held the position for several years, during which he had made great strides toward transforming it into a legitimate, respected, damn near mainstream institution. Satisfied with what he had accomplished, he had stepped down from the position to pursue a career as a business consultant.

A few months back he had moved to Cadence, met and married Lydia Smith, and settled enthusiastically into domestic life.

Cooper envied him. Sure, there had been a few problems for Emmett along the way, small details like a couple of dead bodies and a murderous madman who had tried to become a dictator. But those distractions aside, Emmett's life looked very good.

The Londons' town house was in one of the newly renovated, upscale neighborhoods of the Old Quarter. From where he stood on the deck Cooper could see the dark expanse of a park and the fog-reflected green glow of the Dead City Wall.

After bringing drinks out to the men a short time earlier and declaring barbecuing to be men's work, Elly and Lydia had disappeared back into the warmly lit town house.

“Another thing to keep in mind with fish,” Emmett said, making more adjustments to the grill's controls, “is that you don't want to go poking and prodding the filets with a spatula after you've got them on the fire. That way lies disaster.”

“I'll try to remember that,” Cooper said. “You know, I'm impressed. Never realized you knew how to barbecue.”

“It's a skill you don't pick up until after you get married, settle down, and stop eating out in restaurants.”

“Guess that explains it. I'm still eating in restaurants a lot.”

“Meant to talk to you about that.” Emmett moved upwind of the smoke. “You were supposed to be married by now. Had my tux all pressed and ready to wear to the wedding. What the hell happened?”

“Things got complicated.”

“Women do tend to have that impact on a man's life,” Emmett said, looking knowledgeable.

“I heard that,” Lydia said loudly from the doorway.

She walked out onto the deck carrying a flat, rectangular glass dish that contained the fish. When she passed beneath the lamp, the light gleamed on her red hair.

Elly trailed a couple of steps behind her, a glass of wine in each hand.

Emmett smiled winningly at his wife. “But life would sure be boring without a few complications of the female sort,” he said. “Isn't that right, Cooper?”

Cooper caught Elly's eye. She turned away very quickly and got very busy setting one of the wineglasses on the table.

“Right,” he said.

Lydia smiled approvingly. “Just so you know.”

Emmett gave her a quick, possessive kiss and took the dish from her. Lydia picked up the wineglass that Elly had placed on the table and took a sip.

“Pay attention, here,” Emmett said to Cooper. “In spite of your recent little setback, you may have need of this information someday. I don't give out my grilling secrets to just any visiting hunter who drops in for a free meal.”

“I'm watching every move you make, London,” Cooper said.

Elly looked thoughtful. “You two have known each other a long time, I gather?”

“Met a few years back when I was running the Resonance City Guild.” Emmett examined the marinated fish with the air of a brain surgeon preparing to operate.
“Brought him in to handle a little problem we had at the time.”

“Really?” Elly smiled benignly. “Would that have been a problem in your Archives Department, by any chance?”

“How did you guess?” Emmett said smoothly. “Never knew anyone who could whip an Archives Department into shape faster and with less bad press than Cooper, here.” He looked at Cooper, spatula at the ready. “You ready to watch the master at work?”

“Not sure I'm up to this,” Cooper said. “I tend to faint at the sight of blood.”

“You know the old saying, the ghost that doesn't kill you makes you stronger.” Emmett used the spatula to convey the fish onto the grill. “So, you got a plan to track down our blue freak?”

“Not sure you could call it a plan,” Cooper said. “More like an extremely thin lead.” He reached into the pocket of his shirt and removed the object he had retrieved from the floor near the scene of the blue vortex. He held it up so that they could all see it.

“Looks like a fancy swizzle stick,” Lydia said, taking a closer look at the little plastic sword.

“It is,” Cooper said. “Ever heard of a club called The Road to the Ruins?”

Lydia looked interested. “That's your lead?”

Cooper looked at her. “It's all I've got at the moment. What do you know about it?”

“Well, for starters, The Road is the most exclusive nightclub and casino in town. It's located in the Old Quarter, right up against the wall. It's a private club with a special VIP entrance. If you don't have a pass, you have to stand in a long line with all the lesser beings and hope that the bouncers will eventually let you in. I admit that I can't give you any firsthand observations of the place, because Emmett tends to be extremely straitlaced about some things.”

“I'm a married man,” Emmett declared piously. “Married men don't join clubs like The Road to the Ruins unless they're doing deals with underworld figures or having torrid affairs with their best friends' wives.”

“Excuses, excuses.” Lydia exchanged a meaningful glance with Elly. “Beware. This is what happens after you get married. All of a sudden they want to stay home every night and grill fish instead of taking you out for a good time.”

“I'll remember that,” Elly said politely.

She sat down on a deck chair and crossed her legs. Cooper was suddenly keenly aware that the little violet-colored dress she was wearing was even shorter than the skirt she'd had on last night.

“They say the food is great,” Lydia continued. “And I've heard the entertainment is first-rate, if a little on the raunchy side.”

Cooper looked at Emmett and shook his head in a mockingly sorrowful manner. “And to think you never take your wife there.”

“Call me boring.” Emmett used the spatula to transfer the filets to the grill. “But I guarantee you, it isn't the kind of place you'd take the respectable daughter of a high-ranking member of the Aurora Springs Guild, either.”

“I think he's talking about me,” Elly said to Lydia.

Lydia nodded. “Yes, I did get that impression.”

Emmett ignored both of them. “The owner is a guy named Ormond Ripley. Said to have discreet ties throughout the underworld and also in the political sphere. He's been smart enough and sufficiently well-connected to stay out of trouble with the law, which is saying something, given that he's operating a casino. Used to be a Guild man.”

“I get the picture.” Absently, Cooper swirled what was left of his drink. “Now, all I have to do is find a way to get
inside the club.” He raised one brow at Emmett. “Got any suggestions?”

“Wyatt can pull some strings and get you in,” Emmett said. “I'll give him a call in the morning.”

Elly rezzed up a suspiciously bright smile. Cooper got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“No need to call the local Guild boss,” she said airily. “I go to The Road a lot. I know some people. I can get Cooper inside. We can go tonight, if you like.”