AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Nice to know I have drunken slut in my voice skill set. Never know where that’s going to come in handy.”
“She really didn’t seem to care for Max.”
“And he didn’t take her up on her offer, I’m surprised. Between his multiple wives and numerous assistants, I figured he took any sexual favor ever offered him. Christ, my mom slept with that horny old bastard.”
“Getting angry will not help our investigation.”
“Sorry,” Pro fretted. “No one knows where he is or what he’s doing? We got three leads today, and two of them didn’t know anything.”
“But at least we saw the video of the trick,” Chu said, and then stole a glance to his partner. “Okay, tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“How does he do it?”
This made Pro grin. “I have absolutely no idea.”
“You’re kidding!”
“I don’t know how magic tricks work because of my DNA. It looked impossible to me, too.”
“Yes, and on an empty stage? It’s gotta be a trapdoor.”
“You heard what Shaut told us. He said he looked for one in the second show—no luck.”
“Maybe Michael Mystique can shed some light on it?”
“Whatever,” Pro said as Chu pulled the car into an empty space.
They got out and headed to a large apartment complex that was painted white and went up many stories. They headed into the lobby, which was also white, even the couches and pots for plants. A large white desk was watch
ed by two men in security guard uniforms—those, at least, were blue. Pro and Chu flipped open their billfolds, and the two men behind the counter stood.
“How can we help, detectives?” the man on the left asked. He was a tall African-American man with a shaved head and the body of a linebacker.
Chu told them, “I need to see Mister Mystique in 12-C. Have you seen him today?”
“Not today,” the skinny man on the right told them. He was a Hispanic man with a slight tinge to his skin, but absolutely no accent.
The bald man held out two visitor badges to Chu and Pro. “These will let you up the elevators. You can press Mister Mystique’s buzzer when you reach his door.”
“That will be the left elevator bank,” the skinny man said and pointed in the correct direction.
Chu started off and Pro turned to say, “Thank you, gentlemen.”
“And, detective,” the bald black man said, which caught Pro’s attention. “If you need anything, anything at all, just let me know. Here is the direct line to this desk.”
He handed her a card, and Pro smiled as she caught the look in his eyes. “Thank you.”
She headed to the elevator and felt a bit giddy. Had it been so long since a man had watched her with a combination of admiration and lust that it gave her butterflies? Or was it the fact that he was definitely her type. Muscles, a handsome face, and a regard for law enforcement that was lacking in many places nowadays. He had treated her with total respect, but his eyes told her how much he wanted her. For some reason, that combination of esteem and desire was a total aphrodisiac for Pro.
She took a deep breath and got into the elevator with her partner, focused on the job at hand. But maybe on the way out she could give the handsome guard her card, instead of Chu leaving his.
On the other hand, did she need another complication in her life? Relationships were a pain, and between her mother and her estranged father, did she have time or energy to give to another person?
The door slid open and they walked out to the hall and over to the apartment marked 12-C.
It had an intercom with a button right next to the door, with a nameplate that read “M. MYSTIQUE.”
