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“Of course, you are.” Nox gave Nelson a hand up and nodded at the study. “Whatever you do, don’t say yes if he asks if you want to see his wand. Unless you want to see his wand,” he stipulated before throwing the study doors open. “And by wand, I mean his penis.”
But no one was in the mood to crack dick jokes as the three of them faced the two rolling chalkboards Nox and Merlin had set up in the middle of the room. A dizzying array of pictures and hundreds of notecards with dates, times, and locations stared back at them. Nelson jumped, taking a large step away from Merlin and Nox assumed his ass had been grabbed.
“Knock it off, Merlin. It’s time to focus.”
“I got scared and I thought I could focus better by grabbing onto something round and tight,” Merlin said with an innocent shrug.
“He’s a federal agent and we need his help,” Nox said, offering Nelson an apologetic smile. “He doesn’t get better, I’m afraid. But he’s my best friend and he makes me look like a novice, he knows so much about history and old magick.”
Merlin humphed and tipped his chin back in approval. “It doesn’t hurt when you’ve lived through most of history and were there when most of those old tricks were invented.”
“Come on, Methuselah.” Nox put an arm around Merlin and gave him a squeeze. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover with Nelson and I was hoping you’d make us dinner.”
“I hope you like Kung Pao Chicken, Agent Nelson.”
“It’s…fine,” Nelson replied, but his face pinched in a way that suggested he wasn’t pleased.
Nox gave him a pointed look. “It’s the only recipe he knows. Unless you’d prefer I cooked and Merlin gave you a tour,” he said as he gestured at the boards and the study. More files were stacked on the desk and piles of books were scattered around the room.
“Kung Pao Chicken will be fine,” Nelson said quickly.
“Excellent!” Merlin clapped his hands together. “You’re in for a treat. I learned the original Sichuan recipe while visiting the court of Ding Baozhen,” he informed Nelson before hurrying off.
Nox held up his hands when Nelson threw him a hard look. “That’s your oracle and bureau of investigations?” Nelson asked dubiously and Nox pointed at the boards.
“He might be a scandalous old pervert, but this was all him. I’ve been making calls and begging anyone who would listen for help in between classes and faculty meetings, but Merlin handled all the research. He always has,” he explained as he went to the sideboard to pour Nelson a drink. “Whiskey alright?” Nox asked, receiving a faint nod in return. Nelson looked like he needed it as he stepped up to the board on the left. “Merlin’s laid out every scrap of information about our missing girls, their connections to the occult community, and everything we have on the Tuath Dé. He put together those files in my bag so I’d have them to study while we were on the road.”
“I take it back. Merlin is brilliant,” Nelson said distantly while Nox poured good Irish whiskey into two lowball glasses and added just a dash of water to each.
Once again, Nox was fascinated and had something to distract him from the sinister puzzle taped to the boards and spread out around them. He handed Nelson his drink and was content to step back and watch an undiscovered wonder at work. Nox was in awe as Nelson sipped and his eyes crawled from card to card and scanned every photo, slowly absorbing and processing as he made his way from left to right.
Not surprisingly, Nelson soon traded his whiskey for his little notepad and the room became silent save for the soft scratching of the pencil’s lead as page after page was filled. Finally, after nearly three hours, Nelson stepped back from the boards and nodded at them. “I’m a bit hazy on the early Celtic druid stuff and I’m not clear on why now, right before Samhain, but I see the rest of it and I still think Elsa Hansen is the key.”
Nox was beaming at Nelson as Merlin arrived with their dinner on a wheeled cart. “Don’t worry, that’s what you’ve got me for.”
“And me. Do me a favor and move that chair so I can get through.” Merlin said sweetly, batting his lashes at Nelson.
“Yes, sir.” Nelson ducked his head obediently. He bent to move the chair, making Merlin sigh in delight as he appreciated Nelson’s ass.
“Forget about the chicken, I’d rather have that thick stack of mancakes.” He had his handkerchief out and was dabbing his brow again. “And he’s submissive. Delicious.”
Nelson leaped up and spun around, his face burning red again. It was so easy to make the cranky stoic agent blush. Nox adored that about him. “Behave, Merlin.” Nox wagged a finger but he wasn’t holding his breath. He had to step out of the room and run to the kitchen when he caught Nelson mouthing the word “mancakes.” Nox never giggled so hard and felt guilty when he returned and found Nelson and Merlin eating as they stood over his desk, discussing a witness report.
“How’s the Kung Pao Chicken?” Nox asked Nelson.
“It’s fine,” he said between enthusiastic mouthfuls. “Merlin and I think we need to take a closer look at Mila Cleary next for any commonalities. She was the last victim to be abducted and there’s still a lot of legwork to be done,” he added.
“She was taken three days ago. What are the odds that there could still be evidence if we can figure out where she was taken from?” Nox asked Nelson.
He stared over Nox’s shoulder for a moment, then shook his head. “Is the crime scene inside or outside? Is it a high-traffic area or someplace isolated? Was the abductor in a hurry and sloppy or was he in complete control? There’s no way of knowing until we can look at it.”
Nox groaned, rubbing his brow. “So far, no one knows when or where Mila was taken. She left the library and her study group in high spirits, but no one knows where she went afterward except that she never made it home that night. Her mother called the next morning because they had plans and went to Mila’s to take a look. She found a package and the prior day’s mail waiting at the door.”
“Not at all like her from what her mother says. The poor woman is devastated,” Merlin informed them.
Nox sighed heavily. “That’s understandable. We’ll talk to her tomorrow. Can you look into those coordinates I gave you, Merlin, and see what you can learn about New Castle?” He asked.
“Of course,” Merlin replied with a dismissive wave.
