I've got a walk-in closet a few blocks away from my apartment. I call it an office, but that's a bit like calling a Bug a luxury sedan. There's enough room for a couple chairs and a small desk, which I can just barely slip around. No window, which I guess is a fire hazard, but I can smell smoke early, so I don't worry about it. Landlord lets me keep a couple of chairs in the hallway, so that counts as my waiting room. The sign on the door says "Mac Jameson." Had a few people come around looking for the Crimson Flash, so I decided to change my professional name. I let a few of my clients know, the ones I thought were most likely to send more work my way. Warren, Davenport, and Liss. Most of the rest didn't seem like they'd be as good for word of mouth, so I hadn't bothered.

My nose told me that there was a small forest waiting for me, as I rounded the corner down the hall. Moss and oak. An undercurrent of deer skin, old enough to be weaker than the plants. And the personal scent of the elf, buried under it all. Instead of sitting in one of the chairs, she was pacing; a few yards past my door, then she turned around and went as far by the other way, the movement spreading the smells a bit more than would be normal. If she wasn't comfortable in the hall, she was going to love my closet.

I scratched lightly at my jaw, with the little bit of stubble there, and nodded to her when she stopped pacing to look up at me. "Mornin'. Come on in." I unlocked the door and stepped in, sliding through the scant space between my desk and the wall, and was again thankful for a narrow frame. If I was any broader, I'd have had to climb over the thing. The elf hadn't said anything, merely stepped in after me on the balls of her feet and stood behind the chair on the client side of the desk. "If this is at all sensitive, you'll want to close the door. People here aren't all that nosy, but they'll be walkin? up and down the hall." She continued to be just as talkative, shaking her head a bit. I shrugged and gestured to the chair. "Right. Have a seat. If you like." I wasn't surprised when she didn't take that offer either. "Well, hope you don't mind if I do." She shifted her weight between her feet as I sat down and plucked a pen from the desk drawer. Yellow legal pad on top of the blotter was already on a fresh page. "What can I do for you, miss...?"

I saw her nostrils twitch before she answered me. She wasn't a lycanthrope, not that I could smell, but I had a feeling she used her sense of smell more than most folks do anyway. "Mel'desaa. I am looking for my brother. Lorlit." I nodded, jotting down her name, and her brother's. "He has been gone for many days. Uncle saw his? car in this city while trading." She began fidgeting while I blinked at that.

I took a moment to look her over once more. She was short, even for an elf; maybe four foot six. It can be hard to tell with elves, but judging by her proportions I didn?t think she was going to be getting any taller. Her skin was dark, a deep tan from being outside much more often than in, and smooth, over subdued curves. Elves have a natural tendency toward being slender and delicate, and that?s what kept her looking feminine; there was enough tight muscle under her skin to take that away if she had the genes of a human. She had black hair, tied back in a braid with a few hawk feathers woven in, and incongruous pale blue eyes. She was wearing deerskin, and not much of it. I guessed that she was dressed as much as she was solely for the sensibilities of the city, and that she probably didn?t think too highly of them. Tight breeches that didn?t reach her knees and a scrap the size of a handkerchief tied over her chest. I remembered from the hall that she was wearing plain deerskin moccasins. All that, along with the smells she brought with her, screamed that she was a wood elf. ?His car??

It wasn?t quite pulling teeth, getting Mel?desaa to give me more information, but it wasn?t easy. She wasn?t the talkative type, and she didn?t offer much without being asked. I got a description of her brother from her: half a foot taller than her, with similar coloring (though his eyes were green instead of blue), and he wore his hair cut short. He also liked wearing suits; human technology wasn?t all we had that interested him. I also got a little more about his car, though all Mel?dessa could do was tell me was where it was and that it was black, and describe how it looked; I guessed it was something old, sixties or seventies, but I wouldn?t be sure until I went to take a look at it. She told me all she knew about the people Lorlit associated with in the city, which was nothing. I also got the address of the house he lived at. Since she didn?t seem to know much more that could help me, I told her I?d meet her back at the park the next morning, and we went our separate ways.

I lit up a cigarette as I walked back to my building. I don?t smoke in my office; it can turn off some clients, even if it didn?t turn into a full smoke screen fast in that little room with no ventilation. When I got to my building, I snubbed it out and lit another one, deciding to look over my notes outside. I took a sip of my coffee and tugged my pad out from under my arm. His house would obviously be the first place to look, which meant that his family would have looked there already. They might have missed something, or not thought of asking about Lorlit?s friends or job, but I had a hunch about the car. That would be my first stop, on a side street near the market. I took the legal pad up to my closet, put a note on the door to indicate I was out of the office on a case, and plucked up a pocket notebook before locking up and heading for the market.

I was right about the car, which turned out to be an old Impala. I didn?t smell any exhaust or motor oil, which meant it was either magicked or hadn?t been driven in a very long time. I glanced around to make sure I wasn?t being watched, then I reached in the open driver?s side window and popped the hood latch to confirm that it was the former. I?d only seen a couple of spellboxes in the past, and I didn?t know much about them, but I?d guess they weren?t any cheaper than the car itself.

A rented room outside the city, a preference for suits, and a car with a spellbox. Lorlit had a lot of money for someone from a culture that, to my knowledge, didn?t generally use currency among themselves. I was getting more curious about what he did to earn his living. I made a note to look into spellboxes, thinking there might be a way to trace it back to its maker, then went to take a look inside the car.

As usual, I let my nose take the lead. There was mold in the seats, even if I couldn?t see it. Wool, which would be from his suits and the fedora sitting on the dash. A faint touch of wine. Plastic, I guessed from the dash, which had a crack running across it that looked relatively recent. Soaked into the upholstery was the old tang of marijuana, probably from well before Lorlit got the car. I paused on that thought, and made a reassessment; some elves can live a damn long time, so he might easily be three times as old as this car, and may have got it quite a while ago. If I didn?t find out by the next morning, I?d have to ask Mel?desaa how long he?d had it; didn?t seem like it would matter much, but I couldn?t be sure. Mixed in with everything else was a hint of cologne and the scent of a person, which I guessed would be Lorlit. No one else was in the car enough to leave behind their scent, I supposed. There was something else, familiar, fainter than the other smells, but I couldn?t put my finger on it.

Lizzie?s address was a little apartment building, with an unlocked door leading to the lobby, which was occasionally used as a bedroom by transients, judging by the scent. I walked up to her apartment on the second floor, picking up the musty smell that means the place wasn?t cleaned often. Someone in another apartment was smoking a cigar; the smoke must have been seeping out around the door. I knocked on her door and waited. I heard someone shuffle around in the apartment at the end of the hall, but nothing moved in Lizzie?s apartment. I knocked again, and the door at the end of the hall opened the few inches the brass chain allowed, and I heard a hoarse woman?s voice. ?What do you want??

I glanced back at Lizzie?s silent door, then strolled down to the open door. ?I?m looking for Lizzie, ma?am.? The cigar smoke was coming out of this apartment, an older woman?s face pressed near the scant opening. She scowled at me, gaze moving from my head to my feet and back.

?She likes the extremes, don?t she.? It wasn?t a question. ?Got a little elf calling for her few weeks back, and now you, stretch.? The door closed, a bit harder than necessary, and I heard the chain scrape before she opened it all the way. The scent of rum wafted out to join the smoke that was rising out of an ashtray I could see behind her. ?Sorry to disappoint you, but miss Lizzie don?t live here any more. Got behind on the rent one too many times, so I had to send her packing.? She glanced over her shoulder at something in the room, then turned back to me. ?She offered to pay her back rent, but that was too little, too late.?

The landlady, then. That explained why she wanted to know what I was doing there. I nodded, slipping out my notepad and pen. ?That before or after the elf was here?? I took a glance over my shoulder, back toward Lizzie?s former apartment, then looked to the landlady again. ??don?t suppose you?d let me take a look in there, if she left anything behind??

?She didn?t.? That answer came pretty fast. I guessed that Lizzie had, in fact, left something behind. Probably something the landlady thought she?d be able to sell. Her eyes started getting narrow as she looked up at me, and her lips pursed in thought. ?You Watch??

I snorted, then shook my head. ?No, ma?am. Just lookin? for that elf that was here. He?s pulled a bit of a vanishing act, and someone wants him found.? I scratched at my jaw, then looked back to my notepad. ?So, anything you can tell me, I?d appreciate.?

She frowned at me, then nodded slightly. I suppose I passed her inspection and convinced her I wasn?t with the Watch. ?She was gone ?fore he showed up. Seemed upset, like it was my fault she didn?t pay rent. Then he stormed out.?

I frowned, thinking about that. ?Don?t suppose she left you a forwarding address?? When the landlady shook her head, I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. It was looking like my strongest lead had become a dead end in record time. Then a thought occurred to me; where would I go if I was looking to make some time, and my girl got evicted with no warning or forwarding address? I lifted my gaze from the tattered rug on the floor. ?There any bars right around here??

She sneered at me, then nodded. ?Nora?s. One block north, two west. Don?t come stumbling back here after you?re done drowning yer sorrows. I evict drunks from the lobby with Winnie over there.? She hooked a thumb over her shoulder and stepped a bit to the side, indicating a shotgun hanging on the wall. When she moved, I could see a burly man peering my way, sitting in a chair by the ashtray stand. I nodded to her, thanked her for her time, then got out of there. I considered trying to get in through Lizzie?s old window, but decided that could wait. Instead, I headed down to Nora?s.

After I came back from my second trip to the salad bar, Mrs. Warren went back into her narrative of the night she?d been turned. She?d told me before what had happened, briefly, so I was only half-listening, enough to nod or make a noncommittal sound when appropriate. Her husband chewed his steak with a look of patience that seemed unnatural on his face, and I guessed that he was using it to mask his lingering discomfort with the situation. I didn?t know if he?d ever grow comfortable with it, but the fact that he was giving it the effort was promising. Finally she wound down to the point when I went up to the Retreat and convinced her to go home, leaving out the bit about her husband already knowing what had happened to her. I don?t think she knew about that.

?Anyway, Mr. McTirin, I didn?t want you to meet with us just so I could tell you about me.? There was a bit of a flush on her cheeks, and I could smell a trace of alcohol on her husband?s breath. He held it better than her; she likely got her buzz directly from him, to judge by the two small puncture wounds I was studiously ignoring at the collar of his shirt. ?You told me you?ve had experience with this sort of thing before. I was?? She paused as he husband set down his fork and glanced at her. ?Well, we were wondering if you could be convinced to tell us about it. We don?t want to pry, of course, but? Well, we thought it might help.? There was just a touch of strain in her voice. They were trying, but it wasn?t going as smoothly as they?d like. ?I know it?s a lot to ask.?

I lifted my napkin to brush a bit of dressing from my lips and looked between them. I knew from the information I?d gotten when she was missing that they?d been married for quite some time. If Mr. Warren lied to me about there being no affairs or strains on their relationship (that he knew of, at least), he?d done it damn well. My own condition, at least the one I came to Rhy?Din with, was always more something I just didn?t talk about much than it was a secret. So I told them an abridged version. I left out a lot about Anna (after the apparition, I didn?t trust my composure if I?d have gone into any sort of detail), but I gave them the gist. I?m a werewolf, I hurt someone, I ran away, and I?ve regretted it since. I decided not to mention that I was pretty sure that I wouldn?t need heating when I got where I was going after this life was done; I?ve mostly kept that opinion to myself.

I?m not sure if she?d listened any more attentively to my tale as I had to hers; she nodded and made little noises at the right times, either way. Warren was looking at his wife, something not quite readable crossing his features. I guessed that he?d been listening at least as closely as she had, and hoped hearing an account of something not so different from her situation helped him to understand a bit better. I took a sip of my water, then lightly cleared my throat. ?Mr. Warren, something?s come up in another case that I was wondering if you might be able to help me with.? I had his attention now. ?I don?t know if you?ve had many gamblers come in for loans??

He shrugged, then smiled. ?How much did you say you charge for information?? He grinned and waved a hand dismissively when I was about to answer. ?I?m joking, of course. I pay my debts, Mr. McTirin, and feel I owe you a favor for coming out today. Now, gamblers? I try not to deal with giving loans to pay off gambling debts. Too big a chance of never being paid back. I know, to be frank, from personal experience. Whenever I needed to borrow to pay off my debt, in my gambling days, there was a big temptation to try and win back enough to pay off the loan. Which just put me deeper in the hole.? Mrs. Warren was nodding, though she wasn?t looking at either of us. ?Still, when someone comes in, I can?t always say for sure that they?re asking for a loan for the reason they give me, of course.?

I nodded, scratching my jaw. I couldn?t tell him all about the case, client confidentiality and all, but I figured I could safely tell him a little. ?I?m looking for someone who goes to Dock 21. You know anything about that place?? I was looking at Warren, but I could see his wife stiffen in the corner of my eye. He told me what to expect when I went by there to see if anyone had seen an elf in a suit.

I stopped by my apartment to change into clothing that was a little more upscale, then made my way to Dock 21. I felt a brief tingling as I stepped in, then studied the gamblers as best I could without being obvious as I made my way to the bar. Everyone in the place was human. Lorlit would have stuck out like a sore thumb, even if the clothing I?d seen at his place fit with the general styles of the place. I ordered a whiskey on rocks, then went to lose some money at the blackjack table.

The dealer was an attractive woman, uniform tailored to show off her curves, and I got the table to myself. It was still early in the evening. I lost a few hands and sipped at my whiskey some before seeing if she knew anything. ?Say, I was hoping to see a buddy of mine while I was here.? I?d just busted on another hand, and twisted in my seat to look around before turning back to her. ?Little guy with pointy ears. He told me he comes around here a lot.? I looked up from my hand to the dealer, but after an initial twitch, which could have been anything, she didn?t seem too interested in my friend.

?Haven?t seen him for a few weeks. I think he maybe got into an argument with Bruno and decided to cool his heels for a while before coming back. Dealer busts.? She slid some chips my way. They were the same as the one on the floor of the Impala. Something crawled around my mind for a moment, and I took a closer look at my cards. Same brand and design as the ones I?d been thumbing through back at Lorlit?s place.

?Any chance Bruno?s around? Maybe I can help square things.? I decided to quit while I was ahead. Or at least when I wasn?t so far behind. I gathered up my chips as she told me Bruno?d be in around midnight and that she wouldn?t give me good odds for squaring things. I thanked her and left the place. I could come back to chat with Bruno after I saw if there was anything in Lorlit?s trunk.

I glanced through the car?s windows as I went to the back. Looked like everything was just where I?d left it. That smell I couldn?t place was outside the car now, too, and I started to get a bad feeling about it. After a few tries, I found the right key and popped open the truck. I realized what the smell was just before I exposed its source and was almost knocked over by the stench of rotting flesh.

There was a big guy in a tight black t-shirt and jeans showing people out when I walked up to the door. He looked familiar. When I got close, he told me to come back at sundown without turning to look at my face. When I picked up the cigar smell, I knew where I?d seen him. The guy who was hanging out with Lizzie?s old landlord. I had a hunch, one I thought was pretty good, and I ran with it.

?I just want to chat, Bruno.? His name got his attention, and recognition flickered through his eyes when he looked me over. He grunted rather than say anything. ?See, I?m lookin? for a friend of mine. Little guy with pointy ears and classy clothes, by the name of Lorlit.?

His expression didn?t change, and he turned to lock the door before answering me. ?Doesn?t ring any bells. We don?t get many elves in here, bud. Most of ?em don?t get past my magic detector.? That explained the tingle I felt when I walked into the place earlier.

I nodded a bit as I got out a cigarette. He was standing in front of the door with his arms crossed, expression telling me I was holding him up. ?Blackjack dealer told me you and him had a little argument not long ago.? He frowned at that. ?So I know you?ve met the guy. She said maybe he was staying a way to cool down.?

?Don?t know why? Beth woulda told you that. Only reasons I argue with anyone in there is if they?re getting belligerent or cheating. The tough guys get the boot for a year, and the cheaters don?t never come back.? I noticed that he hesitated when he came to the dealer?s name. New girl, I supposed.

?And if they can?t pay up, you just break a few fingers, right??

Bruno smirked at me. ?Yeah, but that ain?t no argument.? He bumped my shoulder as he walked past me. I don?t think it moved me as much as he expected it to, because he paused a moment before picking up his pace again. ?Now, I gotta go.? I let him go, but I had a feeling I?d be talking to him again.

Bruno kept his mouth shut until the Watch pointed out that his fingerprints matched some they found on the shovel and Lorlit?s trunk lid. He managed to muster the smarts to wipe down the murder weapon, but ran out when it came to the other damning evidence. They make them big and tough where he comes from, sure, but not all that bright. He got a lovely basement cell with a view of a filthy alley.

I went down to the park and snapped Mel?Desaa?s charm. When she showed, she had a bag of coins for me. I guess whatever she had to do to earn my pay was preferable to sharing secrets. I can understand that. I told her that her brother?s murderer was locked up, and she thanked me before heading back to her woods. I found out later that Bruno?d caught an arrow in the throat a few days after I talked to her. I don?t approve of that sort of thing, but I decided to let it pass. In large part because I had a feeling I?d never find her if I tried. Might be why she didn?t want to teach me her woodcraft.

There was something rattling around in my head telling me that I hadn?t gotten it all figured out. It was a week or two before that something clicked into place. I got into costume to go visit the Watch. They told me where Bruno had lived, and let me borrow the necklace they?d pulled out of the dead elf?s hand. I switched back to street clothes before I went to check it out.

The place was dark when I got there, and the door locked, but I found a window that was left open, and let myself in that way. It put me in the kitchen, and I could smell burnt toast. The place certainly hadn?t been empty since I?d taken Bruno in. It didn?t take me long to find some pictures of Bruno smiling and holding onto the blackjack dealer whose name he had trouble with. I found a comfortable chair and took a seat, waiting for Beth to come home.

It was a couple hours later, and I was dozing when the latch on the door woke me up. I sat up straight and spoke as soon as she was inside. ?Evenin?, Lizzie.? She jumped at the sound of my voice, than gasped out the name I?d used when she saw me. ?You knew damn well that Lorlit wasn?t ever goin? back to Dock 21, didn?t you?? She just stood there, staring at me. ?See, I wasn?t sure if you were involved, what with getting evicted before he stopped by your apartment, but I had a feeling there?d be pictures of you here. And I thought I?d see if you were wearing your necklace in any of them.? I dropped the broken gold necklace on the coffee table in front of me. ?You were.?

She stared at the necklace, then glared at me and told me that the Watch wouldn?t buy it.

?Maybe they?d have their doubts if it?s my word against yours, sure. That?s why you?re going to turn yourself in and explain how you helped set the elf up.? She looked at me incredulously, so I pulled out my bluff. ?Either that, or I let Lorlit?s sister know about you. Then we can find out if she feels like Bruno was enough to avenge her brother?? I trailed off when her eyes got wide and scared. I stood up and stepped past her to the door. ?I?d ask for a cell without a window if I were in your shoes, darlin?.?