Requiem: A Montague & Strong Detective Novel (Montague & Strong Case Files Book 13) by Orlando A. Sanchez

Author:Orlando A. Sanchez [Sanchez, Orlando A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bitten Peaches Publishing
Published: 2021-05-21T22:00:00+00:00

SIXTEEN

We crossed over the 59th Street Bridge and headed back downtown.

The Balfour TINY was a three-story brownstone located at 135 West Broadway, in the heart of Tribeca. I parked the Dark Goat and stood outside the pink building, looking at the facade.

“It’s pink,” I said as Monty got out. I held the door for my hellhound, Sprawler DeSprawl, as he stretched his way out of the car. “This building is…very pink.”

I placed a hand on the roof of the Dark Goat and locked it.

“I believe the color is called rose,” Monty said, stepping to the door of the restaurant located on the ground floor. “This is a pastel shade in the pink family.”

“Thank you, Mr. Pantone,” I said, staring at him. “I’ll stick with pink.”

“Are you certain this is the place?”

“What do you mean am I certain? Didn’t she tell you, too?”

“If she had, why would I ask?”

“Good point,” I said, nodding and searching my memory. “This is the place, but I don’t think we’re going to find any Balfours here. I mean, it has charm, but upscale this is not.”

“Let’s not be fooled by appearances,” Monty said. “For all intents and purposes, you and your creature look like an average man and his dog. We both know that is far from the truth.”

“Yes, we are both way above average,” I said, patting Peaches’ head. “It’s actually not that hard to see.”

“I’d say one of you is above average in ability, and the other, above average in his capacity to induce migraines,” Monty said. “I’ll leave you to figure out which is which.”

“I’ve never heard of this place before,” I said, looking around the entrance. Everything was turned off and the restaurant looked closed for business. “What kind of name is TINY?”

“A small one,” Monty said, moving to the door and locating a barely visible rune. “Here.”

“Was that mage humor?” I asked. “Because that almost sounded droll. Did the schism activate your inner comedian?”

“I don’t even know the meaning of the word,” Monty said, pressing a sequence of runes. “TINY stands for Temporal Interstitial Neutral Yard. Think of the Randy Rump as a portal to another location—that is what a TINY is. This one happens to lead to the Balfour Enclave. There.”

The runes on the door flashed with orange light for a half a second before disappearing. The lock mechanism unlocked with an audible click as Monty pushed the door.

We stepped into a large dining area, complete with fireplace. A large bar dominated one side of the floor. Several people were seated there, enjoying drinks and engaging in conversation. The main dining area was filled with small round tables.

Patrons sat at the tables, most of them couples. The first thing that made me realize this place was different was the lack of attention. No one gave us a second glance. Everyone was completely immersed in their conversations.

I could understand not looking at Monty or me, but ignoring a hellhound? It took me a few seconds to adjust to the feeling of normalcy.

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