Death and the Faerie by Venter Jason

Author:Venter, Jason
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-08-28T00:00:00+00:00

XVIII.

I had been awake for only a few minutes the next morning, still working through a breakfast routine that included pouring a saucer of milk for Fuzzy and scarfing down some Fruity Pebbles myself, when the phone rang.

“I wasn’t sure you’d be awake yet,” Conor said, “but I thought you’d want a report as soon as we had everything gathered.”

I walked over to the couch and sat down on one end, the one opposite Fuzzy’s usual hangout. “So, what did you find? Anything exciting?”

“Not a lot. The most important information will probably keep you busy for a while, though, knowing your nose for clues. Have you given any more thought to a desk in the office?”

“Some. What did you find about Jasmine?”

“She’s the daughter of a real estate magnate, Alistair Brookings.”

“I feel like I’ve heard that name.”

“You probably have. He’s been active in the area for as long as you’ve been alive. Older than I am, and that’s saying something.”

“You’re not old,” I told him, because it seemed like the right thing to say. People don’t usually object to being told how young they are.

“Brookings is a reclusive sort,” Conor informed me. “Some men in real estate get in it for the power, maybe the adoration. They build big buildings. Maybe it makes up for other deficiencies.”

“Was that a penis joke?”

“I guess it sounded like one. But no, I was talking about more general things. From what I can tell, he hasn’t been a great father. Or maybe he’s just a private father, which would be in keeping with his tendencies elsewhere. I think the most recent picture of him is a few years old now. He’s alive and well, I presume, hiding somewhere in his palatial estate.”

“Palatial?”

“Not my words. Someone’s words. This is all cobbled together from a few reports, you understand. My agents stayed busy most of yesterday evening.”

“Useful,” I murmured.

“Very useful.” He chuckled. “If I were a young person, say about your age, I could assign them to work on the information gathering, and that would leave me to wander the streets doing the more important work. You understand?”

“I understand,” I said. “You’re not going to let it go, are you?”

“Not while there’s a chance you’ll accept.”

“Well, maybe I like the chances of that happening a little better if you don’t bring it up all the time. I’ll think it over some more, and thanks for the information on Jasmine. I’m not sure yet what I can do with it, but I’ll think of something.”

“I’m sure you will, Molly. And whatever you do, be careful. As far as I know, Alistair has stayed on the right side of the law. But with that kind of money and power, it might just be he’s good at burying bodies.”

“There’s a cheery thought.”

“Just something to keep in mind. If he’s close to his daughter, he also might not appreciate you sniffing around her life.”

“Hard to do that when I can’t even find her,” I told him. “But thanks for the warning.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.