Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 26781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
I thought for a moment before shaking my head side to side. Arthur sighed and leaned forward, giving me a pleading look. "You've got to, mate. Imagine you found me like that and you had no answers." I already had, but I thought of it again, and felt my face scrunching up in discomfort. "Now imagine the one person who could help you avenge me refused to help. Imagine what a tosser he would be."
I gave him a glare while Daniel chuckled. Although my former partner was teasing, he was also serious, and he had a good point, though I wasn't going to tell him that.
"I take it you'd be going with me," I assumed, but scowled when Arthur shook his head no.
"I would, but Ella's baby is due any day now." Arthur and his beloved Lenore were expecting their first grandchild from their daughter Ella. I didn't realize how close the arrival was. I really was terrible at keeping up with my friends, which was probably why I had so few of them.
I couldn't blame him for not wanting to travel. He had a happy and thriving family, another thing I knew nothing about. But I wanted what was best for them, and I would hate for Arthur to miss the special birth.
Both he and Daniel gave matching pleading yet somehow guilt-inducing looks, and I sighed. Of course I had to go. As much as I wanted to put my police work behind me, I couldn't allow the monster who had committed such an egregious crime walk free. If I could help, I had to try.
"Will you at least feed Slippers while I'm gone?" I asked Arthur, who smirked. He knew he had me.
"Yes, I'll feed your cat." Slippers wasn't technically my cat; he was a feral animal who lived outside, but I kept cans of food to make sure he didn't go hungry.
"So does that mean you'll do it?" Daniel needlessly asked. When I begrudgingly nodded, he slapped his knees and stood up. "Brilliant! I'll notify Captain Mullins straight away."
He practically bounded from my home, not even gifting me with thanks, which didn't surprise me coming from him. Arthur, however, gave me a gentle smile and said, "I'm proud of you. You're doing a good thing, mate."
Nobody could say that for sure until I arrived in America and dove into the case. Being my cynical self, of course negative questions ran through my mind. What if I showed up and could offer nothing? What if their last hope was a bust? That could only make the situation worse. I took a deep breath and replied, "I hope so."
Chapter Two
Milan
I straightened my tie as I looked in the mirror, hoping to make a great first impression on Detective Prince, the mage on loan from England, and the man who would be my partner for the foreseeable future.
I hoped it was a short lived partnership, because our singular goal was to find the monster responsible for Micah’s death, and I wanted to find him quickly. The hunt had taken up all of my time and energy since the tragedy. But I wouldn’t stop searching. The culprit had taken everything from me; my partner, my best friend…my brother.
Despite the dark circles beneath my eyes from lack of sleep, and the black scruff on my cheeks from being too distracted to shave, I decided I was presentable enough and grabbed my car keys from the hook beside the door.
Before I left my apartment, I stopped to gaze at a photograph hanging on my wall; it was of Micah and me smiling together next to our birthday cake. Being twins, the shared day was always special for us. Everything about our relationship and connection was special, and Micah was the greatest man I’d ever known.
“I’ll find him,” I promised my brother, as I’d done every day since his murder. The photo gave me another idea; Micah always had an insatiable sweet tooth, and a giving nature. He would bring donuts and pastries into the department for the other officers. I thought it was a fitting way to meet Detective Prince; not only to honor Micah’s memory, but to show him how much I appreciated his presence and help.
I opened the door, having hope in my heart for the first time in weeks.
*****
Nigel
“Step off, ya bloody gits,” I snarled as I shoved my way across the subway platform. There were way too many people who were way too close to me. I hated crowds, which was exactly why I avoided them, living alone in a wide open space.
But there was no space to find here in New York; only large masses of loud people, cars driving bumper to bumper, and smells I didn’t care to identify. Everything had gone straight to hell from the moment I stepped onto the airplane in London.