send out an officer to take a report."
"Huh. Not to this neighborhood, that's for sure," Olinda muttered. "Now, if this apartment complex was up on Ruin View Hill, they'd have someone out quicker 'n a man can say he's gotta take a leak."
"Thank you for that insightful observation," Lydia said. "Let's not forget that we do have a clue or two. He used a ghost in the course of an attempted burglary. We know he was a hunter."
"And a young one," Emmett added absently. "With a very limited amount of training."
"You're certain?"
"Reasonably certain." Emmett went to stand at the sliding window that opened onto the balcony. "But those two facts leave us with a very large group of suspects. The cops will be too busy to bother with this, but we've got another option."
There was a short, stark silence behind him.
"Are you suggesting that we take this to the Guild?" Lydia asked eventually.
"It's local Guild business when a hunter uses his talents to commit crimes," Emmett reminded her.
"What makes you think we'll get the time of day from those thugs?" she demanded. "No offense, Emmett, but for all we know, the Guild itself is involved in this."
"No way, Lydia." Zane's voice was hot with feeling. "The Guild polices its own. Everyone knows that. Ever since the Era of Discord, the hunters have taken care of any member who went renegade."
"Yes, of course," Lydia said dryly. "How could I forget my history so easily? We all know the Guild deals with its own internal problems. I can't imagine what got into me to even suggest that it wouldn't fall all over itself to help outsiders prove one of its members was a knife-wielding burglar who likes to terrorize people with ghosts."
Emmett ignored the sarcasm in her voice. "I'll talk to the head of the Cadence Guild tomorrow."
"Mercer Wyatt?" She stared at him in disbelief. "You think you can just walk up to his front door and ask to speak to him? You're crazy. And you're also from out of town. That means that even though you're a hunter, you're not a member of the local Guild. What makes you think Wyatt will see you?"
"Professional courtesy."
She blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
He shrugged. "You can come with me if you like."
She looked slightly stunned. But she recovered swiftly. "Sorry. I've got a funeral to attend."
Olinda looked blank. "Anyone I know?"
" Chester Brady."
"Oh, yeah, right. Chester." Olinda shook her head. "Reckon you were the closest thing he had to a friend. Not that that's saying much about Chester's circle of acquaintances."
"I'll go with you," Emmett said. "My meeting with Wyatt isn't until seven o'clock in the evening."
Lydia frowned. "You've already got an appointment with him? At night?"
"I've been invited to dinner," Emmett said.
They all stared at him this time. The only one whose eyes were not opened unnaturally wide was Fuzz.
"Holy shit!" Zane mouthed in awe. "You've been invited to dinner with Mercer Wyatt?"
"I'll be damned," Olinda breathed.
"Exactly," Lydia said. "Better take a very long spoon."
She was in the tomb chamber again. Ancient though it was, it glowed faintly with the mysterious ambient green light emitted by the quartz walls. She knew the eerie luminescence was dangerous because it masked the energy of the illusion traps and the ghosts the Old Ones had set to guard their underground maze.
She could see the dark opening to the antechamber. She went toward it, just as she always did in this dream; and then she sensed the presence behind her, just as she always did. She started to turn, glimpsed the shifting of shadows, felt the cold chill...
She woke with a start, shivering. For a moment she could not think where she was. The disorientation was stronger this time. The chilly sensation was new, though.
Another cold draft swept across the bed. Then came the muted sound of the sliding glass door closing out in the living room. Belatedly she recalled that she and Fuzz were not alone in the apartment tonight. The knowledge that Emmett
"Huh. Not to this neighborhood, that's for sure," Olinda muttered. "Now, if this apartment complex was up on Ruin View Hill, they'd have someone out quicker 'n a man can say he's gotta take a leak."
"Thank you for that insightful observation," Lydia said. "Let's not forget that we do have a clue or two. He used a ghost in the course of an attempted burglary. We know he was a hunter."
"And a young one," Emmett added absently. "With a very limited amount of training."
"You're certain?"
"Reasonably certain." Emmett went to stand at the sliding window that opened onto the balcony. "But those two facts leave us with a very large group of suspects. The cops will be too busy to bother with this, but we've got another option."
There was a short, stark silence behind him.
"Are you suggesting that we take this to the Guild?" Lydia asked eventually.
"It's local Guild business when a hunter uses his talents to commit crimes," Emmett reminded her.
"What makes you think we'll get the time of day from those thugs?" she demanded. "No offense, Emmett, but for all we know, the Guild itself is involved in this."
"No way, Lydia." Zane's voice was hot with feeling. "The Guild polices its own. Everyone knows that. Ever since the Era of Discord, the hunters have taken care of any member who went renegade."
"Yes, of course," Lydia said dryly. "How could I forget my history so easily? We all know the Guild deals with its own internal problems. I can't imagine what got into me to even suggest that it wouldn't fall all over itself to help outsiders prove one of its members was a knife-wielding burglar who likes to terrorize people with ghosts."
Emmett ignored the sarcasm in her voice. "I'll talk to the head of the Cadence Guild tomorrow."
"Mercer Wyatt?" She stared at him in disbelief. "You think you can just walk up to his front door and ask to speak to him? You're crazy. And you're also from out of town. That means that even though you're a hunter, you're not a member of the local Guild. What makes you think Wyatt will see you?"
"Professional courtesy."
She blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
He shrugged. "You can come with me if you like."
She looked slightly stunned. But she recovered swiftly. "Sorry. I've got a funeral to attend."
Olinda looked blank. "Anyone I know?"
" Chester Brady."
"Oh, yeah, right. Chester." Olinda shook her head. "Reckon you were the closest thing he had to a friend. Not that that's saying much about Chester's circle of acquaintances."
"I'll go with you," Emmett said. "My meeting with Wyatt isn't until seven o'clock in the evening."
Lydia frowned. "You've already got an appointment with him? At night?"
"I've been invited to dinner," Emmett said.
They all stared at him this time. The only one whose eyes were not opened unnaturally wide was Fuzz.
"Holy shit!" Zane mouthed in awe. "You've been invited to dinner with Mercer Wyatt?"
"I'll be damned," Olinda breathed.
"Exactly," Lydia said. "Better take a very long spoon."
She was in the tomb chamber again. Ancient though it was, it glowed faintly with the mysterious ambient green light emitted by the quartz walls. She knew the eerie luminescence was dangerous because it masked the energy of the illusion traps and the ghosts the Old Ones had set to guard their underground maze.
She could see the dark opening to the antechamber. She went toward it, just as she always did in this dream; and then she sensed the presence behind her, just as she always did. She started to turn, glimpsed the shifting of shadows, felt the cold chill...
She woke with a start, shivering. For a moment she could not think where she was. The disorientation was stronger this time. The chilly sensation was new, though.
Another cold draft swept across the bed. Then came the muted sound of the sliding glass door closing out in the living room. Belatedly she recalled that she and Fuzz were not alone in the apartment tonight. The knowledge that Emmett
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