Maggie Get Your Gun by Kate Danley

his messy office, “Maggie, you might think you’re
going to trick me into giving you information on Ghost Town, but I got your
number.  I bet you have a case you’re independently investigating and just
thinking you can use old Frank’s time and energy to line your pockets.”
    “Frank, these files are a matter of public record.”
    “These files are in my office and that makes them mine!” he
said.
    I saw my partner’s blonde mop sneak by behind the ogre. 
Killian’s hand popped up just long enough to give me a little “okay” sign and
then he disappeared out into the hallway.
    I shook my head dramatically, “Frank, I can’t believe you
would accuse me of such terrible things.  After all we’ve been through.”
    “The only thing we’ve been through is pain.  Specifically
the pain in my ass that I get whenever I see you.”
    I cocked my head, “That doesn’t quite sound like the put
down I think you’re trying to say…”
    “GET OUT!”
    He pointed at the exit.  I gave him an injured look that
could have won an Emmy and slammed the door as I left for dramatic effect.
    I sat down in the car with Killian, “Did you get it?”
    He proudly held up a stack of manila folders, “Frank truly
has a gift for filing.  The ease of finding whatever information you are
searching for is almost magical.”
    “Right?  It must be an ogre thing.”
    I started flipping through the pile of reports.  There were
a ton of them.  I knew I was going to be up all night with this reading.  You
know, if it didn’t put me to sleep halfway through the first page.
    I smiled, “It’s funny.  He accused me of double dipping.”
    “Are you?”
    “Killian, I am appalled you would think such a thing,” I
let it hang there for a minute, “Just because the police assigned me to find
the same brimstone necklace that Mr. Smith and Xioaming asked me to find...” 
    “What a fortunate coincidence.  So rarely do our own
desires align so directly with the desires of those who hope to benefit us
monetarily.”
    “Killian, that sentence just gave me a headache.”
    “How lucky you are that you get to save the world and get
paid.”
    “I suppose ‘lucky’ is a word for it.”
    “The majority of the time, you do it for free.”
    “Don’t go spreading it around.  I don’t want anyone to
start low-balling my day rate.”
    “Your secret is safe with me,” Killian smiled, “So, what
does the file say?”
    “It’s… interesting…”
    “What?”
    I put the file down on my lap, “Well, you remember that
little enclave of vampires we destroyed a few weeks ago?”
    “Indeed.  As much as I have tried not to.”
    “It seems that shortly thereafter there was a spike in
vampire deaths," I clarified, "Not vampire related deaths.  Actual
vampire deaths."
    I pulled out a handy little bar graph that some clerical
peon had probably been forced to generate, most likely for some stiflingly dull
slide presentation and handed it over to Killian.
    “Could it be a slayer?” he asked.
    “It would be awesome if it was,” I replied, “but it doesn’t
look like there are any retaliatory human killings.  Usually you see that sort
of thing if it’s a slayer going around offing vampires en masse.  I haven’t
noticed the vampires unleashing a world of holy hell upon our mortal butts lately.”
    Killian leaned back in his seat and stared at the roof of
the car.  I could practically hear the wheels clunking inside his head, “Which
would suggest some of the vampires were not pleased that Vaclav left them to
die in the enclave…  Perhaps we are truly looking at a vampire war.”
    “Exceeeept,” I said, pulling out another sheet of paper and
hating that I was about to throw a wrench in the nice little theory that was
unfolding before us, “here’s an accounting of some werewolf deaths.”
    “Really…” said Killian, looking over my shoulder.  He
grabbed the page and started scanning it.
    “It says here,” said Killian,