understand that the financial success of the
business depends on servicing both a human and a vampire clientele, I will select an investigator
to work at night. This investigator will be the junior partner in the detective agency and you will
have full use of his or her services.”
“Do I have any input in the selection process?”
“No,” he said curtly. “I’m told that you’re a talented detective, Mr. Welles. From time to
time, I will put different investigators in that position. It’s my hope that they will learn from you.
All financial remuneration that the business receives will go to you, and you’ll also keep
whatever money is currently in the business account. Consider it your payment for the on-the-job training of my investigators. I have no need for money.”
Bain opened the folder. “Joshua owned an apartment in the Uptown District. I’ll retain that.
He also owned a vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee. You’re welcome to that if you want it.”
“Gas is hard to get, and expensive,” I said.
“The vehicle has all the proper stickers. You can fill it at any police station or government
motor pool at no cost.” He paused. “Yes or no?”
“Yes,” I said.
He made a notation in the file. “For the duration of this case, I will be assigning two people
to assist you. One is a vampire, and will be your direct link to my office. The other will be
human and will be available for whatever you require.”
“I guess you’re not looking for input on them either,” I said.
Bain studied me for a moment. “For the vampire, no. This is a sensitive situation. It will be
a member of my staff. As for the human . . .” He paused. “If you have someone in mind, I’ll
entertain a suggestion.”
“I’ll give it some thought. What else?”
He removed a piece of paper from the folder and slid it across the desk, then laid a pen on
top of it. “Read it and sign it.”
I skimmed the document. It was an employment contract, detailing everything he’d
mentioned. He’d already signed it. I hesitated for a moment, then signed.
“Good,” he said, sliding another piece of paper to me as I pushed the contract back across
the desk. “Your copy of the contract.”
I folded it and stuck it in my pocket.
He reached into the desk and came out with something else that he pushed across to me. I
stared at it. “Haven’t seen one of those in a while. Does it work?”
“I wouldn’t give it to you if it didn’t work, Mr. Welles.”
I picked up the cell phone. “I thought they were outlawed.”
“To the general populace, both human and vampire,” he said, putting the file folder back in
the desk. “Cell phone transmissions are relatively easy to encrypt, time-consuming to decrypt,
and it’s not easy to locate the caller with any degree of accuracy unless the phone has a Global
Positioning System chip installed. And GPS chips can be removed or bypassed. After the war, it
was decided that we would remove the temptation to cause mischief. Perhaps one day that won’t
be a problem.”
He jerked his chin at the phone in my hand. “You’ll have the use of the phone for the
duration of this case. It has three programmed speed-dial buttons at the top. The first rings the
Area Operations Center. Identify yourself and they’ll patch you through to me or provide
whatever assistance you might require. It’s manned around the clock. The second rings here, in
my home. The third rings my personal cell phone. If you need to contact me, for whatever reason,
use those numbers, in that order. I’ll see that a recharger is placed in the Jeep Cherokee when
it’s delivered to you.”
“Kind of an old fashioned phone, sir,” I said with a smile. “Don’t you have something with a
touch screen and some apps?”
“It’s a telephone, Mr. Welles. You don’t need apps.”
“Right. What else.”
He picked up the red phone and said, “This is Phillip Bain. I need credentials issued for a
Charles Lawrence Welles.”
business depends on servicing both a human and a vampire clientele, I will select an investigator
to work at night. This investigator will be the junior partner in the detective agency and you will
have full use of his or her services.”
“Do I have any input in the selection process?”
“No,” he said curtly. “I’m told that you’re a talented detective, Mr. Welles. From time to
time, I will put different investigators in that position. It’s my hope that they will learn from you.
All financial remuneration that the business receives will go to you, and you’ll also keep
whatever money is currently in the business account. Consider it your payment for the on-the-job training of my investigators. I have no need for money.”
Bain opened the folder. “Joshua owned an apartment in the Uptown District. I’ll retain that.
He also owned a vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee. You’re welcome to that if you want it.”
“Gas is hard to get, and expensive,” I said.
“The vehicle has all the proper stickers. You can fill it at any police station or government
motor pool at no cost.” He paused. “Yes or no?”
“Yes,” I said.
He made a notation in the file. “For the duration of this case, I will be assigning two people
to assist you. One is a vampire, and will be your direct link to my office. The other will be
human and will be available for whatever you require.”
“I guess you’re not looking for input on them either,” I said.
Bain studied me for a moment. “For the vampire, no. This is a sensitive situation. It will be
a member of my staff. As for the human . . .” He paused. “If you have someone in mind, I’ll
entertain a suggestion.”
“I’ll give it some thought. What else?”
He removed a piece of paper from the folder and slid it across the desk, then laid a pen on
top of it. “Read it and sign it.”
I skimmed the document. It was an employment contract, detailing everything he’d
mentioned. He’d already signed it. I hesitated for a moment, then signed.
“Good,” he said, sliding another piece of paper to me as I pushed the contract back across
the desk. “Your copy of the contract.”
I folded it and stuck it in my pocket.
He reached into the desk and came out with something else that he pushed across to me. I
stared at it. “Haven’t seen one of those in a while. Does it work?”
“I wouldn’t give it to you if it didn’t work, Mr. Welles.”
I picked up the cell phone. “I thought they were outlawed.”
“To the general populace, both human and vampire,” he said, putting the file folder back in
the desk. “Cell phone transmissions are relatively easy to encrypt, time-consuming to decrypt,
and it’s not easy to locate the caller with any degree of accuracy unless the phone has a Global
Positioning System chip installed. And GPS chips can be removed or bypassed. After the war, it
was decided that we would remove the temptation to cause mischief. Perhaps one day that won’t
be a problem.”
He jerked his chin at the phone in my hand. “You’ll have the use of the phone for the
duration of this case. It has three programmed speed-dial buttons at the top. The first rings the
Area Operations Center. Identify yourself and they’ll patch you through to me or provide
whatever assistance you might require. It’s manned around the clock. The second rings here, in
my home. The third rings my personal cell phone. If you need to contact me, for whatever reason,
use those numbers, in that order. I’ll see that a recharger is placed in the Jeep Cherokee when
it’s delivered to you.”
“Kind of an old fashioned phone, sir,” I said with a smile. “Don’t you have something with a
touch screen and some apps?”
“It’s a telephone, Mr. Welles. You don’t need apps.”
“Right. What else.”
He picked up the red phone and said, “This is Phillip Bain. I need credentials issued for a
Charles Lawrence Welles.”
Similar Books
