face that he is unsettled but accepting, so
I go on with my news. “After your forensics team left, I did another search
with my sixth sense and found an amulet in the bushes. After some research, I
learned it’s an ancient piece with significant powers. I have it placed in an
evidence bag and stored safely for now. What’s interesting is the piece of dark
red thread caught in the clasp. Do you want us to keep it, or do you want to
store it in the evidence locker?”
Gambino looks up. “That’s very interesting. The preliminary
report from the M.E. said a red thread was snagged in the boy’s fingernail. I
think I’d like to see it, so if you could bring it down, that would be
excellent.”
I nod. “You can start taking notes again.”
When he lifts his pencil, I go on. “When I went back to the
Cock and Bull Tap to question the bartender about the man in the red cloak, I
got the following description: he’s in his forties or fifties, is about six feet
tall and thin with a long nose. He has a neatly trimmed, full beard and
mustache. His facial hair is dark brown to black and slightly graying. Eyes are
also dark. Head hair could not be seen due to the cloak’s hood. He was well
dressed in trousers, a white dress shirt, and a tie.”
When I stop speaking, Gambino stops taking notes. That is
what I like about Gambino. He’s a professional with good attention to detail.
I step forward and ask, “Does that description match anyone
in the family?”
Gambino says, “It doesn’t match the father, and no other men
lived in the household.”
I pause to think for a moment. “Do you know what the boy’s gift
was?”
Gambino leans back in his chair, stretching his legs out.
“That was one of the strange things. Neither parent seemed to know. It makes
sense from the father because he wanted nothing to do with the boy after
finding out he was Gifted. But the boy’s mother stuck up for him, and I would
have thought she would know. All she said was that the gift was kind of crazy
and would interfere with other magic. That’s all she knew for sure.”
I try to give this information some context for Gambino. “Sometimes
when a child has a gift, it takes a while for them to figure out how to work
it. The gifts usually show themselves around puberty, so this boy may have just
been a late bloomer, gift-wise. I myself struggled to understand my gift. Since
a child’s gift is usually nothing like their parents’, even a Gifted parent
can’t guide their child in understanding their own gift.”
Gambino’s eyes reveal a new understanding when I finish.
Then he asks, “Do you have anything else?”
“Well, yes and no.” I fiddle with my hands as I say this
next part. “This morning I was disarmed and held briefly at knife point while a
masked man asked me about the amulet.”
At this Gambino stands up and curses. “Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph!”
I feel his protective streak resurface, and I wait patiently
for him to sit down and reassume his mask of calm. When he does, I go on.
“I didn’t see anything new or helpful beyond the description
the bartender gave me, but the man could have fit that description. Obviously
because he was masked I can’t identify him. I was able to get away, but by the
time I reached my gun and turned around, he was gone. He did his disappearing
act again.”
Gambino raps his fingers loudly on the desk. “The
disappearing man,” he muses. “Is there anything else I should know about?”
I give him a wry smile. “No, not at this time. I do want to
talk to the parents myself though. Can you send their information over to my
office?”
“Sure. Let me see you out, then.”
I pick up my privacy charm, and Gambino escorts me back to
the sallyport.
As I walk to my car, I notice that Officer Schmidt and his
cohort are standing by a patrol car talking. They’re standing in profile and
must be able to see me, but they make it a point to ignore me.
As I hop in my car, my chimerator
I go on with my news. “After your forensics team left, I did another search
with my sixth sense and found an amulet in the bushes. After some research, I
learned it’s an ancient piece with significant powers. I have it placed in an
evidence bag and stored safely for now. What’s interesting is the piece of dark
red thread caught in the clasp. Do you want us to keep it, or do you want to
store it in the evidence locker?”
Gambino looks up. “That’s very interesting. The preliminary
report from the M.E. said a red thread was snagged in the boy’s fingernail. I
think I’d like to see it, so if you could bring it down, that would be
excellent.”
I nod. “You can start taking notes again.”
When he lifts his pencil, I go on. “When I went back to the
Cock and Bull Tap to question the bartender about the man in the red cloak, I
got the following description: he’s in his forties or fifties, is about six feet
tall and thin with a long nose. He has a neatly trimmed, full beard and
mustache. His facial hair is dark brown to black and slightly graying. Eyes are
also dark. Head hair could not be seen due to the cloak’s hood. He was well
dressed in trousers, a white dress shirt, and a tie.”
When I stop speaking, Gambino stops taking notes. That is
what I like about Gambino. He’s a professional with good attention to detail.
I step forward and ask, “Does that description match anyone
in the family?”
Gambino says, “It doesn’t match the father, and no other men
lived in the household.”
I pause to think for a moment. “Do you know what the boy’s gift
was?”
Gambino leans back in his chair, stretching his legs out.
“That was one of the strange things. Neither parent seemed to know. It makes
sense from the father because he wanted nothing to do with the boy after
finding out he was Gifted. But the boy’s mother stuck up for him, and I would
have thought she would know. All she said was that the gift was kind of crazy
and would interfere with other magic. That’s all she knew for sure.”
I try to give this information some context for Gambino. “Sometimes
when a child has a gift, it takes a while for them to figure out how to work
it. The gifts usually show themselves around puberty, so this boy may have just
been a late bloomer, gift-wise. I myself struggled to understand my gift. Since
a child’s gift is usually nothing like their parents’, even a Gifted parent
can’t guide their child in understanding their own gift.”
Gambino’s eyes reveal a new understanding when I finish.
Then he asks, “Do you have anything else?”
“Well, yes and no.” I fiddle with my hands as I say this
next part. “This morning I was disarmed and held briefly at knife point while a
masked man asked me about the amulet.”
At this Gambino stands up and curses. “Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph!”
I feel his protective streak resurface, and I wait patiently
for him to sit down and reassume his mask of calm. When he does, I go on.
“I didn’t see anything new or helpful beyond the description
the bartender gave me, but the man could have fit that description. Obviously
because he was masked I can’t identify him. I was able to get away, but by the
time I reached my gun and turned around, he was gone. He did his disappearing
act again.”
Gambino raps his fingers loudly on the desk. “The
disappearing man,” he muses. “Is there anything else I should know about?”
I give him a wry smile. “No, not at this time. I do want to
talk to the parents myself though. Can you send their information over to my
office?”
“Sure. Let me see you out, then.”
I pick up my privacy charm, and Gambino escorts me back to
the sallyport.
As I walk to my car, I notice that Officer Schmidt and his
cohort are standing by a patrol car talking. They’re standing in profile and
must be able to see me, but they make it a point to ignore me.
As I hop in my car, my chimerator
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