The Stein & Candle Detective Agency, Vol. 3: Red Reunion (The Stein & Candle Detective Agency #3) by Michael Panush
Authors: Michael Panush
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gleaming in the sunlight so it looked like everything was dappled with silver.
“Chad, please don’t get into a fight with him,” Selena said and he clammed up.
I smiled. “The little lady’s got you on a short leash, huh? What’s a matter? You light in the pants like your other hipster friends?”
That made Chad angry. He turned around and glared at me. “Selena, I can’t tolerate this guy! I just can’t! He’s so full of himself, hates everything that isn’t like him, and he’s a square! I love you and your kid brother’s cool, but Mort Candle is an idiot and brute!”
“I’ll show you a brute, you spoiled brat—”
“Wait!” Weatherby stopped us all. He pointed past the parking lot, to the gnarled roots of a tall tree. “Are those clothes?”
We all left the car and ran to get a better look. Sure enough, a bulky trench coat, fedora, silver suit jacket, matching paints and shoes, and a bolo tie lay in the ground, half-covered by dirt. Footprints led away from the clothes. They weren’t made by human feet. They had three claws, like they belonged on some bird or lizard. I held up one of the shoes, watching the rhinestones glow like pale fire in the sunlight. We all knew who had left these. Gabriel had been here.
“The lounge lizard didn’t do much to hide his trail.” I let the shining shoe fall into the dirt.
“He was in a hurry, perhaps,” Weatherby suggested. “Shall we follow the footprints?”
“Sure.” I patted the twin .45s I carried in crossed shoulder-holsters. There wasn’t much that wouldn’t be stopped by a bullet from one of those. “As long as it’s okay with lower class Fauntleroy, here.”
“It’s fine by me, man,” Chad retorted. “Lead on.”
We walked after the footprints, following them as they wandered seemingly at random between the trees. Those trees seemed to grow closer and closer together, and it wasn’t long before I noticed long curling vines had wrapped around them. The temperature was rising. Sweat appeared on my forehead and dampened the sleeves of my coat. The smart part of my brain was yelling at me to go back and forget about the case, but I didn’t listen. We kept on walking, leaving a temperate mountain forest and walking into a jungle.
After a few more minutes, the trees widened out into a clearing, near the banks of a mighty river. Tall mountains reared up in the distance, piercing a primeval mist. Tropical birds fluttered around in the branches, but they didn’t have feathers, only scales. We weren’t in Kansas anymore.
“Good Heavens,” Selena whispered. “We have entered another world.”
Weatherby shivered as he reached into his coat. “I don’t think we’re alone either.”
He was right. I heard something behind us, pattering through the forest on clawed feet. I turned around, reaching for my pistols. Chad held protectively to Selena, pulling her to close to him. She put a hand on Weatherby’s shoulder. They made a strange trio – this beatnik, cute college girl and spindly teenage occultist – but I guess they were a family nonetheless.
But they wouldn’t last long if I wasn’t tough enough. I turned around – just in time to see something step out of the jungle. It was a lizard the size of a timber wolf, walking on two long legs tipped with curved claws, with a narrow snout full of glowing green teeth and eyes full of hate and hunger. Its scales were tan, with stripes the color of dried blood. The lizard looked hungry. I decided to feed it.
I drew my automatics as it charged us, hissing madly. The lizard pounced. I fired, my bullet striking it square in the skull. The lizard fell at my feet, writhing in the red dirt as it died. I looked up, happy with my kill. “He wasn’t that tough,” I said. “Maybe I should take him back, get him stuffed and put in a hunting lodge. What do you think, kiddo?”
“Mort?” Weatherby pointed into the jungle. “I’m afraid he has friends.”
He was right. Dozens of
“Chad, please don’t get into a fight with him,” Selena said and he clammed up.
I smiled. “The little lady’s got you on a short leash, huh? What’s a matter? You light in the pants like your other hipster friends?”
That made Chad angry. He turned around and glared at me. “Selena, I can’t tolerate this guy! I just can’t! He’s so full of himself, hates everything that isn’t like him, and he’s a square! I love you and your kid brother’s cool, but Mort Candle is an idiot and brute!”
“I’ll show you a brute, you spoiled brat—”
“Wait!” Weatherby stopped us all. He pointed past the parking lot, to the gnarled roots of a tall tree. “Are those clothes?”
We all left the car and ran to get a better look. Sure enough, a bulky trench coat, fedora, silver suit jacket, matching paints and shoes, and a bolo tie lay in the ground, half-covered by dirt. Footprints led away from the clothes. They weren’t made by human feet. They had three claws, like they belonged on some bird or lizard. I held up one of the shoes, watching the rhinestones glow like pale fire in the sunlight. We all knew who had left these. Gabriel had been here.
“The lounge lizard didn’t do much to hide his trail.” I let the shining shoe fall into the dirt.
“He was in a hurry, perhaps,” Weatherby suggested. “Shall we follow the footprints?”
“Sure.” I patted the twin .45s I carried in crossed shoulder-holsters. There wasn’t much that wouldn’t be stopped by a bullet from one of those. “As long as it’s okay with lower class Fauntleroy, here.”
“It’s fine by me, man,” Chad retorted. “Lead on.”
We walked after the footprints, following them as they wandered seemingly at random between the trees. Those trees seemed to grow closer and closer together, and it wasn’t long before I noticed long curling vines had wrapped around them. The temperature was rising. Sweat appeared on my forehead and dampened the sleeves of my coat. The smart part of my brain was yelling at me to go back and forget about the case, but I didn’t listen. We kept on walking, leaving a temperate mountain forest and walking into a jungle.
After a few more minutes, the trees widened out into a clearing, near the banks of a mighty river. Tall mountains reared up in the distance, piercing a primeval mist. Tropical birds fluttered around in the branches, but they didn’t have feathers, only scales. We weren’t in Kansas anymore.
“Good Heavens,” Selena whispered. “We have entered another world.”
Weatherby shivered as he reached into his coat. “I don’t think we’re alone either.”
He was right. I heard something behind us, pattering through the forest on clawed feet. I turned around, reaching for my pistols. Chad held protectively to Selena, pulling her to close to him. She put a hand on Weatherby’s shoulder. They made a strange trio – this beatnik, cute college girl and spindly teenage occultist – but I guess they were a family nonetheless.
But they wouldn’t last long if I wasn’t tough enough. I turned around – just in time to see something step out of the jungle. It was a lizard the size of a timber wolf, walking on two long legs tipped with curved claws, with a narrow snout full of glowing green teeth and eyes full of hate and hunger. Its scales were tan, with stripes the color of dried blood. The lizard looked hungry. I decided to feed it.
I drew my automatics as it charged us, hissing madly. The lizard pounced. I fired, my bullet striking it square in the skull. The lizard fell at my feet, writhing in the red dirt as it died. I looked up, happy with my kill. “He wasn’t that tough,” I said. “Maybe I should take him back, get him stuffed and put in a hunting lodge. What do you think, kiddo?”
“Mort?” Weatherby pointed into the jungle. “I’m afraid he has friends.”
He was right. Dozens of
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