Wild Magic by Ann Macela

results. Usually your inborn talents confer on you the abilities connected with your profession. The most powerful and ancient items—and there are a few ‘good’ items also, by the way—not only make your spells incredibly effective, they can also give you powers not related to your talents. For example, it might let you cast a lightning bolt, a spell your natural talents don’t include.”
    Whipple took up the tale. “Let’s say Ubell wants to get a shipment of drugs through Customs. His Stone could help him cast spells affecting the inspectors so they either find nothing or don’t even look. With the power of his item, he could cast these spells from far away”
    “Or,” Irenee said, “it could enchant his buyers to give him more money”
    “Or,” Sabel added, “influence a judge or jury in his favor.”
    “The Stone has that kind of power?” Jim asked. Whoa. If, and it was still a big if, this kind of magic actually existed, he had to reassess the situation. The task force might have some real problems.
    “Yes,” Sabel answered. “You may have a more immediate difficulty. If I may ask, was the information you took from those flash drives financial?”
    “Yeah, it was. Extensive accounting records, from what the bean counters are saying.”
    “The Finsters are a rare family where the inherited talents stayed in one area—numbers, accounting, and finance,” Sabel went on. “Both Alton and Ubell are CPAs and have MBAs. Under ordinary circumstances, their non-magic skill to manipulate the books would make them extremely difficult to audit. With the Cataclysm Stone enhancing their inherent powers, it might be impossible to find enough illegal manipulations or discrepancies in the accounts to stand up in a court of law. Even an auditor practitioner would have only a small chance of negating the spells.”
    “Then we need to get our hands on his Stone,” Jim said. “If we have it, he can’t use it, right?”
    “There we have a predicament,” Whipple, admitted with a grimace. “We don’t know exactly where it is. We think it’s in the Finster mansion and shielded by very powerful spells. Finding it will take a team of experts and be extremely dangerous.”
    “Oh, great.” Jim sat forward and rubbed his hands over his face. This mess was giving him a headache.
    “There’s more we need to discuss, but it’s almost six thirty.” Whipple rose. “Before we go farther, I have an idea I’d like to check out, and I need Hugh’s help to do so. Why don’t you and Irenee have some dinner, and come back here in about an hour and a half? I should have some answers by that time.”
    Jim looked over at Irenee. She was frowning at Whipple, and he thought she might refuse.
    “Yes, go on, my dear,” her father said. “You really need to replenish your energy.”
    “But...” Irenee glanced from Whipple to her father and finally to Jim, who stood.
    He wasn’t sure he wanted to let the men out of his sight. On the other hand, having dinner with her sounded like a great idea. He’d have her to himself—to question, of course. His middle gave a little flutter. See, his stomach liked the prospect of food, too. “Works for me. How’s the food in the restaurant here?”
    She sighed. “It’s excellent. Let me tell Fergus something first.” She stood, walked over to Whipple, and when he bent down, whispered something in his ear.
    “You don’t say. How intriguing,” the large man said with a smile that turned into a grin.
    “Come on,” she said to Jim and started for the door.
    He followed her out, not even trying to repress his satisfaction. Alone at last.

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    “You hardly said a word in there,” Jim remarked on the elevator.
    Irenee shot him a glance. “Fergus and Dad explain things better than I do.” She wasn’t about to tell him Fergus had suggested her silence and total concentration on him and his reactions. Why she should see something they wouldn’t was a mystery, but