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Gus was steadily working through his waffle when he felt his phone start vibrating in his pocket.

Reaching down with his left hand he pulled it free and glanced down at it.

Of course it’s Mark.

Swiping the accept button, Gus pressed it to his ear.

“What’s up, boss?” Gus said, looking at Vanessa.

She gave him a pretty smile that was equal parts “I told you so” and saccharine sweet.

“Hey Gussy,” Mark said, using the same nickname he’d been given back in their unit. “I need you to pull a shift today. Somethin’ like twelve to nine. Can ya hack it?”

“Yeah. I’m on it. Got a hitchhiker though,” Gus said, still staring down Vanessa. “The detective from yesterday tracked me down.”

“What, the Norm? Eh… she’s going to get blanked anyways. She was kinda hot,” Mark said. “I’d say why not give her a roll or two?”

“No, Durh, listen. She wants to work the case with me,” Gus said. He wasn’t about to walk her into this without Mark knowing.

“Huh? Really? Hm. Really,” Mark said, his voice fading out near the end. It sounded like he was typing something into a computer.

“Durh, what are you doing?” Gus asked, getting a little nervous now.

“Nothin’. She there with you?” Mark asked.

“Yeah… why?”

“She wearing something fun? When she pulled her coat off the other day she had some great clevage.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? And why are we having this conversation?” Gus asked, getting more than a little nervous. She was actively watching him.

“Cause she was cute,” Mark said. “I mean, if you’re not willing to make a play, maybe I will. She’s got that feisty thing going on and you know I go in for that.

“Remember that night in-”

“Durh, not right now. How about what I need you to talk about. What do you want me to do?” Gus asked.

There was a brief silence, followed by a loud single keyboard clack.

“Take her with you. I just told her captain what I’m going to do with her.

“She’ll probably get a note form him in a minute, and one from me as well. Her time off is revoked and she’s assigned to you as a temporary, and you’re lead detective,” Mark said. “And if she wants a tumble, don’t say no. She’ll still probably get blanked after this.”

Gus closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He had been hoping somehow Mark would shut him down.

There was a soft chiming noise from directly in front of him.

“Anyways. I need you to hit the DME, track down the Troll’s mask. Far as we can tell, that’s what made him go full berserker. It failed and took his mind with it.

“Then you’ll need to his his apartment and go from there. I bounced you all the relevant details in your office email,” Mark said. “Update me when your shifts over, Gussy. Bye, dear.”

Mark make several kissing noises and disconnected the line.

Growling, Gus stuffed his phone into his pocket and looked to Vanessa. She was reading something on her phone.

“I just got… reassigned to you as a junior detective,” Vanessa said, her mouth curling in a slow smile.

There was another chime that came from her phone. Tapping at the screen of her phone, her eyes darted across the display.

“And my captain just revoked my time-off, gave me my temporary assignment, and told me I’d be making quadruple my salary for a week,” Vanessa said, raising her eyebrows. “You make that much?”

Gus shrugged his shoulders.

“Hazard pay,” he said, digging back into his waffles. “Eat up, Ness. We’re on the clock in three hours or so. We’ll need to hit the armory first though and get you loaded up.”

Vanessa nodded her head rapidly, still grinning.

I really don’t need to break in a rookie right now. If I’m right this is way worse than anyone thinks it is.

Masks don’t just fail. They don’t make someone go crazy.

Shit. Rookie’s are almost as bad as workin’ with a fresh boot.

***

Getting out of Vanessa’s car, Gus reached inside his coat and made sure his pistol was ready to be pulled. If a mask failed and made the wearer go insane, then it meant the Enchanter who did it, probably did it on purpose.

“Expecting trouble?” Vanessa asked, coming up beside him. She was fidgeting with her chest, pulling at what he assumed was her new shoulder holster. Her old one didn’t fit the new pistol.

“Yeah… masks don’t just boom and make the user develop a need to punch down walls,” Gus said.

“Ah. So… this is more like someone cut their brakes?” she asked.

“Kinda, yeah. That’s not a bad analogy.”

“This looks like a DMV,” Vanessa said, following Gus to the front of the building.

“It is. It’s just a DME at the same time. Driver’s licenses work great as a mask’s enchantment anchor. Has to be with you almost at all times anyways. For Para’s, it becomes more of the same,” Gus said, pulling the door open and stepping to one side. “They just end up waiting longer here for an Enchanter after getting their license. There’s some special cases for full enchantments where they have to do a house visit. Trolls and Ogres are good examples of that.”

Vanessa walked in, her head immediately doing a circuit as she surveyed the interior of the building.

“What are we looking for?” she asked when Gus stepped up next to her.

The layout looked like any other DMV someone would walk into. Lots of chairs, glass partitions where employees worked, and a whole lot of people being bored to death as they waited.

“Whoever the floor manager is. We’ll need to talk to them and get the Troll’s record,” Gus said.

“Michael Fitz,” Vanessa said.

“Huh?”

“His name. That was the Troll’s name. Michael Fitz.”

“Oh. Right. Him then,” Gus said. Then he pointed to a middle aged woman in a blouse and long skirt. “Let’s go ask her who the floor manager is.”

Moving quickly to the entry point, a wooden half-door, Gus caught the attention of one of the two security guards. Gus was ready for it and expecting it.

He’d already pulled out his medallion and was holding it up in front of himself when the guard came over.

He was unfortunately a normal human. Otherwise this would go easier.

“Detective Hellström,” Gus said, keeping the badge up in front of himself.

“Detective Flores,” Vanessa said from beside him.

“Could you please let the manager know we’d like to have a word with them? Preferably in private,” Gus said. “That or I can step past this toddler gate and talk to them directly myself. Up to you.”

The security guard didn’t seem particularly happy with that.

“He won’t see you,” said the guard.

“Well, they don’t really have a choice, and it sounds like I’ll be stepping by to talk to him,” Gus said, grabbing the wooden half door’s latch.

“You can’t come back here,” said the guard, grabbing the other side of the latch.

“Look-”

“Excuse me, Jordan? We really do need to speak with the manager. If you could just tell them that two officers from the PID are here, I’m sure they’d be willing to speak with us,” Vanessa said.

The security guard turned his glare away from Gus to look to Vanessa, then back to Gus.

“I’ll go tell’em. Still won’t see you,” said Jordan, leaving them there.

“Any chance of the floor manager being a suspect?” Vanessa asked once the guard had walked away.

“No. Enchanters are assigned here but they don’t work here. This is more of a training gig for most of them. Helps them build up their pools,” Gus said.

“No reason for me to go cover the back door then? You don’t think the manager will bolt?” Vanessa asked.

Gus frowned and briefly considered it. The guard was already talking to an older man who was apparently the manager.

He was a lanky fellow that looked to be in his mid fifties. Balding gray hair and glasses that looked thicker than the bottom of an old soda bottle.

Then Gus cast about himself with his other senses. The abilities his parents had given him through the genetic lottery, so to speak.

He tasted fear here and there. Small bits of it, but nothing out of the ordinary. There was no fear of being caught here.

“I think we’re fine,” Gus said.

The man who was apparently the manager hurried over to the detectives in a strange almost hopping walk.

“PID carries that much weight?” Vanessa asked.

“Yeah. Because if we can’t solve it, we call in the Bureau, or the CDC. And they don’t tolerate anything at all.”

“Hi, I’m so sorry about that. Please, come in, come in,” said the man, pulling open the latched door. “We can talk in my office.”

Nodding his head, Gus indicated Vanessa to go first.

Might as well use her in the right way. Everyone always does what a pretty lady asks.

“I’m detective Flores,” Vanessa said, introducing herself. “We were hoping to talk to you about a matter involving a… license and who put it together.”

“Oh, of course, of course. I’m Blake Johnson by the way,” said the older man, leading them to the offices in the back of the building. “Is it Mrs. Flores or Miss?”

“Detective Flores is fine,” Vanessa said.

Gus took the time to look around, giving the whole place a once over. There were small fits of fear he could feel when he looked at people. But nothing that would draw his attention. Nothing that would signal him to stop and pay attention.

It looked like a normal work day. Here and there were Para’s waiting for their new masks, people working the lines, and already a few Enchanters working with licenses.

Every day normality… at least as far as this goes.

Anything can be normal after a while.

Gus’s thoughts flinched away from where his memories had led him momentarily.

Putting his game face on he stepped into Blake’s office and moved to the corner. He didn’t feel like sitting, and sometimes just standing in the corner could people on edge.

“What can I do today for the PID?” Blake asked, looking from Vanessa to Gus as he sat down behind his desk.

“First, I need a mask for detective Flores, general PID enchantment. She only needs it to see through other masks,” Gus said, throwing a thumb toward Vanessa. “She’s new. Second to that, I need to know who made a full enchantment mask for a… what was his name again?”

Vanessa had a small pad of paper in her hand he hadn’t noticed.

“A Troll by the name of Michael Fitz, that’s Foxtrot India Tango Zulu,” Vanessa said, looking back up to the manager.

“Michael… Fitz,” said Blake, typing something onto a keyboard. “Alright. I should be able to get that fairly quickly. Let me just check the database real quick…”

Vanessa smiled politely, waiting quietly.

It’s like looking at a damn different person. Where’s the annoying feisty fucker from this morning?

Or is that more of an on off switch that she controls.

As if sensing him and his thoughts, Vanessa threw him a glance, and quirked a brow at him. Before he could respond, she was already looking back to Blake.

“Huh, that’s strange. I can see Mr. Fitz’ record. Nothing on file that would be a problem of any sort,” Blake said, a massive frown covering his mouth. “But… there’s no record of his enchantment. And that’s not something that should be missing. Not for a Troll. That’d have to be done by a senior Enchanter.”

Moving the mouse around, Blake seemed to be hunting for something.

“Is there any reason a record would be missing?” Gus asked.

“No. Not at all. In fact… it’s almost impossible. Large Paranormal profiles will flag multiple warnings without a record. But… there’s been no warning for Mr. Fitz,” Blake said, shaking his head.

Alright. In other words… someone is covering their tracks, and they don’t want us to know who did the mask.

Easing up a fraction of the control he kept in check at all times, Gus focused in on Blake. Slowly, a thin tendril of his telepathic ability snuck into the other man’s mind.

It was full of rather interesting thoughts about Vanessa, and little else.

Which meant to Gus the man was telling the truth completely. There was no fear there, nothing being hidden, just unadulterated lust at the detective.

“Do you know when his mask was assigned at least?” Gus asked, pulling back on his ability.

Vanessa cleared her throat, looking to her pad.

“His drivers license said it was assigned last year in May. Would that be matched to the mask date?” she asked, looking to Gus.

Huh. Well aren’t you a little go getter.

“Yeah, that’d match. Blake, can you get me a list of names of all your senior Enchanters since April of last year?” Gus said. At the same time, Vanessa was taking notes down in her pad with a pen.

“Of course, not a problem detective,” said the manager, looking up from his screen. “I can probably get that to you by the end of the day. Where do you want me to send it or…?”

“Yeah, just send it by email to GHellstrom at PID dot gov,” Gus said with a shake of his head, pulling out his phone from his pocket. “Ness, get the address for Fitz, then go get your mask. I’m going to go update Mark.”

Tapping and holding the speed-dial button for his watch-commander, Gus left the office. Pressing the phone to his ear he started heading for the exit.

“Miss me, Gussy?” Mark asked when he picked up the line.

“Shut up, Durh. Got a problem here. Whoever did the FE backspaced the whole thing. All records of it are deleted,” Gus said, pushing open the half door and heading for a section of empty seats. “Manager says that’s not possible. I believe him.”

“Huh. You’re not wrong on those gut-checks either. Alright. So we’ve got a dead Troll, a broken mask, and an Enchanter that did it and covered it up. That sum it up?” Mark asked.

“Yeah. Senior Enchanter though. Gonna be a small list, and no matter what I do, it’s gonna piss off a family,” Gus said, dragging his free hand across his eyes.

Enchanters always came from magical families. Senior Enchanters almost always came from powerful magical families.

“Shit. No kiddin’? Alright. I’ll get chief involved now before it goes further. I’m sure he’ll just yell at me and tell me to keep going though.”

“Yeah, he’s a prick like that,” Gus said.

“How’s your boot doing?”

“Pretty good, actually. She took everything in stride so far and is actually being useful. Why, you doin’ something stupid, Durh?”

“No, of course not. How could you ever say such a thing?”

“We didn’t start calling you Durh without a reason, ya know.”

“Ya, ya, go stare at your partner. You coming over this weekend for dinner?” Mark asked.

“Nah. Mom reminded me I have an appointment with them instead.”

“Err… yeah. Alright. Cool. I’ll see you later, Gussy. Keep me updated.”

The line went dead before Gus could respond.

His mom tended to make people uncomfortable. Especially people who’d been in the shit. Mark had only met his mom once and had proceeded to avoid her forever forward.

Stuffing his phone and his hand’s in his pockets, Gus slouched low in the chair. Letting his mind wander he missed it when Vanessa walked right up on him.

“Gus! I have one,” Vanessa said, her fingers holding up her drivers license in front of herself. Her eyes were a bit wide and rounded out. It was obvious she hadn’t expected to find herself face to face with everyday monsters today.

“Yep. I see that,” Gus said. “Got the address?”

“Yeah, I do. That where we going?”

Gus nodded his head and got to his feet.

***

Pulling up to a large apartment building in the heart of downtown, Gus felt apprehensive.

“This is the address?” he asked again.

“It’s what Blake gave me. Considering how he was looking at me, I don’t think he’d lie to me,” Vanessa said, opening her door.

“About that, is that normal for you? To be a raging dick-head to me, then pull out the super sweet sexy detective for someone else?” Gus said, getting out of the car and closing the door.

Vanessa laughed at that and pointed a finger at him.

“Look you, the only dick-head here is you. Everyone you meet seems to immediately dislike you. Me included, so maybe I was a bit short with you at first. That’s behind us now, right partner?” Vanessa asked coming around to his side. “Though I don’t think you should be calling your brand new partner sexy. Probably bad etiquette. Should I tell our boss? Mark is it?”

Gus snorted at that and started walking to the door. He quickly checked the front of the building for any cameras.

Cameras were a blessing. They’d helped solve far more crimes than anyone would ever want to know.

Eyewitness testimony was always questionable, cameras were far and away more reliable.

“Go for it, he told me to try and sleep with you since you’ll forget anyways,” Gus said.

“He did what?” she asked in a dangerous tone.

“Told me to plow you. Don’t take it personally, we were in the service together. Filter is long gone,” Gus said pulling the door open and pointing to the mailbox on the inside. “Check for our vic.”

“Oh, he’s the one who walked out with you?” Vanessa asked, immediately scanning the last names on all the mailboxes.

“Yeah. One of’em,” Gus said, looking around the interior of the entry for cameras. There was one, but it looked old.

Very old.

“Got it. Definitely lives here,” Vanessa said. “I’ll find the landlord and get it o-” 

Gus stepped forward to the mailbox. Pulling out his carry knife, he gave it a flick, the blade locking open and into place.

Not worrying about the blade, since he’d had it reinforced eight ways from Sunday from a friend, he wedged it into the side of the mailbox where the latch would be and cranked the blade sideways.

With a dull pop, the door creaked open, and a broken latch and spring fell to the ground.

“No mail,” Gus said peering in.

“What the hell, Gus? Why’d you do that?” Vanessa asked, trying to close the postal box door.

“Because it won’t matter. Landlord will get wiped of all memory about our vic, so will the neighbors. That way if anyone comes asking questions, this’ll be a dead end,” Gus said, closing his blade. “What number is it again?”

“Sixty-seven,” Vanessa grumbled, turning toward the elevator. “So sixth floor I guess.”

Gus shrugged and slipped his knife back into his belt as he walked to the elevator. Flicking his hand to the side he flicked the elevator button with a finger.

“Are you always an ass?” Vanessa asked.

“Usually, I guess. My aunt always tells me I need to be more fluffy,” Gus said with a yawn that made him feel anything but tired.

He felt nervous.

The anxiety about the situation was starting to creep up higher and higher. He could feel it. 

“You ok?” Vanessa asked. For the first time he felt just the barest hint of fear from her. But it wasn’t directed at him.

“Yeah. This just… isn’t adding up,” Gus said, shaking his head. “This feels more and more like a murder charge. Or something else. And it’s going to involve some powerful people.”

The elevator dinged and the doors swung open. Getting in, Vanessa tapped the button they wanted.

“Got it. In other words, you think we’re gonna get road-blocked real soon,” she said.

“Probably,” Gus said as the doors slid shut. Staring back at himself, Gus immediately looked to one side, and saw Vanessa in the reflection. Who was staring back at him.

“For what it’s worth… thanks. I know you could have shut me out if you really wanted to. It may only be for a day or two, but… thanks,” she said.

Looking away from her, Gus looked to the button panel instead.

“Yep,” he said.

Nothing further was said as they exited the elevator and strolled down the hall.

When they reached the door numbered sixty-seven, Gus hesitated. There was a strange feeling of fear coming from inside the apartment itself.

As if someone was in there and afraid of being discovered.

“Fitz lived alone?” he asked instead of acting.

“Yes. That’s what the report said that Mark sent over in your email,” Vanessa said.

Reaching into his coat, Gus pulled out his side arm. Easing the slide back he checked the breech, and made sure a round was chambered. Pulling the safety down, he reached out with his other hand and touched the doorknob.

“Funny then, because I think someone is here,” Gus murmured softly, looking to Vanessa. She was already pulling her own weapon from it’s holster and had it leveled at the door. “I’ll take the left, you move right?”

Vanessa nodded his head.

Gus tried the door-handle, and found it was locked. Pulling his set of lock-picks from a coat pocket, he got down on one knee.

Carefully, methodically, he began to set the tumblers into position, while pulling the cylinder.

In little under two minutes, he’d gotten it unlocked. Holding tight to the handle, he looked to Vanessa. She nodded her head at him.

Then Gus flung open the door.