Tools of the Trade
“Sign here please.” The young man handed the cell phone and stylus to Ryker.
“Thanks.” Ryker signed and returned the items. The guy shifted uncomfortably and looked at the boxes in the back of the SUV. “Something else?”
“Nah, I just…I mean, what’s in the boxes?” He was probably twenty if he was even out of his teens. His body language indicated both curiosity and trepidation.
“Nothing illegal and nothing exciting. Books. Lots of good books.” Ryker wasn’t completely lying. Curiosity appeased, the kid headed back inside.
Flying meant traveling without his handgun; it meant prying eyes viewing his luggage and carry on. He was grateful that the Phoenix Agency had a remedy for those problems and his equipment was securely shipped ahead of his arrival. He could have taken a private flight with the gear, but he needed to wrap up some final business. That’s the excuse he gave them to avoid the small aircraft. If he had more time, he would have driven.
***
Luna settled on top of her comforter and propped herself against the pillows. She looked at the necklace inside of the sandwich bag and then at the tablet and pencil on her nightstand. Everything was in place.
“Okay little necklace, don’t hurt me. I just need to see what you’re trying to show me.” She watched the shiny metal slip from the plastic into her hand.
It seemed like an hour had passed when Luna had drawn everything from the object she could get. Her notes were like most of her work these days, a scattered array of details. None of this particular experience made a lot of sense. The owner of this necklace wasn’t the person who tossed it. The person who tossed it did so out of fear when someone else approached him.
She looked over the notes, held the item and tried to focus harder, search for more, but it was spent and so was she. The only thing she could do now was follow the first clue. It was the worst kind of clue because it sent her into some very dangerous territory. Las Vegas may be a sensory overload for an average person to endure, but with her current condition, it meant being extra cautious about everything she could touch. Any object could send her into what she was calling a drift.
The word seemed fitting because her focus would drift away from her present and she would tumble through someone else’s past. Gloves may not be in style, but they were often necessary so she had picked up enough delicate pairs of formal gloves that she would make any eighteenth century lady proud. Unlike those ladies of yesteryear, Luna didn’t like taking them off to shake hands. Hands were fine, but jewelry on hands…that was a lesson she learned the hard way. Nevertheless, the owner of this item was in Vegas and Luna had a gut feeling that it was important to find the girl sooner rather than later. Maybe if she could get to the casino and the exact spot, she could pick up more details. She couldn’t very well call the cops on a hunch. They would think she was crazy.
After packing a weekend bag, she looked at the casino chip in her hand and said, “I promised myself the next time I went to Vegas that I would finally let go of you and I’m going to do that. Maybe the girl is okay and I just need a reason to say goodbye. Maybe if I let go of this chip, I can let go of everything that came along with it. Even you.”
She tucked it into her pocket and headed out the door.
***
Luna was admittedly a little more dressed than the average tourist, but this had been her stomping ground. Vegas is not much different than any other place. When it comes to the way people look, they either looked like they belonged there and knew what they were doing, or they looked like tourists and that made them prey. She worked in a few of the casinos as a dealer, a bartender, and eventually a manager until the accident happened.
After that, she couldn’t process all of the information that came with the task of touching so much stuff. They diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder, a sensory disorder, anxiety, panic, the whole spectrum of psychological conditions that might cause her to be physically affected in such a drastic and inexplicable fashion.
Gloves on, her confidence was only slightly rattled when a sensation was so strong it penetrated the silk. She simply let go of the railing on the balcony of her hotel room. She could feel the heat flush through her. The people that had been in this room prior had used that balcony the way most people use a bedroom. Nothing else in the room had that effect, but it let her know that the silk would only work for items that were not tied to extreme emotions so she dropped a heavier, leather pair in her purse before making her way to what she hoped was the location she saw while drifting.
Upon arrival, Luna was surprised to find someone already there. Someone already looking for something or someone. She tried to be nonchalant about her own perusal. “Are you looking for something in particular?”
The man previously crouched down and looking behind a marble statue situated amongst a bunch of fake plants, stood and looked down at her. She gulped. He was a bit taller than she had expected and since she was in heels, that meant he was at least six foot. His stern expression had her heart thundering. She suddenly began to feel as if she had done something wrong, but knew better.
He reached into the pocket inside of his suit jacket and produced a photo of the girl Luna had seen, and the girl was wearing the necklace in the photo. “You seen this kid?”
How to explain the yes and no of her very complicated truth. “Maybe.”
He narrowed his dark brown eyes and stepped closer. “Look, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’ve got work to do. This girl is missing and has been for a week. If you have seen her…”
“A week?” She stepped back. He stepped forward.
“Where did you see her? Do you work here or something?” He tucked the photo back into a notebook then retrieved a pen and looked at her expectantly. “Well?”
“You…” She breathed out a sigh of frustration. “You won’t believe me if I tell you.”
“Try me.” His head tilted a little and she looked into those deep, serious eyes. She really wanted to override the switch in her brain that flipped to trust right now. This man looked very dangerous, but something about him resonated on a whole new level with her. She actually wanted to touch him and his watch, cufflinks, anything to get a read.
She looked around the area and nodded toward the nearby bar. “Maybe somewhere a little more private?”
“Lead the way.”
***
Ryker fought the anger slipping up his spine. He was mad at himself for watching her ass sway as she walked in those ridiculous heels. He reminded himself that he may be on a mission, but he was still just a man after all, and a man that had been very busy and very alone for a very long time.
He slid into the booth seat across from her. She had taken the gunfighter’s view and that made him even less comfortable because he couldn’t see who or what was coming and going around them. She could. Trying not to let the frustration slip out he asked, “Well?”
The brunette took in a deep breath and then closed her eyes before speaking. “I saw her, but I didn’t actually see her.”
His brow was inching toward his hairline. In light of his new position at this company and the stranger things they had told him, he didn’t dismiss her as he might have in the past. “Go on.”
She gulped and he watched her delicate throat work before she found the courage to continue. “Well, I found the necklace and when I picked it up. I…saw her. I saw her wearing it and she was wearing a blue t-shirt and jeans with a hole in the left knee. She had on sneakers and a pink jacket in her hand. She was having fun. Smiling, talking to someone.”
“You weren’t here when you saw all that?” She had described what the security camera revealed.
“No.” She opened her eyes and blinked a few times. “You…believe me?”
“Who were the guys?” He wasn’t going to play games with this woman. If she could see that, maybe she could help him. If not, he had to get back out there and…he had nothing else to go on.
“Only one guy.” She narrowed her gaze. “Someone she trusted. An older man, maybe a family member? He gave her some money and then she…yes, she met him. The boy, the…wait.”
He watched her fish through her purse and pull out several pieces of paper with scribbled notes, possibly sketches on them. He had to ask, “What are all these?”
“It’s…well…this is what I could capture from what I saw. I…”
He cut her off. “You have the necklace? You touch it and you see things. I need to know if you’ve done this before. How do you know what you see is accurate or in the right order?”
“I…uh…I’ve been doing this for a while now, but not officially or anything. I don’t go out much. I try not to. I haven’t told anyone else about this. I only told you because it’s her. I saw her and I think she may need some help. You said she has been missing a week, but when I last saw her she didn’t seem scared. She was with someone she trusted. A different man, but she trusted him, only…”
“Only what?”
“Only when he realized he had the necklace he tossed it out the window and that’s how I found it. He didn’t like it. There was a really negative energy that I could feel for the few moments I could sense him, but everything I could see or feel from her was unassuming. She doesn’t know she is in trouble. She may not realize she is missing.”
He sat back against the leather of the seat and let that all sink in for a moment. Finally, he waged a war inside his head about why what his mouth was about to do would be a bad idea. Still, the words tumbled out. “I’m Ryker. I think we should go through these notes again. I have something else I would like you to hold…”
She didn’t take it the wrong way, but his mind was thinking of very non-case essential things she could handle for him. He cleared his throat and continued. “Items. I have a few items. Maybe we could…”
“I would need to go somewhere safe, at least back to my room, yours, and I…I’m Luna. I want to help you if I can.”
Then she smiled at him and for a brief moment he forgot what they were doing. “You can’t…read minds though, right?”
Her slight chuckle and pink tinted cheeks let him know for certain she didn’t have to have that skill when he was being an obvious fool. She shook her head as she replied, “No. Well, not yet anyway. I didn’t always read objects.”
“Tell me about it, all of it, how did you learn how to do this?” He stood and offered his hand to help her out of the booth. She didn’t need help, but he offered it anyway. The moment her fingers slid flesh to flesh along his they locked eyes and he could have sworn he could read her mind, but he was aware it was just his own lascivious thoughts wishing she was sharing the desire that would not ease its grip.
Her head tilted as she released his grip. “That was different.”
“What was?” He watched her slip on a pair of black, silk gloves as they walked.
“I thought we might have just shared a moment back there. When I held your hand. It was like I could see what you were thinking.” She didn’t seem nearly as alarmed as she should be if she had actually seen what he was thinking.
“I think we shared a moment, but maybe not thoughts.” He came to a stop in front of the elevator. “Your room or mine?”
“Yours.” She smiled. “I’ve already seen my room and read most of the things in it.”
Once on the elevator he had to ask, “What did you see when you held my hand?”
“It might scare you.” She looked up at him. He could feel the solid thump of his heartbeat and all he could think about was the man in the airport and the cryptic prediction.
“Tell me.” He turned to face her as the elevator began its ascension. “I don’t frighten easily.”
“I saw you smile with joy and peace. You were very happy with whoever it was you were looking at. You were wearing a t-shirt. Something that I doubt you wear when you are working.” She looked him over and he tried not to smile with desire and need.
They obviously were not sharing thoughts if he had been thinking of her naked and under him and she had only seen him happy and in a t-shirt. The elevator stopped and a few people stepped in. One more floor and two people stepped out. By the time they got to his floor, he had let the moment of desire slip back into the shadow of his mind while the very real and pressing case of a missing teen reclaimed its place as the priority.
As they walked down the hallway he had to ask, “Have you ever been successful in finding or returning anything to anyone before using your…what do you call it? Gifts, abilities?”
“I call what I do drifting, but I suppose I would prefer ability over gift because there are more days than not when it feels like a curse. Sometimes I can pick up an item and it will drain me. It’s why I had to stop working in Vegas. I work from home now, transcribing meeting notes. Very exciting stuff.” The light feminine laugh turned to a groan and he understood it. She was bored and possibly lonely. It was the reason he accepted the job with Phoenix.
“Boring?”
She confirmed his suspicion a moment later. “I miss communicating with people in a normal way. I have to wear the gloves to avoid any unexpected incidents. As for success. I once returned a dog to its owner.”
He tried to control the arch of his brow because anyone could read a dog tag and make a call. She must have been reading his mind then because she replied with, “No. It did not have a tag. In fact, the tag had fallen off, but there was a little charm attached to the collar and that charm was put there by a very loving little girl and I was able to see her run from the car to the house and through the front door so excited to put the tag and the charm on the collar. I took him home.”
“Hmmm.” He nodded. “Not bad.”
As they entered his hotel room he ignored the strange sensation slipping over him. He was not nervous. He was absolutely not anxious about being in this room with her. Why the fuck am I thinking about this so much? She’s just a woman. A really interesting woman with kind eyes and kissable lips… “Would you like something to drink?”
“Water.” She moved into the room and took a seat on the couch. She ran her gloved hands over the cushions and he focused on not imagining the soft, silky feel of them touching his chest the same way. He handed her the bottle and she accepted it with a smile.
“I’ve never willingly done this with someone else before. The first time it happened, I guess they thought I was having a seizure or something. I came out on my side with someone trying to shove a wallet in my mouth.” She chuckled and he had to smile.
“One trauma to the next, huh?” He was trying not to enjoy himself. He was on a case and until he found this kid, he should not be enjoying himself. She was in danger. He cleared his throat as he stood up. “I’ll get the things I was given. Does it matter that people have touched them?”
“No. In fact, it may be useful.” She tilted her head and then asked. “You’ve tracked down teenagers before, right? Someone is tracking all of her social media feeds and those of her friends. I saw her with a friend.”
“The company I work for has that covered. So far nothing has popped up about her. One of the reasons I’ve grown more worried is that she hasn’t posted anything in a week. Then yesterday, her phone turned up. Wherever she is she is still in Vegas or whoever took her phone is because it surfaced at another hotel. She’s not on any security cameras so far. There are a lot of them to look through and they…”
“I know. I used to work here. Not in this hotel, but in a few others. I know that if she’s been gone longer than twenty-four hours and in this town, the amount of cameras to go through, well it has to be a daunting task. I hope I can help.” She situated herself on the couch by shifting pillows behind her. “In case I fall back. I don’t know what I look like when this happens to me…I just know that…”
“I won’t let anything happen to you. If it looks like it might be hurting you…”
“No. Don’t take it out of my hand. I can always drop it. I used to not know how to do that, but I’ve been working on this a while and learning, so I got this. Just…don’t let me fall off the couch. I normally do this in a bed.”
The rush of conflicting emotions, sensations, at the word bed had him shifting uncomfortably from one side to the next. “You can trust me.”
“I know I can. I feel that. My instincts are unparalleled in their accuracy these days.” The way she looked at him in that moment sent a lick of warmth throughout his veins.
He was trying to find words. As a poor kid he never had a lot to offer girls, as a military man, he didn’t have time, as a detective he had been focused on case after case. He had been with one woman his whole life and that wasn’t exactly a great experience. Women were attracted to him, they liked the way he looked, they complimented him on all of the ways he seemed dangerous, mysterious, and seductive. It really only made him more aware of the fact that they had expectations he wasn’t prepared to fulfill, so he found ways to be even more unattainable and avoided them. Luna was different. He didn’t want to run from her.
She removed the gloves from her hands and held them out to him expectantly. He was about to grab them with his until he realized she was waiting for him to put one or more of the items in the bag he held into them. “One at a time?”
“Yes. You have a notebook, some paper and pens nearby? I’ll try to say as much as I can, but I don’t know if that’s inside or if you can hear me. I usually try to write as much as I can…”
“I’ve got you covered.” He gathered the items then returned. “They’ve already been printed. I have the pone in case someone calls. It’s weird because not one person has called, sent a text message, nothing since she went missing. That’s not normal teenager behavior.”
She tilted her lips into a sweet smile, her expression so endearing and understanding, but she didn’t, couldn’t understand why all this was so important to him, could she? Suddenly, his chest tightened with something other than anger or worry for a change. “So let’s start with the phone.”