The Collected Christopher Connery Read Free Page B

woman – damn, she looks barely
twenty-five? – stepped out. Gail might have taken her for the Illuminator’s
assistant if it weren’t for the bright flame-shaped pin on her lapel, just
visible beneath her poncho.  
    “Good morning! I’m so sorry we’re late. Arthur ran into
traffic.”
    The driver, who Gail could only assume was Arthur, got
out of the car as well. He didn’t say anything, but if he had rolled his eyes
any harder, they would have tumbled out of his head and gone bouncing down the
sidewalk. He walked over to Gail and held out one gloved hand.
    “Uh.” Gail awkwardly shook it. “Nice to meet you.”
    Arthur smiled slightly and pointed down at the suitcase
at her feet.
    “Oh.” Gail immediately let go of his hand. “Uh, I can
handle it. Thanks. You don’t have to –”
    Before she could finish, he picked up the suitcase anyway
and walked around the back of the car.
    Well, thought Gail, shoving her cigarette back
into her pocket. This is going well.
    “I hope you weren’t waiting long,” the Illuminator said.
“We really did try to be on time, but the city is always so crowded! I don’t
know how you stand it every day.”
    “I’m not sure either. Now –”
    “Oh, Arthur, let me help you.” An instant later, the
Illuminator had flitted from Gail’s side to help Arthur load the suitcase into
the back. Gail took the quiet moment to study her new colleagues. If she didn’t
miss her guess, the pair were siblings, if not twins. It’s nice to see that
this is a family affair.
    Then the Illuminator was back. “You must be Detective
Lin.”
    “That’s me. Sorry, ma’am, but they didn’t give me your
name.”
    “Oh, of course.” The Illuminator held out a hand for Gail
to shake. “I’m Nia Graves. Arthur is my brother and assistant.”
    Score one for the ace detective. “It’s nice to
meet you. Uh, look, don’t take this the wrong way, but do you know much about
Connery, ma’am?”
    Nia waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, yes, I’ve read
several case files.”
    “Okay, but –”
    “Anyway, we can discuss the case once we check into the
hotel. Come along, Detective Lin, we don’t want to waste the day!” Flashing an
aggressively bright smile, Nia opened the passenger side door and vanished into
the car again.
    Biting back a sigh, Gail slumped down the steps and
plopped into the backseat after shoving aside several book. As soon as she had
shut her door, Nia twisted around to speak to her.
    “I was told you had some reservations about the case when
it was presented to you, detective, so I wanted to let you know upfront that
there is no need for concern. All we need to do is locate Connery and then
Arthur and I will return him to the Academy where he will be dealt with in
utmost security.”
    Gail thought that he had been dealt with pretty well
already. “Look, I know I said that I –”
    The car engine roared to life and Arthur turned them
sharply out into the street. Gail immediately fumbled for her seatbelt.
    Nia smiled wider. “Don’t worry, detective, Arthur has
plenty of experience driving in the city.”
    The sound Arthur made in response was significantly more
noncommittal as he put his foot to the gas and roared off into the thickening
traffic.
    Apparently, Nia was perfectly comfortable sitting
backwards because she stayed that way throughout the fifteen minute journey,
deftly talking over any objections or misgivings Gail tried to voice.
    As they approached their hotel – a palatial institution
that went by the humble name of The Crown of Crossbridge – she was saying
something about tracking Connery using strands of hair that had been recovered
from the scene. Then she cheerily waved a small bag containing said hair,
making the whole exchange feel a little surreal. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t
used to seeing bags of bloody hair. She just wasn’t used to seeing them in the
hands of women who looked like they spent their days quietly reading by