He sighed. “The only way I’d even consider staying open is if somebody walks through that door right now willing to pay big bucks for us to take on a new case.”
He pointed at the door just as it opened and a woman entered the office.
“Excuse me,” she asked. “There’s no sign on the door, but I got your address from the phone book. Is this Triple-A Investigations?”
“It is.”
She exhaled with relief, and Eden couldn’t help but notice her eyes were brimming with tears. “I desperately need your help. And money’s no object.”
Eden exchanged a quick glance with Andy.
The universe at work. Totally.
Andy’s chair scraped against the floor as he quickly got to his feet. He silently stared at the woman for a few moments longer than was comfortable.
She cleared her throat. “Perhaps I’ve come at a bad time.” “No,” Eden said immediately as she began backing up toward the door. “Come in. Please. Andy would be happy to see you right away, wouldn’t you, Andy?”
He was still pointing at the door. His hand dropped slackly to his side. “Well, of course. That timing just freaked me the hell out, is all.”
The woman gave Andy a strange look and instead came toward Eden. She was a tall, willowy, sunny blonde and she wore an expensive Chanel suit. “I’ve never done this before, so I’m not sure how to begin.”
Andy jostled in his desk drawer for a pad of paper. “Please, come sit over here, Miss—?”
“It’s Mrs. Fay Morgan.” She glanced over her shoulder and then back at Eden. “And if you don’t mind, I want to speak to you. Only to you.”
“Me?” Eden pointed to her chest.
“Yes.”
“But, I’m not really…” She twisted a finger in her hair. “I mean, Andy’s the one you need to talk to. He’s got experience up the wazoo when it comes to investigating whatever you want. To be completely truthful, I just help out around here at the moment.”
She shook her head. “I don’t care. I’ll only deal with you.”
Eden opened her mouth to urge her to talk to Andy, when he spoke up.
“That’s just fine. Eden, please take down Mrs. Morgan’s case details. I’ll go next door and get us all some fresh coffee. I haven’t had a chance to make any yet this morning being that I was locked out of the office.”
Before Eden could say anything, Andy pushed open the front door and went outside.
What did he think he was doing? Eden didn’t know the first thing about how to handle new cases. She’d typed them up in the past month, but that wasn’t remotely the same thing. She wasn’t an investigator nor did she want to be one. Ever.
She glanced at Darrak. He was very quiet. His arms were crossed in front of him and he studied the woman with a narrowed, unfriendly gaze.
What was his problem?
“Sorry, Mrs. Morgan, I’m being rude.” She held out her hand. “I’m Eden Riley.”
“Please, call me Fay.” Instead of shaking her hand Fay grabbed her into a tight embrace. “I knew I’d come to the right place.”
The hug was so tight it actually hurt a little.
“Let go of her,” Darrak said sharply.
Fay tensed and leaned back from Eden, her eyes wide. She looked over her shoulder at the demon in the corner and drew in a sharp breath.
“I didn’t sense anything…” she began, then shut her mouth. “I need to leave.”
“No, wait,” Eden said as Fay began moving toward the door. “Don’t go.”
If only so she could understand what the hell was going on. The air felt thick with tension all of a sudden.
Fay’s expression was tight as she turned back to Eden. “I sensed that this was a welcoming place. But now I see that it is not.”
“I’m not what you think,” Darrak said.
“You’re a demon.”
He frowned. “Well, okay. Maybe I am what you think. But just relax. Unless you wish ill to Eden — and I don’t think you do — then I mean you no harm in return. Seriously.”
“And why would I believe that?”
“Because I guarantee it,” Eden told her. “How do you know what he is?”
“I never would have come within a mile of this place if I’d sensed him”—she paused—“but his true essence seems to be somewhat weakened.”
“You could say that,” Darrak agreed. “Now, why don’t you tell us why you came here today?”
She shifted her feet as her gaze darted back and forth between Eden and Darrak. “I suspect my — my husband is cheating on me. I want to hire you to follow him.”
“What is your husband?” Darrak asked.
“What is he?” Eden shot him a look.
“He’s human,” the woman replied, as if it wasn’t an odd question.
“So you think he’s cheating on you?” Eden scribbled down the information as neatly as she could.
Fay sat down in a chair next to Eden’s desk. “I think he might be enchanted in some way.”
Eden dropped her pen. “Enchanted?”
“Yes. Manipulated by magic.”
“I know what enchanted means.” She swallowed hard. “I’m just not used to dealing with it on an everyday basis.”
Fay glanced back at Darrak. “She’s new to this?”