Tom Dowd - Burning Bright

"No."

"Then you believe he was in no danger?"

"Danger?" asked Mrs. Truman, her face showing alarm.

"I'm concerned about the safety of all my children, Mr.Teller," Truman said firmly, his eyes darting toward Melissa. "Mitchell, however, didn't want protection. Only my daughter Madelaine has constant protection."

"The producers have guards around when I'm working," said Melissa, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I don't need an army following me around."

"Mitchell expressed similar sentiments," said Truman.

"Do you have any reason to believe he was in danger?"

"No."

"Have there been any threats to you recently that your security people have taken particularly seriously?"

"No," Truman said. "At least none I've heard about."

Kyle nodded. "Then you have no reason' to believe your son's disappearance is connected to anything beyond this woman, Linda Hayward?"

"No."

"You said that he'd told you he was going to run away with her?"

"We didn't like her, quite frankly, and he knew it," said Mrs. Truman. "He indicated that he'd disassociate himself from us in order to be with her."

"Can you think of any event or argument that might have precipitated his running off with her?"

Mr. and Mrs. Truman both shook their heads. Kyle turned toward Melissa, who said, "Nothing I know of."

"Did he speak to you about her?"

"Only once, a month ago. We talked by telecom," Melissa told him. "She was there with him."

Kyle turned back to the Trumans. "This may seem like an odd question, but can you tell me why you called me in?"

Both of them seemed surprised. Mrs. Truman spoke up quickly. "To find our son, of course."

"I understand you want him found. But why me? Why not simply use the more conventional resources of Knight Errant? Why the need for a magician? Or why not use Knight Errant's magical assets?"

Elaine Truman seemed confused, but her husband stiffened a little. "I'm not sure I understand the point of your question, Mr. Teller, but I'll answer it: We want to find our son. Quickly.

"As I understand it, you used your magic to find my niece directly rather than following the slow steps involved in a normal investigation. I want that speed."

"Very well," Kyle said. "I simply wanted to know if you had some reason to believe magic was already involved." He paused and then said, "Can you give me any information on Linda Hayward?"

Truman shook his head. "We don't know anything. Only her name."

Kyle looked at Mrs. Truman. "There was nothing in his apartment? No address or phone number?"

Her face flushed slightly. "No."

Interesting, he thought. When he glanced over at Melissa, she just shrugged. "All I know is that he met her in a club."

"Do you know which one?"

"The Kaleidoscope, near Fullerton and Halsted."

"In the Noose."

"Yeah. Interesting place. If you're into jet core rock."

Kyle turned back to the older Trumans. "Finding Mitchell shouldn't be a problem, but I'll need access to his apartment. Did he provide a ritual sample to Knight Errant?"

Truman frowned. "Ritual sample?"

"A blood or tissue sample gathered using a special magic ritual. The sample can be used in a ritual, like the one I'll do, to find the subject"

Truman looked over to Hanna Uljaken, who was standing silently near the window. "Hanna, do you know…"

"I'm sorry Mr. Truman, but it's my understanding that he refused."

"Damn," said Truman. "That boy's too stubborn."

Mrs. Truman looked concerned. "Will this be a problem?"

Kyle shook his head. "Shouldn't be, but it will take more time."

He stood and smoothed down the sides of his suit jacket. The others also stood up. "If you can get me into his apartment, I'd like to perform the ritual as soon as possible."

Mr. Truman nodded. "Of course. Hanna will take you right away."

There was a royal blue and black Mitsubishi Nightsky waiting for him and Hanna Uljaken when they came out front. Behind the limousine was a second car, this one a rather mundane-looking ToyotaCorp Traveller. Leaning against it was a big, bulky ork in a dark suit and long coat. Kyle couldn't see past the limo's tinted windows, but he was sure at least one other person was inside. As he and Hanna Uljaken approached, the ork stepped forward.

"Mr. Facile," she said. "I take it you're to be our escort?"

The ork nodded and turned toward Kyle. "Mr. Teller?" he said. "I'm Lieutenant William Facile."

"Knight Errant, I take it," said Kyle.

"Yes, sir. Mr. Truman drought it would be a good idea if we tagged along."

Kyle preferred to conduct his business without their presence, but Truman was paying him enough, just, to ignore the inconvenience. He decided to play it frosty. "Yes, a good idea. Have you and your partner worked with magic before?"

To a limited extent, sir. We've worked in operations with magical assets attached."

"But you've never directly interfaced with a practitioner?"

"No, sir," said Facile. "But I wouldn't expect it to be a problem."

"Nor I." Kyle turned to Hanna Uljaken. "Let's get going," he said.

Mitchell Truman lived in a high-rise condominium on the lake, almost directly east of Truman Tower. On the short ride over, Kyle watched the sun struggling to penetrate me clouds. It looked like Chicago's famous weather was as changeable as ever.

Both cars of the little convoy drove directly into the underground garage, where Hanna Uljaken's palm print got me four of them access to the private elevator and men to me Mitch Truman's fortiem-floor apartment.

Kyle was mildly surprised to see mat the place was furnished in modern oriental, sparse and efficient. There were six rooms: master and guest bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, and a spare room that the Truman boy had turned into an exercise room. The view of the lake was stunning, the window canted slightly north to show the shoreline. Again, Kyle could see the greenery and brick of Elemental Hall off a short distance along the lake.

"How long has Mitchell lived here?" Kyle asked Uljaken.

"Just over a year. The condo was a gift from his father on Mitch's sixteenth birthday."

"Rather young for his own crash, don't you think?"

Uljaken tilted her head and smiled cooly. "I suspect Mr. Truman would be a better judge of that than I."

"But he was surprised Mitch ran off."

"I'm not privy to Mr. Truman's emotions, Mr. Teller. You'd have to ask him."

Kyle sighed. He was standing in the slightly raised dining area looking out over the lake, but turned back to face her. "I'm not asking you what Mr. Truman did think or feel, I'm asking what you think was going through his mind."

"I don't believe I'm qualified to make those kinds of judgments, Mr. Teller."

"Of course you are-you're his personal assistant," Kyle insisted, trying to catch her eyes. "You're expected to make such judgments all the time. And if Daniel Truman wasn't totally pleased with your ability to read him he'd probably have found someone else long ago."

She seemed to be formulating a reply, but Kyle didn't give her an opening. "Mr. Truman also told you to assist me in any way you can. Answering my questions with your best professional opinion is one of the best ways to do that"

Uljaken nodded, and he could feel the shift in her resolve. "You're right, of course." She glanced over at the two Knight Errant guards. "If you'll excuse us?"

Facile looked uncomfortable, and the second man, shorter and even darker-skinned, glanced at him for instructions.

"Nothing's going to happen for a few hours, Lieutenant," Kyle told him. "It will take me that long to prepare my magics. You can wait in the hall."

Facile's eyes narrowed, but he gestured to the other officer to follow him out the door. As the two security men were leaving the room, Kyle quickly shifted to astral perception to view their auras. Both had strong auras that almost sparked in some spots and darkened to virtually nothing in others. As the door closed behind them, he slowly scanned the room. It was dull, the only strong sources of mana being himself, Hanna Uljaken and her earring, and some leafy tropical plants. His senses returned to normal.