'Pay attention, here,' Emmett said to Cooper. 'In spite of your recent little setback, you may have need of this information someday. I don't give out my grilling secrets to just any visiting hunter who drops in for a free meal.'
'I'm watching every move you make, London,' Cooper said.
Elly looked thoughtful. 'You two have known each other a long time, I gather?'
'Met a few years back when I was running the Resonance City Guild.' Emmett examined the marinated fish with the air of a brain surgeon preparing to operate.
'Brought him in to handle a little problem we had at the time.'
'Really?' Elly smiled benignly. 'Would that have been a problem in your Archives Department, by any chance?'
'How did you guess?' Emmett said smoothly. 'Never knew anyone who could whip an Archives Department into shape faster and with less bad press than Cooper, here.' He looked at Cooper, spatula at the ready. 'You ready to watch the master at work?'
'Not sure I'm up to this,' Cooper said. 'I tend to faint at the sight of blood.'
'You know the old saying, the ghost that doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Emmett used the spatula to convey the fish onto the grill. 'So, you got a plan to track down our blue freak?'
'Not sure you could call it a plan,' Cooper said. 'More like an extremely thin lead.' He reached into the pocket of his shirt and removed the object he had retrieved from the floor near the scene of the blue vortex. He held it up so that they could all see it.
'Looks like a fancy swizzle stick,' Lydia said, taking a closer look at the little plastic sword.
'It is,' Cooper said. 'Ever heard of a club called The Road to the Ruins?'
Lydia looked interested. 'That's your lead?'
Cooper looked at her. 'It's all I've got at the moment. What do you know about it?'
'Well, for starters, The Road is the most exclusive nightclub and casino in town. It's located in the Old Quarter, right up against the wall. It's a private club with a special VIP entrance. If you don't have a pass, you have to stand in a long line with all the lesser beings and hope that the bouncers will eventually let you in. I admit that I can't give you any firsthand observations of the place, because Emmett tends to be extremely straitlaced about some things.'
'I'm a married man,' Emmett declared piously. 'Married men don't join clubs like The Road to the Ruins unless they're doing deals with underworld figures or having torrid affairs with their best friends' wives.'
'Excuses, excuses.' Lydia exchanged a meaningful glance with Elly. 'Beware. This is what happens after you get married. All of a sudden they want to stay home every night and grill fish instead of taking you out for a good time.'
'I'll remember that,' Elly said politely.
She sat down on a deck chair and crossed her legs. Cooper was suddenly keenly aware that the little violet-colored dress she was wearing was even shorter than the skirt she'd had on last night.
'They say the food is great,' Lydia continued. 'And I've heard the entertainment is first-rate, if a little on the raunchy side.'
Cooper looked at Emmett and shook his head in a mockingly sorrowful manner. 'And to think you never take your wife there.'
'Call me boring.' Emmett used the spatula to transfer the filets to the grill. 'But I guarantee you, it isn't the kind of place you'd take the respectable daughter of a high-ranking member of the Aurora Springs Guild, either.'
'I think he's talking about me,' Elly said to Lydia.
Lydia nodded. 'Yes, I did get that impression.'
Emmett ignored both of them. 'The owner is a guy named Ormond Ripley. Said to have discreet ties throughout the underworld and also in the political sphere. He's been smart enough and sufficiently well-connected to stay out of trouble with the law, which is saying something, given that he's operating a casino. Used to be a Guild man.'
'I get the picture.' Absently, Cooper swirled what was left of his drink. 'Now, all I have to do is find a way to get inside the club.' He raised one brow at Emmett. 'Got any suggestions?'
'Wyatt can pull some strings and get you in,' Emmett said. 'I'll give him a call in the morning.'
Elly rezzed up a suspiciously bright smile. Cooper got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
'No need to call the local Guild boss,' she said airily. 'I go to The Road a lot. I know some people. I can get Cooper inside. We can go tonight, if you like.'
Chapter 15
AFTER DINNER COOPER AND EMMETT WENT INSIDE THE house to put together a detailed plan for dealing with the blue freak.
Elly and Lydia stood at the edge of the deck and watched the men walk away, talking in low tones.
'Guild business,' Lydia intoned darkly.
'Don't remind me,' Elly said.
For a while they stood silently together, looked out over the mist-shrouded park. At the far end of the railing, Rose, Ginger, and Fuzz sat munching quietly on pretzels.
'Did you see the look on Cooper's face when I told him that I could get him into The Road?' Elly asked after a while.
Lydia laughed. 'Priceless. Typical Guild-boss-caught-flatfooted expression.'
'Doesn't happen often.'
'Enjoy the moment.'
'Thanks, I will.'
Lydia tipped her head a little to one side. 'Do you really know someone who can get you a pass into that club?'
'I have a couple of friends who have been members for quite a while. They own a very successful antiques business on Ruin Lane. I blend special tisanes for both of them, and in return they've invited me to go with them to The Road a couple of times. I'm sure they'll let me borrow their pass tonight.'
'Under other circumstances, it sounds like it would be a fun evening.'
'Yes.' Elly leaned her forearms on the railing and linked her fingers, absorbing the night. 'I get the impression that Cooper is sort of stuck having to take care of this problem for the Cadence Guild.'
'Emmett told me earlier that blue freaks don't come along very often. Neither do the unique kind of dissonance-energy para-rezzes who can handle them.'
'When you think about it, it's my fault Cooper got involved in the first place. If I hadn't asked him to help me find my friend in the tunnels last night, he would never have known about that blue vortex.'
'Was it really as scary as Emmett and Cooper implied?' Lydia asked.
'I've never seen anything like it, that's for sure, and I've been into the catacombs on several occasions with my family. It looked spooky and very powerful, although I don't think I took it as seriously as I should have because Cooper was able to de-rez it so quickly.'
'Emmett says he's good.'
'I must admit, even though I was raised in a Guild family, I've always assumed that blues and enforcers were mostly hunter legends.'
'Well, you're way ahead of me. I'd never even heard of blues or enforcers until today.'
'Goes to show what a good job the Guilds have done keeping their secrets down the years.'
'I know it isn't any of my business,' Lydia said, 'but Emmett told me earlier that you and Cooper had been engaged for a while. He said you called off the wedding.'
'Yes.'
'Let me guess, the job got in the way?'
Elly smiled sadly. 'You're very astute.'
