Death Match (A Magic Bullet Novel Book 2) by A. Blythe Read Free Book Online Page B

thought she was going to write something down, but it seemed she just wanted to fiddle with it. She began tapping it on the desk. As annoying as it was, I was patient. The good detective had something on her mind.
    "What is it, Detective?" I finally prodded.
    "Do you know anyone who can do an autopsy?" she asked.
    "But I thought they already performed an autopsy."
    She pressed her lips together. "I'd like another one. More..." She groped for words.
    "Magical?" I offered. She nodded. "An autopsy more magical than the one performed by the Enclave's coroner?"
    "Their coroner is not a pathologist."
    "Your precinct has a pathologist."
    She gave me a pointed look. Okay, my comment was unfair. The regular human precinct had a regular human pathologist. PTF had almost no resources or training in the magical arts and sciences.
    "I might know someone." Last I'd heard, Ziggy had settled in New Hope, Pennsylvania. He was a former Shadow Elite lab geek who managed to make it to retirement without biting the dust. No small feat.
    "I'm keeping the body sequestered," Thompson said, "but it can't leave. I'll need your person to come here."
    I retrieved my phone and thumbed a text. "I'll let you know when." I stood to go. "With the caveat that whatever the results are, you share them with me."
    Thompson hesitated. Despite our recent collaborations, she was still on the fence about me. It was understandable. I didn't give anyone the warm fuzzies. It wasn't in my nature.
    "Detective, you get no help from your department. You rely way too much on the Protectorate. I'm offering my services." I held up my wrists to remind her of my cuffs. "What harm can it do?"
    "I don't have money in the budget to pay a consultant."
    I tried not to give her my deranged smile. "You can owe me one."
    She whistled. "Great Lakes of Shit-aqua. I know I'm gonna regret this."

8
    F ollowing a disastrous attempt at yoga when I first arrived in Philadelphia, Pinky took it upon herself to teach me tai chi. Like many others before her, she was convinced I needed more serenity in my life.
    We were in the back area of Tops and Bottoms, where we had room to experiment with flowing movements. The concept of constant motion appealed to me since that was second nature anyway.
    My phone buzzed so I dipped down in one fluid movement and scooped my phone off the red velvet chair. A text from Thompson.
    "Aha!" I said.
    Pinky paused her graceful posture. "What did I do?"
    "Not you." I waved the phone at her. "There was a drug in Kieran's system. I knew it."
    Pinky's blond ponytail bobbed from side to side. "No, there wasn't. The report said he was clean."
    "PTF got a second opinion." I didn't tell her the second opinion was courtesy of my old friend, Ziggy. I didn't want it to get back to Oscar that I'd stepped on his toes. As long as I was stuck in Philadelphia, it was best to stay on his good side.
    "Which drug made him light up like a Christmas tree?" she asked.
    I read through the text. "I've never heard of it. Apparently, it was designed to be untraceable." No surprise there. If a mage coroner couldn't see it, there was advanced engineering at work. "The report says it's called X-caliber. Like King Arthur's sword, but trendier." I glanced at Pinky. "You're young and hip. Have you heard of X-caliber?"
    Pinky's expression was blank. "Nope."
    I blew out a breath. "Guess it's time to meet Señor Bendetti."
    Pinky's expression quickly shifted from blank to alarmed. "Luciano Bendetti? Why?"
    "He controls the drug trade in this colony. Did you have any meetings with him when you worked for O'Leary?" Jimmy O'Leary ran the casinos for the crime syndicate and Pinky was his personal mage when we met. I knew O'Leary didn't see Pinky's true potential, so I was only too happy to have her join me as a fledgling skip tracer. So far, it was a win-win.
    "I met him, like, a dozen times." She pressed her lips together. "He likes the color purple."
    "The book?"
    "No, the actual color." She shuddered.