Page 23 of Pack and Forth
“Anytime, darling.”
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. “Gerri, I’ve got to go. Rex and Nash are here so we can dive into the investigation. I’ll keep you posted.”
She quickly smoothed down her hair and took a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies that had suddenly taken up residence in her stomach. With a final glance in the mirror to make sure she didn’t look as flustered as she felt, Kira opened the door, a bright smile on her face.
“Hey, guys,” she greeted, stepping aside to let them in. “Ready to catch a fraudster?”
Rex and Nash entered the apartment, their presence filling the space with an electric energy that made Kira’s skin tingle. Rex was dressed in his usual attire of dark jeans and a fitted T-shirt that clung to his muscular frame while Nash opted for a more casual look with khaki shorts and a polo shirt that brought out the green in his eyes.
“Born ready,” Rex said, his deep voice sending shivers down Kira’s spine. He pulled her into a brief hug, his hands lingering on her waist a moment longer than strictly necessary. “How about you, detective? Any breaks in the case?”
Kira shrugged, trying to ignore the way her body responded to Rex’s touch. “Not yet, but I have a feeling we’re getting close. I’ve got a stack of case files and a list of potential suspects I think we should take a closer look at.”
Nash grinned, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Sounds like a party. Lead the way, boss lady.”
They settled in the living room, the coffee table soon covered in a sprawling mess of papers, files, and hastily scribbled notes. Kira perched on the edge of the couch, a frown of concentration on her face as she studied the information in front of her.
“Okay, so we know that whoever is behind this has to have a pretty serious grudge against Gerri and the PDA,” she said, tapping a pen against her chin thoughtfully. “They’re not just trying to sabotage her business, they’re actively trying to destroy it.”
Rex nodded, his brow furrowed as he flipped through a stack of files. “Right. And they have to have some pretty impressive skills to pull off these kinds of matches. I mean, a mermaid and a dragon? That’s not exactly a pairing you’d stumble upon by accident.”
Nash snorted, shaking his head in disbelief. “Can you imagine the logistics of that date? ‘Oh, sorry, I can’t go for a moonlit walk on the beach, I’ll dry out and die.’ Talk about a mood killer.”
TWELVE
Kira couldn’t help but laugh, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. “Okay, okay, let’s focus. We need to figure out who has the means, motive, and opportunity to pull something like this off.”
They dove into the files, each of them taking a stack and combing through the information with a fine-toothed comb. As they worked, a few names began to stand out, each one more suspicious than the last.
“What about this guy?” Nash said, holding up a file with a photograph of a middle-aged man with a severe expression. “Jonson Gates. Apparently, he used to work for Gerri as an assistant, but she fired him a few years back for ‘unethical practices.’ Says here he was pretty bitter about it too. There’s also Silvia Henry who’s another disgruntled employee.”
Kira’s eyebrows shot up, and she snatched the file from Nash’s hand. “Back it up. Unethical practices? In a paranormal dating agency? That’s gotta be pretty bad.”
Rex leaned over her shoulder, his breath warm against her ear as he studied the file. “Looks like he’s got a history of manipulating matches for his own gain. Blackmail, extortion, you name it. Guy’s a real piece of work.”
Kira nodded, a feeling of unease settling in her gut. “Definitely worth looking into. Who else do we have?”
“So there’s Silvia, but that’s the only other employee,” Kira said.
“What about rival agencies?”
She nodded. “That’s a good possibility. Maybe look into rejected clients too?” she tapped her chin. “There’s really only one name there, Frank Dupont, but I’ll look into him too.” They continued to comb through the files, each new piece of information adding to the puzzle. There was the disgruntled client who had threatened to sue Gerri after a particularly disastrous match, the rival agency owner who had been trying to poach her clients for years, and the ex-employee who had been caught stealing confidential information.
“It’s like a paranormal version of Clue,” Nash joked, holding up three files with a flourish.
“All right, let’s start with this couple,” Kira suggested, pointing to the first names on their list. “An elderly vampire and a young witch. According to their complaint, the date was a total disaster.”
Rex and Nash nodded in agreement, and the trio headed out to interview the mismatched couple. They met at a cozy coffee shop, the neutral location putting the vampire and witch more at ease.
As the couple recounted their disastrous date, Kira had to stifle a laugh at the chaotic details. From mismatched interests to comical magical mishaps, the story was a mix of frustration and hilarity. She diligently took notes, trying to piece together any clues that might point to the fraudster.
Next up was an even more unlikely pair - a werewolf and a dolphin shifter. As they shared their equally calamitous date experience, complete with amusing anecdotes about water mishaps and cultural misunderstandings, Kira couldn’t help but chuckle. The absurdity of these mismatched dates provided some much-needed comic relief amid the serious nature of their investigation.
As they continued interviewing more mismatched couples, Kira started to notice patterns emerging in the sabotage. Each bad match seemed meticulously designed to create maximum chaos and dissatisfaction.
She discussed her observations with Rex and Nash, who readily agreed that the fraudster wasn’t just targeting Gerri’s business, but actively trying to cause as much disruption as possible.
Working together with Rex and Nash, Kira felt a growing sense of partnership. Their different approaches and strengths complemented each other perfectly, making the investigation more efficient and thorough. Rex’s commanding presence and Nash’s analytical mind balanced out her own investigative skills, creating a powerful team dynamic.