Page 70 of Dragon Detective

“It looks amazing,” I said as we stood on the front porch. His guys and orc ladies had finished loading their equipment in their trucks and climbed inside the vehicles. “I’ll be in touch again, I’m sure.” I could squeak out enough money to hire them to help me open by my deadline.

“Always happy to help,” he said with a polite nod.

I waved as they drove away and went inside, locking the front door behind me.

With a glass of water in hand, I went into the front parlor to sit, putting my feet up on the coffee table. Max sauntered into the room and paused, peering around before he strolled over to glide beneath my legs, brushing his tail against me as he went. Since he was purring and not trying to claw me, I lifted him and placed him on my lap. He settled, kneading my bare knees while I winced and scratched his neck. It wasn’t often that my sweet boy wanted to sit with me, so I wasn’t going to complain about a few claw pricks.

An odd feeling swept over me, as if I was being watched. A chill slithered up my spine, and I tried to shrug it away. It wasn’t cold inside; in fact, it felt warmer than usual for a late summer day.

Max continued to knead and purr on my lap, which I found reassuring. If there was someone watching me, he’d not only know about it, but he’d also sound the alarm.

I squinted out the three windows on the left wall but saw nothing unusual outside.

Still, the feeling persisted.

I lifted my phone and scrolled into social media, where I caught up on the Mystic Harbor News. Creature Cones, Melly’sice cream shop, was offering a coupon, two cones for the price of one. I’d mention it to Reylor, and we could go into town tonight after dinner for ice cream. And a monster fair was coming to town and would be setting up on the outskirts. They promised rides, monster strength demonstrations, plus various monster-style food. Now that was something I definitely wanted to go to. I’d bet anything Reylor would join me.

A dull thud rang out behind me.

I froze.

Max stopped purring and kneading. He crooked his head around to look first at me before his gaze traveled past me, toward the back of the parlor.

I gently lifted him and placed him on the sofa beside me, and he hopped up onto the back, staring toward where the sound had come from. His tail whipped back and forth, smacking against the top of the cushion.

After setting my phone on the sofa, I rose and spun, taking in the empty room. No one peered through the windows, and I didn’t hear anyone moving within the building or close outside.

“You spooked yourself,” I whispered as I rounded the sofa and walked over to the high-back chairs flanking the big stone fireplace.

Something had fallen onto the floor beside one of the side tables, and I bent forward to pick it up.

I frowned at the pipe in my hand.

It was warm, as if it had just gone out. I caught a whiff of the smoke I’d smelled yesterday, though the pipe remained empty of tobacco or ash.

“Justin?” I whispered, gaping around.

Max hissed and leaped off the sofa, scrambling so fast out of the room, he scattered the throw rug I’d laid on the hardwood floor near the door. I tiptoed to the arched entryway and peered into the hall. No Max. No one else, for that matter.

Pipe smoke hung in the air, and a cool breeze swept across my body, bringing on my chills.

A soft, subtle sound echoed from above, but I couldn’t quite place it. I froze, listening, but the sound wasn’t repeated.

Leaving the parlor, I hurried down the hall to my suite, though I found the rooms empty, as were the dining rooms, the kitchen, the library, and the big living room. As I crept through the first floor, my heart thudded faster than it should, a drum in my ears that nearly blocked out every sound but the distant crash of the sea. I swallowed past my dry throat, and I suspected if I tried to speak, it would come out a croak.

Should I call out? Maybe one of the orc construction workers hadn’t left yet. Just because it looked like they’d all gotten into their trucks and driven away together didn’t mean one hadn’t remained behind to do some final touches. Or use the public bathroom. Or step outside to enjoy the view.

But . . .

There was no way I was going to call out.

I backtracked to the parlor for my phone, but I couldn’t find it. It wasn’t on the cushion where I’d left it, not in my pocket, and when I dropped to my hands and knees and peered under the couch, I didn’t find it there either.

Inside the kitchen, I scooped up a mug of soup, and I carried it with me.

I wasn’t running any longer. If someone was here, I was going to find them and tell them to leave.

But I’d bet anything there was no one inside the building with me. Justin was making his presence known, and he didn’t bother me a bit. Whenever I sensed he was around, I felt comforted, not afraid.