Although all six of us had to show our licenses, only the men had to pay a cover charge. We were each given two small faded tickets with blocky, flavorful type, patterned after speakeasy cards. "What are these?" the blonde asked, holding one up to try to get better light. I began, "Back during Prohibition," … Continue reading Chapter 9 – The Tin Roof

'Dr. Pathik Soin: 'This is a quick note regarding your patient, Samantha Mayer. 'I pay you very well to assure that our acquisitions aren't found. Ms. Mayer has been discovered and is surrounded by supers as we speak. I am disappointed. 'You are going to personally deal with this. Provided that the girl does not … Continue reading Chapter 8 – Exploitation

Setting up the room had been what finally convinced me to hire Fitz. It was small for a corner office. The style was distinctly industrial, with Art Deco flourishes that invoked the Golden Gate Bridge - a copper bass-relief of which was hung against one wall. The floor was sections of metal grille with soft … Continue reading Chapter 7 – Senior Management

I thought out my morning on the drive home. The meeting with Georgia and Matti Gardner, my prospective employees, was set for 9 am Pacific time, which meant I had four hours to invest. I wanted to focus on the polar bear case, but when I had laundry going and sat down at my computer, … Continue reading Chapter 6 – Painful Questions

"You're not seriously thinking of taking him up on it?" Paris stood up from her seat next to my desk, stretching; it was late and she needed sleep. Unlike my unalterable five hours and forty minutes a night, Paris's sleep patterns were normal for her active lifestyle; she needed a full night's sleep. I gave … Continue reading Chapter 5 – Recollection

"I still don't get it," Spinner said. "We're not more than a couple of miles from the station. Why hide her so close?" "This is New York City," Lady Liberty reminded him. "Two blocks would have been far enough. No power trail. No leads." She... Continue Reading

The police station where Whisper and High-Cap were being held was not the closest one to the scene of the bank robbery. It was a larger station set on a block where offices were interspersed with apartments. While not the size of the mammoth buildings surrounding it, the station had ample jail space to accommodate … Continue reading Chapter 3 – Not with a Bang