I was waiting for Roy when he came to pick me up on Monday. I’d spent another night Underhill. Connie had worked to heal me again. I suspected the real Connie had been a healer because my leg was feeling as if it were close to being healed. I was sure the cast would come off soon. “Still no elevator?” Roy asked as I got in. “I’ll try that at the station. On the plus side, I’m getting good at stairs. I have an appointment to get help.” “Good. Will you need a ride?” “No thanks. I should be getting my cast off first. Otherwise, Lorraine will take me. “So, how did Thompson convince them to let me help?” “He didn’t exactly. Harris said you’re only helping if we need magic. He also said that since the FBI has functioned without magic since its inception, it was doubtful we’d need it now. But, so he could say he’s using every resource available, he’s having you come in. You’ll probably only work on scene recreations.” “It’s something. I’m going to little stir crazy at home.” “Good spirit.” “So, what are you going to do?” “Probably help man the tips hotline.” “Fun. See if you can sit by my desk so you can show me what you’ve done with the scenes while I was gone.” “I’ll see what I can do.” Chief Thompson met us at the door. “Sean, how’s your leg?” “Feels okay.” “Got your sketch pad?” “No. It’s in my desk. Why?” “I need Roy to help canvas. You can go with and do sketches as needed.” “You still don’t trust me?” Roy asked. “It’s for your own good.” “I’m not on probation, and I’m not on that medicine anymore.” “I know. And if someone makes a claim, you won’t have that to fall back on. Sean can be a witness.” “Oh, for the love of Pete.” “I’m not sending you out alone. Sean can help.” “I really feel the love here, Roy,” I said. “Sorry. I’m just tired of being watched.” I rolled my eyes. “And I have no idea what that’s like?” “Roy, you and Sean are going out. Talk to Robin’s friends. If you don’t like being supervised, don’t hit people. Now, go get Sean’s book and get busy.” Roy returned with my book and I followed him to the car. “What exactly did you do?” I asked. “I hit someone. You heard him.” “And I heard Sam too. It was a lawyer?” “Yeah.” “Why?” “Because he needed it.” “Roy, what happened?” “I hit someone and got suspended and then probation.” “Fine. Whatever.” It bothered me that he wouldn’t tell me. “You tell me why you won’t use elevators, and I’ll tell you what happened.” I had never told him all of it. “Before I came here, someone convinced Colonel Gillman I was an alien, and I was taken into custody. They whacked me in the head while I was out praying. I was there for six months. The first four, I was drugged. Mostly, I was unconscious during that time, but the drugs wore off faster than they expected, and I started waking up. I thought I was being tortured. They kept me in an iron cage in a windowless room for months while they experimented on me. I rather not go into what they did.” “No. I won’t ask you that. You mentioned being released. And I knew you had no love for Gillman. I hadn’t realized what happened.” “What I’d spent centuries trying to avoid. I had nightmares for a while and small places would remind me of the cage. Mostly, I managed to push past that, but if I could avoid elevators, I preferred to. I don’t mind using stairs. But since being trapped under those boxes, I haven’t been able to deal.” “I’m sorry. Maybe we should have moved them.” “No. You were right. It could have been dangerous to unbury me without the paramedics. I don’t blame you, or anyone. You didn’t know.” Roy sighed. “About two years ago I was shot. It wasn’t a big deal, but while removing the bullet, there was nerve damage. They put me on something to help with the neuropathy. The medicine made me irritable.” I raised an eyebrow. “And you’re not still on it?” “Trust me. I was worse. Robert and I went to search a suspect’s house. His lawyer was there and questioned the warrant every step of the way. I knew he was delaying us so the suspect could go ahead of us and get rid of stuff. “Rather than arresting the lawyer for obstruction, like I should have, I punched him in the face. Robert dragged all three of us in. “The lawyer threatened to sue. The chief pointed out he’d have to admit to obstructing us. They made me talk to a shrink, which is when I found out about the side effects of the medication I was taking. Thompson proposed a deal with the lawyer. He explained the problems with the medicine and said I would serve a suspension until I was off of it and then spend a year on probation if he didn’t press charges, and they wouldn’t arrest him for obstruction and we would stop investigating his client unless new evidence showed up. The lawyer agreed.” “So they’re free?” “No. The suspect hadn’t been involved with that case, but he was dealing drugs. That’s what he’d been hiding. The lawyer was in on it. Both were arrested about the same time you arrive.” “You were only on suspension a week.” “I dumped my pills. I decided being in pain was better than the alternative.” “And your arm still bothers you?” Roy shrugged. “I’m getting used to it. Some days are worse than others.” “Will heal eventually?” “Maybe. If it does, it will take a while. Nerves regenerate slowly. I’m managing.” He glanced sideways at me. “And you’ll learn to manage too.” “I’m not sure a human can advise an elf, but I don’t have any other options.” “You could talk to Kat.” I groaned, but before I could say anything, he pulled into a driveway. A woman answered the door. “Mrs. Tillman? I’m Detective Jiu and this is Mister Reilly. He’s consulting with us on Robin’s disappearance.” “You’re that magician that helped find that missing girl last year.” I nodded. “I am.” “And you’re going to do the same for Robin?” “I’m hoping to.” “Come in. Can I get you anything?” She looked back at us. “No thanks.” Roy shook his head. “Maybe a chair,” I requested. It got tiring leaning on crutches, and their padding left a lot to be desired. “Oh, sorry. Please sit.” She gestured. “Do you need to put your foot up?” “No, thanks.” I sat. “What can you tell us about Robin?” Roy asked. “He’s a sweet boy. He was always so polite when he was over and at school. I know he gave his mom a run for the money, though.” “Could he be hiding?” Roy asked despite what we’d seen. “Without his phone? No way. A couple of years ago, Robin’s parents got him a dog. He loved it instantly. Unfortunately, it turned out he was allergic. They gave the dog to an uncle, so Robin could still see him. But Robin was crushed. His parents got him a cell phone and got some app for digital pets. He made one look just like the dog. Robin takes it everywhere with him.” “Not school. No dogs in school.” A young boy entered. “Yes, no dogs at school. He leaves his phone in a special carrier he made from a shoebox. This is Gage. Gage, this is Officers Jiu and Reilly. “Who colored your cast?” The boy asked me. Most of my pants didn’t fit over the cast so I cut the legs a few. “I did.” “Why didn’t you finish?” “I can’t reach that far.” “Can I?” “Gage!” His mother hissed. “You don’t draw on people.” Gage pointed at me. “He did. And we signed Shelley’s cast.” “If he wants to decorate it, and you don’t mind, he’s welcome to,” I told her. “Please, Mom?” “I suppose. Moved to the kitchen. No markers on the rug.” I made sure the chair I used was in view of the woman. “Do you have a digital pet too?” I asked. Gage shook his head. “I don’t have a phone. I like to color. I’m going to be an artist.” “I’m an artist.” “I thought you were a cop.” “I help the police. Sometimes, I do magic, and sometimes I make pictures.” “Magic? Magic is tricks.” “Sometimes. And sometimes it’s real.” I cast a spell to make colored lights float around. “Wow. Can you make stuff fly?” “I can.” I ended the light spell and made the box of markers raise off the ground. “How did you do that?” “I’m an elf.” I pointed to an ear. “Like Santa’s elves?” “Kind of.” “But aren’t Santa’s elves small?” “Elves are all sizes. Small elves would be good for making toys because toys are usually small. Big elves are good for being with people who are the same size.” “How come you’re not at the North Pole?” “Because I’m helping find Robin.” Gage returned to his coloring. “He shouldn’t talk to strangers.” “Did you see him talking to someone at the park?” He shook his head. “He always shows everyone his dog.” “Was there anyone that he talked to more than once? A stranger, I mean.” Gage shrugged. “Gage? Did he?” “He talked to everyone.” “Were you at the park that day?” Gage nodded. “Did you see a man in a green jacket?” Gage didn’t respond. “Gage?” The boy kept coloring. I moved my foot away, and he looked up. “Gage, I used have a cousin named Robin. When he was little, he used to wander off. I’d be worried sick until he was found. Are you worried about your Robin?” Gage nodded. “You don’t want to talk about it? You don’t have to tell me what happened.” “That’s what they do a TV.” “They don’t have elves on TV. I’ve already seen what happened.” “How?” “Magic. But it’s kind of blurry. So if you saw a man in the green jacket that would help.” “I didn’t see him by Robin. He was by the cars.” “If you saw him again, would you know him, even without the jacket?” “Yeah, he had something on his face.” “Like what? A beard or mask?” “Like he was hurt, but there was no blood.” “A scar?” “What’s a scar?” “It’s like when you get hurt, but it doesn’t heal the same way. Come.” I led them back to his mom. “Gage may have seen the man. He said there was something on his face. I think he meant a scar. Do mind if I showed him mine so he knows what one looks like?” “Where is it?” The woman asked. “My chest.” I tapped my sternum. She nodded. I unbuttoned my shirt and showed him a portion of the scar that crossed my chest. “Did it look a little like that?” I asked. Gage nodded. “What happened?” “It happened long ago. I don’t remember.” “Does it hurt?” “Not anymore.” I buttoned my shirt. “And where did the man have his scar?” “On his face.” Gage touched his cheek. I pulled out my sketchpad and drew a rough face. “Can you draw where the scar was?” I offered him my pencil and he drew a blob covering the man’s cheek. “Thanks,” Roy said. “There anything else special about him?” I asked. “Did he have a tattoo? Or did he have an accent, talk funny, like I do?” “I didn’t hear him.” “Was there anything else?” “He just looked like a man.” “That’s okay. This will help.” I gestured to the drawing. “Will you find Robin?” “We’ll do our best.” “I miss him.” I missed my Robin too but didn’t say anything. Roy stood. “Thanks for your help.” “Thanks,” I echoed. “Gage, thank you for the artwork.” I followed Roy out to the car. “You’re good with kids,” Roy observed. “I had a cousin who was a child for over two hundred years.” “Good. Then you deal with the kids, and I’ll talk with the parents. You got more from Gage than I did from his mom. She knew nothing.” “I thought about doing a sketch, but Gage didn’t seem up to it.” “I think you’re right.” We spent most of the day talking to those who knew Robin. We didn’t get much more. A few might have seen a scarred man with a green jacket, but no more details. “How did you get that scar?” Roy asked. “You really don’t remember?” “I don’t. I was hit in the head. I don’t remember anything after that until after everyone had disappeared. Kat says I was hit by a wight. “I thought nothing could penetrate your armor.” “Wights are non-corporeal. They’re almost impossible to destroy. I don’t know who was stupid enough to create one. Most constructs can be controlled by the creators. Wights are different. And they’ll fight anyone, not just the enemies of their creator. Putting one on a battlefield is just asking for disaster.” “You were a pretty good knight. Could you have handled it if you had a chance?” “Maybe. I’ve done it before. I hadn’t been aware of the wight. It may have just been created. Had I known there was one, that would have been my focus, not the troll.” “You’re lucky it disappeared too.” “Along with all the other phantasms. Any one of them could have killed me while I was out. I’m lucky Kat took pity on me and helped me. The injury could have killed me.” “There are many people lucky you survived.”