Chapter One

Days like this suck.

It's too hot outside, and due to my unfortunate office placement with three huge windows (oh, it'll be a great view!) with poor sealing, the air conditioning is woefully inadequate. And I can't take my shirt off like my male partner, Vaughn, because society frowns upon women being comfortable. There hasn't been anyone by my office, and the phone has been so silent I actually checked twice to make sure it was plugged in. I haven't even gotten a telemarketer. Or a wrong number.

As a magical PI, you'd think I'd be getting some kind of action, here.

Instead, I was stuck in my stuffy little office with only the dubious company of my assistant, whom was dead set on complaining about every crack and water spot on the ceiling he could find, and he'd found quite a lot.

"You know, I think we could be getting a better deal for the rent we dish out for this place. Really, I think we're getting ripped off." said Vaughn, my assistant, soon to be ex-assistant corpse, while he continued to peruse the ceiling, balancing his chair on it's back two legs.. I took comfort in the knowledge that he would have a killer crick in his neck tonight.

"Yeah, it's awful, wanna talk about something else?" I said in a blatant attempt to change the subject. I'd given up on being subtle hours ago, and the heat was making me crabby.

Brii-Bring

The shock of the phone's ring made Vaughn over-balance his chair and crash to the floor. My arm shot out and picked up the phone in the middle of the second ring.

"Hello, Phoenix's fire-hot paranormal investigation service, where no mystery is too strange for us to solve. Phoenix speaking, how may I help you?" I recited, trying not to sound starved for business. A woman's breathy voice crossed the line, panic as clear in her voice as desperation was in mine.

"Please, I need your help, there's something trying to kill me!"

Ah, and I'm back in business.