Read At the Behest of the Dead for Free Online

chance of getting a true reading out of that psychic you mentioned. Doc doesn’t do freelance.”
    I had a nother suspicion. If a demon were involved--and I certainly wouldn’t put that out of the realm of possibility considering the night I’d had--the wounds would have been much cleaner. When a demon, the real thing, struck, it was with lethal but exacting force. Sure they could be cruel and play with a victim like a cat with a plump mouse, but they were normally instructed to be about their task and then return to their realm.
    Lucky for me the demon from last night was a push over. The kind of push over that almost killed me. Heavy on the word ‘almost.’
    “So you don’t think it’s a human killer? It may be something from the,” she stifled a cough, “other side.”
    “From the other side?” I raised my hand and gestured theatrically. “Could be , but I hope, for our sake, it isn’t. Trust me, detective, you don’t want anything from beyond the cusp on this side.”
    “That’s why we came to you to find out, and to explain this stuff to us. We want to hire you in an unofficial capacity. Look over the crime scene, do your – well whatever you do--and then tell us what you find.” She talked as if I had already taken the job.
    On one hand , it would be great to get some press around the police station, to show that we warlocks weren’t something to scare the kiddies at night. It would be a real coup if I could solve the case and everyone went home happy. Problem was I didn’t trust the authorities one bit. I had no doubt they would use me and toss me aside once they brought the beast down.
    If the attacker was what I thought it was, it had to be stopped anyway , so it would be refreshing to do it under the guise of fighting crime.
    “How much?” I asked while the wheels in my head spun.
    “How much?”
    “I don’t work for free.”
    “Oh, sorry, of course. What do you normally charge?”
    “Five hundred a day. You pay for any glamours and ingredients if I need to make potions. I provide all my own spells and I work alone.” Wow, did that last bit ever sound cliché. The fact was I didn’t always work alone, but in this case having a cop around would be more of a danger to her. One misplaced toss of a potion, or a cowboy who thought he could take on a netherworld beastie, and it could be curtain calls.
    “That much? There’s a psychic that works near the downtown branch. She said she would do it for a hundred a day.”
    “What’s her name?”
    “Maureen Rielly. Why?”
    “Because I never heard of her, that’s why. All you’ll be is out a couple of hundred bucks and in for a few bad leads.”
    “Who’s to say you’re any different?” she asked me point blank. “I’ve seen magicians make rabbit’s disappear.”
    “Like I said, you want parlor tricks you came to the wrong place. I’m a certified warlock with a calling in necromancy. That kind of talent doesn’t come cheap, my dear. And I’m about as real as it gets.” I didn’t tell her that I’d probably have to cut my ‘agent’ Carlisle in on the money so I had padded the amount to cover him.
    “Let me guess. Y ou are the best, and we should pay your exorbitant fees in the hope you lead us to the killer.” She stuttered at the end of the sentence, probably unsure what to call my line of work.
    “I am good at what I do. Some might call me the best.” Well some that actually liked me. The rest of the guild was more likely to spit at the sound of my name. They were an u ptight bunch with long memories. I wasn’t the first to go into business for himself, but I was one of the highest profiled. My rates took into account a certain amount of danger. It meant I would more than likely have to launch a full investigation, which would involve a little necro-magic. Dark stuff, but calling up traces of the dead was my true specialty. Humans didn’t trust us. Other warlocks didn’t trust necros . It was lose-lose for me.
    “Ok