5. Griff #3
Griff leaped to the side just in time to avoid taking the blast directly to the chest. Heat flared in his side as the expelled force ripped at his flesh.
He hit the floor hard. Gritting his teeth against the fiery tendrils of pain racking his wound, he rose in a crouch, unholstering his revolver and aiming it toward Locke.
His eyes widened when he saw that Cal had already leaped across the desk. He and Bald Locke were grappling for control of the shotgun as Cal attempted to wrench it from his grasp.
Griff hesitated, the barrel of his revolver wavering. Merciful Light! With the two of them so close, he couldn’t get a good shot.
As he watched, Cal’s skin rippled with shadowy flames. Within seconds, the visage of Blackjack had disappeared. In its place was an exact replica of Bald Locke, right down to the same grimy ponytail and angry snarl.
It wasn’t much, so far as tricks went. But suddenly being face-to-face with himself caught the real Bald Locke off-guard just long enough for Cal to finally win the tug-of-war. Shotgun in hand, Cal stepped back.
The instant Cal was out of the way, Griff aimed at Locke, flicked a button in the revolver’s side to select the fourth cartridge, and fired. A net erupted around Locke in a brief flare of azure runeflame, ensnaring him as easily as it had Cal earlier.
Griff puffed out a breath as the captured crime lord toppled to the floor. The threat had been neutralized.
He staggered, suddenly lightheaded. Only then did he notice the blood soaking his side beneath his torn coat. That shotgun blast might’ve only been a glancing wound, but it was still serious enough to take him out of commission if he let it.
First things first.
Forcing himself to remain steady and project strength, he leveled his revolver at the struggling Locke. “So,” he said through clenched teeth. “Do we have a deal?”
Locke ceased his struggles long enough to direct a furious glare at Griff. Griff didn’t budge, keeping himself from swaying on his feet via sheer force of will.
A moment later, Locke jerked his head toward his desk. “Bottom drawer on the right. Combo is 176436.”
Griff gestured at Cal. Cal glanced down at the shotgun he held. “You know, he probably stole this anyway. Maybe I could keep—”
“No.”
Sighing, Cal gave the shotgun one last mournful look, then tossed it aside, well out of Bald Locke’s reach. Crouching down by the desk, he quickly entered the combination Bald Locke had given them. The drawer opened with a click, and Cal held up a leather ledger.
He waggled it at Locke. “What’s this?”
“Business records,” Locke said. “You’ll find what you’re looking for on the last page. It’s the most recent entry.”
Cal flipped open the book, indicating a notation near the bottom. “Here it is!” He squinted at it, furrowing a brow. “But it’s just a series of numbers. How is this supposed to help?”
Locke shot Griff a derisive look. “Aren’t you supposed to be the detective?” Griff didn’t reply, and Locke sighed. “It’s an account number at the National Treasury. The client didn’t give any more info than that—no names, and they never handled the money directly.”
“What about that man who picked up the void orb?” Griff demanded.
“I’ve only met him a handful of times. Always wore a mask and used magic to disguise his voice. Pegged him as a prottie right away though.” He glared at Griff. “You lot always have a certain way of acting.”
To Griff’s annoyance, Cal nodded in agreement at that. “Anything else?” Griff demanded. “If I find out you’re holding something back, it’ll be me and a hundred other protectors storming in here next time.”
Locke did his best approximation of a shrug within the confines of the net. “You’re welcome to try. But that’s all I know.”
Cal whistled, drawing Griff’s attention. The thief was skimming through the rest of the ledger. “Eternal Dark, there’s a half-dozen more entries for that account over the past month. Each is more exorbitant than the last, even by my standards. That last payment alone was over a thousand gallants!”
Griff’s breath caught. No wonder they were working through the Treasury. With those kinds of sums involved, anything other than direct account transfers would’ve been ridiculously impractical. Still, who would be willing to pay such a fortune for a void artifact?
Perhaps reading the uncertainty on Griff’s expression, Locke sneered, “You’re biting off more than you can chew, Inspector. Trust me, you don’t want to stick your hand in this. My client’s definitely got friends in high places— maybe even IS one themself. You don’t know what you’re stepping in.”
“Maybe not,” Griff said. In as smooth a motion as he could manage with the growing pain in his side, he reholstered his pistol. “But I’ll manage, same as I always do. Thank you for your cooperation. I expect not to hear from you or your people again.”
Cal hurried over to join Griff, waving the ledger in Bald Locke’s direction. “We’ll be keeping this too for collateral, in case you get any ideas. May Allaria smile upon your business.”
Swaying a little on his feet, Griff hobbled toward the door, Cal right there beside him. Still trapped in the net, Locke watched them leave in silence.