Buck eyed the painting hanging above Hazelnut’s couch. It looked exactly like the Brembrandt that had gone missing from that art collector earlier in the year—the one who’d paid for a state-of-the-art security system only to be robbed weeks later. Can’t be the same one. Not sitting out in the open in a random squirrel’s apartment. Has to be a reprint. Probably.

  Krouri let out a breath she’d been holding and pressed her phone to her chest. "She got him out. Thank goodness."

  Buck peeked over her shoulder at the screen. "'Urchin successfully yoinked.' Cute. Who is this contact anyway? Why is he so important?"

  "His name is Iggy. We ran into each other some time ago, quite literally. He had seen something involving the Don. Scared him half to death. I called in a few favors and set him up in a safe house until I could interview him properly. That's when the events at the diner happened."

  "And then the lounge. Which brings us to now," Buck finished.

  "Quite the whirlwind of events," Sparks drawled around his cigar.

  Before Buck could retort, the front door rattled open. Hazelnut stepped in, damp fur and all, with a small vole boy clinging to her sleeve.

  "Golly, miss…" Iggy whispered, staring wide-eyed around the room. "You live in this fancy palace?"

  "Sure do!" Hazelnut grinned and tousled his cap. "And I’m gonna call my friends Poppy and Widget about making room for you. Sound good? You hungry?

  Iggy nodded, still dazzled by the shelves of expensive trinkets.

  "Allow me, madam," Reginald said, touching the rune on his cuff. In a puff of golden motes, his chauffeur uniform flickered into a chef’s hat and apron. "I’ll whip up something for everyone."

  Introductions were made. Iggy immediately bolted across the room and threw his arms around Krouri’s waist, face burrowed into her vest.

  "I'm sorry Miss Kukri! I got scared and they were mean and pushing Mr. Bronson down and I didn't know what to do—"

  Buck caught the scent of lavender as Krouri stroked his fur, her voice soft. "It's all right, Iggy. You did exactly what you were supposed to. You asked for help—and help came." She glanced toward Buck. "Think you’re up to telling my detective friend what you saw?"

  Iggy sniffed, looking up at Buck’s steady, reassuring stare. "Y-yeah."

  Buck already had his notebook out.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "I saw the big lizard man—the one everyone’s scared of—talking to people in gas masks and big plastic suits. They had crates. Lots of crates. One of them opened a box and… and there was a knife in it. It glowed blue. Like ice." Iggy’s hands mimed the size of the blade. "That’s when they saw me… so I ran. I ran right into Miss Kukri."

  Reginald returned bearing a silver tray. "Eggs Frederick," he announced proudly. Iggy demolished his plate in record time. The rest ate in thoughtful silence.

  Buck tapped his pen to paper. "Big lizard’s obviously Pazienza. Hazmat suits suggest chemical or biological materials…and a glowing blade? Maybe Pazienza's selling weapons to recoup losses." He glanced at Sparks. "Might be connected to the goons in the lounge."

  Iggy wiped sauce from his chin. "They were moving real fast. Like they were late for something." The group ruminated on the possibilities, talking into the night. Iggy soon drifted off and Hazelnut carried him to her bedroom.

  "Poor kid. All right—where were we?"

  "Aethercorp," Buck answered. "Something is tying them to the Cremation Killer. I need to find out what, which means I need to get inside that plant."

  Sparks and Hazelnut shared a look that didn't go unnoticed.

  "Our interests may align more than you think, detective." Sparks said as Reginald handed him the poster tube he had back at his residence. He unrolled a set of blueprints across the table. "I need access to that plant as well. I have information that could help—but only if I know I can trust you."

  Buck’s stare hardened. He knew Sparks wasn't the Cremation Killer but was still wary to work with this enamored pyromaniac. "Look, I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble but I have no reason to trust you. Either of you. If we do this, you'll have something on me. Since I'll have something on you too, how do I know you won't burn me to the ground someday?"

  Sparks almost looked offended. "You're more than welcome to do this on your own, you know." He started to put the tube away but Hazelnut interjected.

  "Wait. Buck, you’re right. You barely know me. Same with Krouri. I think we're the only ones close to the truth right now. Trust is a two way street. We'll trust you with this," she said, producing an Aethercorp security card with the face of a platypus. "So trust us to help you solve the case."

  Buck’s eyes narrowed. Hazelnut's "work" was starting to make more sense. Now he was involved with not one but two criminals. He stared at the card. Then at the blueprints. Then at the closed bedroom door where Iggy slept.

  He sighed. "All right. Cards on the table."

  He told them everything—Zywrath’s task force, the refined Gladiator drug, Fixer’s involvement. Sparks smoothed out the blueprint and began marking possible entry points. Hazelnut tapped a side entrance used by night-shift employees. Krouri circled the freight elevator deep inside the compound and made the argument that anything they wanted to hide would be kept away from public view.

  Sparks made a call to one of his contacts and arranged for duplicates of the keycard to be made with their faces.

  Buck pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is turning into a damn heist."

  "We're just looking for information. Evidence." Krouri corrected.

  "I'll keep the fire to a dull roar," Sparks joked.

  Buck shot him a look. "You start anything, I'll shut you down. I don't care where we are."

  Sparks grinned. "Promises, promises."