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William MacKay stormed in, about ready to explode. "Where is she?"
"In my office with Ajax," I said, tearing through a cabinet behind the check-in desk. "Didn't want to let her out of our sight." I found what I was looking for. I motioned to Precious and directed her, "Keep an eye on the door. Don't let anyone through. Not even your own mother." I put the book on the marble counter. "This is an Other Side directory of council members and committee officials. If John Doe was trying to buy my land, he had to have some connection with one of these folks. Just... use that photographic mind of yours and see if there's anyone you recognize from all those times you have dug through Frank the Ogre's files. Anyone who seems shady."
She gave me a salute and then leaned across the counter, flipping through the pages slowly.
I led William over to my office and opened the door. Our Jane Doe was sitting in my armchair beside the fire, trying to be kind as she nibbled on one of Ajax's cookies.
"Eat up! Eat up!" he was coaxing her. "You look starved!"
I didn't want to tell him that his cooking was probably one reason she was losing her appetite.
She put it down and sprang to her feet the moment she saw William. "Are you the World Walker?"
William ran his fingers through his shaggy, sandy hair. I really needed to get that poor boy a brush. "I'm a World Walker, but not sure about the World Walker. What's your name?"
She swallowed. "I don't remember."
"Well, that's not good..." noted William.
"The dwa— I mean, Ajax, explained that you might be able to help me?"
William shot a glance from Ajax to me and back to the girl. "Help you how?"
"My house was burned down by someone wicked. I barely escaped. There's this tall man with these green eyes. He told me to come here and a World Walker would take me through a dimension to Earth where I would be safe."
"Or take her into a dimension made of glass..." Ajax spat.
Her tawny eyes became huge with fear.
"Don't scare the poor girl..." I tutted, taking her hand and patting it comfortingly.
William folded his scrawny arms like he had an epiphany. "Well, that's why I can't break through the dimension!"
"What?" I asked. "Why?"
"He's got life force twenty deep concentrated in one spot."
"I don't know what that means."
"It's how you make a permanent portal when you don't have the natural ability," he informed me. His face looked like it had smelled something disgusting. "Nasty magic."
"I still don't—"
He pressed his hands together. "It's like trying to bust through a wall twenty bricks thick. But inside of the pocket dimension, it's exerting weight and force and pressure on two opposite dimensional walls. He's packing in the girls in the hopes that if he adds enough, there'll be an explosion. Eventually, it will break and make him his own superhighway wherever it is he is trying to go. Put a protective spell on top of that, and anyone would be sunk."
Our Jane Doe was starting to freak out. "You've got to get me out!" she exclaimed. She clung to his arm. "Can you take me to Earth? Please? Anywhere I'll be safe?"
Dare I say that in the midst of this crisis, I got the sense that William was starting to enjoy being the hero. His face relaxed and his body kicked in a little swagger. "Sure. I know this priest in Santa Monica who is always happy to help. I'll take you roller-skating in Venice. Ever had a fish taco?"
"A what?"
"You're gonna love it." William took her hand and headed to the door. "I'll take care of her, Miss Spell! I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Thank you, William!" I called after him as they disappeared, her long hair swaying as they trotted out together. "Be safe!" I then ran into the foyer and shouted. "Do you want to borrow an axe?"
He declined my offer good-naturedly. "I've got a flamethrower on my bike! I'm good!"
"Thank you, Miss Spell!" said Jane Doe.
I waved as they headed out, and then sent up a little prayer to Hecuba for their protection. But that was when another issue reared its head.
"Miss Spell...?" Precious called worriedly.
"What is it?" I asked, turning around.
Precious pushed the directory across the counter to me. She pointed her finger at the face of a pudgy white man. "He's evil."
I stepped closer to examine it. "The head of the Other Side Housing Authority?"
"He was in one of Frank's files. Way down deep in the stacks. A couple of years back, he was hauled in for working magic against people." She leaned forward. "Against humans."
My mouth went dry. "Precious? I need you to go do a little sleuthing for me. Find out what the sale of my hotel, the burned-out home of a woman in danger, and the head of the Other Side Housing Authority have in common."
"On it!" she said, grabbing her satchel and tucking the book away.
"Oh! And Precious?"
"Yes?"
"Feel free to take an axe."