I went back to the office the next day, hoping to throw myself into work. I hoped there was a new case for me. I felt like killing something. But when I arrived at my desk, there was a big bright yellow sticky note stuck on the corner of my desktop computer screen. It was a note from my boss to see him in his office when I arrived. I dumped my purse in my drawer, locked it, and took my coffee into my boss’s office. Could this day get any worse? Or should I say this week?
“You wanted to see me, Carl?” I said, sticking my head through the doorway of his office.
“Yes. Emma. Please, come in and take a seat.” Carl wore a gray suit today. He normally wore black, with a different brightly colored tie each day. Today, his tie was black. I wondered about the change and whether it was a good sign or a bad sign. I made my way to the seat opposite him and sat, nervously fiddling with the plastic lid on my coffee cup. Carl sat back in his chair, causing the leather to squeak, adjusted his suit jacket and then leaned forward. He placed his elbows on the desk and pierced me with a look that felt like all my secrets were suddenly out in the open. I shifted in my upholstered chair uncomfortably.
“What’s this about, sir?”
“I’ve received word that there have been sightings of wolves here in Sydney. The same type of wolves seen in New Zealand.”
I sat back in my chair, and clenched the paper cup in my hand, squeezing it so hard the paper crumpled under pressure, and lukewarm coffee spilled out all over my black and white striped pencil skirt. I stood up and dropped the cup.
“Shit.”
“Are you all right, Emma?”
“Yes. Yes, I am so sorry about that. I’ll clean that up right away. I…” This behavior was a complete act. I couldn’t very well use my magic in front of Carl.
Carl waved it off. “Don’t worry about it, Emma. Get yourself cleaned up. Are you okay to take this job?”
I glanced up from my faux worrying about my coffee-stained skirt and stared Carl right in the eye.
“Yes, Carl. I won’t let you down.”
He slid the manila folder across the desk toward me and smiled as he sat back in his big office chair.
“I know you won’t.”
***
After meeting with Carl, I rushed to the bathroom and magically cleaned the coffee stain off my skirt. Then I walked back to my desk and opened the file Carl had given me. A shiver ran down my spine when I saw the photos inside.
It was Shalia and Daniel, the werewolves I had met in New Zealand. I knew because of the luminous blue eyes and the black and silver fur. They were here in Sydney. Were they after me? Coming to seek revenge for attempting to kill them?
Whatever the reason, it didn’t sound good. And what also wasn’t good was that Carl now suspected something more than any human should suspect. I had to sort this out as soon as possible before these werewolves put both our worlds at risk.