Chapter 1

I pulled into my driveway and stopped the car, shutting off the engine. I sighed. It had been a long day. I got out of my car, locking it behind me, and went up the front porch steps picking up my newspaper and mail as I went. Opening the screen door, I entered my enclosed front porch and unlocked the front door and entered my house.

Two things happened at once. The cuckoo clock went off three times. The second was I knew someone had entered my house but was no longer there. I muttered to myself that I really had to fix that clock. The clock was actually a spell. With each cuckoo, my spell-bound clock was telling me how many people had entered my house. Three cuckoos meant three intruders. But since my wind up toy dog was not barking, they were no longer on my premises. If they had been, it would have been barking its little mechanical mouth off. Handy things, spells.

The clock and the dog only went off under certain circumstances; they were one of my warning systems. I put my briefcase down next to the umbrella stand and went to the kitchen. The clock on the wall said 6:30 PM. I got a juice out of the refrigerator and went to the living room and turned on the TV, sat in my recliner and leaned back, causing the foot rest to extend.

I sighed loudly, popping the top of my can of juice. I drank off several mouthsful and set the can down. I looked through my mail. Nothing important. I opened the paper and started reading all the headlines on the front page. At least, that was the impression I was trying to give. I didn't really know if I was under any surveillance, but I wanted to play it safe. Until I could be sure I was not under observation, I would be a tired man home from a hard day at work.

I put the paper down and closed my eyes, seemingly going to nap in my easy chair. In actuality, I was preparing myself to let my spirit move freely from my body. In that form I would be able to see much more easily if anything had been disturbed.

It took about 5 minutes to achieve that state which allowed me to move from my physical body. As I did, I saw gentle currents of energy pulsing everywhere I looked. The pulsing was in time with my heart, since I was the one who placed the security spell in my house, it was tied to my being.

No, it wasn't one of those spells that harm people or scream out something is wrong, just a little something to let me know what had been disturbed, if anything. There - I saw the three faint but clear psychic trails. I chose one and followed it through my house. I then followed the other two trails. Thirty minutes later I had my answer.

These people were very professional. As I followed the individual trails, they had led me to several places where I noticed little knots in my energy screen. Concentrating, I saw what the disturbance in each knot was. There were a number of listening devices in my home which had not been there when I had left for work this morning. Also there were two very small cameras.

One of the cameras was placed in my living room, and was no doubt feeding my watchers a live look at my body apparently sleeping in my easy chair. I went back to my body and re-entered it. I snorted as if waking from a nap. I got up, rubbing my eyes and went into the bathroom. I splashed some water on my face then dried it.

I was definitely hungry. I went back outside, locking my front door behind me. I had some thinking to do, and didn't want to do it at my house while it was bugged. I still didn't know what I was going to do about the bugs. Should I destroy them? If so, it would let whoever was bugging me I was onto them.

Getting back into my car, I drove back into the city proper and pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant I sometimes ate at. Locking my car again, I entered the place and was quickly seated. There were about twenty people inside.

I asked for a smoking table for one. I know, not very politically correct in this day and age, but I enjoyed the act of smoking. I was quickly seated and had a glass of water, a menu, and a cup of coffee placed before me. I took a sip of coffee and looked the menu over.

I looked up as two more people entered the establishment. Yep, I had observed these two people on my drive back into the city. The probability was extremely low that they were not involved in my newfound problem of the bugging of my house. They were seated in my same section, but two tables away. I would have to turn to look at them, but they had a good view of me.

"Hey Paul. It's not Friday. What brings you in so early?" Asked my waitress as she came up to take my order.

"Why, because I miss your company of course." I replied.

"Sure, you and half a dozen others. What can I get for you this evening?" She asked.

I gave her my order and she left to place it for me. I decided turn about was fair play, and got up and went into the bathroom. Sure enough, the male partner of the couple who had followed me into the restaurant was right behind me. I went into a stall and shut the door. I didn't really have to use the bathroom, I just wanted some semi-privacy to work a spell.

After a couple minutes prep work I flushed the toilet, which covered the sound of my voice as I finished the phrase for my spell. Since I had to say the last of it out loud, that was why I was in the bathroom. With my spell prepped, I exited the cubicle and sure enough, there was Mr. A combing his hair at the mirror.

I nodded politely, washed my hands and left. Getting back to my table I softly spoke my spell and willed it to go to the table with the dark haired woman sitting alone. She was not alone long. Almost as soon as I reseated myself, her partner was back.

"Anything?" Asked the woman as her partner sat.

"Nothing. He went into a stall, was there for a couple minutes, came out. He did wash his hands though." her male partner said.

This was confirmation that I was definitely being followed. Now the question was, who? Shortly the waitress returned with my order. I ate and listened to my newfound friends conversation. They spoke quietly together. My waitress returned with a coffee pot in her hand.

"So how is the private investigation business going?" My waitress, Cyndi, asked as she refilled my coffee.

"Just fine. Just resolved a case today. Got a couple nibbles. Business is definitely looking good." I told her.

She flirted with me a moment, and I flirted back. My two interested followers didn't say anything while this was going on. I supposed it was to overhear anything I might say or get told. I sipped my coffee and concentrated on listening to my two unwanted companions.

You meet all sorts of people in my line of work. I was an independent Private investigator and I did very well. Actually, I did better than most. Part of it was hard work, and part of it was the fact I had an edge. I had magic to fall back on if I was stumped. Most people in the world don't have this ability. But then, I wasn't from this world originally.

I was a refugee. My mother had sent me to this world when I was a very young man. It was for my own safety she had said. I never saw her again. That had been in the year 1877 local time. That was a hundred and twenty eight years ago. If you looked at me, you would swear I was in my late 20's or early 30's. I age well.

I didn't really hear too much more about me from my two watchers. I finished my coffee, my meal had been finished some time ago. I motioned for my check. Cyndi nodded and I stood, pulling out my wallet, I laid down three dollars for a tip.

"He's leaving. Well, that means we are finished. Next team gets to dog him." I heard through my spell.

"Good. Soon as I finish filing my report, I am for some sleep." The male agent responded.

So. I rated a team. Great. Now all I had to figure out was, who they were, what they wanted, and why were they following me? Shouldn't be hard for an investigator. I snorted a laugh as I unlocked my car and entered it. I drove back to my house, and it was dark before I got there. That gave me an idea.

I had quickly identified my new tail. Another team, this one two men. As I drove up the short driveway to my home, I saw they passed by and continued down the road. OK, I knew where every bug and both cameras were. The visual bug in the living room was going to be, 'accidentally ' discovered.

I went in and turned on lights. Almost as soon as I did, a light bulb in the living room chandelier went out. I muttered to myself, and fetched a replacement bulb and the ladder. I climbed the ladder and started to unscrew the faulty bulb. It was then I, 'discovered' the spy cam.

"What the..." I didn't finish the sentence. I wanted to make this look good.

I quickly removed the spy cam and replaced my burnt out bulb. I climbed down the ladder. The spy cam was a very expensive job. I went over to my desk and sat down at it. I picked up the phone and dialed the number of a friend of mine in the surveillance industry.

"Hello?" Asked a voice I recognized as the person I wanted.

"Hi Jack. It's Paul. Paul Lindsy. You busy?" I asked him.

"Paul? No. Not busy. What's up?" He asked curiously.

"Well, I was changing a bulb in my house, and I found the darndest thing. A surveillance camera of some sort. You're the expert in this field, so I thought I would give you a call. Could you come over to my place and check my house for me? It would make me feel much better." I said, putting as much anger and confusion into it as I could for the benefit of my eavesdroppers.

"Sure. Where you at?" He asked. I told him.

"Be there in 30 minutes." He said and hung up.

While I waited for Jack to show, I made a fresh pot of coffee. I thought furiously while it was dripping into the pot. Lets see. I come home, and find I have been broken into, but no sign of it. Listening devices placed in my home as well as cameras. Two people identified as part of a team. Two different people follow me home. Obviously someone was interested in me, but who?

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P I and Magic — Book 1

Volentrin

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