a fistfull of charms harrison k

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.Being a field insurance adjustor wasn’t the desk job one might think it was.Most of his company’s clients were Inderlanders—witches, Weres, and the occasional vampire—and as such, getting the truth as to why a client’s car was totaled was harder than it sounded.Was it from the teenage son backing it into the garage wall, or did the witch down the street finally get tired of hearing him beep every time he left the drive? One was covered, the other wasn’t, and sometimes it took, ah, creative interviewing techniques to get the truth.David noticed I was smiling at him, and the rims of his ears went red under his dark complexion.“I appreciate you coming with me,” he said, shifting forward as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.“I owe you dinner, okay?”“No problem.” I joined him in the murky, mirrored lift, and watched my reflection in the amber light as the doors closed.I’d had to move an interview for a possible client, but David had helped me in the past, and that was far more important.The trim Were winced.“The last time I adjusted the claim of an earth witch, I later found she had scammed the company.My ignorance cost them hundreds of thousands.I appreciate you giving me your opinion as to whether she caused the damage with a misuse of magic.”I tucked a loosely curling lock of red hair that had escaped my French braid behind an ear, then adjusted my leather cap.The lift was old and slow.“Like I said, no problem.”David watched the numbers counting up.“I think my boss is trying to get me fired,” he said softly.“This is the third claim this week to hit my desk that I’m not familiar with.” His grip on his briefcase shifted.“He’s waiting for me to make a mistake.Pushing for it.”I leaned against the back mirror and smiled weakly at him.“Sorry.I know how that feels.” I had quit my old job at Inderland Security, the I.S., almost a year ago to go independent.Though it had been rough—and still was, occasionally—it was the best decision I’d ever made.“Still,” he persisted, the not unpleasant scent of musk growing as he turned to me in the confined space.“This isn’t your job.I owe you.”“David, let it go,” I said, exasperated.“I’m happy to come out here and make sure some witch isn’t scamming you.It’s no big deal.I do this stuff every day.In the dark.Usually alone.And if I’m lucky, it involves running, and screaming, and my foot in somebody’s gut.”The Were smiled to show his flat, blocky teeth.“You like your job, don’t you?”I smiled right back.“You bet I do.”The floor lurched, and the doors opened.David waited for me to exit first, and I looked out onto the huge, building-sized room on the top floor.The setting sun streamed in the ceiling-to-floor windows, shining on the scattered construction materials.Past the windows, the Ohio River made a gray sheen.When finished, this would be an excellent apartment.My nose tickled at the scent of two-by-fours and sanded plaster, and I sneezed.David’s eyes went everywhere.“Hello? Mrs.Bryant?” he said, his deep voice echoing.“I’m David.David Hue from Were Insurance.I brought an assistant with me.” He gave my tight jeans, T-shirt, and red leather jacket a disparaging look.“Mrs.Bryant?”I followed him farther in, my nose wrinkling.“I think the crack in her wall might be from removing some of those supporting members,” I said softly.“Like I said, no problem.”“Mrs.Bryant?” David called again.My thoughts went to the empty street and how far we were from the casual observer.Behind me, the elevator doors slid shut and the lift descended.A small scuff from the far end of the room sent a stab of adrenaline through me, and I spun.David was on edge too, and together we laughed at ourselves when a slight figure rose from the couch set adjacent to a modern kitchen at the end of the long room, the cupboards still wrapped in plastic.“Mrs.Bryant? I’m David Hue.”“As prompt as your last yearly review claims,” a masculine voice said, the soft resonances sifting through the darkening air.“And very thoughtful to bring a witch with you to check your customer’s claim with.Tell me, do you take that off your end-of-the-year taxes, or do you claim it as a business expense?”David’s eyes were wide [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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