Page 15 of Pointy Ears and Purple Glitter (Quirk of Fate #5)
Just as Malik was handing over keys to Mrs. Bloom, Ian came in off the street with Sparky still perched on his shoulder. The young man carried several paper bags that smelled deliciously of grilled meat and spices.
“We’ve returned victorious!” Ian announced, holding up the bags. “And we found the most amazing fruitcake at this little bakery three blocks over. Sparky practically did backflips when he saw it.”
“I did no such undignified thing,” Sparky protested, though his eyes remained fixed on one particular bag. “I merely expressed appropriate enthusiasm for quality baked goods.”
Tynan couldn’t help smiling at the pair. Sparky had a laser focus on some things – okay, mostly fruitcake - and whatever he and Ian had talked about while they were out had clearly bonded them. Ian’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and even Sparky seemed more animated than usual.
Mrs. Bloom gave the talking raven a startled look but recovered quickly. “How...unusual,” she murmured before thanking Malik and heading for the bright red Cadillac. Malik helped her reverse out of the workshop before coming back into the office.
“Let’s see what you two troublemakers brought back,” Malik said as he dragged a chair so he could sit right next to Tynan. “I need a bit more than a slice of fruitcake to sustain me.”
Ian unpacked containers of what appeared to be Greek food—gyros, salad, and a generous portion of fries. He also produced a small cake box that Sparky immediately hopped over to investigate.
“Patience,” Tynan told the bird, who shot him an indignant look.
“We had the best time,” Ian said, distributing the food. “Sparky knows so much about everything. He was telling me about different types of engines and how they’ve evolved over the years. Where’d he learn all that?”
Tynan exchanged a quick glance with Malik. “He...absorbs information. He watches a lot of YouTube if he gets bored at my office.”
“Cool,” Ian said, clearly accepting this explanation without question. “Oh, that’s right, you’re a private investigator. That’s so cool, too. Like, proper detective work and all that?”
Tynan nodded, relieved by the change of subject. “That’s right, though it’s not as exciting as it sounds. Mostly tracking down people who don’t want to be found or finding information people need.”
“Like missing persons?” Ian asked through a mouthful of gyro. “That must be interesting.”
“Sometimes. I’m working on a case now, actually. A missing woman named Hayley Cooper.”
Ian’s eyes widened. “Is she connected to the men who were… The ones who...” He gestured vaguely to his face, mimicking a beating.
“No, although I thought I was following a lead when I ended up on this side of town,” Tynan said grimly. “I’m still not clear on why I was lured here in the first place.”
“I believe that was a Grok situation,” Malik said, and while his tone was calm, Tynan could feel the thread of anger through their bond. “He gets bored and likes messing with people. He won’t do it again, not with you, at least.”
“People can be weird around here, although it’s all perfectly safe during the day,” Ian said happily. “So what happened to her? This Hayley?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Her mother hired me. Hayley’s twenty-one, been missing for about six weeks now.” Tynan picked at his salad. “I haven’t had much luck so far.”
Malik, who had been quietly eating, raised his eyebrows. “That’s right. I said I’d help you do some searching on the computer. We should check social media, like Sparky suggested yesterday.”
“Oh, I’m great with social media,” Ian offered eagerly. “I’m on everything - Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, you name it.”
“Finally, I get to see what this social media hype is all about.” Sparky abandoned his fruitcake and hopped over as Malik reached over the back of his chair and grabbed the laptop from the desk.
“Here you go, Ian. You can help us look.”
“Do you have a picture of her?” Ian asked, fingers poised over the keyboard.
Tynan pulled out his phone and showed Ian the photo Mrs. Cooper had provided - a pretty young woman with chestnut hair and a bright smile.
“Right, let’s start with Instagram,” Ian said, typing rapidly. “What’s her username?”
“I don’t know,” Tynan admitted. “I didn’t think to ask. Mrs. Cooper said not to bother with her social media profiles.”
“That’s another check in the weird column. Just about every young person has a social media profile these days. No worries, though. We can search by name.” Ian entered “Hayley Cooper” and scrolled through several profiles before pointing. “Is this her?”
The profile picture matched the photo on Tynan’s phone. The account, @hayley_coop, showed a young woman who loved posting selfies at cafes and pictures of artfully arranged food.
“That’s her,” Tynan confirmed, leaning closer to the screen. “Can you see when she last posted?”
Ian clicked through to her feed. “Last post was...six weeks ago. That matches up with when she went missing, yeah?”
Tynan nodded, feeling a surge of anticipation. “What did she post?”
“It’s a selfie at some fancy restaurant.” Ian enlarged the image. “Caption says, ‘Exciting new chapter beginning! Can’t wait for the adventures ahead with my mystery man. #blessed #newbeginnings #secretsquirrel.’”
“Mystery man?” Tynan repeated. “Scroll back a bit. Is there any mention of him before that?”
Ian worked through the previous posts, stopping on one from a month earlier. “Here’s something. ‘Met the most interesting guy today. He’s so different from anyone I’ve dated before. Says he wants to show me a whole new world. #intrigued #newromance.’”
“Any pictures of him?” Malik asked, leaning over Ian’s shoulder.
“No, nothing. She’s keeping him under wraps.” Ian continued scrolling. “But look at these comments. Her friends are asking who he is, and she’s being all cryptic. Says he’s ‘not from around here’ and ‘works in an unusual field.’”
Tynan frowned. “That could mean anything.”
“Wait, here’s something,” Ian said, pointing to a comment Hayley had made in response to a friend. “‘He’s got the most amazing collection of antiques you’ve ever seen. Says some of them are magical, lol. Think he’s trying to impress me, but I’m into it.’”
“Magical antiques?” Tynan exchanged a meaningful look with Malik. That could potentially indicate someone from the paranormal community.
“And here’s another post where she mentions him,” Ian continued. “She’s at a coffee shop, and she writes, ‘G says I need to prepare for a journey like no other. Sounds dramatic but kinda exciting, too.’”
“G?” Tynan straightened. “The note that lured me to the workshop was signed ‘G.’”
“Grok told me it was him who gave you that note,” Malik reminded him. “I doubt he’s the mystery man.”
Tynan nodded. “That’s right. From what you’ve told me, Grok doesn’t sound like the type to romance a young woman with talk of magical antiques and mysterious journeys.”
“True,” Malik agreed. “Grok’s more direct in his approaches. He wouldn’t know a true antique if it came up and bit him.”
“Is there anyone else you know whose name starts with G?” Tynan asked.
Malik thought for a moment. “No one who fits this profile. Face it, this G could be anyone.”
Sparky, who had gone back to quietly demolishing his fruitcake, suddenly spoke up. “Magical antiques, mysterious journeys, not from around here...sounds like a fae to me.”
Ian laughed. “A fairy? Like with wings and magic wands?”
Tynan managed a weak smile. “Sparky watches too many fantasy movies.” He shot the raven a warning look.
“But it’s worth considering,” Malik said carefully. “There are... people...who might use that kind of talk to impress a young woman.”
Ian looked between them, clearly sensing he was missing something but too polite to push.
“Well, whoever this G bloke is, Hayley was proper excited about him. Look at this last post again - ‘adventures ahead’ and all that. Doesn’t sound like someone planning to disappear, does it? More like someone going on a trip.”
“Or being lured away,” Tynan murmured.
“Can you check her other accounts?” Malik asked. “Twitter, Facebook, anything else?”
Ian nodded and began searching. “Same pattern on all of them. Mysterious new guy, exciting future, then nothing for six weeks. No location tags on any of the posts with him, either.”
Tynan sat back, mind racing. If Hayley had indeed met a fae - or some other paranormal being - who had taken her away, that would explain her sudden disappearance. But why didn’t she call her mother or just leave her a note before she left?
“I think we need to find out who this G is,” Tynan said finally. “He’s the key to all of this.”
“And how do we do that?” Malik asked.
Tynan looked at the computer screen, where Hayley’s smiling face stared back at him. “I’m not sure yet. But at least now we have a lead.”
“Ian can help you this afternoon if you like.” Malik pecked a quick kiss on Tynan’s cheek as he stood up. “I’m in hearing distance if you need me.”