Page 21 of Pointy Ears and Purple Glitter (Quirk of Fate #5)

Malik prowled the perimeter of his workshop for the third time since he’d gotten up Monday morning.

The graffiti had been scrubbed away, but the memory of it lingered like a bad smell.

He’d spent Sunday installing additional security cameras, reinforcing door locks, and generally making his territory as secure as possible.

Territory. The word stuck in his mind. For all Grok’s posturing, the rhino part of him had always considered the neighborhood his, which made the threat feel personal.

He checked his watch. Ian would arrive any minute, and Tynan was inside making coffee after insisting Malik stop “doing his rhino-guard routine” so he could eat something.

A flash of movement down the street caught his eye. Ian’s lanky form appeared, cap pulled low against the morning chill. Malik’s shoulders relaxed marginally. At least the kid was safe.

“Morning, Boss.” Ian called as he approached. His usual cheerful smile faltered as he took in Malik’s tense posture. “Everything alright?”

“We had some trouble over the weekend,” Malik said, guiding Ian inside. “Nothing we can’t handle.”

Ian’s eyes widened as they entered. “Is that why you’ve got new cameras up? And” - he pointed to the reinforced back door - “what happened there?”

“Someone tried to break in,” Tynan explained, appearing from the office area with three mugs of coffee. “And left some unpleasant artwork on the roller door.”

“Aw, heck. That’s a bit of a bombshell for a Monday morning.” Ian accepted the coffee, looking between them. “Was anything taken?”

“No, they didn’t get in.” Malik took his own mug, standing close to Tynan. The proximity of his mate helped calm the constant thrumming of protective energy that had been coursing through him since yesterday.

Ian noticed the movement, his keen eyes missing nothing. “You two are acting weird. More than usual, I mean.”

Tynan and Malik exchanged glances.

“It’s not just random vandalism,” Malik finally said. “There’s a new gang trying to move in. Guy named Garrison.”

“Garrison?” Ian’s face paled. “Dark hair, fancy suits, talks like he went to some posh school?”

Malik straightened. “Do you know him?”

“Not personally. My mam would lock me in my bedroom for a month if she thought I had anything to do with him.” Ian put his mug down carefully.

“But there’s been talk. He’s been recruiting around town, offering kids a lot of money to do his dirty work.

Some of the guys I used to go to school with were approached.

They were telling me about it Saturday night when I met up with them. ”

“What exactly is he recruiting for?” Tynan asked.

“Says he’s ‘cleaning up the neighborhood.’” Ian made air quotes. “But it’s not like normal gang stuff. He’s got these weird ideas about who belongs and who doesn’t.”

“Weird how?” Malik pressed.

Ian shifted uncomfortably. “Like…he thinks certain types of people are unnatural. Calls them freaks. My mate Denny said Garrison went on about how he could ‘spot the freaks’ and how they needed to be driven out.”

Malik felt a cold weight settle in his stomach. His eyes met Tynan’s, seeing the same concern reflected there.

“That’s disturbing,” Tynan said carefully. “Does he have any specific criteria for these ‘freaks’?”

“That’s the thing.” Ian leaned forward, lowering his voice despite them being alone. “It’s not like regular bigotry, you know? Not about race or anything obvious. Denny said Garrison claims he can sense people who are ‘hiding their true nature.’” He shrugged. “Whatever that means.”

Malik’s jaw tightened. It meant trouble for anyone who wasn’t entirely human.

“There’s more,” Ian continued. “Garrison’s got these weird symbols for different areas he wants to ‘clean up.’ Animals and stuff. My cousin works over on Elm Street, and their block got tagged with a snake symbol last month.”

“We got a rhino,” Malik said flatly.

Ian’s eyes widened. “Serious? That’s what they put on the door?”

Tynan nodded. “Crossed out, with ‘freaks out’ written underneath.”

“Bloody hell.” Ian rubbed his neck. “Look, I don’t know what this guy’s deal is, but he’s bad news. My mam says he reminds her of those cult leaders from the documentaries she watches.”

“Great,” Malik muttered. “A gang leader with a messiah complex.”

Sparky fluttered down from the rafters, landing on Tynan’s shoulder. “Any donuts today? A bird needs strength to fight crime.”

Ian laughed, tension momentarily broken. “No donuts, but I’ve got a muffin in my bag if you’re interested.”

While Ian fetched his offering for Sparky, Malik leaned closer to Tynan. “I don’t like this,” he murmured. “Sensing people’s ‘true nature’? Animal symbols? It’s too close to home.”

“I know,” Tynan whispered back. “We need to be careful.”

When Ian returned, Malik steered the conversation to work matters, outlining the day’s tasks. The normalcy helped ground him, though he remained hyperaware of every sound outside the workshop.

After they’d been working for about an hour, Malik said it was time for a break, and they joined Tynan in the office.

After making a coffee and sharing a cookie with Sparky, Ian piped up and said, “There was something I wanted to talk to you both about this morning, but after the mess with the tagging, I forgot. But it’s about Mrs. Cooper. ”

Tynan, who had been resting his head on Malik’s shoulder – something Malik truly appreciated given he was still unsettled - looked up with interest. “Did you find something new?”

“Yeah.” Ian fished in the tin for another cookie. “I did some digging like you suggested, went back further in her history. Turns out this isn’t the first time she’s hired someone to find a missing person.”

Malik set down his coffee mug. “Go on.”

“About fifteen years ago, her husband disappeared. A police investigation turned up nothing. She hired three different private investigators over the next two years.” Ian pulled out his phone, showing them a scanned newspaper article.

“Eventually, they found the husband living in Australia with a new identity. The article says he claimed he had to escape because Mrs. Cooper was ‘dangerous and unstable.’”

“That certainly puts a different spin on things,” Tynan said, leaning forward to examine the article.

“There’s more,” Ian continued, swiping to another image. “Ten years ago, her brother went missing. Same pattern - police investigation then private investigators. They never found him.”

Malik frowned. “And now her daughter.”

“Exactly.” Ian looked uncomfortable. “I’m not saying she did anything to them, but it’s weird, right? Three family members disappearing?”

“Very weird,” Tynan agreed. “Did you find anything else about Hayley specifically?”

“Yeah, actually. I talked to a friend who worked at the coffee shop Hayley frequented. They said Hayley often mentioned wanting to escape her mother’s control.

Apparently, Mrs. Cooper monitored everything - her phone and her friends.

Hayley complained, to anyone who would listen, apparently, that she even found those find them apps, that she definitely didn’t download herself.

They’re apps that are used by people in relationships so that each partner can see where the other one is,” Ian added to Tynan.

“Malik and I don’t need anything like that,” Tynan said, but it was clear he was distracted.

He’s thinking. Malik could understand why.

He’d hated how his instincts were screaming at him that this mysterious Mrs. Cooper was using his mate to cover up actions she might or might not have played a part in.

The more they learned the more it seemed the case.

As Malik watched, he could see the moment when Tynan realized it, too.

“So we have a controlling mother with a history of family members vanishing,” Tynan summarized.

“And a daughter who was desperate for freedom and may have found it with this mysterious ‘G.’ An initial that’s coincidentally connected to someone currently targeting the workshop for related or unrelated reasons – this Garrison person. ”

“It’s a lot of coincidences,” Malik said.

“Too many,” Tynan agreed. He turned to Ian. “You’ve done amazing work. Seriously. This is exactly the kind of information I needed.”

Ian beamed under the praise. “Happy to help. I can keep asking around about Hayley if you want.”

“Just be careful,” Malik warned. “Don’t draw attention to yourself, especially with this Garrison character floating around.”

“I’m always careful, boss.” Ian grinned. “No one ever notices the skinny ginger kid.”

As Ian returned to work, Malik draped his arm over Tynan’s shoulders. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking you were right, and Mrs. Cooper hired me because she knew I wouldn’t find anything,” Tynan said quietly. “An inexperienced PI with a struggling business was perfect - she could claim she tried to find Hayley without risking someone actually locating her.”

“And the note that led you to this side of town?”

“I’m not sure.” Tynan’s brow furrowed. “You said it was Grok who did that.”

“I genuinely thought it was him when I mentioned it to him.” Malik thought back to that conversation. “I told him about the note you had and how I knew it was signed with the G, and he just said he was messing with you but…”

“Do you think maybe he was covering for someone else, or he didn’t want you to think anyone else was operating in this area?” Tynan looked up, his face so beautiful it made Malik’s heart jump. “If it was from this Garrison person rather than Grok, it could have been a trap…or a warning.”

Malik’s protective instincts flared again. The thought of Tynan being deliberately lured into danger made his rhino side restless. His fingers tightened on Tynan’s shoulder, needing the physical connection.

“We’ll figure it out,” he promised. “We’ll find a way to work this out – you’re not alone anymore.”

Tynan covered Malik’s hand with his own, a small smile softening his features. “I know. It’s quite nice having a partner in crime-solving. Especially one who can throw people across the room if necessary.”

“Only if absolutely necessary,” Malik said, though he couldn’t entirely suppress a satisfied smile at the thought of protecting his mate in a very tangible way.