The Unskillful Thaumaturge

XVIII

Lillian picked up the phone and navigated to the calls app, where she carefully entered the DIAO number that Rolf had given her on Monday. Hoping that they had some news for her, she pressed the call button and held the phone to her ear. Diane answered on the second ring.

"Hello, who is this?"

"It's Lillian. Do you have any more news on anything?"

"Well, we're getting a new security system, Derek was finally able to get a warrant to arrest the person who came to your door for questioning, if we ever find them, and we found out that the dead kid wasn't in one single high school yearbook from the area at the time. It's good that you called- I wouldn't expect you to come over to the building in this miserable weather."

"Then where on Earth did he come from?"

"No idea," Diane replied. "He had no food, no money, and no school or driver IDs. How would he even survive? I just wish we were getting somewhere."

"Diane, I want to help, but I don't know how-"

"Absolutely not. This person is an extremely skilled thaumaturge, has committed a break-in, and may even have tampered with a grave. I certainly don't want you messing around with them."

"Are you just saying that because I'm fifteen, or-"

"No, Lillian. That's one reason we haven't put up wanted posters- this person is likely capable of locating them all and destroying them before they can be read, or even of stopping us from printing the posters in the first place by damaging our equipment. They've gone to the trouble of making themselves noticeable for us. And I'm fairly certain that they're dangerous."

"Well, at least I can help you by trying to figure things out..."

"Oh, yeah, that's fine," Diane replied lightly. "We just don't want you getting in danger. After all, you're pretty much our only cooperative lead, and you've definitely helped lead us to new lines of inquiry."

☙❧

Dakota strode down the hall on the fourth floor of the thaumaturgy building, checking his pocket to make sure he had remembered his office key. He took the levitator down to the first floor, stepping off easily and heading straight for the doors, snowflakes swirling around his face as he left the building. He turned away from the park and walked quickly across campus, pulling his beanie further down to cover part of his forehead and then abruptly adjusting it when he realized it had been dangerously close to exposing his ears. As he walked, he wondered what time Ashley would be leaving and whether he would have time to talk to her before she returned home.

Why is she leaving? We could have learned so much more from her- why does she have to leave town just as we start to figure out who's tailing us?

"I don't know," Dakota muttered, "but it's definitely infuriating."

And you're going to mention that to her?

"She already knows I think that. There's no point in saying it out loud, so of course I'm going to."

Impressive logic.

"No reason not to do it." There was a pause before Dakota spoke again. "Do you know which way the bus stop is?"

I think that one was on Brice Creek Boulevard, so left. It's not too far, maybe a half mile.

"Thanks."

The rest of Dakota's walk was accomplished in silence. When he finally reached the bus stop, he sat quietly on a bench down the street waiting for Ashley to appear.

But when she did appear, she wasn't alone, as Dakota had thought.

☙❧

Galena tapped the wheel, turning on her windshield wipers and trying to concentrate on driving despite the snow. "Are you going to miss Dorena?" she said aloud without wavering from the windshield.

"Yeah, I guess," her mother answered. "I mean, it's a nice town and everything..."

"Will you miss me?" There was silence for a minute. Galena decided to try again. "Huh?"

"Oh, sorry. I nodded," Ashley responded immediately. "Yeah, I'll miss you. Will you miss having me here?"

Galena half-smiled. "Yeah, I guess I will."

"You guess?"

"Yes," she replied. "I'll miss you."

"Sweet," Ashley commented as Galena pulled up next to the bus stop. She parked the car and gazed toward the bus stop. A figure on a bench down the street seemed to be waiting for the bus as well. "I love you and I'm going to miss you-" Galena pulled her mother into a hug- "and I need to come by Roseburg sometime and see you. Have a safe trip."

"I love you too, Galena," Ashley mumbled into the shoulder of her daughter's coat. "Please, you can let me go now. See you soon." She untangled herself and stepped out of the car door, heading for the trunk to get her suitcase. "Bye!" came a muffled call outside. Galena echoed her and watched her step for the bus stop.

The figure from the bench got up and hurried toward her.

As he came closer, his features came into focus.

Pale skin tinged pink. Dark, curly hair under a university beanie. And a pair of anxious amethyst eyes.

☙❧

Rolf sighed and picked up his office phone, wondering who was calling him this time. Diane's voice came through the receiver. "Hey, Rolf, it's Galena and she wants to talk to you. I'm patching her over. Hold on just a second." He heard the phone line being patched through and Galena's voice came into focus.

"Hey, I'm sitting at the bus stop on Brice Creek and Wicks and I actually saw the guy from Lillian's door- he does look about twenty- did you say yesterday that Derek got the warrant for arrest finally?"

"You saw him?? Where?"

"He's at the bus stop, he's still here, he's just standing and talking to my mother... no, I don't know why... and did you actually get the warrant?"

"Yeah, we did- look, I can get someone over there right now to arrest him."

"A cop?"

"No, I don't know if we have that authority... look, I'm sure Derek would be happy to do it, or Diane... I'll send them over there right now... he's still talking to your mother?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, be right over." Rolf put down the phone and then picked it back up. He pressed the intercom button and began speaking. "Everyone! Galena saw the illusionist over on Brice Creek and Wicks and he's still there... Derek, you'll need that warrant and I need a couple people to come and get ready to arrest him, and then when you do, bring him back here and we'll question him as soon as we can. Thanks and please come back soon." He hung up the phone, wondering if he was doing the wrong thing by not going himself.

He didn't have to worry for long, though. Less than ten minutes later, the phone rang and he picked it up. Galena's voice came triumphantly through the speaker.

"We got him."