The Spectral City. Leanna Renee Hieber

colleagues, of introducing yourself like a gentleman.”

      “You want manners?” the gruff man frowned. “Why’d you join a bunch of officers? Go have a séance in a lady’s parlor and be done with wasting our time.”

      “Who complained to you to warrant this?” Cora asked, her nostrils flaring. Her light brown face was flushed with frustration. Eve held out a hand.

      “We don’t know anything about the nature of your complaint,” Eve clarified, trying to keep an edge from her tone.

      “That’s not germane to the discussion.”

      “Of course it is,” Eve countered, stepping forward. “How can we avoid something if we know nothing about it?”

      “Of course you know about it, you sent a ghost in to go snooping.”

      Eve cocked her head to the side. “To be fair, Sergeant, only a fraction of the city’s ghostly goings on have anything to do with us. It is a very big city. A very haunted big city. We work with some seven to at most ten of the thousands that float about the boroughs.”

      “The Prenze family is off-limits,” Mahoney declared. “They are boons to the Police and we owe them our thanks. Consider this a warning with no second chances.”

      “Barging in, demanding, accusing and threatening, all with no proof nor details, and all in one breath,” Eve said, in awe of the confidence it took to be so rude.

      “Like I said, you don’t like it—”

      “Leave the force, yes, I heard you the first time. I’ll have you know I’ve not authorized anything related to the name Prenze. We’ll be sure not to trouble such a helpful family with any of our direct actions should they come to our attention. However, if their house is just simply haunted, don’t rush to accuse us. Take that up with an Exorcist. I know two, I can make a referral if you like—”

      He harrumphed and exited.

      “Good day, Mister Mahoney,” she called after him.

      All the girls’ fists were clenched. Vera cursed after him in Spanish with a wide, emphatic gesture, wafting forward to Eve’s side and making the papers on her desk float away with the breeze of her gesticulation. It was clear Vera hadn’t been noticed by Mahoney, but per Eve’s orders, as none of them knew how much the spirit world affected everyday folk, when their office had company the ghosts were to keep their profiles low.

      “So how do we surreptitiously spy on this Prenze family? No one is that threatening who’s doing the right thing,” Antonia stated.