A/N: I have fixed a mistake that a reviewer kindly pointed out (thank you). Also, I own neither the Dresden Files, nor Stargate Atlantis.
It's always the easy jobs that cause the most problems. My 2 o'clock appointment walked through the door, and I felt the pressure of next month's bills ease up a bit. Just a bit. She looked to be in her mid- 30s, with a smart suit and a bag that would have cost enough to feed me and my two animal friends for a month. She didn't wear a wedding ring, and she didn't look distressed in anyway. Apart from pausing to raise a delicate eyebrow at the sign on the door, she didn't hesitate to enter. As she turned to face me I noticed the corner of a plastic zip lock bag poking out of her handbag. This was starting to look like a lost object/ person case; quick and easy money.
"You are the wizard?", she asked, casting a dubious glance at the multitude of pamphlets strewn over the table, with titles like Magic and You, or Why Witches Don't Sink Faster Than Anyone Else- A Wizard's Perspective. I thought they were a good way to educate the vanilla humans in the city about magic, as well as really tick off the white council. Two birds with one stone.
"Yep, like it says on the door. How can I help you…?"
"Richards. Annabelle Richards. I need you to find something for me."
Damn I'm good.
"What is the lost object in question?"
"Not lost, stolen. A prize- winning orchid from my brother's greenhouse."
A flower. I can't say I never have any interesting cases.
"Have you taken the matter to the police?"
"Of course, because the city's finest have time to look for a missing flower."
Fair point. I tried not to be offended at the comment; I think I'm fine, especially at my job.
"Do you have any idea who might have stolen it?"
"Yes. Another grower who got disqualified at last year's show. Will you talk to him?"
"I may not need to. Have you got a part of the plant, maybe a cutting, with you?"
Out came the plastic bag, with a small dried flower in it.
"The person who recommended your services said you might need a part of the plant. I don't suppose you're going to explain what it's for?"
"A tracking spell. I use a small part of something to find said something."
"Contact me when you have a result."
The she just nodded, left an envelope on my desk and left. No further questions. If I wasn't too focused on paying my bills for the next month, I might have been more suspicious about the whole thing. For a start, who exactly had passed my name on to her, and maybe afterwards, who the hell would bother stealing a plant? Foresight is not one of my gifts.
I got to work right away, drawing a chalk circle on the floor and snapping it shut with a bit of will. Once I had the spell up and running, it was off to my trusty beetle and on the road, my pentacle amulet hanging out the window.
The warehouse my tracking spell led me to was just plain creepy. It was dusk by the time I got there, and there were cobwebs hanging off doorways and bits. I could almost hear the theme song to Kolchak as I snuck into the old building, the two glowsticks I had cracked catching cobwebs and dust motes and casting weird shadows. The warehouse consisted of several rooms, piled high with crates and random bits of machinery, all of which was coated in a thick layer of grime and dust.
Finally, in a back room, there was the object of my hunt. On a table, with a note: thank you for coming.