A/N: This story is set Pre-Rachel, during the time Ivy was partnered with Art at the I.S., somewhere before the short story Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison. While there is a love interest for Ivy, please forgive me that it doesn't involve Rachel. (Hopefully I can make it up to you next time. Did I mention Kisten is in this story too!)
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I just like to let them out to play once in awhile.
Chapter 1:
The clicking of Ivy's boot heels on the smooth tile floor echoed loudly down the hallway. The smell of freshly made pizza dough filtered all the way into the back of the restaurant, and as she breathed in deeply, her stomach gave a soft growl of appreciation.
The heavy steel door to Piscary's private office banged open, and Ivy stopped in mid stride as two bouncers were escorting a very bruised and bloody vampire out of the office. Head drooping forward, the man was limply hanging between the muscle bound vampires that held him up, one under each arm. Ivy pressed herself against the wall as the three men shifted to walk past her in the narrow space. The bloody vamp lifted his head, and the one eye that was not swollen shut regarded Ivy as the group passed.
"What are you looking at?" one of the bouncers snarled at him before delivering a smack to the back of his head. Ivy paused, watching the men continue down the hall toward the rear service entrance of the restaurant. Piscary's rule was trash and problems never went through the dining area.
Hesitating outside Piscary's office, Ivy took a deep breath, weighing the thought of returning to see him later. But, he did say this was important and it was usually best not to keep him waiting.
"Come in my Ivy girl," she heard his smooth voice seconds before her knuckles were about to knock on his door. Opening her fist, she rested her palm and fingers against the cool steel and carefully pushed open his office door.
Piscary's office was understated yet efficient and elegant at the same time. His heavy cherry wood desk was off to one side, leaving room for a few pieces of leather furniture. Tucked in the back was his private bathroom with a shower, the modern fixtures glinting in the light of the wall sconces.
Piscary stood with his back toward Ivy, drying his hands off on a towel. "Thanks for coming so quickly Ivy. I appreciate your punctuality." He carefully hung the towel back up on the rack and rolled his cuffs down from his muscled forearms. Turning to face Ivy, he gave her a pleasant grin. "Please," he said extending his hand toward a chair, "have a seat."
Ivy took her cue and pulled the chair back from the desk and sat down, easing her back into the soft leather of the cushions and crossing her legs. Piscary took his place behind the desk and folded his arms on top of a file that had been lying open. Ivy looked down at the file, and slowly lifted her eyes to Piscary's. Knowing that her questions would be answered when he felt ready to divulge the information, she kept herself from pressing forward. "It sounded like it was important, so I came right away."
"You are correct about that," Piscary said, leaning forward and obscuring most of the writing on the paper under his arms. "It would appear that you are in a position to help me with a business matter." Piscary's black eyes glinted in the soft light as he looked across the desk at Ivy. Leaning back in his chair, he carefully flipped the folder shut and pulled it closer to himself. The undead vampire smiled at Ivy. "I am forgetting my manners. Can I get you anything from the kitchen or bar? How about an espresso? I know just how you like them."
Ivy slowly inhaled; his familiar scent of incense mixed with the citrusy-sandalwood undertones of his cologne both soothed and excited her. "No thanks, I'm fine." she said, dropping her eyes to the desk. "I know how busy you are. I don't want to keep you."
"You are a welcome distraction, my Ivy girl." Piscary said with a good natured chuckle. Hearing his soft laughter, Ivy looked up to give Piscary a smile and patiently waited for him to continue. With a tired sigh, Piscary's grin slowly faltered. "Always wanting to get right down to business. Very well, let's get to it."
Pushing back from his desk and with a motion of smooth grace, Piscary stood up. His brow furrowed as he looked down at the manila folder, lightly dragging his finger tips across its cover. "I would like you to take a look at this for a moment." he said, extending the folder out to Ivy as he slowly paced around her chair.
Flipping open the cover, Ivy quickly examined a small picture paper clipped to the inner corner. A handsome face, a man barely in his mid-twenties, was smiling at her. His sandy brown hair tousled; his grin wide and genuine as a look of surprise was captured on film. "This is an FIB case file," Ivy said as she turned the few sheets of typed paper. "How did you get this?"
"All in due time," Piscary's deep voice came from behind Ivy's chair. His strong hands rested on her shoulders as he stood over her and gently began to massage. Ivy closed her eyes, letting his pheromones seep into her. "Have you heard of the club Hydra?" he asked, his fingers moving upward lightly caressing the soft skin of Ivy's neck.
"It's one of the hottest night clubs in the city," Ivy answered, her voice slightly trembling as Piscary's fingers grazed one of her old scars.
"Very good," Piscary grinned as he stepped around the chair to sit on the corner of his desk, one foot on the floor and his other leg slightly bent. He looked down at his pant leg, smoothing his hand across the sand colored material. "It would appear, according to that folder, that the Hydra may be getting some unwanted attention in the near future. There has been a complaint filed. A missing person complaint." Piscary folded his hands on top of his knee and looked at Ivy.
Opening up the folder, Ivy looked more closely at the paperwork inside. "This states the missing person is human, not Inderlander. That would leave it in the FIB's jurisdiction."
"Normally it would, you're right," Piscary nodded and the light from the room softly reflected on the amber colored skin of his bare scalp. "However, I had to pull some strings with some of my friends at the I.S. in order for this particular case to fall on your desk."
"On my desk?" Ivy repeated incredulously. Setting both feet on the floor she leaned forward slightly in her chair. "I investigate homicides, not missing persons. I wouldn't know where to begin." Sliding the file back on the desk, Ivy reclined in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.
Standing up from the corner of his desk, Piscary circled around it, coming to rest in his chair. Leaning back once again, he gave Ivy a wink and a nod. Smiling to show his teeth, he continued. "I have done some of your work for you this evening, my Ivy girl. The vampire that was escorted out just as you arrived provided me with some interesting information about our Mr. Jack Baptiste."
"Who?" Ivy asked, her voice tense as she sensed that getting out of doing this favor was not an option that Piscary would entertain. Piscary lightly tapped his finger on the file folder sitting upon his desk. "Oh, right." Ivy mumbled.
"About a month or so ago, before Mr. Baptiste turned up missing, he was one of the employees at the Hydra. Rumor in the club was, according to my informant, that Mr. Baptiste had become a close "friend" of the owner, who also just happens to be a vampire. Piscary leaned forward, dark eyes unblinking as he gazed across the desk at Ivy. "Of course you know what happens when a human "friend" of a high profile vampire goes missing, don't you?"
"All eyes will be on the owner and the club." Ivy answered looking down at the table, unable to return his gaze.
Piscary gave Ivy a satisfied grin, pleased that she looked away first. Elbows resting on his desk, he slowly lifted his hands and steepled his fingers under his lips. He remained sitting this way, silently waiting for Ivy to look back up, and once she did, he continued.
"I know you are still wondering how all this effects me. Let me cut to the chase then." Pulling out a ledger from his desk drawer, Piscary opened it and thumbed the pages until he found what he was looking for. He turned the ledger so Ivy could read the figures on the page.
"As you can see Adam Sirio, the owner of the Hydra, happens to be a big gambler," Piscary slowly shook hi s head from side to side, "but unfortunately for him, not a very good one. He owes me a fantastically large sum of money and has placed his club up as collateral."
"Sounds like you would benefit from this." Ivy said, eyes wide as she regarded the numbers in his ledger. "He would be put away, and you could take over his night club." God only knows how many people wound up in his books owing him something, she thought.
"Ah, that is where you are wrong, my lovely Ivy. Missing humans, or even worse, dead humans linked to a club are bad for the establishment's reputation. Hydra will lose its MLP, and therefore it will no longer be the hottest club in the city." Piscary held his hands out in front of him. "And then what kind of collateral will that be, hmm?" Reaching out, he closed the ledger and slid it back into his drawer.
"So where do I fit into this?" Ivy asked, uncrossing her arms.
"Look into this matter for me." Piscary said giving Ivy a careful grin, trying to soothe her ruffled ego. "Tell me if you find anything on Adam Sirio tying him to the disappearance of Jack Baptiste. Give me a chance to make this go away without any fingers pointing back to the club."
"And if he is connected?" Ivy asked, raising an eyebrow. "The I.S. will want me to bring him in."
"I am the master of this city, and I will take these matters into my own hands first." Piscary pushed back his chair and stood, indicating that the discussion was over. "If there is anything left after I finish with Mr. Sirio, the I.S. will be welcome to him."
Ivy stood and picked up the file as Piscary walked around his desk to stand next to her. With his arm around her back, he escorted her to the door. "Contact his sister tomorrow. She was the one to file the missing persons. Talk with her and see what you can find out."
"I'll do my best." Ivy's voice was resigned. She knew when to push and when to sit back and take it.
"I know you will, my Ivy girl." Piscary grinned as he held the door open for Ivy as she walked out of his office.