The trip home was certainly not pleasant. People were still running around like idiots and the rain hadn't let up. Quite the opposite really, it had become even heavier and now coated the streets in what appeared to be puddles several inches deep. This made walking next to the roads a suicide wish. Each time a car came even a few feet close to you, you were promptly splashed with a few gallons of water. This happened to me three times before my figuring out it was a bad idea to stand next to the road.

When I was only a few feet away from my building an expensive looking limo pulled up right next to me and a few large looking men hopped out of the car.

I groaned as they each grabbed one of my arms and dragged me into the car. It was nice inside. Tan leather seat nearly froze my buttocks off, low roofs rammed against my head and my knees were crunched up against my chest in the small amount of space the limo actually provided. But still, it smelt like expensive cigars and booze, and who couldn't resist that?

Well I actually would have like to sit in here rather than in where I had been for the last few moments of my life. Yes, it would have been much more enjoyable to sit in some creepers car surrounded by people I didn't know who most likely had murder as at least one of their intentions.

"Mr. Jones." A silky voice began, I turned to face him. My eyebrows pulled together as I took in the face.

For one, I had never seen this guy in my life. He had deep blue eyes that where like a pool of water. I averted my eyes away from his eyes and brought my attention to his nose, where I usually looked.

Another wizard thing, yes. Looking into someone's eyes is like a gateway. A gateway leading towards the depths of their soul. Poetic I know, but never the less it is a very unpleasant experience and seeing as this guy didn't look like the type that you would want to relive his life.

This man had most likely seen things that were twice as bad as what I had just encountered in the hotel only about ten minutes ago.

"Who are you?" I demanded and suddenly wished I hadn't. How unclassy! I couldn't have even thought of anything better to say other than 'who are you?'?. Pathetic. But I still went with it.

"You can just call me Francis." He smiled. I knew by the way his thin lips pulled together that his eyes were sparkling with danger and daring me to come at him. Along with that I could also see that he had been in more that one scrap. His jaw looked like it had been broken a few times but still held strong and his nose, although crooked in parts was a piece of art work. A very attractive man. Not that I'm into that kind of stuff! But still he appeared to be in his thirties, with long blond hair pulled into a wild and wavy ponytail just at the nape of his neck.

"Okay Francis, what do you want?" His name was shaky on my lips as I yet again spouted the most typical response to a kidnapping, or adultnapping in my case.

"Oh I wanted to make you an offer." His eye twinkled again as he shifted his hand to the left of him. I stiffened my hand twitching towards my pocket, which held a charm in it. But to my relief he pulled out a deep brown brief case and clicked it open revealing many stacks of organized green paper. Money.

I coughed. "How much is in there?" I beamed without thinking then quickly pulled back but still the question lingered in the air and Francis lapped it up and took this as an invite to push his deal further,

"A few thousand." He began his fingers drumming on the sides of the case. "Now I would like to talk to you about something." I attempted to look uninterested as he fiddled with the edge of a stack of money. "I want you to lay off of this case with the police." My heart dropped. This man was bribing me to not solve this case? I frowned and contemplated this. "If you do, this entire thing, plus three more, each containing 50,000 dollars is yours." I gagged at the amount of money. That was more than I made in five years of slacking off and once in a while getting paid by the police for some job that I half assed. Hell that was more than I have slash will ever make! Ever! I added the case's pay to the special services that I supplied as a private investigator on the side lines and…nope still a hell of a lot of money. I could pay my rent for a really long time with that much money. Hell I could probably buy my own house. On a beach. In Hawaii.

"I'll have to think about it." I managed after ogling the money as if it was a well-endowed woman's chest. Francis smiled thinking he had won.

"Choose fast. But if you choose not to take the money and you ignore my word and investigate the case I can assure you that there will be trouble." I nodded and the door next to me clicked open. I pushed it open the remainder of the way.

"I'll keep in touch." I told him,

"Good." He smiled at me, "I'll see you in a bit then." I nodded and watched as the limo drove away. Taking all of my money and what seemed to be my soul with it.