Chapter 1: Sidetable Drawer

"Mesa, where is my notebook?" Mesa, my secretary, smiled at me as she retrieved it from her leather satchel. "You really should learn not to leave everything lying around, Steve."

"Why would I do that when I can always rely on you to do it for me?"

Her orange hair was drawn back into a tight, professional bun, giving her a hot CEO look along with her signature red business suit. I knew that went she let her hair down (figuratively and literally) she became a totally different person. She looked and acted more like a pop star. Still kind, of course, but also eager to laugh, and even more eager to sing. She had a beautiful voice. Or at least, I remembered it being beautiful, but I had been pretty drunk at that party, almost as drunk as her.

She was only 19, but we had been in Paris at the time, so it wasn't illegal. I suspected that this was a part of herself that she was normally too shy to let out. Maybe next time we were overseas I would get her drunk enough to talk about it, but for now I was willing to let it be.

Despite her youth, Mesa was an excellent secretary. My accounts (and possessions) were taken care of. I had put increasing trust into her over the five months she had worked for me and I hadn't been let down yet. This was all very much to my liking, as while Blue and I were competent enough, neither of us enjoyed the endless paperwork of running a private business, especially one like ours.

Taking the notebook from her, I waved as I left the office for lunch, quietly closing the door behind me. Sometimes, when I walked slowly, I could catch the first few notes of humming coming from behind that door, with the bronze plaque reading:

Steve Burns

Private Detective