“I understand those colors are traditional, but trust me when I tell you that the combination is dreadful when it is used in a large space like this. Mr. Jones does not want a lot of green and amber.”
“I’m afraid he does,” Aiden said.
Ms. Fortune sighed. “We can certainly have touches of amber and green for accents, but this is a modern space. It should read on trend, not old-fashioned.”
“What colors did you have in mind?” Aiden asked.
“A deep purple for the walls, I think.”
“No,” Aiden said. “Purple is not a good idea.”
“Aiden,” Gabriel said from the doorway, “I need to talk to you. Now.”
Aiden whipped around. “Sorry, Mr. Jones. I didn’t see you there. This is Helen Fortune, of Fortune and Associates. She’s the interior designer I hired.”
Helen gave Gabriel a professional smile and walked forward to greet him. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jones. We’re all absolutely thrilled to have our very own Guild headquarters here in Illusion Town.”
Lucy nudged Gabriel. “Public relations,” she whispered. “Image.”
He muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like “I don’t have time for this ghost shit” but he managed a reasonably polite smile. “Nice to meet you, too, Ms. Fortune.”
“Helen, please. I am very excited about giving your office a look that will reflect and project an aura of modern professionalism and at the same time speaks to the mission of the Guild.”
“Great,” Gabriel said. “That sounds terrific. Aiden?”
“Yes, sir.” Aiden hurried across the room to the doorway.
Gabriel stepped back into the hall. “This is Guild business. We’ll discuss it out here.”
“Yes, sir.” Aiden walked out into the hall and shut the door. He smiled at Lucy. “Nice to meet you in person, Ms. Bell.”
“Thanks,” Lucy said. “A pleasure to meet you, too. You’ve got a big job on your hands.”
Aiden nodded with a solemn air. “I know, but it’s an honor to be working as Mr. Jones’s assistant.”
“I was referring to the job of designing an impressive office for Gabriel,” Lucy said.
Aiden got the mission-focused look that Lucy was coming to associate with people who worked for Gabriel. “Getting this office right is one of the most important items on my agenda.”
Gabriel eyed the closed door. “I’ve got a bad feeling about what’s going on in there.”
“Don’t worry, sir. It will be spectacular when it’s finished.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Gabriel said. “I’m not the spectacular type.”
“I’m sure you will grow into your new job,” Lucy said.
Gabriel ignored her. “I got your message, Aiden. Tell me what you found.”
“Yes, sir.” Aiden rezzed his phone and studied it briefly. “As you suspected, Tuck is ex-Guild. Full name is Tucker Taylor. He’s gone by Tuck since he was kicked out of the Resonance organization. Evidently he started hiring out as a so-called freelance security specialist. Worked for some shady businesses—collecting debts, intimidating customers who wanted to settle disputes in court, that sort of thing. The Resonance Guild kept an eye on him from a distance for a while, but they stopped paying attention when he left town.”
“Where did he go?” Gabriel asked.
“For a time he seems to have drifted from one city to another,” Aiden said. He looked up from his phone. “But all indications are that he eventually wound up here.”
“There’s a lot of private security in this town,” Lucy said. “All the casinos, large and small, need security people around the clock. So do the nightclubs, to say nothing of the usual corporate and retail sectors. An ex-Guild man could find freelance work here quite easily.”
“Who is Tuck working for now?” Gabriel asked.
“I couldn’t discover the answer to that question,” Aiden said. “He is evidently keeping a very low profile. He didn’t show up as an employee of any of the big security agencies. Best guess is that he’s working in the private end of the business. There’s a lot of money sloshing around this town. Rich people always want security for their estates and penthouses.”
“Is that everything you’ve got?” Gabriel asked.
“Not quite.” Aiden’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. “Thanks to Ms. Veronica Star, I was able to track down a professional dominatrix who had one session with a client who fits Tuck’s description. He used the name Blue when he booked the appointment.”