Chapter 1
Josephine hid the rush of anticipation with a practiced air of stoicism as she clutched her half finished mug of coffee and watched her friend relinquish an ace of spades. Helen and Alice had already accumulated a higher score than her at this particular hand of rummy but she intended on somehow acquiring all four aces. She currently held two and one was now waiting for her in the discard pile. She wondered if either Helen or Alice were hogging the last ace but didn’t want to let them know she possessed two of her own. She took a sip of her coffee then carefully set it down on the dining room table. For now, she chose to ignore the ace even though it drew her attention like a blazing beacon when she took her turn. The three elderly women spent every morning playing rummy or Parcheesi. Their condominiums were on the same floor and they usually woke up at an ungodly hour like most wizards and humans their age.
“This is the worst hand I’ve ever had in my life,” Josephine said.
Unlike her two peers, Josephine had smooth, youthful skin and long black hair. Even though she was 84, she could easily pass for a thirty-year-old thanks to the side effect of slow aging that all category six wizards possessed. Her two friends were merely category three with average abilities so their age showed.
“I seriously doubt that,” Helen said.
“I need more coffee,” Alice announced.
“I’ll have to make some more. I took the last of it when I refilled my cup,” Josephine said.
She slapped down a card then walked into the kitchen to grind some more coffee beans. She quickly poured the grounds then set the maker to brew. Josephine returned to the living room where her two friends were waiting for her.
“Is it my turn?” Josephine asked.
“Yes,” Alice said.
Josephine frowned at the discard pile. “Is someone hogging the aces or what?”
“Aha! You’ve got two of the aces!” Alice crowed. “I knew it!”
“I do not!” Josephine said indignantly.
“Then you won’t mind if I take the entire pile in my next turn,” Alice said smugly.
Josephine regarded her coolly then decided she’d better not press her luck. She grabbed the discards so she could play the aces.
“I rest my case,” Alice said.
Josephine played the three aces and tried to decide which card she should let go. The phone rang and she briefly debated whether or not to answer it. More than likely, an obnoxious telephone solicitor was trying to reach her. She’d like to jinx every telemarketer in the world with severe flatulence or uncontrollable sneezing. The answering machine came online as Josephine continued to debate whether she should pick up the phone.
“This is Detective Riley. I need to talk to you about a new case. Call me back as soon as possible,” Alex’s familiar voice carried to the three elderly wizards’ ears.
“Damn! I’m retired and I still have to drop everything at that stupid man’s beck and call,” Josephine grumbled. “I’ve worked hard for my entire life and I would like to at least be able to enjoy my retirement.”
Unfortunately, one of the many drawbacks to being a category six wizard was the government consulting work required. Category six wizards could tune into subtle energies that other wizards couldn’t which made them valuable in a wide range of investigative specialties. These wizards were so powerful that they couldn’t control their magic so only very low-key spells were allowed for them. To ensure they weren’t a danger to other wizards or humans, they were required to wear an aequitas enchantment. Josephine currently wore a topaz ring containing an aequitas enchantment which turned green if she was starting to work with magic that the Council deemed too potent for safety among category six wizards. The ring gave the user several seconds to decrease their flow of energy before a knock out spell would activate. It made Josephine feel like she was wearing a shock collar. She didn’t think it was fair that she wasn’t allowed to use her magic to its full potential but she didn’t want to risk going to jail either. She had tried taking it off before but this had triggered a signal to the local enforcers who immediately paid her a visit and warned her to keep the ring on at all times.
