Bonnie Glock: Magical Private Investigator

Chapter Four

Rachel Kishman

At her apartment, Bonnie pulled the Polaroid of Mrs. Gibson from the stack of cash and placed it on her kitchen island. Snapping a picture, she sent it to Moriano and tucked the photo into her back pocket. Before she left home again, Bonnie checked to make sure she'd locked her safe with the Victorian style antique gold locket. The safe tucked away in her bedroom closet was still locked. With a murdering witch or wizard taking advantage of normals, she'd have to put off trying to crack open the enchanted locket.

As she stepped out into the sixth-floor hallway, her phone rang. Pulling it from her pocket, she saw Detective Moraino's name on the screen. Swiping, she answered, "That was fast. I'm surprised you found something on her already."

"I'm having the photo sent through our database. With some luck, we'll know who she is soon," he replied.

"Wait, we already know who she is, don't we?"

Moriano cleared his throat, the way he always did when he had to tell Bonnie something she didn't want to hear. "I'm not sure what Gibson told you about himself while he was at your place last night, but he definitely isn't married."

Bonnie thought back to the conversation she had with the well-dressed man. He hadn't directly said he was looking for his wife. She had seen him twisting the ring on his left hand and, because he mentioned infidelity, she had assumed he was looking for his wife.

"Was his name Leon Gibson?" she asked.

"Yes, Nayoko just called with the positive I.D. He was who he claimed to be. She told me he was a small-time actor. He did a few odd jobs on the side and was best known for a podcast he hosted called, Let's Talk about Science."

Bonnie paused midway down the spiraling marble stairs that led to her building's foyer. She snapped her fingers, "That's where I recognized his voice."

"Yeah, well as soon as I get the woman's name, we'll question her."

"Are you inviting me to join you?" Bonnie asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes, you have a unique insight to this case, and I want you there with me when I question the woman," Moriano clarified.

"What about Detective Nayoko?" she asked, knowing how Katsura felt about Bonnie working directly with her partner.

"Kat doesn't need to know about this for now. I'll fill her in later. Just come down and hop in with me."

Stepping onto the lobby's red carpet, she asked, "You're at my building?" Moriano's answer never came. Bonnie glanced at her phone to see the starry sky background of her home screen. When she walked outside, Dawson Moriano was hanging partway out of his car window, waving for her to hurry.

"Come on, they just texted me the address," he said quickly.

Bonnie half ran around the front of Moriano's department-issued Dodge Charger. She had barely dropped into the leather seat before the car's momentum pushed her back, closing the door just as she drew her legs inside.

"Jeez, Moriano!" she scolded clicking the seatbelt as he turned a sharp left.

"Check this out," he said rotating the laptop mounted on his dash so she could see the screen.

"Nice neighborhood. Is this where she lives?" Bonnie asked seeing the pin on the map not far north of where they were.

He nodded, "Rachel Kishman."

"Where have I heard that name before?" Bonnie asked, thinking it sounded vaguely familiar.

"You probably have heard of Harold Kishman, the realtor."

Bonnie nodded blankly.

"Anyway, she married into one of the most successful realty companies in the city."

"Why would Gibson be looking into her personal life?" Bonnie asked.

Moriano shook his head, "Maybe Gibson was hard up for cash and needed a job. Someone could've hired him to a little digging?"

"If that's the case, why wouldn't they hire a real private detective? Using an actor doesn't seem like the smartest move."

"I've seen stranger things," Moriano said with a shrug.

As they pulled up to the gray building, Bonnie mentally prepared to encounter a witch or wizard. If Mrs. Kishman had found out that Gibson was digging into her personal life and used magic to guide a bullet into the normal's chest, she was a dangerous witch. Bonnie thought it was irrational to kill a man for investigating your personal life, no matter what he had dug up. Approaching the large brown door, she staggered her walk to be a half step behind Detective Moriano, her right hand dipped shallowly in her pocket.

A petite, brown-haired woman dressed in a black business skirt and blue button-down shirt opened the door. Instantly Bonnie could feel the woman's power. It pressed against her like a heat source radiating from her core. Rachel Kishman stared at them with dark eyes.

Moriano was the first to speak, "Mrs. Kishman, sorry to bother you. I'm Detective Dawson Moriano with the SFPD. My associate and I would like to ask you some questions."

Kishman's gaze fixed on Bonnie, warily looking her up and down. She could tell that the witch knew Bonnie wasn't a normal like the detective. Slowly, she nodded and invited them inside.