“It’s still under construction,” she said, noting that some of the upper windows still had the manufacturer’s stickers on them.
“And I don’t smell anything. This can’t be the building.”
“Alec, gargoyles aren’t exactly a dime a dozen around here and the ones on this building are identical to the one I saw.”
“If there was a tengu here the whole place would reek. Just like you can smell fish blocks away from a wharf.”
She crossed her arms. “Okay, fine.”
“Fine.” He reached for the door, rattling it. “It’s locked.”
Eve peered through the window. The basic setup for a welcome/security desk and an occupant directory were in place but unfinished. There was a sign of some sort lying facedown inside the window. She suspected it was the property management company’s contact information.
She cocked her head. “Hear that?”
“What?”
“Sounds like an air compressor.” She stepped back to the very edge of the sidewalk. Leaning against a parking meter, she looked up.
“We’ll need to get on the roof.”
“Right, but how do we get up there?” Eve looked at him. “With a bionic leap or something?”
Alec glanced over his shoulder with a wry curve to his mouth. “No.”
“Good.” A sigh of relief escaped her. “I’m afraid of heights.”
“We’re climbing up the outside.”
“Four stories?” She hugged the meter. “That’s fifty-three feet above the ground. Are you insane?”
“No, I’m kidding.” He winked and held out his hand. “Let’s head around back and see if we can get in that way.”
Growling under her breath, Eve walked past him and searched for a walkthrough that would lead them to the alley at the rear of the building. She found one just beyond the athletic shoe store, a few doors down.
After they made it to the other side, they discovered a chain-link fence protecting a makeshift construction site at the soon-to-be entrance of a subterranean parking garage. A dozen men in tool belts and hard hats littered the area. The sign on the fence said they worked for D&L Construction.
“Looks like they have a guard at the gate,” she pointed out, referencing the man with a clipboard who was checking off who entered and left.
“Is that usual for a construction site?”
“Sometimes. Depends on how hazardous the site is and the expense of the decor. You want to limit your liability against injury and prevent theft of certain decorative items.” She took stock of the building again. “With this type of retro design, it makes sense that the interior would follow suit with some costly period details.”
“Excuse me,” Alec called out, as they approached the sentry, a rent-a-cop with a massive physique. He looked as if he might eat steroids like breath mints. “What type of building is this going to be?”
“Office space. Really nice.”
“Any chance we can take a look around? I’m looking to relocate my offices.”
The guard shook his head and reached into his pocket. “Sorry. You have to make an appointment with the property management company.” Gray brows drew together in a frown. “I ran out of the gal’s business cards. The building is attracting a lot of attention so I’m giving out a dozen or more a day. I’m betting the space will be full long before it opens.”
“When is the planned opening?” Alec asked.
“I’m not sure anymore. The contractor is behind schedule. Plumbing and electrical are still in the works.” The guard shrugged. “Hang on a minute, and I’ll grab some more cards.”
The man was about to turn away when a large group of construction workers rounded the corner in a rowdy bunch. The fast-food cups in their hands suggested they were returning from break.
“Sorry,” he said with a grimace. “I have to check these guys in first. We’re having trouble with the time clock, so I have to keep track of their shifts as backup.” His voice lowered. “They get pissy if their hours aren’t right, and since the foreman just left for lunch, there’s no one around to keep them in line.”
Alec smiled. “I have an appointment in an hour and I’ll have to change clothes between now and then. Do you mind if I just go grab a card myself? I’ll bring you back a stack.”
Eve tried not to look too surprised. What was the rush?
The guard’s eyes glazed over. He gestured lamely toward a nearby mobile trailer. “They’re in a holder on the foreman’s desk.”
“Thanks.” Alec caught her arm and dragged her through the gate.
“How the hell did you get him to let you in so easily?”
“The mark makes us . . . persuasive.”
She thought of how she’d felt compelled to be with Reed and her breath caught. “The Jedi mind trick is cool, but what’s the point in this case? We need to come back with the Realtor.”
“Not everything is a dead end. Always look for a detour.”
“A business card is a detour?” She waited while Alec ascended the metal ramp and knocked on the trailer door. No one answered.“The foreman just left for lunch, remember?” He smiled and turned the knob. “An unoccupied office filled with paperwork is a detour. Come on.”
With a last, quick glance around, Eve grabbed the railing and vaulted up the ramp. She was quick, but Alec was quicker. By the time she shut the door, he was already sifting through the papers littering a large desk.
The long rectangular office space was devoid of any dividers. On the right-hand side was a small grouping of lockers and a beat-up sofa. On the left sat the desk and several metal file cabinets that were six drawers high. The walls were decorated with various blueprints of the building, and the linoleum floor was bare and badly scuffed.
“What the hell are you doing?” she demanded.
“These gargoyles look like your tengu, right?” He glanced up at her. With his sunglasses hanging on the back of his neck, he looked too relaxed to be a snoop. “Most likely they were made in the same location. Who manufactured them?”
She glanced nervously at the door. “I guess I’m the lookout?”
“No way, angel. You need to come over here and tell me where to look. All this construction/architectural stuff is familiar to you, but it’s Greek to me.”
Eve snorted. “Whatever. I bet you’re fluent in Greek, too.”
“You betcha. Now bring your hot little ass over here and help me out.” He perused every inch of the room in a slow sweeping glance. “From what the guard said, it sounds as if this project has been plagued with problems—setbacks, unruly employees, malfunctioning equipment.”
“It’s not unusual. Some jobs are just more difficult than others.”
“True. And some locations are just plagued with tengu.”
“I thought you didn’t believe me.”
He looked at her. “Do you want to prove me wrong or not?”
“You’re humoring me.”
“Do you care?”
She sighed. “Who’s going to be the lookout?”
Rounding the desk, she bumped him out of the way with her hip and settled into the dusty, duct-taped chair. She shook the computer mouse to wake up the system, then began to dig around the files.
“We don’t have the time to waste,” he said grimly. “We both need to be working. Just listen carefully. We’ll hear them coming.”
“Uh . . .” She frowned at the screen, her brain focused on finding what they needed as quickly as possible. “Listen?”
“Yeah.” Alec moved to the filing cabinet. A moment later he asked in an amused voice, “Angel? Are you listening?”
“Huh?”
“That’s what I thought. You don’t multitask well.”
“What?” She glanced at him. “Hush. I can’t concentrate when you’re talking.”
He laughed.
Eve worked silently, assisted by her newly efficient body. Before being marked she would have been sweating, her heart racing, her fingers shaking. Now the only effect of their illegal activities was a powerful sense of excitement.
“I have the manufacturer’s name here,” she said, glancing aside at Alec. “Gehenna Masonry.”
He pushed the drawer shut. “Then let’s go.”
There was something in his voice that disturbed her.
“What’s wrong?” She closed the windows she’d opened on the computer and put it back to sleep, then she pushed back from the desk.
“That masonry. Ever heard of them?”
“Sure.” Eve searched for the property management’s business cards in one of three holders on the desk. They weren’t there. Opening a drawer she found the box the cards came in, but it was empty aside from a “time to order more” reminder. “They’re out of the biz cards.”
“We got what we need.” He opened the door. “I don’t think the name of the masonry is a coincidence.”
“Oh?” She stepped outside and breathed a sigh of relief when no one seemed to pay them any mind.
“In the Bible, Gehenna was a location near Jerusalem where forbidden religious activities were practiced. It was condemned, and became a place of punishment for sinners.”
“Oh.” Pausing at the end of the ramp, she looked up at the two gargoyles barely visible from her vantage point. She concentrated hard, willing her enhanced sight to kick in. Like an adjusting magnifying glass, the stone creatures came into view. They crouched, frozen, their faces carved with broad grins. And they were identical to the one that peed on her.
She sniffed the air.
Alec caught her arm and laughingly pulled her toward the gate. “You look silly.”
“I’m trying to use my superpowers.”
“We’re done here.”
They reached the gate and Eve explained to the guard that they were out of business cards. Then she and Alec started walking back toward the church.