floor.
When we got to the apartment, we heard squealing laughter and the fast beat of music coming from inside.
Olivia and I looked at each other. “You don’t suppose Rodán is in there?” she said.
I shook my head. “No amount of ‘playtime’ would keep him away from his responsibilities.”
She knocked. The laughter quieted. We heard rustling sounds from the other side of the door, then nothing. Olivia knocked again, and we heard giggles and voices. Even with my Elvin hearing, though, I couldn’t make out what was being said.
This time Olivia knocked harder. “Open up,” she said. “We need to speak with Trixie and Bubbles.”
Finally I heard the bolt unlock and the rattle of a door chain.
The door opened just enough to reveal Trixie’s pretty face. “What do you want?” she said, almost belligerently.
“We need to speak with you and your friend.” I spoke before Olivia could say anything.
“We’re busy,” Trixie replied. “You’ll have to come back later this afternoon.”
“It will only take a few moments,” I said. “It’s urgent. We need to ask you a few questions that can’t wait.”
“I said we’re busy.” Trixie started to shut the door.
That was all it took to set off Olivia. She stuck her foot in the way then hit the door with such force that the chain snapped and Trixie fell on her butt on the floor.
I’d only seen the Nymph from her neck up as she peered around the door. Now I saw that all she had on was a pair of black panties.
Behind her were three males and Bubbles and a disaster of an apartment. Clothing was scattered from one end of the living room to the other. Food and drink containers were on all the surfaces, not to mention lots of dust. Apparently cleaning was not on the top of these Nymphs’ list.
“What are you doing?” Bubbles also wore nothing but panties. She glared and put her hands on her hips as she stood in front of the males, who were in various stages of dress and undress.
The three Shifter males looked a bit shocked that Olivia had broken in the door, but didn’t seem to care much that we’d caught them in the middle of play. Actually they looked amused, not to mention intrigued, by having two more females in the room.
“Throw on some clothes and bring your asses out here,” Olivia said to Trixie and Bubbles. “We have some questions for you.”
Trixie scrambled to her feet, her beautiful face set in a scowl. “We don’t need to put clothes on for you. If you’re not comfortable with us like this, it’s your problem.”
That is so Nymphish, I thought.
Trixie added, “I don’t care what you want, we’re not answering questions. We don’t have to tell you anything.”
“Either you can do this nicely,” I said, “or we’ll get the Paranorm Task Force down here. They’ll haul your butts off to the detention center and we’ll question you there … dressed or undressed.”
Bubbles looked flustered. “You don’t have the authority—”
“We’re Trackers.” I gave her a long glare. “That gives us all the authority we need.”
Trixie and Bubbles looked at each other then back at me and Olivia. Fear had started to creep onto their faces.
“Okay,” Bubbles said.
Trixie nodded. “That’s fine. Whatever you want. We didn’t know.”
As soon as they heard that we were Trackers, the amusement left the males’ expressions. Olivia directed the Shifters to get their clothes on and leave or they’d end up in the detention center, too.
They were gone within seconds, not bothering to get fully dressed. The males just scooped up their clothing and bolted.
We stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind us.
“You were seen leaving the Pit last night with Rodán, and now he’s missing.” I narrowed my eyes at the pair as their faces started to pale. “We need to know what happened after you went off with him.”
“He’s missing?” Trixie’s throat worked as she swallowed. She hurried to add, “We don’t know anything.”
Bubbles’s eyes widened. “All we did was get him to go there with us.”
“Shut up, Bubbles.” Trixie narrowed her gaze. “We just walked to the car, right?”
“Um …” Bubbles shifted her stance like she couldn’t decide how she should stand or what she should do. “Yes.”
Olivia’s voice was deadly, like a cobra ready to strike. “Don’t give us this ‘just walked to the car’ bullshit. Details now or I swear you will look like a couple of beat-up Trolls who no one will ever want to hook up with when