Page 80 of Protector Unmatched

“Harcott traveled to a cosplay event in Los Angeles,” Pearce said.

“Cosplay? You mean where some geeks dress up in costume and live out their fantasies?” Enya said with a raised eyebrow. “Now it all makes sense.”

“What makes sense?” Pearce asked.

Enya motioned for them to follow her. “Let me show you.”

They walked upstairs, where Enya led them into a large room with a cathedral ceiling. Pearce stopped at the entrance, and Daphne, too, rocked to a halt.

“Oh my God,” Daphne said.

“No wonder his avatar on the auction side was Indy890,” Pearce said. “This guy is an Indiana Jones fan.”

“Fan?” Enya asked, and pointed to the room that looked like a set piece from one of the Indiana Jones movies, complete with traps, tunnels, and fake snakes. On one wall, an assortment of weapons, including knives, swords, and whips was displayed. “More like he lives in an alternate reality. I mean, look at this stuff. How old is this guy? Twelve?”

“More like thirty-two,” Daphne said.

Pearce turned to her and saw her pointing at a picture of a man dressed as Indiana Jones, standing next to the actual Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford.

“As I said, a geek,” Enya said.

“Don’t knock it, Enya,” Daphne said. “It’s big business. And it’s been around since the 1970s, though the term cosplay wasn’t coined until around 1984, when a Japanese reporter wrote about it in a magazine. There are lots of these costume plays all around the world, and believe me, tickets are expensive and sell out months in advance. And the costumes…” Daphne let out a big breath. “Talking about authentic, a good costume costs megabucks.”

Pearce cast Daphne a long look. “How come you know so much about cosplay?”

Daphne shrugged and looked at her shoes. “I might have attended one or two events.”

Enya laughed. “Oh my God, did I say geek? I’m so on target with this, it’s not even funny.”

“Okay, okay,” Pearce said, lifting his hands. “Let’s get to work. We’re searching for the dagger. Let’s find it. It must be here somewhere.”

“It won’t be,” Daphne said.

“What makes you think that?”

“It’s part of his costume. Look at the picture. In addition to his whip and his pistol, he has a blade in his belt.” She turned to the opposite wall with the display of weapons and pointed to one spot. “That blade. He didn’t take it with him, but the pistol and the whip that match the one in this photo aren’t on the wall.”

“You think he took the source dagger he just won in the auction?” Pearce asked.

Daphne nodded. “He’ll want to show his new purchase off to his friends.”

“We’d better make sure,” Enya said.