Page 78 of Roughing
Carla’s secretive smile aroused my suspicions. “I understand you might be considering pursuing your PI license.”
“Who told you that? Did Briggs?” I immediately assumed Briggs was interfering in my life once again.
“Briggs?” She laughed. “You left an apprentice PI application sitting on your desk a few days ago. Nothing gets past me.”
I had done that. “How many aspiring PIs have you given this test to?” I turned the innocuous envelope over in my hand, but there wasn’t anything else on it butClue One.
“You’ll be the first.” Carla unsuccessfully tried to hide a smirk. Instantly suspicious, I briefly considered whether or not I was being led into a trap. If I was, why not tell me up front she didn’t think I had what it takes? If I wasn’t, her expression revealed my task went beyond a mere test. To be honest, I was baffled. It would’ve made more sense if she’d given me a similar test when I’d first been hired and used the results to prove to her boss I was unqualified even to be an assistant. That is if I’d failed.
I wouldn’t fail. While I’d stumbled along the way and assumed the wrong guy was guilty, this was the career I wanted, and I’d earn that PI license, damn it.
“What am I looking for?”
“Something’s been stolen, and you have two hours to find it based on the clues provided.”
“And if I don’t find it?”
“Then you lose, of course.”
“What do I lose?”
“Too many questions, my dear apprentice. The clock is running.” Carla pulled an old-fashioned cooking timer out of her purse and balanced it on top of a pile of papers on her desk. Keeping this office organized was a full-time job, as she messed shit up as quickly as I could organize it.
“That’s not fair to start the clock without warning.”
“I made the rules. It’s fair. I suggest you open that envelope and get started.”
I tore it open—now wasn’t the time to be careful—and pulled out a card that said:Roses are red, pumpkins are grand, this place roasts the best coffee in Portland. Tips and the next clue are stored there.
“Are you the poet?”
Carla snorted. “Hardly. Now get moving.”
This first clue had been ridiculously easy. I’d expected more from Carla. Perhaps they’d get harder. I drove for fifteen minutes to the Pumpkin Rose Roasters. My parents had built this company from nothing. The recent sale to the owners of the Portland Icehawks and Everly’s family had earned my parents a well-deserved retirement. Hopefully, a barista was working that I knew, but I wasn’t that lucky. The girl at the counter had short, spiky purple hair and more piercings than I had designer purses.
I glanced around and consulted the card once again.Tips and the next clue are stored here.
My gaze fell on the tip jar sitting on the counter. I walked up to it and peered inside.
“Can I help you?” The barista eyed me suspiciously.
I couldn’t see a card in the large tip jar. While the employee glared at me, I picked it up and poured the contents out on the counter.
“What are you doing?”
I cringed at her ear-splitting screech. I didn’t have time to explain. I’d already spent twenty minutes and didn’t know how many more clues there’d be. Rummaging through the dollar bills and coins, I pulled out a Pumpkin Rose business card with another clue written on the back.
“Yes!” I yelled in triumph. One clue down. “I’m sorry for making a mess. I’m on a treasure hunt.”
She huffed and propped her hands on her hips. I added a five to the pile of change and hurried from the coffee shop. Once I was in the car, I read the next clue.
Where pucks and beer collide, you’ll find me inside coasting toward the next clue.
This one wasn’t hard either. The Portland Puck and most likely written on a coaster. Finding the right coaster might be a challenge, though.
Leila stood behind the bar when I burst through the door. By her knowing smirk, she was in on this treasure hunt. She leaned against the bar and said nothing. I rummaged through the stacks of coasters on the bar until I uncovered another business card and read it:
Go to the place where a frozen bird learns to fly. At center circle you’ll find the prize, the stolen item right before your eyes.
