Free Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle

in the middle of what appears to be the perfect crime or an old cold case and I can tell you if the perp committed the crime by paranormal means. I could usually find the evidence, too. I was so good at it that I eventually wound up working for a special department within the Bureau. It was known as the Office.”
    “Never heard of it.”
    “Which is exactly the way the Bureau wants it. The Office exists for the exclusive purpose of profiling and taking down the worst of the worst, rogue psychics who use paranormal talent to commit crimes.”
    “The Ghost Hunters’ Guild is rumored to have an agency that does something along the same lines.”
    “It does but its agents work almost exclusively down in the catacombs and the underground rain forest. The Office handles the aboveground cases. But in the past few years a solid working relationship has developed between the two. Some situations require coordination.”
    “Makes sense. Bad guys who commit crimes on the surface sometimes try to escape into the Underworld.”
    “And vice versa,” Slade said. “It’s not uncommon for a bad actor who violates the law underground to try to hide in a city or town where he knows the Guild can’t easily track him.”
    She raised her brows. “Or apply its own brand of justice if it does find him.”
    Slade smiled his rare, fleeting smile. “I can see you’re not a great admirer of the Guilds.”
    “They do have a certain reputation,” she allowed.
    “Things are changing. You should know that. You’re from Frequency. That Guild had the most notorious reputation of all. It will be different now that Adam Winters is in charge, trust me.”
    “You know Winters?” she asked.
    “We’ve worked together a few times in the past. Good man.”
    “Well, he’s certainly a local hero back in Frequency, I’ll give you that. If you can believe even half of the news reports, he and Marlowe Jones apparently saved the Underworld from certain destruction. Their wedding will be the biggest social event of the season.”
    “One thing’s for sure, by marrying into the Jones family, Adam has forever linked the Guild to Arcane.”
    “For better or worse,” Charlotte said dryly.
    “I can see the Frequency Guild has some public relations work to do, at least in your case.”
    “Yes, it does.” She lounged back in her chair. “If you liked your work with the FBPI and this Office you mentioned, why change your career path?”
    He drank some more beer and got to his feet to check the salmon. “It was time for me to move on.”
    Something bad had happened, she thought. But she knew she would not get the truth out of him that evening.
    “You mentioned you had a project going,” she said. “What is it? Or is it a secret?”
    “I’m keeping quiet about it here on the island.” He glanced over his shoulder. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything. I don’t want the word to get out that I’m a short-timer. Bad for morale at the station.”
    “I understand. I won’t tell anyone. What’s the new career plan?”
    “I’m going to set up a private security consulting business. Hire the talents I need. I’ve got some connections from my days with the Bureau. Figure those will help land the first clients.”
    “How is the plan going?”
    “Slowly, but it’s going.” He turned back toward the grill. “The fish will be ready soon.”
    “I’ll get the salad.”
    She went up the steps. Apparently sensing that dinner was fast approaching, Rex chortled excitedly at her as she went past him. She opened the screen door and moved into the small spare front room of the cabin. It was clear immediately that Slade was making no attempt to turn the place into a home. Everything was neat and orderly. That did not come as a surprise. But aside from the computer on the desk, there was almost nothing of Slade in the room. He was treating the place like the short-term rental he obviously intended it to be.
    The cabin was typical of