Free 5th Pentagram: The sequel to the #1 Hard Boiled Mystery, 9th Circle (Book 3 of the Darc Murders Trilogy) (Book 3 of the Darc Murder Series) by Ben Hopkin Page B

apprehended,” Darc responded.
    The man to Darc’s right backed away from the sink, his hands still soapy and dripping. He neglected to turn off the faucet as well. When Darc turned to look at the man, his face blanched and he bolted for the door.
    Strange.
    Darc left the bathroom and headed back to the table. It was clear that the help coming from his partner was at least partially compromised.
    Their food had arrived, however. Darc’s teriyaki beef and Mala’s raw fish. The bands and pathways of light swirled around her dish, calculations clarifying in his mind. There was information here that needed to be shared. Preferably before she began eating.
    “Raw fish has been shown to carry anisakis, which is a parasitic worm which can cause extreme gastronomic distress including vomiting and severe diarrhea for up to three days if it lodges in your stomach. If it takes up residence in your intestines, it will need to be removed laparoscopically.”
    Mala looked up from her fish, her skin tone changing to a lighter, slightly green shade. She said nothing, which encouraged Darc to continue.
    Darc, what are you doing? You took her to a sushi restaurant for crying out loud. Don’t start dissing the chow. And never, ever use the word diarrhea on a date. Trey’s tone was adamant, but it was also clear he was still intoxicated. The possible risks to Mala’s health seemed more important than Trey’s drunken concerns.
    “There is also the danger of vibrio vulnificus , streptococci, Esherichia coli and fecal coliform if proper care is not taken by the chefs,” Darc elaborated. “Although this establishment appears clean, so that is most likely not as great a risk.”
    Darc, seriously, stop . This time it was Maggie. Her reduced state of intoxication made her a more reliable source, but he was not convinced.
    As Mala pushed her plate away, a slim Caucasian man in a suit approached their table. He appeared to be a manager. That was fortuitous. Darc would be able to discuss with him the freezing processes used before transporting and preparing their fish.
    “Excuse me,” the manager said. “I am so sorry, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave the restaurant.”
    “What on earth for?” Mala asked, her eyebrows lifting.
    “Another customer has accused your date of threatening his life in the restroom.”
    Mala looked from Darc to the manager and then back to Darc.
    Darc was uncertain, but this did not seem to be a positive development in their date.
    * * *
    Mala was pretty sure that this had been the most painful date of her life. There had been moments, right up front, where she had thought that maybe, maybe , there was a chance that this was going to work.
    All of those ideas had quickly fled with the one-two punch of having her meal spoiled by graphic depictions of biological terrorism committed in sushi restaurants and then being expelled forcibly from that very establishment. She had to admit, it had been memorable if nothing else.
    “Darc, I think it’s just time for me—” Mala began, when her cell phone rang. It was Pyper, her supposed marijuana-using babysitter. Mala answered the call, her hands trembling. Getting a call from the babysitter didn’t seem like it could possibly be a good thing.
    That suspicion was confirmed by Pyper’s frantic tone. “Dr. Charan! I went in to check on Janey and she wasn’t there.” It sounded like she was doing all that she could not to cry. “I looked everywhere in the apartment, but I couldn’t find her.”
    “All right,” Mala replied, her mind racing. “I’m going to give you three places to check, and then I want you to go down to the security desk on the first floor and see if they’ve seen her. Check in the closet in my bedroom, the one in the hallway and under the sink.” Those were several of the places that Janey liked to hide with her bear when she wanted some alone time. It was possible she had just gotten overwhelmed with the idea of