Fairy, P.I.

[reliarobot]

I peeled my face off of my desk and winced as pain lanced through my wing where it had been pinned by my awkward sleeping position. I stumbled to my feet and accidentally kicked an empty bottle of nectar across the floor as I made my way towards the office bathroom.

"Oh, good, you're finally awake." My secretary Cinnamonbell leaned against the doorjam, looking sharp in her leaf skirt and half-moon glasses. "You look like hell, Web, shake some of that fairydust off your wings and smarten up, you've got a client. I'll keep her busy for a minute.

"You're the best, Bells," I said, wincing against my headache as she slammed the door behind her. The "Diamondweb, P.I." logo engraved in the frosted glass shuddered in the loose frame of the door. I splashed some water on my face, shook off as much pixie dust as I could, and smoothed my rumpled suit. Just as I was sitting down at my desk and putting the nectar bottle away with the others, Bells opened the door again to reveal a sort of mousy-looking faerie. Small wings, maybe five and a half inches tall, unkempt hair with almost no shimmer, and an ill-fitting maple leaf dress. Out of season. Sparkly trails ran down her face; she'd been crying recently.

I opened a desk drawer and removed a pine needle from it, offering one to the lady. She declined, and I lit up, lungs pulling in the smoky scent. "What seems to be the problem, Miss...?"

"Mrs. Mrs. Cutesky. Please, Ms. Diamondweb, it's my wife. I don't know what to do. She comes home later and later every night, she hates my cooking when she used to love it, and her wings... I can't be sure, but I think the dust on them isn't always pixie dust. I don't want to think she's being unfaithful, but..." She took out a small moss handkerchief and blew her nose on it. "Please, Ms. Diamondweb, she denies it, but I have to know the truth."

I pulled out a small notebook and a hedgehog quill. "Where does your wife work, Mrs. Cutesky?"

She sniffled. "In the Meadow. She's a firefly catcher, so she's usually out late, but not like this."

"I see." I jotted down some theories. "Did your wife mention any new acquaintances recently? Work buddies, new hires, that kind of thing?"

"Well... she did say something about a new group of moths that had been hired. Immigrants from the other side of the pond, I guess." Her eyes widened. "You don't think she..."

"It's a possibility, Mrs. Cutesky, but just a possibility. You leave your address with my secretary, and I'll let you know what I find." I stood up to let her out.

"Oh, thank you, Ms. Diamondweb! Thank you!!" She dove at me, almost making me stumble, and tucked her head under my chin. My wings twitched. I waited an awkward moment before putting my arms around her and patting her shoulder. Thankfully, she took that as her cue to let go.

When she'd gone, I went out into the small reception area to talk to Bells. "What do you think?"

She closed the flap on the small hole into my office. "Her story stinks. The Meadow is a nasty neighborhood these days. Rumor has it that the groundhogs are losing ground to some new gang."

I nodded. "No prizes for guessing who, now. If the moths are looking to expand over here it's gonna be trouble for everyone."

"So what are you gonna do, Web?"

"What else? Grab the camera and head over to the Meadow. A gig's a gig, and we can't pay the rent with fairy dust."

"Actually, I know a guy who'd pay pretty well for the stuff," she said, dryly. "Seriously, Web, you could be walking right into a trap."

"Well, it's a good thing I told someone else where I'm going, then." I gave her a backwards wave as I turned to go. The air outside was cold, for October, and I turned the collar of my coat up against the drizzle. My wings fluttered as I left Little Fungitown, leaving my red-and-white spotted office behind me. It's a tough life out here for a P.I., but damn it, I'm good at it.