The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) 📕

No reason to spoil it. Let’s say our goodbyes to Michael and Teresa and head back.”

Her smile floods back up into her eyes.

After we say a warm farewell to Michael and Teresa, we head over to the Sleepless Lobster to let the irrepressible Mikaela know we’re going back to the boat. She makes a token attempt to convince us to stay with the tour but even she looks a little wilted by the heat.

It’s only a few blocks from the restaurant to the terminal but my brains feel broiled by the time we reach the terminal’s shade. Emily takes off her sunhat to fan her red face while we wait in the passport control queue.

“I should have worn a hat,” I admit.

With a giggle, she fans my face. “I brought another one if you want to borrow it. It has white flowers around the brim. You’d rock it.”

After checking to make sure no one’s watching, I pinch her cheeky ass. “Try dressing me up, little girl. See what happens to you.”

Wild giggles that she muffles with a hand over her mouth while still fanning me with her hat.

Her laughter buoys me through the line and choppy ride back to the ship. The trip leaves Emily slightly green despite the Sea-Bands she’s wearing. I’ll have to keep an eye on that, since I don’t want her holiday spoiled by sea sickness. Once we’re off the tender and waiting in the line for pictures before the security check, I draw her to the side, sorry that I’m going to have to dampen her high spirits.

“Emmy, I want you to go ahead of me through the line. If anything happens, go back to the cabin. Make sure the doors are locked. Stay there and keep your phone handy. If I can’t come within an hour, I’ll text you.”

She gives me the big eyes, but they’re worried instead of excited. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl. Everything’ll be fine. Have you thought about a reward before dinner?”

“I thought I lost my reward and was getting ten from Belphegor?”

“I don’t take away rewards.” Although I won’t let her watch R-rated movies without permission going forward, I’m not seriously correcting her for watching them before she knew me. “And you’re definitely getting ten from Belphegor, but if you play your cards right, that could be a reward, too.”

She bounces on her toes.

I tip my chin and she sidles a few steps ahead of me in the short line through security.

Emily’s bag goes onto the conveyor belt and into the mouth of the scanner. She walks through the arch and gives her passenger ID to the security guard. He smiles indulgently at her as he scans her card and hands it back to her.

His smile fades as my bag goes through, and the German shepherd at his feet sits up and whines.

“Uh, sorry, sir. I’m just going to need a closer look here.” I see him press a button under his little kiosk at the side of the scanner. Summoning reinforcements. I tip my wrist to time how long they take to arrive.

My wrist is bare. Fuck, I keep forgetting I’ve taken off my damn watch. I take my phone out of my pocket and tap it on, pretending to be bored while I wait for the security guard to finish with my bag.

The guard moves my bag out of eyeshot to a table closer to the dog. Bad move. Now I can claim the security guard planted whatever he finds in the bag. I’ll need to mention it to Ed Isaak. That’ll make me really popular with Dan Reyes.

Before the guard even takes the pill bottle out of my bag, the dog’s whining. I’m still holding the sports drink bottle so there’s no question what the dog’s identified. I fiddle some more with my phone. As I glance up, I see Emily lingering near the elevators to the upper decks.

If I call her on it, she’ll probably claim that she’s waiting for the elevator. But except the times she’s been plugged, I’ve never seen her use the elevators, so I know that’s bullshit; she’s waiting for me. While I appreciate her concern, that’s specifically not what I told her to do.

I give her a frown before going back to my phone.

When I glance up again, she’s gone. Good girl. Maybe an additional five from Belphegor will ensure that she obeys orders without a reminder from Daddy in future. That thought makes me smile as I wait.

At my next glance, Dan Reyes and a uniformed guard are steaming down the corridor towards me. I check the time. Four minutes. That’s not too bad. I pop my phone back in my pocket.

“Officer Ashton,” Reyes says as he nears. “Is there a problem?”

“I’m afraid so, sir.” The security guard hands the pill bottle to Reyes. “Suspicious package.”

“Looks like a prescription to me,” Reyes says.

“Dog’s positive, sir.”

“Okay. Mr. Logan, please come through and give your ID to Officer Ashton. Then I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to come with me.”

I keep from rolling my eyes only by a monumental effort of will. There’s no reason for him to know my name, since I haven’t given my ID to Ashton yet. Reyes just tipped my hand to the two security guards.

I walk through the security arch. Nothing beeps even though there’s a carbon push-knife built into my belt buckle that I use as a quick-release blade during bondage scenes. Carbon fiber should set off a metal detector; it did at passport control. So their scanner’s a piece of shit, too. I give my ID to Ashton, wait impassively while he scans it, and accept my bag back from him when he’s done.

The dog whines and lifts a paw when I pass him. Since Reyes has blown my cover, I hold the sports drink bottle out towards the dog, just to be sure. That starts the poor dog barking. I guess liquid brick really does smell bad.

I hand the drink bottle to