Paint the Town Red (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries Book II)

By Hook or by Crook

Author's Note:

The drawing above is doodled by yours truly. Have a look at my Instagram: instagram.com/kkolmakov. I have more silly doodles there :D

(Note the object in the Titan's hand :P )

Love xx

K.

What shocked Imogen most of all in the current situation was the fact that Mr. Oakby Snr was dressed in a dinner jacket! It was perfectly cut, had silk lapels, which in combination with the bowtie and the shiny shoes made him look like a better Bond than at least four out of the nine men who played the role.

"How did you get here?" Imogen blurted out.

The bright cerulean eyes shifted onto her face from the gun in Stella's hand.

"Dr. Nenadovich was concerned for your safety, and I volunteered to check on you," he answered.

That clarified nothing.

"You volunteered? What— Were you at Petra's? You visited Petra? You— Oh," Imogen drew out, and the left corner of his lips twitched. "Did you bring her a bouquet?" Imogen asked.

"No," he deadpanned.

"You should have," Imogen said displeased. Petra deserved a bouquet with that apology he apparently decided to bestow her with!

"I brought her a Raphael of Volterra's Homer," he said.

"What are you two talking about?!" Stella seemed to have lost it. "What— You know what, this is just rubbish! Sit in that chair!" she yelled at the man. "Now!"

"I have to say this is the second time I'm being kidnapped in my life, and your manners leave much to be desired," the Titan said and unbuttoned his jacket.

Since Imogen was in charge of the Mayor's wardrobe, she knew that a dinner jacket was to be opened before sitting down to prevent creasing. The Titan was blatantly showing off, wasn't he?

"Oh my god, Petra is right!" Imogen exclaimed. "You aren't boring at all!"

"Well, thank you, Ms. Fox," he answered with a shadow of a smile - and then pounced sideways.

The long stick that Miss Rosa used to close the curtains on her windows had been left on the next table. It was suddenly in the Titan's hand, and he lunged forward and low along the ground, in a perfect fencing move - and the gun flew out of Stella's hand. The Titan followed up the attack with something akin to a tango step, picked up the weapon, and straightened up.

"That - was brilliant," Imogen exhaled.

"Please, make sure that Dr. Nenadovich is informed of every detail of what happened," the Titan said.

"Swear to God," Imogen promised ardently.

The door behind the man opened, and Marcus came in with a spade in his hand.

"What—" Marcus breathed out.

"Hit him!" Stella hollered.

Nothing happened. No one in the room moved, except Mr. Oakby's eyebrow jumped up a bit. He was, after all, the one with a gun.

And then it turned out that he wasn't. Marcus dropped the spade on the floor and pulled out a handgun from his pocket.

"Mine is actually loaded," Marcus said apologetically.

The Titan's long-fingered hands moved swiftly and confidently on the weapon, he pulled some parts, something fell out into his left palm, and then he pushed that part back. Imogen knew nothing about guns, but she assumed he was checking if Marcus was fibbing. Apparently, he wasn't, because the Titan lifted his hands, his palms open, the gun swinging around his index finger.