“There arechannels,” she said, “for adopted kids who want to find their parents. Thereare also agencies that specialize in it. ”

“I know. This isdifferent. Ian said I should talk to you. ”

“Ian …” Colliesaid. As if there could be more than one answer.

“IanMcLaren. ”

Anna let her head drop to her desk . From that position, she heardCollie’s response.

“Mandrake. ”

“Uh … Idon’t think he likes being called Mandrake,” the prospectsaid.

“I don’t think we liked the last four clients Mandrakesent us,” Collie countered. Reluctantly, Anna lifted herhead.

“What exactly did Mandrake say about us?” sheasked.

The prospect turned to her with undisguised relief. Apparently he was tired of talking to Collie.

“He said youwere a retrocognitive clairsentient. ”

“And do you know whatthat means?” Anna asked. “Because I don’t. ”

Collie made achoking sound, which alarmed Anna until she realized it was the start of alaughing fit.

“Did Mandrake tell you that we specialized inanything?” Anna asked.

“He said to ignore the sign on yourdoor. ”

Anna glanced at the door. Maybe it had changed sinceher arrival five minutes earlier.

Nope. It still read,“Colette Kostyna, Public Relations. ”

“Most people ignore it,”Anna said. She glared at Collie, who had more or less finished laughing. “Please step in anytime. ”

“We’re, uh, not well-qualifieddetectives,” Collie said. “We just have some specialized knowledge and, becauseof that, we’re able to work within a certain community. I really am a PR personmost of the time. ”

“Huh. ” The kid tried to lean back. Hischair didn’t do that, so he gave it up and settled for resting one leg on theother, right ankle over his left knee. “I would have figured a retrocognitiveclairsentient would be more broadly useful thanthat. ”

“Regardless,” Collie said, “the situation is as Idescribed it. So Ian was probably wrong to point you in ourdirection. ”

“He told me what you did in Victoria,” the kid said. Anna was surprisedto hear herself snort.

“And you took that as arecommendation?”

He looked at her, emotion seeming to pushhis sharp features forward.

“Yes,” hesaid. “I told you I was in kind of a differentsituation. ”

“Look,” Anna said, “Rowan … is it actuallyRowan?”

The kid smiled. Something about the smile made Annafeel bad for him again.

“Ever since I canremember. ”

“Rowan, Colette and I have one, ah, skill in thisdetective thing. One. You can call us if you have a problem you can’t explainto the police or to a real detective without sounding like you’re crazy. That’sit. If you can explain it to a normal person, or if you don’t care that yousound nuts, we are not for you. I mean … unless you’re pretty sure things can’tget much worse, I would question hiring us for any reason at all. Except PR. Collie knows how to do that. ”

Collie raised her travel mug toAnna.

“We have got to get you on tape, make someinfomercials. ”

“I’m just saying,” Anna said, looking Rowan inthe eye, “we can’t guarantee that we will not screw up and cause trouble. Unless you need our … unique point of view … you’re better off withprofessionals. ”

Rowan shook his head and Anna got the senseher little speech had meant nothing to him. He had the look of a guy in themidst of a downpour who’d been threatened with a squirtgun.

“You have another skill. ”

So that waswhat retrowhatsis meant. She’d figured as much. Fucking Mandrake.