Sliced Bread 2: The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread

I had occasion to go down the back hallway today, and as I passed Room Two, my eye was caught by a Post-It on the door. It said, "Shhh."

What was this all about? I knew the note hadn't been there yesterday. I eased the door open and peeked in.

Sleeping on the leather couch was the Most Beautiful Girl Ever. There was a blanket over her, so all I could see was her face, but that was enough to make me bust out the capital letters. She was tall and blonde and cute and all I could do was stand there and look. However: beautiful, yes; attractive, no. To me, at least. The problem was that she looked like she was in her mid-to-late teens. Ten years ago I wouldn't have been able to imagine not being attracted to her, but now, she was just a puppy.

Who was she, though, and how'd she get here? There was no stuff with her; no bag on the floor. That was my blanket she was sleeping under, thanks very much. Since when is Greyghost inviting people over to spend the night? I closed the door without going in.

Later, when I was back at my desk, Greyghost arrived, carrying a cloth bag. "Who's that sleeping in the back room?" I asked.

"I'm not sure" he said. "We'll find out when she wakes up. I think she's been drugged."

"You think she's been drugged? You delegate your kidnapping now?"

"I was searching Redburn's property, and she was locked in an interior room. I don't know what her story is, but I couldn't just leave her there."

Weirder and weirder. "What the hell is it about Redburn, anyway? He's just a magician, for Christ's sake. And you're stealing his . . . is it his daughter?"

"He's not just a magician. I don't know what else he is, but he needs watching and that girl is not his daughter."

I said, as skeptically as I could manage, "Uh huh."

"If I'm not here when she wakes up, call me. I think what she knows could be important."

"I'll call you if there's a phone line free," I told him. "It may be tied up because our guest wants to call the cops and tell them that some psycho in a cape hauled her out of her home and locked her up in a basement. You never know."

"I know I need to talk to her," he said. "I'm counting on you to see that I can."

Great.