*No kidding,* Elgin replied. Then to Charles, “To us country sorts it’s kinda hard to figure what’s usual and unusual in the Big Apple, Chuck. Heck I’ve seen New York trashed at least a dozen times in the movies.”
Petters-Smith’s smile soured a little at the familiar ‘Chuck’ which Elgin knew he hated, Chaz was his preferred familial, ‘Charles’ or better yet “Mr. Petters’ was his preferred mode of address. “Uh, ah...I see, yes well I suppose it’s a bit hard to parse the real and fantasy New York from a little place called Beauty.”
“Reality is defined by where you stand Chuck, it’s a bit like relativity, there is a basic underlying truth, but you have to be very close and peering very hard at it, to see it. And it’s a bit like quantum mechanics, the harder you look at the one thing the less you know of other things.” Elgin turned back to the window, watched a jet crossing high above, leaving a puffy contrail.
“Profound Elgin, but you know that we’ve seen some very strange happenings this week. And we’re even involved, our Zephyr is involved.”
Elgin smiled at the reflection in the window, “I don’t think Zeph chose her pro bono clients with the intent of getting involved with whatever it was Chuck.”
Charles managed to ignore the Chuck this time, he moved to stand next to Elgin, “I’ve got some friends very high up in the DA, FBI, Justice Department and Homeland Security. A couple have said that they have very few leads but a man wearing what appeared to be a Stetson and cowboy boots was seen in the general area of both the brothel and the slave pen.”
*Not about Zeph,* Cutter muttered in disappointment.
*Do we know what he’s referring to?* Elgin responded flatly.