Case of the Missing Husband

Private Detective investigates the disappearance of a Tycoon. Wife is accused of murder.

My office and apartment are located on the second floor above a bar called Legs, and I was reviewing my life with the help of three fingers of single malt when she walked in. She was a knockout, from her black hat, coffered hair and supple lips, to her long silky legs. Everything about her shouted “money.” Her hat cost more than a month’s pay. “Are you the private eye?” she said. Her voice matched her looks, soft, cultured and silky.

For those readers who have not read the first book, “Sum Yung Gye: Elf Detective,” there are a few points that I'd like a new reader to know. In the not too distance future, scientists feared a worldwide pandemic and feverishly worked on a serum that not only would vaccinate people, but would prolong their lives. The testing was not complete when an outbreak of plague erupted in China. Fearing the worst and hoping for the best, doctors in America made vaccination mandatory.

What happened was a cure, but one-fourth of those receiving the serum changed. Oh, the medical gurus tried to explain the "Great Accident" away; they said deep down in our DNA elves, dwarves, orcs and trolls of mythology had always been there. Still, that didn’t explain why a small portion of people now had powers, magic powers. Those who had the ability to use magic were rare though.

The second event was that national currencies became archaic. People used International Credits or just plain credits. For financial transactions, USB sticks with credits were often used like old fashioned credit cards. Yeah, a few remote places exchanged gold and silver, but everyday commerce evolved to credits.