***Diamonds and Deviants***
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![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmUkPSfdFzTm5Wj1xSfRbXvS7bELqkGCMyrntKiFF8ZnFz/image.png)
*This picture my own - others from Google Free to use images*

[Part 1,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-novels-a-progression) [Part 2,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-novels-the-decision) [Part 3,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants) [Part 4,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/6mpdd1-writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants) [Part 5,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-5) [Part 6,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-6) [Part 7,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-7) [Part 8,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-8) [Part 9,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-9) [Part 10,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-10) [Part 11,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-11)  [Part 12,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-12) [Part 13,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-13) [Part 14,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-14) [Part 15,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-15) [Part 16,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-16) [Part17,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-17) [Part 18,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-18) [Part 19,](https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/writing-fiction-a-novel-exclusive-for-steemit-diamonds-and-deviants-19)

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Celtica left her still sleeping parents and went down the stairs and out of the door to the waiting taxi.

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbSQcCxN7qYnfy5KHLV6rn6e9aLCxpo54nQhbhh8sxVyY/image.png)

“Good morning Eddie,” she said, getting into the car.

“Morning miss,” he said as he indicated and pulled out into the early morning traffic.

When she had sorted out the backlog of work that Jenny had either not been able to deal with or had deemed not urgent enough to bother her with on her leave, Celtica asked for a few names to be looked up. She didn’t ask for all the warlocks that she had names for, but her instincts guided her towards a few of the important ones. Scattered in there were a few mongrels and vampires too and one rather forward werewolf, just for the sake of it.

The werewolf came back without anything of note on his record and Celtica frowned a little at that. If he was hanging out with a rough biker gang, why hadn’t he even got a speeding ticket?

She asked for another name to be put on the list - Daniel Savage and it came back with misdemeanours and minor violations galore. 

‘Hmm, I think Uncle Daniel needs to be given a heads up about this guy, he could be a police plant, but he could be something worse,’ she thought to herself.

Before the work day was done, Celtica surprised Jenny and the rest of the staff by leaving early. She went home and made certain her parents were appraised of the details she’d managed to find. 

They were just waiting for Mike to come back on duty and then they were going out to book in at an hotel, just in case they needed one. It was a good idea and Celtica said that she’d go with them to pay for it on her credit card. They weren’t too happy with that idea but after she told them that there was no way any hotel would allow them to book in without a credit card these days, they had to agree.

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQFR3vNHBTKi3kTMYPEpbfhD1LGt9vKUXUytdRKsuqa77/image.png)

“We’ll sort you out with a couple of credit cards and bank accounts before you leave, so you can come back anytime you like,” she told them.

She had also managed to arrange an appointment with her contact in the diamond trade too. His prices weren’t the very best but his service was impeccable and he was discrete.

Then they went out. Mike had just got in and the other Security Guy had left. He was surprised to see Celtica so early in the day but he was polite as always.

They booked in at a good hotel close to her apartment building and then they went on to Daniel’s bar where Celtica left them to have another good night out.

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmfPs2VysgUENDwsaMV2J3iD8qwk4URQmGWP2EtdeAJ7zh/image.png)

By the time she had lost the mongrel that was tailing her, it was almost full dark and she went on to the first address on her list. 

The security was almost as good as Crystal Securities - but not quite.

They didn’t have Security Guys, they had security guys - there’s a subtle difference but it was an important one. 

These security guys weren’t so well screened for honesty and integrity, they didn’t have such great career prospects and at the drop of fifty thousand dollars, the security guy switched off the security cameras, walked off his post and Celtica walked into the building.

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmY7PvxKfEP9aw4hUv7y1kptejhWPi7mcjpbvSxXZLKpGr/image.png)

She went directly up to the address she had been given by Jenny. When she knocked on the door, a middle-aged man opened it. He seemed surprised that Celtica was there but her mesmerising eyes persuaded him that everything was going to be all right and he allowed her to enter his apartment.

He asked her if she’d like a drink and when she said no, he bade her sit down. He switched the television off and set himself so that he could give her all the attention she needed.

“What is your connection with the vampires?” she asked.

He wasn’t surprised by the question but he did give the standard answer of, “There’s no such thing as vampires.” 

He didn’t laugh or seem amazed that someone had asked him about the supernatural creatures though and that was the clue she had been hoping for. 

The vampire that had glamoured this warlock had become bored with his task. He had cut corners, left loose ends, not been conscientious enough. 

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRrTuYbPYQKzVuYvUbo3Pfy2R3ohwzKoYeTcLzxZM4m5L/image.png)

He had glamoured the notion about vampires out of the warlock’s head but he hadn’t replaced it with anything else. If he had done his work properly, the warlock would be showing Celtica the door with a flood of disparaging and insulting phrases, ridiculing her for her superstition, covering his tracks and those of the vampires.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” she said.