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He wanted more information. Of course he did. Riley sighed, ”I’m going to have to go through every stinking detail…aren’t I?”

She took a moment to gather her thoughts, there really wasn’t anything else to do in the elevator…and he really did seem clueless. ”You didn’t hit your head or anything….right?” she asked, not that she was concerned…but they were stuck in an elevator.

”I was working for Andrea…you know, magicians assistant and all that. I started to figure some stuff out. I uh…wanted you to know what kind of guy you were working for...if our previous conversations hadn’t been enough.” That was plenty on that subject…if he couldn’t remember, Riley would leave out all her gloating and snide comments. ”We dug a little deeper, together, and…found a whole lot more. Complete with a vanishing cabinet.”

”That’s why I was worried about talking…I don’t know who they were.” she said, frowning and wondering if all this detective nonsense was making her paranoid. Oh well.

The second thing he needed to know more about…Riley gaped for a minute, then let her head fall back against the elevator wall. It didn’t necessarily feel good and she cursed a little louder than under her breath. Aurum hadn’t ever known that tidbit.

”You know how they were talking about an “adapted” in the cab?” she said, avoiding eye contact. ”Well. That’s me.”

She didn’t expand, maybe she would later…maybe not. That was enough for now though….she sighed and kept her eyes anywhere but on Aurum. .

”Anything coming back yet?”

Riley was in heels, and a skirt…a tight skirt, and now her foot hurt. Aurum obviously didn’t remember anything, and the elevator was stuck. What the hell else? Seriously.

Riley opened the little door and grabbed the red handset, speaking quickly to the operator who answered on the other end. Help would be there soon…excellent. She hung up the phone and reevaluated the situation.

Aurum was on the floor. God he looked pathetic…and a little beaten up…and really tired. Riley sighed, then carefully slid down the floor. ”You’re going to help me get back up.” she said…not the least bit nervous that the elevator had suddenly stopped. This was the second time she’d been stuck in an elevator…and the experience simply wasn’t that scary.

This time was a little different though.

”What the hell happened to you?” she asked, ”You might as well tell me…we’re going to be here a while.”

Goodbye cab…and good riddance. Riley stepped out of the vehicle almost before it stopped and didn’t bother to tip the cabbie. The cop and the chick in the front could deal with that when they got wherever they were going. The guy had been mediocre at best anyway.

She went to shut the door, and nearly slammed it on the lawyer, who was getting out behind her. Oh right. She’d gained a lawyer. She released the door and started walking towards the steps to her building. If he wanted to come in, he had to keep up. What was it the cop had said? He needed a place to stay. Riley had kept her mouth shut in the cab…but she was anything but thrilled. She didn’t take people to her place…and she definitely didn’t let them stay there. Especially not lawyers in tattered shirts.

When the cab finally drove off, and Riley was working at getting her key into the lobby door, she looked over her shoulder at Aurum. The last few minutes of the cab ride had been silent on her end, and he’d had plenty of questions. A few glances around to make sure they were alone, and Riley started to speak.

”Next time you get me into a cab with the shadiest looking people on the planet…try to keep your mouth shut about things that could make the situation worse. If I’d thought we should talk about it all in front of them…I’d have talked about it more.”

The lock turned and they were admitted into the lobby. The apartment building was older, and had no concierge or doorman, just stairs and an elevator older than God. Riley beelined for the thing, she was in heels and her feet were killing her. ”Are you coming?” she called in Aurum’s direction, without much patience and less sympathy at the moment for his mental state.

Hmmm. She had meant for him to actually walk to the other table and try. She already knew about proximity. Riley opened her mouth to tell him that, but he kept right on talking. He also presented an idea. He wanted to go somewhere else to test out the his proximity theory.

Not that she cared….but Riley looked at the woman behind the counter…who was indeed giving them a strange look. She smiled and waved, then finished off her drink. Finished, she stood.

”Where did you have in mind?” She still didn’t point out the fact that she already knew about proximity. If he had something in mind…he’d find out soon enough.

”It means…” Riley said, raising her eyebrows at the expectant look on Ashton’s face. When he didn’t immediately say something she realized he was waiting for her. The realization brought another shrug of the shoulders from the dark haired woman across the table from him. He’d taken it well. At least so far…he took lots of things well. Riley was even more intrigued.

”I don’t even know when it started, or how it started.” she said, looking right back at him. ”I just know it works, and what the blood tests say.” she looked at where he’d stood, then let her eyes shift across the room where she nodded at another table.

”If you’d tried there…it would have worked.”

Why wouldn’t it work? Riley looked steadily back across the table. Just like a Detective, he had to ask more questions. Couldn’t just let it go…kind of like when she’d been talking about her job. That was okay though. If he was a mutant, he’d have found out soon enough anyway, even if it didn’t look like he used his powers a lot.

”It wouldn’t work…because mutant power things….don’t work around me.” she said it simply, she said it plainly, and she shrugged her shoulders. It had been a while since Riley had worried about what people thought…and she’d just wait and see.

”I’m not a mutant…but that’s kind of how it is.”