Ok this is my first attempt at a story so excuse any problems. Also I am dyslexic so spelling mistakes come with the territory. Please review and let me know your opinions. If you think I should change anything let me know. Xx

Chapter one.

Like so many of them, my day started badly.

"Stupid piece of shit non reliable no good rubbish...." I muttered under I said my breath.

My leg was bleeding and I held my hand over the cut. Leg cuts are always bleeders. It hurt like hell. I was sat on the floor of my shower, the water pouring over me, stabbing at my back. It was almost as powerful as a pressure shower down here, it hurt a lot more.

Some soap tricked from my hair, and fell in-between my fingers.

"HOLY MARY MOTHER OF...!"

I gritted my teeth and rocked back and forth, whimpering. My ass was going numb from sitting on the cold tiled floor. As soon as I could manage to open my mouth without swearing, I took a deep breath and stood up to hobbled out of the shower.

I am Harry Dresden. Warden of the white council. Protector of the Wiken community. Private investigator extraordinaire. I have fought against nobles of the vampire courts, and won. I have defeated fallen angels, outwitted the strongest of faeiry assassins, brought dinosaurs back to life and generally all round kick ass.

And yet I still slipped on the soap after dropping it on the floor, flail a bit (a lot), land on my ass and cut open my shin on the edge of my shower.

Like I said. Bad start to the day.

I grabbed a towel on my way out and hobbled into the kitchen alcove, plonked myself down on the lino floor and pulled out the first aid kit from under the sink. I mumbled to myself about unreliable washing products and dug around for a plaster. After an unfortunate run in with a shredder that my apprentice had bewitched (Molly had been experimenting with 'magic-proofing' technology, and the technology wasn't cooperating) I'd run out of normal plaster and only had the Winnie the Pooh ones that Molly had so kindly picked up for me at Wall Mart.

I was now stuck with a dilemma. Which was manlier, Eeyore or Tigger? I went for Tigger. He was a tiger after all

Slapping the plaster on my leg I hopped to my feet and, holding my towel to me, and hobbled to my room. I passed the phone on the way, it rang. After doing my best impression of a twelve year old girls scream, snatched it up.

"Harry Dresden. Pissed off and bleeding." I all but snarled down the phone

After a slight pause a female voice said, "That time of the month Dresden?"

I blinked in surprise. "Murph. Sorry, bad morning. What's up?"

Lieutenant Karrin Murphy is a... sorry Sergeant Karrin Murphy (Murphy had lost her seniorority when she had disappeared for a day during a particularly messy investigation. It had mostly been my fault and I still felt really bad about it.) is a fiery little monster who works in Chicago's Special Investigation's Department. They deal with the more... unusual cases that were picked up by Chicago's finest. She was a sharp cop who had worked hard at her job and turned out a 90% crime solving rate. Mostly because she hired Chicago's only professional wizard. She was good people. But most importantly she was a friend

"I want to get your opinion on something. Favour for a friend." She sighed "It's not official, so you'll have to go pro bono."

I sucked in some air through my teeth "My wallet hate's you Murph."

She laughed "You'll get over it." Her toned changed "It's nothing to messy, but there's something... not quite right about it."

"You think it's spooky?"

"I duno, it's certainly not normal." She sounded a little put out, like she was upset about something.

I looked at my watch, it was just past 7 30 and I had wanted to go down to my office to get my affairs in order. My attorney was coming down at 11 to talk to me about a law suit that had been filed against me a good few years ago. For a chat show host, Larry Fowler could sure as hell hold a grudge. A side track might not leave me all that time. But hell, Murph sounded upset. Like I said, she was a friend "Alright, where do you want me?"

"You're a star, Dresden. Be at the station in half an hour." She hung up.

I stared at the handset in disbelief. I mouthed "You're a star". Oh my god. Murphy had complimented me. Christ. She must be more upset than I thought...