"I was thinking we should go to where Ephraim Tungsten was last seen," Skulduggery replied cheerfully. "Unfortunately, I have no idea where that is. That means we'll have to ask around. Good old-fashioned legwork. Seedy bars and alleyways. The glamour of being a detective."

"It beats research," Valkyrie agreed wholeheartedly.

"Research. Brilliant idea. Valkyrie - "

"You are not locking me in some library while you two go chasing after bad guys," Valkyrie cut him off, freezing on the path and folding her arms. "Or canoodling, or whatever it is you guys do when you're on your own. Give me a seedy alley any day."

Skulduggery turned back to look at her, and for a long moment he didn't say anything. Valkyrie was beginning to worry she'd said something wrong when he turned back and started walking again, shaking his head. "You spend far too much time with Solomon."

A slow grin spread over Valkyrie's face. "What do you guys do when you're on your own?"

"We chase after bad guys."

"Really?" she asked with a skeptical eyebrow raised. "That's it?"

"That's it. I think the more pertinent question here is what you and Fletcher do when you're on your own."

"Oh, you know. Canoodle. Visit Australia. Plot about new ways to make you do that disapproving noise you make sometimes when you see us together."