Chapter3
1461 Words
A few yards away…
Standing on a small mound of dirt, grass, and stale snow, George and I let out a hard sigh.
“What the hell are we dealing with?” I asked no one in particular, rubbing my face in frustration. A small, dull headache throbbed my temples and a dull ache pained my neck.
“He’s not one of us,” George muttered, shaking his head.
“Ya, think? So, what the hell is he?”
“Hanna might…” he said, trailing off. “Whatever he is, we should notify Chief Edwards, though.”
I could only nod in agreement. “Getting him into the station will be fun,” I muttered, scratching the back of my head. Yay, us. “Go ahead…call it in. If he is part wolf, it couldn’t have taken that much time to get here. And the way the organ fogged up the evidence bag… I think we need to talk with Thomas Peterson again.”
George nodded, then dialed dispatch. It didn’t take long to get the answer we needed.
“Chief says to bring him in through the morgue…alive,” he informed me.
“Hey, Ray,” I hollered. “Do you have any zip ties in your forensic kit?”
“Perhaps…maybe,” he pondered, puzzling over my question. “May I inquire as to why?”
“Less chance for his hair to get caught within the hinge of the cuffs,” Officer Kyle Reynolds rattled off. It’s amazing what humans can learn by reading werewolf romance novels.
“Ah… I see,” Raymond muttered to himself. You could see the wheels turning in his head, figuring out the painful scenario. He seamlessly went to the correct tackle box and grabbed the requested item. He grabbed one of the forensics personal protection equipment, commonly known as a hazmat suit. But it was a white painter’s coverall with a hood.
“It might be better to place our person of interest in this coverall and then gently bind his hands,” Raymond suggested.
“Nice thinking, Cerber-nerd,” I blurted out. Eh, it was time he had one of his own.
Raymond’s toothy smile reached his ears. He was proud to have finally received a nickname from me. It didn’t take him long to figure out the meaning behind it. His name means “wise protector”. He works in the underworld of Wolfdale City PD. Cerberus guards the gates of Hades. And…he’s a tech genius. Anyhow…back to the case.
It was evident to me that our perpetrator, person of interest, the suspect–whichever you choose–showed signs of fear and confusion. Between Kyle, George, and Cerber-nerd, they were able to coax him into the coveralls. George and I let the forensic minions and the patrol officers finish up at the scene and take our suspect into custody. We had a couple of leads to follow up on.
February, 24th, 8: 07 PM, Blackwater Industries, Inc. building…
George pulled into the private parking garage located next to the highrise. The security guard waved us through and into a reserved spot. The perks of having Wolfdale City PD plastered on the side of the SUV. George and I stepped out of our vehicle and crossed over the land bridge, taking us to the main reception area. It was large and opulent. A large semicircular desk greeted employees and special guests in the lobby. Large glass windows allow natural light into the area. Three large television monitors displayed the many features of Blackwater Industries, Inc., Blackwater Security, Co., and all the fancy amenities provided at the Spa Retreat. The left set of elevators went down to the old building where their security company was located. George and I needed the right set that took us straight up to the main business–Blackwater Industries, Inc. We let the security guard know of our business. He made a quick phone call.
“Thank you,” we stated, as the security guard handed us each a passkey.
“They’re expecting you,” he noted, pointing in the direction we needed to go.
8: 23 PM, Blackwater CEO’s penthouse suite floor…
“Will someone, please, tell me how the hell did my ma… Hanna ended up with first-degree burns?!” Dylan Blackwater’s voice boomed throughout the floor.
His angry aura radiated out into the hallway, rattling the elevator doors and the small jungle of plants decorating the foyer.
“Sounds like we came at a fortuitous time,” George stated.
“Fortuitous?” I questioned my partner, raising an eyebrow.
“Frankie found an Xmas gift from Roger addressed to me. It was a “Word-A-Day” calendar,” he quickly explained.
“Yep… Roge, the pain in the ass, is still the gift that keeps on giving,” I smart-mouthed. “And… I love walking in on a chaotic moment.”
“Well…I’m waiting,” my cousin impatiently spat at the healthcare worker.
She mumbled a pitiful excuse.
George and I continued toward the voices. The interior of my cousin’s penthouse mimicked the foyer. Indoor trees, shrubs, and flowers of varying species were everywhere. The trickling sound from a large water fountain echoed softly among the vegetation. It strongly reminded me of a forest. Should I be on guard for low-hanging branches? Wink. Large panels of glass allowed for adequate lighting for such a lush indoor forest. The greenery extended out onto the terrace with draping ivy and wisteria. It also included a fancy waterfall fountain and a fire pit area. The seating arrangement made star gazing easy. A telescope was pointed up to the sky, standing ready for its next use. Yeah, my cousin is a nerd too. Don’t tell him I said so.
“Mr. Blackwater, sir,” the RN finally chimed in. “I’m sorry that this happened. It won’t be repeated.” She glared at the nurse’s aide.
“It wasn’t my fault. You left me doing a two-person job,” the aide defended herself.
“I don’t care whose fault it was. This is the third infraction since placing Hanna in your care. Your supervisors will be notified,” Dylan gruffed out. “Be glad I don’t sue you both.”
Dodging large foliage and retracing our steps, we finally reached where the voices came from. Dylan’s nostrils flared and his muscles twitched. f**k.
To our surprise, Hanna slowly wheeled herself to where Dylan and the healthcare professionals were having their lively discussion. Her long dark-brown curly hair dripped onto the bathrobe she wore. Dark circles highlighted her reddened eyes. She’s been crying. An IV cannula was still in her arm. She reached out and gently touched Dylan’s arm, causing him to shiver slightly. He let out a hard breath, releasing some of the stress build-up.
“Are you needing our assistance,” I inquired, stepping out from the woodsy decor.
“You called the cops!” the RN shouted, horrified by our presence. “Please, Mr. Blackwater…don’t.” Her pleading eyes met the cold, hard green eyes of my cousin.
“Sergeant, what brings you here? I’m sure it isn’t because of this particular problem,” Hanna inquired back, attempting to defuse the situation that involved her. A Luna move. She reciprocated Dylan’s cold, hard stare back at him, causing her mate to flinch subtly. I told you, she was scary…even in her weakened state.
“Henry, please escort the healthcare workers out of my home,” my cousin commanded one of his security guards.
“Yes, sir,” he replied. “This way to gather your things, ladies,” he said to them, escorting them out of our immediate area.
“Do you still want to file charges?” Detective Officer George Harper asked. “I can get the forms out of the SUV.”
My angry cousin nodded. George turned quickly on his heels to retrieve the required forms. He left me, Dylan, and Hanna alone to discuss my visit.
“So, what’s so important that requires Wolfdale City PD to pay me a visit?” he sneered at me. I see he’s back to his haughty CEO high-assness self. That didn’t take long.
“Dylan, cool it!” Hanna snapped back at him, letting out a little snarl. “That’s enough!” Turning to me she began to speak, “Sergeant..”
“Right. But this request is only if you feel up to it, Wolfdale City PD may require your assistance again,” I explained my reason for being there.
Out of nowhere, a sharp pain struck me in my neck. It was excruciating, sending me into a full blackout. I hit the wooden floor with a hard thud.
Oof!
- Writer
