Darkened (3 page)

I walked into the HRTF precinct to find Davis and Kansas betting on who could ring the trashcan from across the room first. Those two will bet
on anything. Davis a Werecougar and Kansas a magic-wielding Human, they have been partners since Kansas came to work here.

“Interference. That hot mama can’t walk into the room while I’m shooting. It totally throws off my game,” Davis said.

“What game? You know you white boys ain’t got no game,” Kansas replied.

He always janked on Davis for being a white boy. And
, I do mean white. Any whiter and he’d glow. When I first found out that he was a Werecougar, my response was “Aren’t cougars typically black”. He explained that his cougar was black, but unfortunately, he got his dad’s coloring and so he would always be a pale little white boy. He was about my height and the only coloring on his face was the gazillion freckles.

“I thought I heard something about
Latinos not having any game either. Maybe that was just you,” I said to Kansas.

His real name is Gorge Rodriguez but ever since he transferred here from Kansas City he’s been known as Kansas. He isn’t very strong magically (definitely not Wizard status) but he is a really good detective. He could spot things
, and understand their meanings, that veteran detectives who’ve been doing this their whole lives would miss.

“I know you didn’t just go there. You’re on now. Show us what you got,” Kansas said.

I looked at him like he had lost his mind. We were talking about throwing a wadded up piece of paper at a trashcan after all. He just looked at me like “a bet is a bet”. So I took the paper ball he handed me and tossed it into the trashcan.

“Oh no. Girl’s got game. Kansas, you just got shown,” Davis said.

I decided it was time to move on. I had better things to do than the trashcan Olympics.

“She just got in a lucky shot,” Kansas said as I walked away.

I went to Cop’s door and knocked since it was closed.

“Come,” he said.

I walked in. “Did you call the mom?”

“Davis did. She’s heading to the morgue.”

I nodded. “You want me to interview her or are you going to have Davis do it?”

He looked at me with one brow raised. It’s not that I can’t show compassion. If it was someone I knew, I could total be compassionate but when it came to perfect strangers it was hard for me to console them while at the same time try to get the information I needed. It was usually easier once they had time to come to terms with their loss. The only problem was that most people took weeks, months, or even years to come to terms.

“You think you could talk to this one without yelling at her?” Cop asked.

“Mrs. Barnes was crazy. She was twenty-three years old married to a ninety year old man, and couldn’t stop howling at the top of her lungs for five damned minutes so that I could ask her a question. I would like to point out that the investigation showed she had convinced her Wizard lover to murder her husband for her.”

“She hasn’t been proven guilty yet.”

“Yet. If she gets off, then the jury is a bunch of idiots. Look up the word ‘gold-digger’ in the dictionary. I promise you there’s a picture of Angela Barnes next to it.”

Cop huffed so I got to the point.

“As long as this mother has some control and is willing to try to answer my questions, I will do my best not to tell her to shut up. See, I can be sympathetic.”

He looked at me with his brow raised again.

“Is she supposed to stop by after the morgue?”

Please say yes. I hate the morgue. Unfortunately, I have to visit it pretty regularly.

Cop nodded.

“’Kay. I’m going to see what info I can dig up on our vic
tim until she gets here. I interviewed the neighbors. Total waste of time. Same with the coffee shop. Well, other than the latte I picked up. I’m going to call the boss to see if he can tell me anything more than the coworker did.”

Cop nodded and I left the room. I went to my office. It was supposed to be shared with my partner, but as I said, I don’t work well with others. Mostly they just piss me off and slow me down. I’d much rather do the work myself. Unless it involves going through a dumpster that is.

Three hours later I knew no more about my vic than I did before. The boss knew even less about his employee than the coworker did. There were no police records on him. I called the college and got his schedule then systematically called all the teachers whose classes he had. Half of them had to look up his records just to know who I was talking about, and none of them could tell me who his friends were. I told all of them to notify the class of his passing and if anyone knew anything about his whereabouts Thursday, to have them call me. Then I called the coroner to find out if he had a time of death.

“Avery, my luscious beauty,” Chris Smith, the medical examiner, said.

“Hey Chris, I need to get a TOD on Stephen Wilkins. He was brought in this morning.”

“And you couldn’t take the time out of your busy schedule to come visit me? I’m offended. You know it makes my day to see your gorgeous body.”

Yeah I knew. Chris was one of the reasons I didn’t like the morgue. He hit on me nonstop while I was there and, no matter how much I rebuked his advances, was somehow convinced that we had a thing going.

“I’m sure you’ll get over it. What about the vic?” I said.

“I love it when you play hard to get. I should make you come down here in person to get the information but I know you are busy so the TOD was between midnight and three am.”

Damn, that wasn’t long before I was called i
n. I better find out how he was found.

“Alright Chris. Thanks.”

I didn’t wait for his perverted response, and just hung up on him. Then I pulled up the police report on the incident. Anonymous caller. Huh. Probably the killer. I pulled up the call and listened to it. It was a man but it sounded muffled like maybe he had something over the receiver to distort his voice.

“Nine one one, what’s your emergency?”

“There is a dead Human in a dumpster at the corner of Fifth and Broad.”

End of call. Well, that didn’t give me much to go on. He does kind of give himself away as an Other by calling the dead guy a Human
, but I already knew he was an Other so that didn’t do me any favors. Guess I’ll talk to the mom and hope she gives me some good information. At this point, all I know is he was last seen on Thursday at ten when he left his job and was killed early this morning. Today is Saturday so where was he all of yesterday?

The mom arrived and I had her brought into the interview room by the secretary who offered her coffee. I walked in and tried to look as stoic as possible. Which wasn’t really hard. That was my fall back face.

“I would like to start by sayin
g that I am sorry for your lose Mrs. Wilkins,” I told her.

“It’s Johnson. I remarried several years ago,” she replied.

“I’m sorry. Mrs. Johnson, could you tell me who your son’s friends were?”

She shrugged. “His friend, Jeremy, got married and moved to Tennessee a year ago. He was the only friend of Stephens that I knew. He didn’t really talk about friends when we talked. Mostly the conversation was about school or his work. He did mention a band he liked. I can’t remember the name though. I think he went to their shows a few times
, but he didn’t mention who he went with.”

“Alright. He didn’t mention a girlfriend or woman he was dating?”

She shook her head. “No. My son was gay, which I was completely fine with, but he hadn’t mentioned anyone,” she almost laughed. “Except for the lead singer of that band he liked. I think he had a crush. I actually teased him about buying him a poster to put on his wall for Christmas. Like he was a teenage girl.” She was smiling as she said it then she started to cry. I suppose the realization that she wouldn’t need to buy him anything for Christmas again just hit.

“I am sorry Mrs. Johnson. We are doing everything we can to find your son
’s killer. That is all the questions I have for now.” I handed her my card. “If you think of anything else that might be useful, please, give me a call.”

She took my card and nodded then got up and left the room. I saw a man outside the door wrap his arm around her and walk her down the hall. Okay, so he was a fan of the band at Halo. Him and about every other twenty something in the greater Atlanta area. They were the hottest sensation this town has had in a long time. I would think they would have signed a record deal and went on tour by now. But they are still singing at Halo just like they’ve been doing for the last several years. I moved to Atlanta from Savannah about six months ago, and last night was the first time I had actually went to the club and heard them. I had to admit they were pretty good. Between that and the fact that all five band members were smoking hot, especially the lead, it was no wonder everybody loved them. Unfortunately, that didn’t help me find Stephen’s killer. The barista already said she had never seen him at the club. You would think if he hung out there regularly, she would have seen him at least once. I’ll show his photo to Temmy and see if she recognizes him. If he is a regular there, she will definitely know.   

Sunday afternoon
, I sat on the couch at Temmy’s. She called me as I was on my way over so I told her to save it until I got there.

“It was all your fault, Avy. You ruined my chances with Jared,” she said.

“Who?”

“Sexy Singer. His name is Jared and you ruined it.”

“How did I ruin your chances with Jared? I’ve never even met the guy.”

“Exactly. He wanted me to bring you to the party. Instead, you refused and he wanted nothing to do with me.”

“How did my refusing to come have anything to do with him wanting to have nothing to do with you? I’m completely confused here, Temmy. If the man wanted you, he would have flirted with you or at least shown some interest. He wouldn’t have given two squats as to whether or not I was there.”

She just looked at me for a moment.

“You know, you’re right. He wasn’t interested in me. Hell, he wasn’t even interested in Saundra. It was weird actually.”

“What, that a heterosexual male could not be interested in you or your hoochie friend?”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “No, I was referring to the situation. Right after we got there last night he came up to me. Saundra was getting us a drink and he said ‘hey, where’s your friend?’ I told him that she was getting us a drink and he started scanning the crowd. He totally ignored me until Saundra came back and I introduced them. He looked pissed and said ‘I thought I told you to bring your friend from the other night’.”

“Did you tell him that I had to work?”

“Yes, and do you know what he did? He turned around and walked off without as much as a goodbye. Oh my Gods, Avy. It was so pathetic. Saundra actually ran after him and offered to…you know.”

I looked at her clueless. How was I supposed to know what that slut...
oh.

“You mean she offered to have sex with him?”

“Well, that or oral. And, he told her no thank you. She said he actually said that. ‘No, thank you.’ What guy says that when a woman offers to suck his...uh...well anyway, we didn’t see him again for the rest of the night.”

What a skank. I knew Saundra was easy but I couldn’t believe she would just walk up to some guy she doesn’t even know and offer oral sex. Call me a prude but Ewww!

In an attempt to cheer her up and get her to not be mad at me I said, “Wasn’t any of the other band members there? They’re pretty hot too.”

“The lead guitarist was there, but he had a couple of women already. There was also the one that looks like a psycho and even he had a woman. The other two weren’t around. At least not that I saw.”

“Well, I’m sorry I caused your night to be so sucky.”

She waved it off. “It wasn’t your faulty really. I was just trying to blame someone else for him not being interested in me. My dreams are dead. Guess I’ll just have to have makeup sex with Kevin while picturing Jared.”

“TMI. Temmy
, you’ve got to learn how to keep that stuff to yourself. I didn’t realize you two had broken up.”

She ignored me as usual.

“I broke up with him before going to the party. I think you should get with him.”

“Who? Kevin? No, thank you. I don’t do sloppy seconds.”

“Not Kevin, you nitwit. Jared.”

“Oh, so you don’t want me to get with the guy you
’re doing just the guy your fantasizing about doing.”

“Yes, that way I can live my dreams through you.”

“You are a sad, sick woman.”

“We are going to the club Saturday. His band will be playing so you never know.”

“Gods no! He is totally not my type. I don’t like the rock band type.”

“You don’t like any type. If I hadn’t known you as long as I have, I would think you were a closet gay.”

“Just because I don’t screw everything with a dick doesn’t mean I’m gay.”

“I know
, Avy. I also know why you don’t date much. It’s hard to get into a relationship with a guy when you have a fucked up heritage like us. But, you have to date eventually, and this guy seems genuinely interested in you.”

“He’s only interested in me because he’s never actually met me. Give me a half hour and I’ll have all of his fantasies crushed.”

“Oh, you aren’t that bad.”

I just raised a brow.

“Okay, sometimes you are but you really should give a guy a chance. If not the singer, then someone else. I’ll see what I can come up with,” she said.

“Oh no. Do not try to set me up with your therapist or stylist or some other guy who I will totally hate.”

“Anyway, why were you on your way over when I called?”

She always ignored me when she didn’t care what I said. Mark my words, I would be set up with some loser in a month or so.

“I was coming by to see if you recognized this guy from the club.”

I pulled out a picture of Stephen Wilkins that I stole from his apartment.

She looked at it for a couple minutes before handing it back.

“No. He looks like a lot a college kids that hang out there. There are a few regulars that show up every weekend but he doesn’t look like any of them.”

I sighed. Another dead end. I hate when I can’t find the bad guy. Unless someone comes forward with more information I can’t think of anywhere else to look. I guess it’s a good thing we’re going to the club Saturday. Maybe I’ll ask around to see if anyone recognizes him.

After leaving Temmy’s, I went to visit my grandmother. Elinor Tywella was a sixty five year old White Witch. She lives in a suburb of Atlanta called Decatur, which is where she raised me. I pulled into the drive, and knocked on the door before going in.

“Grandmother. It’s Avery.”

“In the kitchen, Avy.”

She
and Temmy were the only two people I let get away with calling me Avy. Everyone else was restricted to Ave, if they were my friend, or Avery if they weren’t. That didn’t include the names I was called behind my back.

I walked into the kitchen to find my grandmother bent over a large cauldron mixing a potion. I’m not sure what it was for, but as a White Witch, she would not permit any spell she created to harm others either directly or indirectly.

“What are you making grandmother?”

“Oh, this is a blessing for the Goddess Selene. She has brought those of the moon dance much happiness in recent months.”

“Ah.”

Most people’s grandmothers spend their time in the kitchen baking cookies. Mine spends her time thanking the Gods and Goddesses by creating tributes. As a matter of fact, other than healing potions, that is what my grandmother regularly does. Well, that and dance in the moonlight with her geriatric friends. She has invited me several times to join them but I have gracefully declined.

“What brings you home this evening, Avy?”

“I was just checking on you. I wish you would carry a cell phone then I could actually call you every once in a while.”

“I do not need such distractions when I am communing with the other plane.”

“Okay, you could at least call me every so often to let me know you are alright.”

“And then you would have no reason to come for a visit.”

I smiled. “I would visit. Even if I knew you were still kicking it.”

“You will know when I pass. For I will give you all of my earthly gifts.”

What gifts? Her cookbook for creating cauldrons full of tribute potions for Gods and Goddesses that never bother to show up and actually accept them. I think I’m good.

“Do you have any tributes for your only grandchild? I’m thinking of the food variety.”

“Have a seat and I will fix you a sandwich.” She went to the fridge and pulled out the ingredients she would need. “And how is Temmy doing? Is she still tending bar?”

“Yep. I think she found her calling. She can flirt with men all night long and get paid for it. It’s perfect for her.”

“How about you? Do you still feel you have found your calling?”

“Yes, grandmother. Being a Human’s Rights detective has been the only thing I have wanted to do since I was twelve years old. That is not going to change.”

“I just thought I would ask.”

She didn’t want me to join the task force. She would prefer I become a tree hugger like her. But, I was never very good at White magic and never really wanted to do it. When I was twelve years old my grandmother told me the truth about how I came to be, and how my mother died. My mother too was a White Witch. One, who was raped by a Demon. Her refusal to cast any magic that would harm another, regardless of the fact that the bastard deserved it, allowed him to get away with what he had done. She became pregnant with me and died in childbirth. And so, my grandmother was left raising a half Demon child. She never treated me like I was an abomination though. She only showed me love, and for that, I will always cherish her. She is the only family I have after all. Since she never answers her home phone, I am forced to drive out once a week to check on her. I don’t mind really. This is the house I was raised in. The house my mother had been raised in. It was nice to come home every once in a while.

“Here you are, Avy. Just the way you like it,” she said as she sat the sandwich in front of me. Ham with plenty of lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. She was never much of a cook. I pretty much lived off of sandwiches and TV dinners. But
, at least she always made sure there was food to be made, even if she didn’t cook it.

“Thanks, grandmother. So how is Estelle and the gang doing?” I asked before taking a big bite of the sandwich.

“They are doing very good. We are going to Tallahassee next week for a convention of the White Witches. It should be lots of fun. The Gods have been watching over us. We have made many tributes during the past moon week in an attempt to stay in their favor.”

“I hope that works out for ya.”

“You could always join us. It is never too late to start gaining the Gods favor.”

“No, thank you. I appreciate the offer but will continue to pass.”

“And I will continue to offer.”

I finished my sandwich and we caught up on all the current events. Hers mostly consisted of the planets’ alignments and how that effected the tributes they were making and how moon week was. I caught her up on my recent events. Which consisted of work and Temmy. A couple of hours later I kissed her goodbye, wished her much favor with her Gods and Goddesses, and started back to Atlanta. Tomorrow started a new week. Hopefully something would break with my current case.