Murder in Misery (Spook Squad) (9 page)

Mason shook his head in amus
ement. “You have to remember that I was drunk at the time. Do you know how much liquor I had to actually drink in order to get drunk?”

“Quite a bit I assume.
” Keegan nodded.

“Well
I was drunk enough that the brain to mouth filter characteristic that is phenomenal during my sober hours was nonexistent. I didn’t much care what anyone thought or did to me at the time.”

“What did you say
to make him so mad?” Keegan asked curiously before biting into her own sandwich. With each bite she tried to process all the information that she was getting from Mason. 

“
It’s all stupid to think on it now. Me? The most bigoted of them all and they finally figure out my dirty little secret because I can’t shut my mouth when I’ve been drinking. I think it was more shocking than anything.  Cody called it my security blanket, hiding who I really am from my Dad. The night he beat the snot out of me we were shooting the shit you know? Somehow it got to the subject of who we would want our seconds to be if it were a possibility. Of course he said some celebrity but I said Alice. He decked me not even a second after the words were out of my mouth. I think he was more shocked rather than upset about it.”

Keegan dipped a fry in ketchup
trying to not to let the shock show on her face.              “So you would have had sex with Alice if you could have?”

Mason snorted, clearly amused by Keegan’s assessment. He stole a
fry off of her plate. “No. See, the thing about shifters is the fact that once they mate it’s for life. Even if you are human, the instinct does take over. So anyone or anything that remotely threatens what is established will be hurt or if it comes down to it, they will get killed. What I really wanted, and I clarified before he went all
hulk smash
on me, is the way he and Alice supported and cared for each other. I wanted that if it were ever possible for someone like me.”

“I don’t mean to sound so critical but that’s pretty convenient to say that now after
they have both passed and can’t back that story up.” Keegan let out a long breath waiting for Mason to give up more information.

“
Look if you really want to know if I’m one hundred percent reformed then ask Tiegs. She’s a half demon, half leopard. I met her because of Cody and Alice. Collectively they all made me a better person. Tiegs is at work right now but the idiot probably needs a break right about now. She forgets to take care of herself while she’s painting.”

The
words weren’t spoken in malice. They were soft and filled with a fondness only lovers could convey. Keegan pushed her plate away from her before she pulled her notepad out and slid it over to Mason. “Just jot down her studio information so I can double check everything and rule you out as a suspect.”

“Sh
e’ll be home around six if she doesn’t get lost in what she’s working on, so you can stop by then if you haven’t gotten a chance to stop by her studio. Uh,” Mason scratched his forehead, “Please don’t let the wolf you work with know where I live. Tiegs and I, we live on the outskirts of Misery for a reason and it’s not the need to be near the wilderness. It’s for privacy. I don’t need any of the pack finding out that one of their alphas, even if I’m considered the trash of the pack, is with a leopard. That would bring as much trouble down on me as you probably get for being a necromancer.”

Keegan stashed the notepad in her bag before tossin
g a few bills on the countertop. “I’m only getting the first taste of what it is like having other people know what I am. So I understand your need for discretion.”

“I’m sorry
that you have to know what that’s like” Mason whispered.

“It’s not your fault, so
there is no need for apologies. Just stick around Misery for awhile okay? I’ll try to keep homicide off your back in return if your story checks out.”

“Thanks Detective.” Mason rubbed at his eyes.
“Just please, find out who did this to them. None of them deserved to go out like that. And Connor, just do this for him. He was just a baby.”

“I’ll see you soon Mr. Mills.” Keegan waved good-bye before stepping out into the harsh glare of the sun and pulling her coat tighter. Mason Mills wasn’t at all who she expected.
If anything he was the exact opposite. Also, if what he were saying were true, then where did that leave them in the investigation and where the hell did they go from here?

“Who are you and what are you doing inside of my studio?
” Tiegs swiped her bangs from her forehead tucking it behind her ear and wiped her hands clean on an already destroyed tee-shirt.

Keegan hel
d out her identification for her to see before she answered. “I’m Detective Keegan Morne with Misery’s SIU. I needed to talk to you about Mason Mills?”

“Oh god, please tell me he’
s all right?” Tiegs wide brown eyes started to turn a bright blue as the demon part of her rose to the surface.

“Mason is perfectly fine. I actually just spoke with him at Tanked.” Keegan edged around to a table and planted a hip against what was hopefully a clean surface.

“Oh thank goodness. When the cops come it isn’t usually with good news and my mind immediately jumped to the bad.” Tiegs set down her paint brush and folded her thin arms over her chest. “If he is okay then why are you here? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“I just needed to verify a few facts that Mr. Mills gave me.” Keegan flipped open her pocket notepad, mostly as a prop for Tiegs’ benefit. She already knew what questions she wanted to ask but it was always good to be prepared rather than not.

“Okay, shoot.”

“He said he was in a romantic relationship with you?” Keegan clicked her pen ready.

“Yes.” Tiegs nodded slowly. “We’ve been together ever since we were introduced a few years ago.”

“Can you verify his whereabouts three nights ago?” Keegan asked and watched as Tiegs face turned to a startling red.

“I, well, uh, he was with me, here at the studio.” Tiegs coughed into her hand.

“All night?”

Tiegs scratched at the back of her neck. “Yeah, we didn’t get much sleep that night if you know what I mean.”

Keegan nodded not wanting to embarrass her any further
. “He also alluded to you two being good friends with Cody and Alice Barr?” This was the question Keegan was most interested in. If Tiegs said otherwise, she would be kicking her self for not setting Leeroy on Mason to make sure he didn’t skip town.

“They introduced us.
” Tiegs’ lips curled into a happy smile before she shook it off. “It’s horrible what happened to them. They were such a happy family, especially since they had Connor. It seems like the little guy just brightened their days.”

“
They looked like a happy family.” Keegan commented softly remembering the bright smiles in the portraits that were hanging haphazardly on the wall as she made her way through the crime scene. Getting back to the matter at hand, Keegan switched gears. “Mason wasn’t known for being the nicest guy around. What, with his aversion to anyone who was of mixed heritage. It’s surprising to find the two of you are so happy with each other.”

“People change d
etective. I’m sure you have seen that at some point of time in your career in law enforcement. Cody, Alice and myself helped him see that there is so much more about a person then what they physically are. The soul, the life they live, that is what really matters. It may have taken Mason a little longer to get over the prejudices that he grew up with just like it would with anyone else. But Mason did change and he turned out to be a better man for it. He became a man someone like me could fall in love with and finally feel safe.”

Keegan held her hands up to fend off the o
nslaught of outrage Tiegs was emitting in effort to defend her mate. “I have to ask questions like this to rule Mason out. I do not like asking them but they are necessary for the investigation.”

“I
don’t like it but I understand.” Tiegs picked at the dried out paint on her knuckles. “Is he still considered a suspect?”

“I don’t believe so
,” Keegan shook her head. “He’s probably angry or shaken up by me showing up at Tanked earlier. Why don’t you go home and spend some time with him?”

“I think that is
the best idea anyone has had all day, detective.” Tiegs began packing her supplies up and she paused. “I hope you find out who did this and you treat them exactly how they treated the Barrs. They do not deserve the kindness the law will afford them.”

Keegan rolled her lips together in effort to not say anything that would c
ome back and bite her on the ass later on. She agreed full heartedly with Tiegs. Whenever they caught the killer, he shouldn’t be spared any amenities.

With a quick shove
Keegan sent Matt’s feet sprawling off the desk and to the floor with a loud smack. Everyone had their pet peeves. One of Keegan’s pet peeveswas having other people invade her territory and show the amount of disrespect to her belongings that Matt Hollis was showing having his boots sitting on top of case files.

“Way to greet a person Morne.
” Matt shifted back in her chair resituating him self and sitting up right.

“That’s ho
w we greet people acting like assholes around here.” Keegan tapped her boot on the underside of the chair. “You want to move out of my seat and tell me what the hell you’re waiting around here for?”

“It isn’t that
often that homicide pays us a visit.” Leeroy’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “Unless, you’re at a loss as where to go on the case and need our help?”

Matt turned away from Leeroy and focused in on Keegan. His face was flushed in a mixture
of anger and embarrassment. “You went to see Bryton Anderson and Mason Mills. Then you decided that Mason Mills was no longer a person of interest in the case without bothering to consult with me and you didn’t send any communication to homicide about your visit with Anderson. Who, might I add, will not speak to any of my men.”

“Funny,” Keegan stepped u
p to stand toe to toe with Matt. “I vaguely remember stopping by your desk yesterday to go over my interview with Anderson but you didn’t have the time to go over that with me. As for Mason Mill I just spoke with him today. I just got done and haven’t had the time to sit down at my desk much less send you an e-mail about the interview. So I do my job and you get mad at me for doing so. What else can I do to piss you off Hollis? Breathe a little louder?”

“You don’t clear a suspect withou
t talking with homicide about it. We are the unit that is heading this investigation. What you did undermined my authority completely.” Matt’s finger pressed against her chest, emphasizing his frustration with every word he spat out at her.

“You might want
to rethink touching me Hollis. Just take one second to remember where you are. You’re in Spook territory and it won’t be fists that go flying. We fight dirty; teeth, fire, and my own special brand of fury. So you might want to keep your hands to yourself.” Keegan shoved him back a step. “And I did what your guys were too slow to do. I only cleared him based on his fiancé’s word and the fact that she alibied him out. Oh and let’s not forget the evidence at the scene. If you want to go behind me and verify what I found, go right on a head. I don’t give a damn what you do but he isn’t going to talk to humans like he spoke with me. So I did you a favor Hollis. If you would have given me ten minutes you would have had my report in your e-mail about Mr. Mills and Bryton. Now? You expect us to want to work with you after you push me to the side and claim I closed down communication between our departments? You need to get out of my squad room. Until you can respect the SIU and the work we do you don’t need to pay anymore visits to us.”

“Excuse me?” Matt’s mouth dropped
open in surprise.

“I believe you heard me.
” Keegan shook her head, “Any communication going on between the two departments are now limited to e-mails and phone calls. Any of your guys harass mine? Your ass is grass.”