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Authors: Lee Driver

Tags: #mystery, #urban fantasy

Sara Morningsky (3 page)

BOOK: Sara Morningsky
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Are you Dagger?” Rollins asked, his
beady eyes studying Dagger. Rollins was joined by a stocky man
wearing pounds of gold and an expensive-looking suit that would
meet Sheila’s approval.


You must be the fruit of Mayor
Sawyer’s loins,” Dagger quipped. Mick Sawyer took a step forward.
Three youths jumped down from the back of the truck, positioning
themselves around Dagger. They sported black berets and armbands.
The grips of guns could be seen in the waistbands of their jeans.
He felt surrounded by three fire hydrants. The best he could hope
for was that they had poor aim.


Calm down, boys,” Rollins instructed.
“Let’s hear what the gentleman has to say.”

Dagger pressed the play button on the
recorder. Mick Fazio’s voice was heard clearly, explaining how he
had first suspected something when valuables listed on theft
reports were showing up in Rollins’ possession. Ed Rollins, head of
the Gang Task Force, was using gang members to steal expensive
artwork and jewelry from rich suburbanites. The items were then
smuggled out of state to fences in New York and Miami. Mick had
been working with Internal Affairs to bust the theft ring.


Pretty lucrative business you two boys
have masterminded.” Dagger clicked off the recorder as he stepped
closer.


We’re not in need of any more
partners,” Sawyer barked, pulling out his gun. “But we’ll take
those tapes.”


Not so fast.” Dagger held up Rollins’
badge. “Lose something, Sergeant?”

Rollins lit a cigar and tossed the match at
Dagger’s feet. “Think you’re pretty brave coming in here?”

Dagger noticed a hawk circling overhead. He
saw leaves rustling and the shadow of a figure lurking. Snipers? He
had suspected as much and wondered exactly how many were out there.
Then the hawk moved to another tree to his right, circling over
another shadow lurking in the dark. Dagger smiled slowly and
shrugged. “Maybe I’m not alone.”

Things happened quickly. FBI agents arrived
in four unmarked cars, storming the warehouse as Dagger shot two of
the snipers. High-beam lights flooded the area. The youths were
inexperienced, not knowing where to run or where to shoot
first.


You okay, Dagger?” The gray-haired
agent asked after the dust settled.

Dagger nodded, patting his bulletproof vest.
He watched as the hawk lighted on a nearby post, its blue-green
eyes shining brightly. Dagger thought he might be reading into it
but he could swear the hawk seemed to wait to make sure he was all
right before gracefully swooping over the area and disappearing
into the shadowy forest.

Dagger sat at his desk listening to another
call from Sheila. There were already three on the recorder. It was
one-thirty in the morning and he didn’t feel like going home where
there were probably even more messages, and he definitely didn’t
feel like talking to Sheila.


Dagger, honey. Where are you? I know I
should be mad at you, baby.” She started out sounding hurt that he
had missed the rehearsal, trying to sound understanding, but then
her true character came through. “You son of a bitch. Where are
you? Daddy is so upset. But I made excuses for you, again.” There
was silence for a few moments and then an exhaustive expletive.
Sheila hung up.


AWK. GOOD RIDDANCE,” Einstein bellowed
as he paced back and forth on his perch.

Leaning back in his chair, Dagger propped his
legs on the desk and rubbed his hands across his face feeling the
dirt and grit from the gravel lot.


You never liked Sheila, did you
Einstein?” Einstein shook his head frantically back and forth.
Dagger smiled. He should give Sheila a call, but he didn’t know yet
how to tell her he wasn’t going to make it to the wedding
either.

All he could think of was Sara. Her naked
body lying on the ground in the forest, her shapeshifting
abilities, and the way her leg had regenerated. He had just come
across a magical, undiscovered island, and he had to explore it
first.


And what about Sara? Do you like Sara,
Einstein?”

Einstein let out a whistle.


I don’t know why I ever agreed to
marry Sheila. This should be a lesson, buddy. Never have more than
one martini.” Dagger closed his eyes, pressing his palms to his
forehead to ward off the headache that was developing.

He felt the air move, and opened his eyes to
see Einstein, wings spread, landing on the desk. Einstein plodded
over to Dagger and dropped something in front of him. It was a
cheese curl.

Dagger smiled as he picked up the treat.
“Thanks, but I think it’s going to take more than a cheese
curl.”

In the morning, after a restless nap, Dagger
showered and drove over to Sara’s. He rapped lightly on the back
door. After a few moments, he peered through the screen at the
empty kitchen. Somewhere inside he heard someone crying. Pulling
lightly on the door, it opened and he stepped inside.

On the kitchen counter was a sheet of paper
with his name printed in shaky lettering. Beside the notepad was
the leather cord necklace Sara’s grandmother had worn
yesterday.

Dagger followed the soft cries to the
downstairs bedroom where he found Sara, her arms wrapped around her
grandmother. Ada was a light shade of gray and her face had the
most serene look.


Sara?” Dagger sat on the edge of the
bed.

Sara slowly looked up. “She must have died in
her sleep.” Sara let the tears fall freely, pressing her cheek to
Ada’s forehead. “She promised she would never leave me,” Sara
sobbed. Her hand shook as she swiped at her tears.

Dagger felt Ada’s skin. Rigor was beginning
to set in.

He kept Sara busy gathering Ada’s possessions
that she might want buried with her while he dug a grave on a
flowery knoll overlooking Thornton Creek. Sara carried some of
Ada’s favorite plants to the gravesite.

After pounding a makeshift cross into the
ground, Dagger returned to the house to find Sara sitting
cross-legged on the couch, sobbing quietly, her hands clenched
tightly. He sat down next to her.


It’s as if Grandmother knew.” She
unfolded the note and handed him the necklace. “I think she wanted
you to have this.”

Dagger took the necklace from her and touched
her arm. Her body recoiled like the frightened wolf he had found in
the forest. Sara, too, was afraid of all humans except her
grandmother. It would take a lot to quell her fears of living in a
world as an outcast.

For a moment when he had met Ada yesterday,
he had wondered if she was Sara’s great-grandmother, not
grandmother. If he counted the folds of skin as anyone would the
rings in a tree to determine age, she had to have been over one
hundred years old. It was as though she had been waiting for
someone to take her place as Sara’s protector. Once Dagger came on
the scene, Ada seemed grateful finally to be able to rest.

His gaze drifted toward the skylights and he
took in the enormous size of the house. The property was isolated,
safe, and secure. He walked over to an adjacent room that was
sparsely dotted with floor plants. By the looks of the floor
drains, it might have been planned as the service center for the
car dealership.

Glancing over at Sara he saw a frightened
child in many ways but a unique woman in others. Although Ada Kills
Bull had been able to be a companion and confidante to her
granddaughter, there was very little she taught her about the
outside world, his world.


Come here, Sara.”

Slowly Sara approached, still keeping her
distance, her hands trembling.


Einstein and I have been kicked out of
our apartment and office. I think this area would make a great bird
room. I can take over your grandmother’s bedroom and,” he turned
toward the living room, “I can cordon off a portion of the living
room to set up my office.” He studied her face as she nervously
chewed on her bottom lip. “What do you think?”

You mean you want to move in here after you
are married?”


No, Sara. There isn’t going to be a
wedding.”


Oh.”


That relationship was on shaky ground
from the start.”


Oh,” Sara repeated.


I can pay you one thousand dollars a
month for the room and office space.”


That’s way too much,” Sara
protested.


You need to make a living, Sara. You
can’t live on vegetables and hand-me-downs all your life.” At least
she didn’t say no, Dagger thought. “Seven hundred and fifty and
that’s my last offer.” Sara forced a smile. “Dagger Investigations
could also use a partner.”


Me?”

Dagger smiled. “I could use someone with your
unusual…talents.” Sara’s eyes filled again. He cautiously reached
out, wrapped his arms around her and held her until she stopped
shaking. “You’re going to be fine, Sara,” he whispered. “Your
secret is safe with me.”

- END -

Note from the author:

Sara Morningsky first appeared
in
A Mystery in Mind Anthology
in 2004. This short story is a prelude to the Chase Dagger
series and was never meant to be a series. However, the characters
refused to shut up. There are currently four books in the
series.
The Good Die Twice, Full Moon
Bloody Moon, The Unseen,
and
Chasing Ghosts
. Visit the author at
www.sdtooley.com

BOOK: Sara Morningsky
12.11Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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