The Light Who Shines

by Lilo Abernathy

  Jack rubs his forehead and frowns. Then he stands up and paces a little, glancing at me occasionally with the frown still on his face. I wait patiently because he is clearly deep in thought. Finally, he stops and looks at me. “So our perpetrator is still hot on the trail. Did you have any more encounters with him?”

  I glance at Varg and say, “Varg did hear a noise on my terrace last night, but when we went to investigate we found nothing.”

  Jack nods and goes on. “If the amulet gets into the wrong hands, the consequences could be disastrous. If someone used magic to locate it the first time and they can use magic to get past wards, then holy ground is the best place to keep it. I don’t like that you are a target for them, but I don’t see any way to rectify that immediately. I’ll file the paperwork to keep it in our possession.”

  “Thank you.” I’m thinking how thrilled I am that Jack hasn’t made more of a stink about putting a constant guard on my place, but my relief is short lived.

  Jack nods, then sits down and says very smoothly and calmly, “I also think you should let me do a nighttime protective detail on your apartment for the duration of this case.”

  “What? No way!” I shake my head vigorously. “Just no. Capital N-O. No. Thanks for the offer, though.”

  By the time I’m done spelling no, Jack draws his eyebrows together in consternation and a scowl has formed on his beautiful face. Then suddenly he seems to let it slide, and his face relaxes in a half smile. He has obviously just thought of something, and I don’t trust him a bit because that was way too easy! But there is little I can do. I can hardly ask him what nefarious plan he is plotting to protect me.

  Moving on. “So, I saw the news about the recent Dark Vampire murders in Rowan Park. Rubalia told me that you and Ernesto eliminated them last night. But I have to be honest; I don’t care to find out from the news something the people in my own office are dealing with. It makes me look and feel like an idiot. So what is the situation with Dark Vampires right now?”

  Jack looks taken aback by this statement, then he surveys me appraisingly, like he’s meeting me for the first time. He answers carefully, “I didn’t mean to make you feel excluded. So, right now we’re not sure if there is a situation. Dark Vampire activity has increased twelve percent citywide in the last month compared with prior years. It could be a temporary anomaly. The numbers are still in the range of normal variability. We’re keeping an eye on the stats. If we don’t see it reduce soon, we will have to start looking at possible causes. I’ll keep you updated if we have any major status changes either way.”

  I lock my gaze with him and say firmly, “If it continues, I can help work the cases.” When I see that Jack has received my message and accepted it, I drop another bomb on him. “I killed a Dark Vampire today.”

  Jack shoots out of his chair, sending it slamming back into the wall. “What in the Plane of Fire happened?” His eyes are a turbulent green, and his dark gaze sweeps me from head to toe.

  “I’m alright, for crying out loud! He was expiring already. I heard a woman’s screams as I was passing through Shroud Valley, and when I investigated, I saw the Dark Vampire crawling on the ground, bleeding out from the fractured effect of sunlight through the fog. I just splashed him with holy water. That is why the Bureau supplies me with it, I assume?”

  I add that last comment to remind Jack that it is not entirely unexpected for me to run across a Night-Crawler. Jack has got to start seeing me as a strong member of this team and not as a novice to be protected.

  Jack runs his fingers through his hair and looks up at the ceiling for a moment. I imagine he’s counting to one thousand at Vampire speed, hoping to get his blood pressure down. When his eyes finally meet mine again, they look calm and unexpectedly tender. He walks over to me, standing close enough for me to feel the electricity ripping through the air between us. He lifts his hand and gently pushes a strand of my hair back out of my eyes. “Did it touch you?” he asks.

  I keep my voice pert in an attempt to break the tension. “It grabbed my foot when I got very close, but I threw the holy water on it immediately. It didn’t have time to bite me, if that is what you want to know.”

  “Which foot?”

  “For goodness’ sake, it was my left foot. I had my boots on. I am fine! He didn’t even touch my skin.”

  Jack looks down at my left foot, and I get the strong impression that he is fighting the urge to examine it. Thank goodness he doesn’t because if I had to watch him get down on his knees at my feet to check me for an injury, I just might melt into a puddle on his carpet, professional relationship be damned.

  Jack says, “Be sure you restock and carry several vials at once. They often hunt in packs.” He turns back to his desk. Taking advantage of the apparent dismissal, I spin around and walk toward the door.

  Jack adds smoothly as I leave, “Don’t forget, I’ll be picking you up tonight at eight o’clock for the Gala.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  Chapter 19

  A Grain of Salt

  Bluebell Kildare: May 28, 2022, Red Ages

  I stand at the counter in the office of Tim Pulgowski’s school just before the end of the school day.

  The administration clerk, Trudy Babbith, jabs her bony finger in the air toward Varg. “Dogs aren’t allowed on school grounds.”

  Thankfully Varg is his small self right now and looks the size of a large dog. I flash her my ID and say, “He’s a police dog.”

  Trudy looks skeptical as she reads the ID. “Isn’t he supposed to wear a jacket that says ‘police dog’ on the side?”

  Darn, I forgot about that. “His jacket got torn up in the last drug bust.”

  Disbelief is written all over her face as she says, “You work in a drug unit and in homicides?” obviously referring to the title on my ID.

  Double darn, she’s sharp. I defend myself. ”My dog’s skills are used in a wide variety of situations, and we help where needed.” I can tell she doesn’t buy it, but she lets it pass anyway, which is good because I feel like I’m about to be sent to the principal’s office.

  I lean forward on the counter while tapping my foot. “Anyway, is Tim Pulgowski here today? I’d like to ask him some questions about Jason O’Connell.”

  Trudy suddenly looks a little more sympathetic to my cause. Her thin face contorts in a frown, and her drooping eyes sadden. I decide that Trudy is a good nut after all. She sniffs and says, “Please take a seat while I call him down.”

  I sit on a hard, orange plastic chair, the same one that’s adorned high school waiting areas everywhere for the last few decades. It hurt my butt in high school, and it hurts my butt now. I stand up again and restlessly pace the eight by ten foot, beige linoleum waiting area while Varg sits dutifully next to the chairs. He appears to be a far better student than I. A bulletin board on the wall draws my attention. Oh, look, chess club meets tomorrow! I was always a fan of chess club.

  As I’m examining the flyer, a boy about Jason’s age walks through the door. When he sees Varg, he exclaims, “Whoa, awesome! That looks like a Canis lupus! Only like way smaller!”

  “He’s my police canine,” I say quickly, trying to distract Trudy.

  The boy looks at me sideways with that statement but nevertheless asks, “Can I pet him?”

  “Sure!”

  He sticks his hand out slowly. Varg sniffs his hand and wags his tail a little. The boy gently touches his back, and apparently encouraged by the fact that he is still alive, he gives him a few small strokes. “Wow. He’s beautiful!”

  I beam like a proud mother.

  Trudy, who is standing at the counter, clears her throat and jerks her head to get his attention. Her sagging jowls shake a little when she does this, which gets my attention.

  The boy stands straight and hands her his slip. He says, “I was called down to the office.”

  The clerk nods in my direction. “Inspector Kildare from the Supernatural Homicide Investigation Unit would like to
speak with you.”

  Cripes! That woman is good. She got that from a one-second glance at my ID. We should hire her at the office, bony finger and all.

  I turn to Tim and notice the way his shoulders slump and his back hunches slightly. “Hello, Tim. I’d like to ask you some questions about Jason. Do you have a few minutes?”

  Tim looks a little stricken, but says, “Sure. What do you want to know?”

  “Why don’t we step outside so we can discuss this privately.”

  I turn to Trudy. “We won’t be more than fifteen minutes.” When she assents, we leave.

  As soon as we leave the building I ask Tim, “So, what is a Canis lupus?”

  He says, “Dude! It’s a gray wolf. This one doesn’t appear to have any hybridization in its features, though it is smaller than I’d expect.”

  “You certainly know a lot about wolves.”

  Tim shrugs. “I like animals. It’s kind of my thing.”

  “So, what do you think the chances are that Trudy is not looking up what a Canis lupus is right now?”

  Tim laughs at that, a short, amused chuckle. “Zero chance. She totally is!”

  “That is what I was afraid of.”

  I move us toward a bench in the schoolyard so we can speak undisturbed. Tim perches on the edge of the bench while scuffing his feet on the ground. I settle down next to him to help put him at ease. Tim is mid-height for a boy his age, a little on the skinny side, and is wearing jeans, an untucked, plaid button-down, and a gray sweatshirt. His sneakers are dirty but tied. His hair is medium brown, short, and straight. He sits nervously, playing with his hands and not looking me in the eyes. The feelings I’m getting from him are anxiety and sadness.

  I turn to face him. “I understand you were close to Jason.”

  Tim looks like he’d rather talk about wolves but is trying to man up. While still fidgeting, he says, “He was my best friend.”

  “How long were the two of you friends?”

  Tim pulls the unfastened zipper on his sweatshirt up and down. “We met in honors algebra our freshman year, so that was almost three years ago. Jason was the smartest kid in the class. I was kind of struggling because biology is more my thing, and Jason helped me out.”

  Coming from this kid, saying that Jason was the smartest in the class means something. He’s obviously very bright himself. “Did you guys spend a lot of time together?”

  Tim looks askance at me. “I’m not a suspect, am I? Because if I am, I want a lawyer.”

  I smile at Tim. He’s a sharp boy, no doubt. “No, Tim. I’m just trying to get to know a little more about how Jason spent his time. Since you were his best friend, you probably know better than anyone.”

  Tim looks much relieved at this, and I sense a lot of his anxiety dissipate. “Okay then. Well, we had honors classes together a lot, and because of that we had the same lunch period. So we usually sat together with some of the other honors students.”

  “Did you guys do any extracurricular activities after class?”

  Tim shrugs. “We both took a robotics class after school in the science lab. That ended before winter break. We haven’t done anything since.”

  “Did Jason do any activities that you weren’t in?”

  Tim shakes his head and starts picking at his fingernails.

  “Tim, I know it is probably really hard to think about him right now. I’m sorry I have to ask you all these questions.”

  Tim says, “That’s okay.” But he keeps picking at his nails. I get the feeling it is not so okay and this really sucks. Suddenly Varg comes around the bench and puts his head on Tim’s lap. Tim breaks a small smile and starts entwining his fingers with Varg’s fur.

  “Did you and Jason ever do things or go places after school that were not school related?”

  Tim is much more at ease now that he is petting Varg. I should have told Trudy he was a therapy dog. Tim’s eyes flick to mine now, and I see a well of loneliness.

  “We used to walk home from school together a lot. We could have taken the bus, but sometimes we just wanted to be outside. You know, the break is nice before you have to do homework and chores. Sometimes we would stop off at Fizzy’s for malts on the way home. You know, the usual.”

  I ask, “Can you tell me, did Jason have any problems with any of the kids at school?”

  Tim sniffs and looks down at his hands in Varg’s fur but doesn’t stop moving them. “No. He didn’t have a lot of friends, but that was because he was pretty quiet around most people. No one had a problem with him, though.”

  “How did the kids feel about his magic?”

  Tim looks up at me sharply with that question. “No one knew, except his parents found out a few months ago. But he never told anyone at school because a lot of the more popular kids would have harassed him. That sort of thing doesn’t go over too well at our school.”

  “So you think he would have been bullied?”

  Tim studiously weaves his fingers through Varg’s thick fur, examining the effect as he talks. “Well, Jason was in pretty good shape, but he wasn’t super big. I don’t know that anyone would have hurt him, but they would have bothered him. And you know, he was into his studies. He just didn’t want to mess with that.”

  “Did it bother you that he had a gift?”

  Tim looks up now with a smile. “No, Ma’am! I thought it was awesome!”

  Hmm. I’m not too happy about being called Ma’am. But what is really frustrating is that I feel like I’m getting nowhere.

  I try a different angle. “Tim, can you remember back to the last day you saw him? Did anything unusual happen that day?”

  Tim looks at nothing in front of us, and I can practically see him scanning his memories of that day. “I saw him in school that day, and he seemed totally normal. We ate lunch together as usual. I had to stay late in the library after school, though, so I don’t know what he did afterwards.”

  I frame the next question carefully. “I understand Jason had some trouble with his magic. Was he seeing anyone to help get control over it?”

  Tim looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Jason didn’t have any trouble with his magic! He was in total control.”

  Well, that sounds definitive! I chastise myself as I see that I’ve made a gross error in not taking the perceptions of Jason’s parents with a grain of salt. They are parents, after all.

  “Hmm, I’m sorry. I must have been given incorrect information. I was led to believe he was still struggling with some control issues. Can you tell me about his gift?”

  Tim seems happy to correct me on this point, so he explains with a certain amount of pride in his friend, “In the beginning, I guess he did have some trouble controlling his gift. But he practiced and was awesome at it. He just didn’t share it with his parents because they were all freaked out about it and stuff. His magic was sort of an amplifier. He could make anyone else’s magic stronger.”

  I need to confirm what he means, “So for instance, if someone had the gift of lighting fire, he could turn a small flame into a large flame? Something like that?”

  Tim says, “Dude! I mean dudette! Exactly! Except that he could turn a small flame into a bonfire! He was practicing with magic fireworks so he could audition for the Sun Flare Celebration Fireworks Show. It was awesome!”

  “Could he do this with any kind of magic or just certain kinds?” I inquire.

  Tim smiles. “As far as I know, he never ran into anything that didn’t work.”

  “So how did his audition go?”

  Tim thinks back for a minute, and suddenly his eyes go wide. “I don’t know. He never told me. It was coming up soon, I know, but I don’t remember exactly when it was.”

  I try not to let this small bud of hope flare up prematurely, so I say casually, “Do you know where he got the information about the audition?”

  Tim nods. “It was on the school bulletin board. They were looking for volunteers.”

  “Thanks so much, Tim. You have been
a great help!” I hand him my card and say, “If you remember anything else that happened that week, please let me know.”

  Tim nods and rubs Varg’s head a few more times before standing up to go.

  I stand up with him and say, “Tim, I want you to know that I’m going to do everything I can to bring whoever did this to justice. I’m not going to stop working on this case until that happens.”

  Tim looks up at me, and I see something click in his head as he understands I mean it. I feel that somehow I’ve righted something for him. I can feel some of the heaviness fall off him and the turmoil coming from him still. I imagine it must be scary to be a kid and have one of your friends die unexpectedly. Hopefully it makes him feel better to know that people care and that Jason will not just be forgotten.

  Tim nods at me and says, “I promise I’ll call if I think of anything else.”

  I hold out my hand to shake Tim’s, and he takes it and gives me a firm handshake while looking me directly in the eyes for the first time. I think he understands the handshake is more than a goodbye; it is a promise.

  Varg and I run into the school again and burst into the office. Trudy is standing with her hands on her hips when I check out the bulletin board. Trudy starts giving me a death glare, but I ignore her as I scan for the flyer. Well, I’ll be! The flyer is old, but it is still there. It reads:

  Seeking Volunteers for the Sun Flare Celebration Fireworks and Magic Show

  Talents of Interest: Fire, Fireworks, Illusion Magic

  Great opportunity! Gain valuable experience for your résumé and give back to the community.

  Auditions will take place on Phantom Island across from the library.

  Thursday, April 28 at 3:00 p.m.