The Light Who Shines

by Lilo Abernathy

  The man goes down face first, and Varg stands on his prey with forepaws on his back and a vicious growl in his ear. The man screams, “Get him off! Get him off!”

  I pull my gun out and aim it at the man. I hear someone near the edge of the circle surrounding me shout, “She’s an Aberrant!”

  Suddenly, I feel the full force of hate, anger, and fear of this crowd center on me, and it doesn’t take a genius to see this is about to get even uglier.

  I try to diffuse the crowd by yelling, “I’m with the Supernatural Investigation Bureau, and this man is under arrest for beating an innocent bystander!”

  Somehow this title does not garner the degree of respect I’d hoped it would, and the angry voices escalate. I hear a woman shouting, “She’s probably lying!”

  Voices start to get angrier and the words get uglier.

  “She’s a freak!”

  “One of the unnaturals has one of God’s Beloved!”

  This last statement raises the mob madness to an unprecedented level. I sense violent intentions from dozens of those in the circle around us, which are reinforced by the first soft mutterings of “Get her!” and “Bring her down!”

  The circle starts to tighten, and I move my gun off the man now, relying on Varg to secure him. Instead I point it at the crowd.

  I spin in a small circle, looking each yellow robed figure in the eye with a great deal of boldness. “Step back!” I yell. “This is a matter for the law!”

  They aren’t listening, and the circle is tightening. I glance back at Varg and see him growing before my eyes. He stands with his head low and his hackles raised from head to tail, claiming his prey but ready to pounce on the crowd if need be.

  I hope the mob backs off for its own sake because Varg is huge! Everyone’s eyes are on me, so I don’t know if they notice him. Just as I’m about to start shooting at the ground near the feet of the crowd to push the circle back, he raises his muzzle and starts howling eerily with the sound echoing off the large mansions lining the street. Everyone’s eyes swivel to him, and I hear a collective gasp from the horde.

  Just then I see a dark blur fly over the heads of those nearest me and land in the center of the circle. It’s Jack. He pulls out his sword and starts whirling it around the crowd in a dizzying display, driving it back at all points of the circle and widening the space around us. Some of the anger dissipates, turning to fear and frustration. Jack moves faster than their eyes can see, and they know his sword will cut indiscriminately. Jack doesn’t waste time with announcements or words; he simply continues to widen the circle by stepping nearer and nearer to the crowd as he extends his sword its full reach, daring anyone to encroach on the circle of death he’s created.

  Soon I hear shouts of “Police! Police!” followed by a voice over a loudspeaker saying, “This protest is over. Disperse or be arrested!”

  A large percentage of the crowd starts to break up immediately, but I see a few hateful eyes pinned on me that are more reluctant to leave than others.

  Ernesto pushes through the thinning mass and cuffs the man under Varg’s feet. I say, “Ernesto, you should question Jeffrey at the Glenwood Mansion. He saw that man and the two others who I’ve already secured attack the victim.”

  Ernesto says, “I certainly will, Señorita. You got yourself in quite a tangle today! I’m glad it came out okay.”

  I smile gratefully. Then with a whistle I call Varg over to me since he seems reluctant to give up his final prize. The police are out in full force now, moving people down the street and waving them back to their cars. With satisfaction, I watch all three men get shoved into S.I.B. cars.

  Not until the entire area is clear does Jack put down his sword and turn to me. He asks with daggers in his eyes that I know are meant for others, “Did anyone hurt you?”

  I shake my head and reply, “One man grabbed my arm, but Varg scared him off.”

  Jack’s eyes flick to Varg and then back to my face. He says in a grim tone, “You may not have been hurt, but another minute or two and you could have been dead.”

  I lift up my chin and respond steadily, “All in the line of duty, Jack. I did what was right, and if you know me at all you should never expect less.”

  I holster my gun and walk, head held high, back to my car with Varg trailing behind me and Jack watching my back.

  Chapter 26

  New Leads

  Bluebell Kildare: May 29, 2022, Red Ages

  I enter the office accompanied by a feeling of tremendous relief. Rubalia, who’s intently gazing at her computer screen, pulls her eyes away to greet me. “Good morning, Blue,” she says. She flicks her eyes downward. “I see you still have the beast with you.”

  I’m slightly shocked it’s still morning since I feel wrung out already. However, I reply with an understated calm, “Good morning, Rubalia. I still work in homicides and it’s still dangerous. He saved my life yet again this morning. Do you have any messages for me?”

  Rubalia raises her eyebrows doubtfully and responds, “I don’t have messages, but I do have some documents that came through.” She stands and hands a few sheets of paper over the counter while glaring at Varg. Varg looks innocently back at her, completely unfazed.

  “Thank you,” I say as I sift through the documents. “Could you get me the name and number for the president of the local Rotary Club, please?”

  Rubalia says, “Sure. I’ll bring it right in.”

  “Is Jack in yet?”

  Rubalia’s eyes turn troubled and glance down the hall. “Yes. He must have had a hard night. I don’t think he slept at home because he was here running the shower when I arrived. Then both he and Ernesto rushed out of here like bats out of the Eternal Fire. Just a few minutes ago Jack comes back and Ernesto brings three guys up the back way in cuffs to the interrogation rooms. They’re being questioned now.”

  “Hmm,” I respond. “Please tell him I’m writing up a report and I’m here if he needs me.” Those are the words that come out of my mouth, but the words running around in my head are quite different. Did he spend the night in some other woman’s arms since he clearly had no interest in mine? Sabrina at the Gala seemed eager for a piece of him! A streak of jealousy runs through me that’s impossible not to recognize. As I walk to my office, I glare down the hall toward Jack’s office, wishing my glare could penetrate the door and set something on fire.

  I sit down at my desk and look around my comforting office. Varg stretches out by the floor-to-ceiling window, apparently enjoying the view. It is not as grand as Jack’s, of course, since it‘s a much smaller office, but it’s tastefully furnished like the rest of the unit and brightened by a few personal possessions. I love my lush green fern the most. It sits in the corner next to the window, thriving in the cool shade of the air-conditioned room. I splurged on it for my one year work anniversary. It makes me feel somehow connected to this place, and I’m proud I’ve kept it alive and flourishing.

  I focus my thoughts and type out a report about today’s mob incident. Additional paperwork is required for every Dilectus Deo incident. They aren’t officially considered a cult, but they are on our watch list. A separate form must be completed to document hate crimes against the magically Gifted. I have to include the nature of their magical gift and what their mark is. Unfortunately, I don’t have all the information yet, so I’ll have to complete an addendum report later. At this point I don’t even know the victim’s name. The extra work is no hardship because I really want to visit him in the hospital anyway to make sure he’s okay. He obviously had internal bleeding, so he could be severely injured. When I’m done, I zap the paperwork to Rubalia and Jack in an email for them to review and route as necessary. Then I take a minute to let my anger at the Dilectus Deo seethe.

  Finally, after internally raging long enough to get myself worked up and then calmed down again, I look at the profile sheets for the owners of the Meteor Shockwave. Leroy Zevin looks defiantly at the camera in a photo that’s obviously from a
previous arrest. He has a record of breaking and entering, home invasions, and battery, and he’s been in and out of prison a number of times. Hector Martinez has some speeding tickets and a juvenile record that is closed, but nothing notable for the last twenty years. Agnes Zadwaski only has a driver’s license photo and no record at all besides one ticket for expired registration on another car she owns.

  I dial up Gambino.

  “Gambino,” he answers with a little more roughness than usual.

  “Hola, this is Blue. What have you got on the three car owners?”

  Gambino lets out a sigh of frustration that is clearly audible through the line. “The bartender doesn’t know any of the three, and every one of them has an alibi.”

  I echo his sigh with one of my own. “Let me think about it, Gambino. I’ll call you back.”

  I stare at the three sheets for a moment, particularly at Agnes’ sheet because something isn’t sitting right with me. Finally, I click on my intercom and buzz Rubalia. “Rubalia, can you come in here for a moment? I want to run something by you.”

  Rubalia enters, and I gesture her to the chair opposite my desk. “Rubalia. I’m going to tell you about a car, and I want you to guess if the owner is a male or a female.”

  Rubalia says, “Sure,” and by the set of her shoulders, I can see she takes the question seriously.

  “Okay,” I say. “A 1968 Meteor Shockwave in the color pewter green.”

  Rubalia lifts up her chin and answers confidently, “A man, of course.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  She explains, “First of all, it’s old as dirt and would cost too much to repair if you couldn’t do it yourself. Sad to say, but there aren’t that many women who know how to fix a car, except for my second cousin Jovita Glover.” Rubalia pulls her glittering glasses down to the tip of her nose and gives me a look through them. “She can make a junkyard car purr like a pussycat, but that girl is talented and rare!” Then she settles back further in the chair, though never letting her back actually touch its back. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Rubalia touch the back of a chair.

  “Second of all,” she continues, “a Meteor Shockwave that is gray-green has ‘man’ written all over it. Now, if it were repainted red I would think twice. But not only is the inside big and uncomfortable with that long bench seat in front that you have to slide across, but what woman wants her complexion to be seen next to a gray-green color? It is a man’s car, through and through.”

  “I totally agree with you, Rubalia.” I hand her Agnes’ sheet. “Can you find out if Agnes Zadwaski has a husband or another man living at the house?”

  Rubalia nods. “I sure will.” She stands and hands me a slip of paper. “And here’s the information on the Rotary Club president and vice president. The president is on vacation right now, so you will have to call the vice president.”

  I watch Rubalia walk out gracefully in her slate gray skirt suit, closing the door gently behind her. I sure wish I had her wardrobe. Maybe then Jack wouldn’t have been so cold to me last night and possibly spent the night in some other woman’s arms.

  ”Ugh!” I slam my hand down on the desk. He can have all the women he wants. He can have an orgy of women if he wants! What’s it to me?

  I practically injure my fingers punching in the phone number for the Rotary Club vice president while scanning the paper. The President is Victor Edmundovich, the mayor. How interesting!

  “Dunfield Realty,” a young, bored-sounding female voice answers.

  “This is Inspector Kildare calling for Sigmund Dunfield. Is he available?”

  “Hold, please,” the voice says, sounding quite a bit sharper now that I’ve announced myself.

  After a minute the phone picks up again and I hear, “Sigmund Dunfield here. Can I help you?”

  “Hello, Mr. Dunfield. This is Inspector Bluebell Kildare from the Supernatural Investigation Bureau. Do you have time for a few questions?”

  Dunfield replies in a professional voice, “Of course! How can I be of assistance?”

  “I understand the Rotary Club sponsored the Sun Flare Celebration Fireworks and Magic Show this year.”

  Dunfield answers enthusiastically, obviously eager to share information on his philanthropic work. “Yes, we did. We do every year, as a matter of fact. Not just the Fireworks and Magic Show, though We sponsor the entire celebration. The city picks up the tab, of course, but we do all the organization of the vendors, entertainment, and local talent.”

  Hmm, I wonder if they get kickbacks from the vendors they select. Not my problem, but I wouldn’t be surprised. “That sounds like a lot of work!”

  He boasts, “It certainly is, but we feel it’s part of our civic duty. We divide and conquer, with a different Rotary member taking the lead on the different events that take place.”

  “Who’s the lead for the Fireworks and Magic Show?”

  Dunfield answers easily, “Oh, that’s Fire Department Chief Gerald Mack, since of course fire is his specialty, and he needs to be involved from a safety perspective anyway.”

  “Thank you so much, Mr. Dunfield. You certainly do provide a great service to the city with your work.”

  “You’re very welcome Inspector Kildare. But may I ask what this questioning is about?”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Dunfield. I’m not at liberty to say as it is part of an ongoing investigation. However, I can tell you that right now I am just doing a little background research.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, I hope I was helpful.” Mr. Dunfield says, a salesman to the end.

  “I really appreciate your assistance,” I say, purposefully avoiding his indirect question.

  When I hang up, Rubalia knocks and enters. She hands me a new profile sheet with the photo of a ruddy-looking man in his fifties with a receding hairline and sagging, weak blue eyes.

  Rubalia says, “Paul Zadwaski is her brother and listed her address as his place of residence at his last arrest. He looks like a sorry man. No other names come up under that address.”

  I beam at her and feel like things are truly looking up now. “Thank you so much, Rubalia! You are a goddess of research!” Rubalia smiles back and starts to close the door.

  “Wait. Rubalia?”

  Rubalia opens the door wide again with an expression denoting boundless patience. Goodness knows she needs it with us.

  “Can you do a little side research? Nothing urgent, but I’d like to know who is responsible for checking on suspected city corruption. Please keep it on the down-low as I just have a suspicion, nothing concrete.”

  Rubalia gives me an ear-to-ear grin and her eyes get very mischievous. “I’d be more than happy to.”

  I feel blessed to be the recipient of true glee from Rubalia, so I give her a pure, beaming smile right back. “No rush, Rubalia. No rush.”

  She closes the door softly and I read the sheet she just handed me. Paul Zadwaski, age fifty-four, currently has a DUI and a suspended license. He was driving the Shockwave when he was arrested for drunk driving. This is our guy. I can feel it.

  I dial Detective Tony Gambino using normal pressure on the keypads this time. “Gambino!” I say excitedly when he answers, “I think I’ve found our man. Agnes has a brother, Paul Zadwaski, who has a DUI and a suspended license. He was driving the car when he was arrested for the DUI, and he listed her address as his own.”

  Gambino swears, “God damn it! I told my detective to give me everyone at the addresses where the cars were registered. I should have known he didn’t do it when they came back with only three sheets!”

  I disregard this, as his internal issues are not my problem. “Gambino, I’d like to be there for the questioning. Can we meet at Agnes’ house in an hour?”

  “Sure thing,” he says. See you there.”

  I quickly add, “Hey Gambino, by the way, I have a new police dog companion.”

  Gambino laughs. “Nice one,” he says and then hangs up.

  I look at the phone in my hand. What
, he doesn’t think a woman would have a dog? What is the deal?

  Chapter 27

  Positive Reports

  Jack Tanner: May 29, 2022, Red Ages

  A moment after I hear Blue hang up her phone, she runs down the hall to my office. Who in the city government does she suspect of corruption? If I outright ask her she’ll know I can overhear all of her conversations. When she pauses outside my door, I quickly place a file on top of the report I’m reading and call out, “Come in.”

  She wears jeans paired with a soft blue tee that hugs her body with excruciating closeness. Her light shimmers around her as though in tune with her obvious excitement. She slides through the door with a radiant grin on her face. Her faithful companion comes in after her and sits next to her feet. She stands in the middle of my office, biting her lip and wiggling her boots, totally unconscious she does that around me.

  Her voice is lively, full of light tones, as she asks quickly, “Did you finish your interrogation of the perpetrators from this morning?“

  “I’m letting Ernesto handle that since he questioned Jeffrey and has a line on the Dilectus Deo. But that is not what you really want to talk about, is it?”

  Blue shakes her head and says, “Jack, I think we found our perpetrator. One of the registered owners of the matching cars in this area has a brother living with her. He was recently arrested for a DUI while driving the car! I’m meeting Gambino in an hour at the owner’s house.“

  I was leaning back in my chair as she told me this, but I sit forward now, smiling. “Excellent news, Blue. That is a wonderful break!”

  She says, “Rubalia did the research and found him.” How nice of her to give Rubalia credit when deserved.

  “Let me know how that pans out.”

  She nods at this, her excitement still palpable. Then suddenly she starts biting her lip again as though she feels awkward. “Well,” she says, “that is all I have.”

  I say, “While you are here... I’m sending over Michael Radskif to redo your wards. He’ll be there tomorrow at two. He can ward your apartment inside and out so no one can portal in again. The department is covering the cost since the need is in relation to a case.”