by Tiffany Foxe
***
Emiline pushed through the doors of her precinct. She sighed with relief. It was somewhere familiar, somewhere safe.
“Zadok!” Baldawin exclaimed, waving his arm to grab her attention.
He quickened his pace over to her, coffee in one hand, donut in the other.
“Where have you...Whoa! What happened to you?” he questioned as he saw the pink, swollen scratches on her face.
“It’s a long story,” Emiline replied.
“Well, let’s hear it. It must be a good one.”
Baldawin plopped down in a chair at a desk directly across from hers. He happily devoured his donut in the process.
She wasn’t sure of how to answer that, yet. But, she had to figure it out soon. A lot more people would be asking questions and she had to write a report about it all, as well. Being knocked out in the middle of the city by a wolf, losing her gun and her patrol car. She just realized she had no idea what happened to her patrol car, and saying she woke up in the bed of a person of interest didn’t sound too helpful, either. Em wasn’t one to lie, but she knew she had to spin this somehow or she’d be in deeper than she currently was.
“I’ve gotta go to the restroom,” she said.
Em splashed her face with water from the sink. The touch of cool water against her cheek burned ferociously. She inspected the cuts painted across her face. It was the first she had seen them. Several scratches ran across her left cheek which was inflamed and pink. The discomfort from moving her face muscles made her frown.
She went back to her desk. Baldawin quietly watched from his desk as he drank his coffee. Em opened up the incident report software.
“Zadok!”
Captain Reynolds stood in the doorway of his office.
“My office.”
She sighed, got up and drearily entered the room. Reynolds closed the door behind her.
“Where have you been?!” he demanded anxiously.
“Well…”
“You get a call, then you’re gone for three days without a word!” What the hell happened? We were looking high and low for you. What were you thinking? You couldn’t make one call in? Not one?”
Em was puzzled. Three days? She thought it was the next day, that all this had happened the night before. Had she been out that long?
“Well, the prowler tried to flee and I followed on foot. Then he…”
“It,” she thought. “...uh, he got away. Next thing I know I’m on the floor trying to get up off my knees and…”
She thought about the creature pacing around her. She shook her head.
“And that’s all I remember.”
“That’s it? Where were you for three days? Do you remember that? Do you have a description of the prowler?”
Em hesitated.
“He...looked like he was wearing a wolf costume. I don’t know. A full getup. Could’ve been male or female. Tall, maybe six and a half, seven feet when standing on two legs...upright,” she corrected.
She shook her head. This was not going well. Reynolds just stood with his fists on his hips and a perplexed look on his face.
“Fast. He was fast,” she added. “He looked like he was trying to break into the Chinese Garden.”
“Uh huh..and where were you?” he asked skeptically.
Okay, this was the hard one.
“I…”
What to say? What to say?
Baldawin opened the door and poked his head in.
“Eh, Captain. You’ve gotta see this.”
“Not now,” he snarled.
“Yeah...now. It’s on the news.”
He grudgingly walked out into the main office. A television showcased a local news report about a recent, violent murder. Pictures of the location of the crime were displayed, then, the reporter cut to a rough, redneck-looking man explaining his theory on the incident.
“Bigfoot! We been cuttin’ down his forests, an he ain’t gone stand fer it, no mo.”
The man spit on the ground, satisfied with himself and his impeccable insight into the matter.
“Really?” asked Baldawin. “They couldn’t get our opinion, or SOMEONE with some common sense for Christ’s sake?”
Reynolds cocked his head toward Zadok.
“Now, what happened, again?”
She rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, it was Bigfoot,” she said sarcastically. “Did they recover my car?”
“Uh, yeah,” Baldawin smiled. “Some kids were enjoying playing cops on the other side of town with it,” said Baldawin with amusement.
“They had a real blast,” Reynolds added as he crossed his arms with disdain.
Em sighed. Okay, one thing accounted for. Now, about the others. This was turning out to be more than she anticipated. One unexplained death and now another that apparently matched the first which the media was attributing to Bigfoot. She scoffed. They’d say anything to attract viewers.
“Well, looks like you’ve got your case, Zadok,” Reynolds announced with a smirk. “When you find Bigfoot, get his autograph for me will ya?”
Em rolled her eyes.
“Well, it looks like we’ve got a case to solve. Bigfoot’s waiting,” she asserted sarcastically to Baldawin .
Em grabbed her coat off her chair.
“Coming?”
“Nah, I’ve gotta finish this report by morning,” he frowned.
She nodded.
“And I expect a report from you,” Reynolds pointed at Emiline. “...about all...this,” he motioned his hands in a circle.
***
Two motorcycles whizzed through a curvy mountainous road. The dark, overcast sky loomed overhead as raindrops beat down on the face shields of the two motorcyclists. A cream colored Harley sportster led while a black Hayabusa followed. The two hugged corners, leaning left, then right, water splashing up as their tires sliced through the puddles. They finally slowed down to exit onto a shoulder overlooking the Gorge. The two motorcyclists took off their helmets revealing Sophie on the Harley and Faelan on the ‘Busa. Sophie’s dark wavy locks danced in the wind. Faelan smiled as he set his helmet down.
“Thanks for riding with me, today,” he said.
“I had to make sure you knew what you were doing, kid,” she replied, referring to his motorcycle skills.
His smile widened.
“Luckily the weather was nice for it,” she said half serious as she looked up at the clouds.
She wouldn’t have been able to go out in broad daylight. The brightness would literally blind her.
“So what’s been up with you?” she asked.
He leaned forward on the handlebars.
“Nothing, really. You know, the usual. Work, play, and love.”
“Love?”
That was a surprise. Faelan had mentioned a girlfriend, but she didn’t think it was serious. She tried to revert back to the task at hand.
“How’s work,” she inquired.
“Eh, it’s alright. Not really my thing, ya know. But, Pops wants me in the family business.”
He shrugged.
“You still doing the same thing?”
“No, I’ve moved up from that. Now, I handle the accounts.”
The Sons owned an enviable portfolio of banking and trading shares that also dappled in mob related activities, but it was mostly insider trading.
“Movin’ on up.” she remarked.
“Yeah, I’m getting really good at moving money around. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it.”
“Sounds like a lot of work. Doesn’t leave much time for the play and love part.”
He smiled.
“I make time.”
He sat up.
“Hey, you’ve gotta meet her.”
She raised her brow.
“Who?”
“My girlfriend. I think you’ll like her. She’s really smart, like you.”
“Oh?”
He nodded.
“Does she know about you?”
<
br /> “Oh no, I haven’t told her...but I want to.”
“Faelan, you have to be careful.”
“Oh yeah, yeah. I know. I just hate keeping secrets, ya know? I want to tell her everything. And, I’m sure she’d understand. I just know it. She’s not like most people. She’s amazing, Sophie.”
His eyes were full of life as he spoke. He exhibited the boundless hope and enthusiasm of any young love. Part of her envied him. It had been so long since she had felt anything akin to that kind of exhilaration, she hardly remembered the feeling. She thought of the overwhelming intoxication of new love and all the wonder it presented. Years of pondering still hadn’t settled if its finite duration made it more sweet or bitter. Sophie looked into Faelan’s optimistic eyes and felt guilty for being the bearer of reason. She knew there was no point in arguing for rationality in his state. But, she still felt like she should make her case.
“I’m sure she is, kid, but the pact is there for good reason. Humans can’t handle it.”
The light in Faelan’s eyes instantly blew out. He slouched on his bike and sighed.
“Look, I’m sure she’s great, just...be careful. If either clan found out...”
“I know. I know, but I thought you would understand.”
She didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but remaining anonymous in the public was important. It kept them safe. Humans were shifty in their morals. They were untrustworthy and unpredictable, but Sophie also didn’t have it in her to crush Faelan’s heart.
“I’m just saying...be careful...How long have you two been together?”
“Five months.”
“Okay, well, give it some time, will ya? There’s time.”
“Yeah,” he sulked.
She knew it wouldn’t last and even if it did, she would wither away well before he did. Yet, Sophie still panged with guilt. He was soaring high and she sent him crashing down.
“Hey, maybe I can meet her for dinner sometime.”
“Yeah!” He lit up, again. “That’d be great!”
The two rode back to Faelan’s home and stopped at the end of the driveway. Sophie took off her helmet. She had put this off long enough.
“Faelan, I need to know what’s going on.”
Faelan took off his helmet and turned off his bike.
“That’s why you came,” he concluded. He looked downtrodden.
“Faelan…” Sophie searched for the right words. “You know I miss spending time with you. It’s just hard considering. I really have to know what’s going on, though. If this isn’t handled appropriately the consequences for both of us will be irreversible. Luce wants to go full force with this, and I can’t stop her. Not without more information.”
Faelan acquiesced.
“They’ve been pretty secretive. I know they’ve been searching for something, but I don’t know what,” he shrugged.
***
Em had spent the day sleeping. She got up, made some coffee and got dressed. The first thing she needed to do was find her gun or she was in deep trouble.
Emiline approached the front of the building she had left earlier that morning. It was dark outside now as she looked up and tried to remember how many floors she had covered from the fire escape.
“Eight?” she guessed.
She walked up to the front door. A name sign with a call-button hung on the right wall. The place for a name was blank, but there was only one sign and only one button, so she pushed it.
Buzz!
...No answer. Then, she heard someone pick up.
“Uh, yeah...this is…” Her mind went blank. Why was this so hard? She made cold calls all the time: victims, victims’ families, suspects. It was her job. “Yeah, this is Emiline Zadok. I’m looking for…”
Buzz! Click.
The door unlocked . She hesitated for a moment then went inside. She entered into a barren lobby. It was as ordinary as any other, but there was no directory, bellman or furniture.
Maybe the elevator.
She pressed the “up” button, waited for the doors to open, then entered. Nine floors! Nine floors and no labels or name cards. She wasn’t entirely sure which floor it was. This was going to be harder than she thought.
“Okaayyyy…”
She hovered her finger over the floor numbers. “Four.” Nothing...it’s didn’t work. “Three.” Nothing, again. She tried this with every button until she hit “nine.”
The elevator advanced upwards and the doors opened onto the ninth floor. She stepped out taking in her surroundings. The doors opened out into a large room. About ten feet away from her was an oval, ornate, wooden railing encircling a giant hole in the floor. She walked up to it and peered over. She could see straight down to the bottom of the building. Each floor had an opening to this oval center but only the top floor had a railing.
She turned away from the railing to inspect the rest of the area. A large open living room with lush furniture lay before her. To her right was a kitchen with a bar for seating. A fireplace stood at the centerpiece of the living room. The mantle was made of wood that looked more like natural driftwood than a man-made design. Large grey stones engulfed the fireplace. A red rug stretched out between it and a white sofa. Orange and red lights flickered on the dark hardwood floor from the flames. The exterior wall to her right was nothing but glass which let in an impressive view of the city. On the outside of the building hung an antique city clock which could be seen from inside the living room.
"Officer Zadok."
Sophie strolled through the kitchen. Em had just walked by there. How did she miss her?
"Uh, hi...I think I left something here...this morning."
Em found herself tapping her hands together.
Stop fidgeting.
Why was she so nervous around this person?
Sophie walked over to a drawer in the kitchen. She opened the drawer and pulled out a 9mm gun. She examined the magazine clip, found it to her satisfaction and lifted the gun with one hand.
"You mean this?"
Em’s eyes widened.
Thank God!
Hopefully, it hadn’t been used while out of her possession. That was her biggest fear at the moment. Em reached out her hand. Sophie walked over and stood directly in front of Em. They were on the backside of the couch, close enough that Emiline could feel the heat from the fire licking the nape of her neck. Sophie placed the gun in Em’s hand. I great weight lifted from Emiline’s shoulders. An officer should never lose her weapon. She sighed with relief.
“Thank you,” she said.
Sophie nodded.
“How is your head?”
“Better.”
“Good.”
She took a step closer to Em. They were so close she could feel her breath against her face. Em’s heart quickened. Sophie looked down at Emiline’s inflamed cheek.
“Did you see what did that to you?” Sophie asked.
“Uh…” She shook her head in confusion. What she thought she saw didn’t make sense to her. How could she expect someone else to make sense of it.
“I don’t kn…”
“Was it an animal? A wolf?”
Sophie leaned closer. Em responded by leaning back on the couch. She was practically sitting on it, now.
“I...how did you know?” Em questioned skeptically.
“You’re face.”
Em could feel her face flush. She had forgotten about the scratches on her cheek. She looked down in embarrassment.
“Oh...yeah.”
Em looked back up to find the woman gazing directly into her eyes. It was an intensity that made her uncomfortable, even though she felt compassion and concern from the woman, not danger.
Sophie moved her hand toward Emiline’s face. Em flinched, involuntarily. Sophie paused for a moment, then gently swept her golden hair away from her swollen cheek. She rested her hand around Em’s neck. Sophie looked down at the scratches.
“It’s infected. You should put some ointment on th
at before it gets worse.”
Em nodded.
Sophie looked up from Em’s cheek to find Em’s green eyes searching her own. Em looked down at Sophie’s lips, then quickly back to her deep blue eyes, hoping the quick glance at this forbidden fruit went unnoticed. Her breath quickened. Her heart raced. Was this really happening? She didn’t know this woman, save she may run a bar, and might actually be a doctor. And, oh yeah, she might be involved in a murder. She was still a person of interest, after all.
Sophie leaned in a little further, still gazing intently into Emiline’s eyes. Em stared in awe at the blue hue of her iris. The depth, it was unreal. Astronomers could look for centuries and never peer as far as Em could in this woman’s eyes. She leaned away. Sophie leaned in further. Em could feel herself losing her balance. She was leaning too far over the back of the couch. Sophie moved in quickly this time, her lips meeting Em’s. The movement sent them both toppling over onto the couch. Em wrapped her arm around Sophie, bracing herself for the landing. Her blood rushed. They lay one on top of the other, legs entangled, lips touching.
Bzzz. Bzzz...Bzzz. Bzzz.
Em’s phone vibrated in her pocket.
She suddenly found herself leaning on the back of the couch, again. Sophie was standing in front of her wearing an expression of concern.
"You okay?" asked Sophie.
Bzzz. Bzzz...Bzzz. Bzzz.
Em sighed. Was she just daydreaming right in the middle of a conversation? She shook her head to try to clear her mind.
Her phone. At this hour it must be work. It could be something about the case. She had to answer. She reached for her phone in her pocket. Sophie walked around to the front of the couch and watched the flames flutter back and forth in the fireplace.
“Zadok,” she answered, briskly. “What?...Okay, yeah. I’m on my way.”
Em looked at Sophie.
“I’ve gotta go.”
Sophie shook her head in acceptance.
"You know, you probably shouldn’t be working, right now, in your condition."
“I’m fine,” Em said as she shook her head.
The quiver of a light to her left caught her eye. Sophie noticed and turned to see what she was looking at. The flame from a candle danced back and forth as it sat on the window sill.