13th Avenue

by Cyrus Winters

  “I guess … I guess, I’ll try and make my way back now.”

  “So within the hour?”

  “Yeah. Sure. I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Graves saw she’d ended the call. Put his phone back on the seat.

  Nodded to himself.

  Time to go. This would have to wait for –

  Suddenly the shape of a man appeared ascending the Theatre’s drive. Graves jerked forward in his chair.

  The man was wearing a dark coat, with a hood over his head. He had a briefcase in one hand and was checking a phone with the other.

  Graves watched him, on edge.

  The man then looked up, in his direction.

  “Shit!”

  Graves dived under his chair.

  A moment later he heard the sound of a car slowly moving by him, up the road towards the theatre. He waited a few seconds and then peered up to the window.

  It was a taxi-cab.

  The man in the coat opened the back door and climbed inside.

  The door shut and then it was on its way.

  Graves sat up and grabbed hold of the keys. He powered the ignition and then pushed the car into drive. He swung the wheel round and began tailing the cab.

  CHAPTER 11

  Glenrow Village was a medium sized community sitting near the ocean and beach. A lot of tourists came through – especially in the summer – as there were plenty of markets and shops consolidated around the heart of the village. The exact meeting place was in a half-square parking lot with lines of buildings to the left, right and top surrounding the lot. There were a couple dozen cars spread out with many spaces still vacant. Christian pulled into one, their eyes searching up and to the left where Fae was waiting. “Do you want me to wait around?” he asked.

  Stasia undid her belt. “No, that’s alright. I have a thing with Nicholas after this, so he’ll come get me.”

  “Oh yeah…?”

  Stasia pushed open her door and stepped out onto the concrete. “Yeah.”

  She slammed the door and walked away from the car.

  After a brief period, she heard him reverse and exit the lot.

  By that time, she was standing face to face with Fae.

  “Was that Christian?” Fae asked, standing on her toes.

  “Yeah,” Stasia murmured. “He brought Mei-Lee around to Wendy’s for dinner.”

  “Oh – how did that go?”

  “She wouldn’t even see me.”

  “Oh. Bugger.”

  “Christian seems to think my little visit here is going to cheer me up,” Stasia said.

  Fae’s lips parted. “Absolutely.” She smiled. “Let’s go inside.”

  Detective Fae Dory. She and Stasia had met way back in their days at the academy. Since then, they’d always been friends. It was a friendship that fluctuated. Fae got her Detective’s badge years before Stasia had even lodged an application. When Stasia was still in training, Fae was all over the country, solving crimes and closing cases. She was good at her job. Much better than Stasia. And with her flourishing black hair, and sizable breasts. With her ruby red lips and thick-framed glasses –

  “Stasia?” Fae said, breaking her thoughts.

  Stasia stepped through the doorway into the office building.

  The lobby was deserted.

  “You said you bought an office or something, didn’t you?” Stasia asked.

  Fae nodded. “This way.”

  She moved past the front desk and the winding staircase. Around the side and beyond the elevator. Two large double doors stood at the end of the hallway. Fae pushed them both open and turned on the lights.

  It was an office.

  A large office.

  The carpet was bright red. Two black couches sat facing one another in the centre of the room. A marble coffee table between them.

  Beyond that, there was the desk. She had three laptops with open screens on it. As well as a stack papers, and other accessories. And yet it all looked neat and tidy.

  Behind the desk there was a large black swivel chair.

  Behind the chair, there was a fish tank full of lights and colors.

  “What do you think?” Fae asked as they walked through.

  Stasia took her time, taking all the details in.

  Fae was already behind the desk while Stasia was still halfway into the room.

  “Come along then, take a seat, please,” Fae insisted.

  Stasia approached the desk.

  Her eyes shifted to the black chair on Fae’s left.

  “I had a chair like that,” Stasia said.

  “Oh yeah?” Fae replied.

  Stasia looked away. “But I gave it up with the rest of the house.”

  “Oh come on, silly, don’t be a downer. Sit down with me.”

  Stasia nodded. She took the sturdy, yet plain chair opposite the desk.

  Fae closed each of the laptops and sat down.

  “This is really nice,” Stasia said. “It must have cost you a fortune.”

  “Well, I’m just renting, technically. Six-month lease. I just – my God. You can’t even imagine how happy I am right now!”

  Stasia smiled. “Yeah?”

  “I’m getting out. No more precincts. No more bosses. Nobody to tell me what to do.”

  “I was kind of getting that impression,” Stasia said. “Is this a private practice or –”

  “Exactly. Private investigator and consultant. I charge by the hour. I’ve already got the clients lined up. Even better, the Captain supports my move. I’ll be dealing with matters he hands me at a discounted rate for the first year. But eventually I just want to keep expanding. Have people working for me – you know what I’m saying?”

  Stasia nodded meekly.

  Fae swiveled in her chair. Side to side.

  Side to side.

  “What’s wrong, poppet?”

  Stasia shook her head. “Nothing.”

  Fae grinned. “Look at you. You’re in so much pain.”

  “I’m not. Really.”

  Fae bounced out of her chair. She hurried around the desk and took Stasia’s hand, lifting her out of the chair. “Come on. There’s something else I want to show you.”

  Stasia allowed herself to be yanked back through the office and down the hall.

  At the steps they broke their hand-hold, Stasia doing her best to keep up.

  Eventually they reached the second level and they moved along the walkway, turned a corner, and then another. They reached a singular door which Fae swiped open with a keycard, revealing a small, normal sized office beyond it.

  She switched on the light and they stepped inside.

  Desk and chair right there. Filing cabinet and printer at the back. Window below the ceiling. Pot plant in the corner.

  Stasia saw there was a name plate on the desk.

  Fae picked it up and handed it to her.

  STASIA RHINE – INVESTIGATOR

  “What do you think?” Fae yelled.

  CHAPTER 12

  The seaside was drawing near. Out the windows of Detective Graves’ car, a three-quarter moon launched itself into the horizon – its reflection blanketing the dark ocean waters. Artificial lights and other moving objects obscured the other half of the glass. His arms pulsating. His eyes in freeze frame. The driver’s chair upright and brought forward.

  The taxi-cab in front of him slowed down and drifted to the side of the road. Graves lifted his foot from the pedal and steered himself in line behind it.

  Cars zoomed by them. White light shot through his windscreen like a laser.

  Waves crashed into the rocks below.

  The man in the hooded coat stepped out of the cab, briefcase in hand. He started walking on slowly along the side of the road, the cab flipping its indicators.

  Graves shut off the ignition. Pocketed his cell.

  Pushed open the car door.

  Out into the night. His whole body surging with adrenalin.

  Shoes ag
ainst pavement. Gloved fists tightening.

  Graves strode along following the man.

  The man turned to the left where there was an area of grass. From there he went up and to the right between two sections of bush and bramble. There was a dirt walking trail, protected by a gate. A sign hanging over it said the beach was two-hundred and fifty meters.

  Another sign said the trail was closed.

  They each climbed over the gate.

  The trees and leaves to either side of the trail obscured both the moon, and the road’s artificial activity. It was draining. It was dark. Graves’ hand brushed by his pistol for reassurance. The man wasn’t far ahead of him. He could make a move now if he wanted. And yet, he had to see.

  Where was he going?

  Ahead there was a lookout. A large dome shaped covering over a wooden elevation in the ground. The man was at the edge of it. Another dark figure emerged from the lookout’s corner.

  Graves exhaled. He pulled his pistol from the holster, his pace increasing.

  His eyes enlarging.

  A few more seconds, and the man turned.

  A quick glance.

  Right at Graves.

  As if he knew he was there.

  “Hey!” Graves began sharply. “Not another step you –”

  Graves didn’t get to finish his sentence. His feet slammed into a cluster of sticks and leaves hiding a narrow hole in the trail. Graves fell right in the middle of it, his arms flailing about panic.

  Down he fell.

  Down.

  Down. Down.

  He smashed into the bottom of the shaft, shoulder first, crying out in agony. Dirt immediately began to cave in from the sides of the hole. Graves coughed and spluttered swatting the dirt away from him. He looked down to where his feet and landed and noticed there was something underneath his shoe.

  He lift his foot off it and there was a mechanical jolt.

  Out from the darkness beside him, a tall figure with glowing blue eyes rumbled towards him.

  “AARGGH!” Graves screamed.

  He twisted his hand around, still gripping his firearm, ready to shoot.

  “Detective Graves,” a robotic voice articulated from the figure’s direction. “You were warned not to pursue this matter.”

  “WHAT THE FUCK!” Graves shouted.

  “You were warned that I know what you did on 13th Avenue. And yet you have continued your investigation.”

  Graves’ gaze darted around the hole.

  “I gave you a chance to drop this. But you didn’t take me seriously.”

  “No!” Graves gasped. “You can’t –”

  “And so,” the demonic voice rasped, “now someone has to die.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Thoughts. Ideas. Words. Stasia kept them all back. All to herself. Fae wanted approval, perhaps even congratulations. She wanted consent. Stasia supposed she was expected to be grateful and delighted. What would Fae say when she protested, and said it was happening all too quickly?

  “What are you thinking?” Fae asked. “Just throw it at me. Come on.”

  Stasia loosened up a little.

  They were still in the doorway to her ‘future’ office.

  “I get you’re trying to surprise me with this, and the merits of pleasant surprises are not lost on me. But … I feel as though I should have been consulted before you went and…”

  “You have reservations,” Fae said. “Well, you won’t soon. This is the only choice you have. Shit’s about to blow the fuck up in your face and I just did everything I could to make sure you had somewhere to land. But you can’t see that at the moment.”

  “Uh… No?”

  Fae nodded. “Come on then. We haven’t finished our tour.”

  They walked down the corridor. Around the corner.

  “I didn’t say no,” Stasia said. “I just. You’re being a bit forceful.”

  “Things are going to be awesome for us here,” Fae said. “We’ll have a blast. We’ll make more money. We’ll be our own bosses. Our lives will improve. Unfortunately, we still have something we owe the precinct before they let us go.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Nicholas Graves.”

  Stasia didn’t respond. Fae hadn’t given her a self-explanatory answer. Soon the pieces would come together, she imagined. Fae was still keeping cards hidden from her. Only turning them over one at a time.

  Stasia took a moment to observe her friend as they descended the stairs back to the ground floor. Her mind was cold. She cared little for Stasia’s emotional reaction. She shared no sympathy with her. This was all just part of the script.

  Downstairs. Up and to the right. A room with the shutters drawn.

  Inside, opening the door, revealed a rectangular conference table, and two men seated at the far end of it.

  One Stasia recognized. The other she didn’t.

  “Captain Carmichael,” she breathed out loud, turning to Fae. “How most unexpected.”

  “Have a seat, Stasia,” the Captain hollered.

  Stasia walked along the table. Fae stood at the head of the table, while the Captain and his friend peered over each other’s laptops.

  “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure,” Stasia said, standing in front of an empty chair.

  The man sitting next to Carmichael looked up.

  He was balding. Dark gray suit. Around fifty.

  “I’m Special Agent Dick Morello. Thanks for coming to see us, Stasia.”

  “Detective Rhine,” Stasia corrected.

  “Very well, Detective.”

  Stasia looked from the men back to Fae.

  She was stone-faced.

  “Go on,” Carmichael said again. “Take a seat, Stasia.”

  Captain Joe Carmichael had been in his overseer role since Stasia joined the force. Since her promotion to Detective she’d dealt with him directly on a day to day basis. Stasia didn’t have any complaints about Carmichael but she didn’t have a strong relationship with him either.

  His appearance – woolen brown jacket and purple tie. African ethnicity.

  Heavy beard.

  “What the hell’s going on?” Stasia asked, refusing to sit.

  “We apologize for springing this on you,” Carmichael said without looking up. “But there was every chance if we conducted this meeting at the precinct Detective Graves would have found out about it.”

  “Is this about Graves then?”

  “Yes. For the last time. Sit down.”

  Stasia looked at Fae again, was hit by the wall, and finally caved. She pulled up the chair and fell into it, seething.

  “Detective Graves has been on our radar for the past year,” Agent Morello explained. “We believe he’s guilty of police corruption, obstructing investigations, tampering with evidence, and a number of drug related offenses.”

  Stasia lifted her notepad from her jacket.

  Put it on the table in front of her.

  “We understand you were only paired with him for the past three months, so your involvement in his activities isn’t a certainty. Of course, if there were any wrongdoings on your behalf, we need you to come clean now.”

  Stasia lifted the pen from her pocket.

  Placed it next to the notepad.

  “Stasia?” the Captain asked, looking up at her. “Do you have anything to say?”

  “No.”

  Agent Morello looked up as well, leering with a skeptic gaze.

  “If you give us everything you have on Graves now, things will go a lot smoother.”

  Stasia shot her eyes at Fae. “Have you got something to say?”

  “I’m on your side, Stasia,” Fae said. “When I heard about Graves’ activities, I knew you weren’t involved.”

  “So why am I here?”

  “We haven’t established she wasn’t involved,” Morello stated. “Unless you just want to take Detective Rhine on her word.”

  “Honest to God,” Stasia said. “In the time I’ve been with him
, I’ve never seen Graves do anything wrong. He’s an outstanding detective and mentor. So, if you think you’re going to get me to cough up dirt on him, you’re mistaken. And if you press the issue, then I’m going to need a lawyer present.”

  “You don’t want to do that,” Captain Carmichael advised. “If you cooperate with us, you can still come out of this unscathed.”

  “I am cooperating,” Stasia fired back. “I don’t know anything. What do you think, I’m on the take or something? That I have some reason to protect Graves –”

  “How was your relationship with him?” Morello asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Was there anything of a sexual nature?”

  Stasia’s jaw dropped. “Fuck this.”

  She stood up and went to leave.

  Fae rushed over, blocking the door.

  “Piss off,” Stasia said grabbing hold of her.

  “Alright, that’s enough!” Captain Carmichael shouted. “Stasia, get back here. No one is accusing you of anything. Please forgive Agent Morello’s line of questioning.”

  Stasia glanced back. “Have him apologize.”

  Carmichael looked at Morello.

  Morello contemplated some. “My apologies.”

  “Yeah? You’re sorry? For what?”

  “For making the insinuation –”

  “Okay. Got it.”

  Stasia walked back over. Stared the Captain head on.

  “I don’t know anything. So unless you need me for something else –”

  “You need to help us catch Graves,” Fae blurted out.

  “What?” Stasia thundered.

  “You need to wear a wire.”

  Stasia took a step backwards. “No.”

  “Contract’s already drafted,” Agent Morello said. “Two years salary plus benefits. Fae’s agreed to take you on once your assignment is complete. All you have to do is help us put Detective Graves behind bars.”

  “And if I refuse?”

  Silence.

  Stasia looked around the room.

  “And if I refuse?” she repeated.

  “We press charges,” Fae said.

  CHAPTER 14

  I t was a shock to the system. An imaginary spear that had been thrust into his chest and used to throw him off course. His mind. His whole sense of inner self. It was obliterated.