Under the Midnight Cloak

by S. Y. Thompson

  "Yes," Sam surprised her by saying. "But not in the way you mean. Out of professional courtesy I'm going to share something with you. I told you she called the office a couple of other times. Once about some trespassers and then about a jungle cat."

  "Yes, I know. I was going to speak with you about it later today."

  "Were you now? Well, the people with robes I wasn't too worried about since I figured they were just kids and I assumed when Ms. Grayson got a picture of a black cat that one of your Panthera had gotten careless. Now, I'm wondering if there isn't more to it and those incidents were somehow connected to your friend's death."

  "They're not," Jamison assured her. "As you know, the Panthera don't necessarily share conventional religious practices. Lee interrupted the elders holding one of their rituals. As for the cat, that was me. I was patrolling the area, we have teams out until this killer is caught, and she made me. I guess I'm not as stealthy as I thought."

  Macke blinked in surprise. "I can't believe you people have remained undetected for so long. For what it's worth, you might want to be more careful. So what do you know about this situation?"

  Jamison looked at the containers again and couldn't help imagining what was inside. "Do you know if that's all of him?"

  "Not until the coroner checks it out. Thanks for bringing Daryl, by the way. We'll get him to help with the impound."

  "I'm sure he'll love to be of assistance." Jamison smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Like I said, the stench has been there for a while. Lee noticed it when she moved in and it just kept getting worse. The house was empty for months following the death of her great aunt."

  Sam frowned and started pacing a few steps away and back again. She was silent and Jamison gathered she had figured something out.

  "What is it?"

  "It's possible your killer moved in here after the previous owner died and used the root cellar as a lair."

  Horrified, Jamison asked, "You think he's been coming in and out of here all this time? Why wouldn't she have noticed, and how did he get in and out? I'm pretty sure she didn't give him a key and she's never said anything about a break in."

  "All very good questions," Sam responded. "And until we find the answers and apprehend this perp, Ms. Grayson needs to consider staying somewhere else. I think it's pretty obvious this house isn't a healthy place to be."

  "Funny, I tried to tell her that last night, but that was just because I didn't like her being all alone out here with everything that's happening."

  "I'd say your instincts were right on." Sam started toward the front of the house again and Jamison was happy to get away from Hank's remains. "You might also want to convince her to see someone about the trauma she's been through."

  "A shrink? Whatever for?"

  "She appears to be in shock, understandable considering what she found, but it's going to hit her eventually and when it does, it might help to have someone to talk to."

  "Lee seemed fine when I saw her a few minutes ago," Jamison said, curious what would prompt the sheriff to say such a thing.

  "Most people would be hysterical and she's just so calm about the whole thing, unnaturally so. Plus, she was saying something about a raccoon leading her to the body." Macke shrugged. "It's something to think about."

  "Of course." Jamison remembered the animal they'd seen with Cleo and guessed it was the same one. She certainly didn't think Lee had imagined the small animal, as the sheriff implied. She would ask about it, but right now she wanted to have a look through the root cellar. "I'm going to look around downstairs, if you don't mind."

  "Go ahead. I'll take all the help we can get. Your senses are better than ours. Sometimes I wish we had a Panthera on the department."

  "Thanks, Sheriff. That means a lot. I always thought you couldn't stand us."

  "It's not that," Sam said. "Like most people, I have a hard time with things I don't completely understand. It doesn't mean I'm not willing to learn though. We're getting ready to wrap it up here, so call me if you find anything."

  "I will."

  The steps were empty when they came back around the house. The sheriff veered off to the left to speak with some of her people, while Jamison turned right and entered the manor. She discovered Lee sitting at the dining room table, sipping a cup of tea. Cleo lay at her feet and looked up curiously when Jamison walked in.

  "Hey, girl." She knelt down and stroked the dog's head, looking deeply into the sable eyes. Cleo wasn't accustomed to all these people running around, but she didn't seem concerned. If anything, Jamison gathered she was more concerned with protecting Lee.

  Finally, she looked up to discover blue eyes gently studying her features. She smiled and asked, "Are you all right?"

  "Yeah. I know it's crazy, but I really am. I just can't believe there was a body down there this whole time."

  At least Jamison could reassure her about that. "Not the whole time; only for the last week. It was Hank. His body disappeared from where he'd been killed. For some reason we can't figure out, the killer moved it here."

  "Oh, Jami, I'm so sorry." Lee reached over and rested a hand on hers. Jamison kept hold of her, but rose from the floor and slid onto the edge of a chair. "But how did he get down in the root cellar when Cleo and I have both been here? We never heard anything."

  "We don't know," Jamison said. "Sheriff Macke thinks whoever did this was using the space as a lair for quite some time."

  "A lair? Then this murderer is a Panthera; one of those shape changers?"

  Jamison was encouraged to see Lee come up with the answers on her own, or at least most of them, and now accepted shape shifters as the truth. "Not one of--"

  She had almost said 'us', but caught herself. Lee had been through so much that Jamison sought to protect her from any further revelations. It would be best to allow her to absorb all the details of the Panthera society, and Jamison, a little at a time.

  "We do believe this killer is a shifter, but not a Panthera."

  Lee's eyebrows rose as she processed the information. "You mean there are others around here besides them?"

  "There are shifters that live in communities all over the world. I think this one is from the lion coalition whose territory is almost an hour away, but I don't have any proof."

  "And what, he's on vacation? Trying out the local cuisine?"

  Lee's voice had risen and they were in danger of being overheard by the law enforcement officials who were still in the house. The Panthera were common knowledge to Sheriff Macke, but no one else and she couldn't afford to carelessly let their secret out.

  "Lee, calm down."

  "Are you kidding me? I've just found out that werewolves are real and that I'm probably one of them, if Aunt Chris' letter can be believed. The monster-on-the-prowl has been using my home as a hideout and bringing back take-out and on top of all that, my ex-girlfriend shows up this morning to say it was all a misunderstanding and we should get back together. So excuse me if I seem a little overwhelmed at the moment."

  Jamison squeezed her hand in quiet support, but she heard only one small part of the miniature tirade. "Your ex-girlfriend is here?"

  Lee smiled wryly. "Seems trivial now, huh?"

  No, not really.

  "I'm sure you must be very worried for her considering all that's happened, but you are my main concern. Sheriff Macke thought it might be a good idea for you to stay somewhere else until we catch this guy."

  "Oh no, Jami, not that again. I thought we settled this last night."

  "Things have changed since then, wouldn't you agree?" she said in aggravation. "Before, it was all speculation, but now we know that creature has been in your house. He comes and goes and no one knows how or why!"

  Lee spent a reflective moment and then said, "Now that is a good question. Why?"

  "What do you mean, or are you just trying to change the subject?"

  "Seriously, Jamison. Of all the potential hiding places; cave systems, abandoned buildings or whatever else,
why come here? Hank was killed miles away, yet his body ended up in my home. There has to be a reason."

  "Maybe Macke was right and he's been using it all along. It could be he stumbled on the manor after your aunt died and it seemed like the perfect spot."

  Lee frowned. "But we don't know it was after Chris' accident. That monster could have been here even then."

  Jamison understood that Lee was spinning theories in an effort to make sense of all that was going on around her, but trying to do so without all the facts was pointless. She would only become more frustrated. "I guess we can't know until we catch him. We may never find out for sure. I think you need to let it go for now, but there is something you can do."

  "Oh? And what's that?"

  "You can promise me that you'll take Cleo somewhere safe until this is over."

  "I can't keep her in a hotel, there's no telling how long this will go on."

  On the verge of getting Lee to acquiesce, Jamison didn't think about the consequences of what she said. "Then stay with me." She could see she had surprised Lee with her offer.

  "Are you sure?"

  Her heart did a slow, nervous roll and Jamison gulped quietly. "Yes. I have plenty of room and my home is close enough you'd be able to check on the manor every day. Please. I'll feel better if I know you're out of harm's way."

  Lee's cell phone rang and she pulled it from her side. Jamison's first thought as she checked the caller ID was that it was the ex she mentioned. Whoever was calling, Lee didn't feel compelled to answer. She shut the ringer off and returned the cell to the holster.

  "Fine, but on one condition. Tonight you and I are going to sit down and you're going to tell me everything. No more secrets or half-truths. I'm not some child who needs to be protected. You owe me that."

  Jamison nodded. "Fair enough. I'll tell you everything. Why don't you pack a bag while I go downstairs? I'd like to check the cellar out for myself before we leave, just to make sure the police didn't miss anything."

  "All right," Lee said. "But we'll have to meet at your place later. That dealer from Lake Placid has already called twice and I'm supposed to finish up the paperwork for the new truck today."

  "Are you up to that after what you've been through? I'm sure he'd understand if you explain what happened."

  Lee smiled. "Thank you for worrying about me, but it's okay. I need to do something that feels normal, away from all this death and mystery."

  That was something Jamison could understand and she was impressed with Lee's resilience. "Do you want me to take Cleo?"

  "I appreciate the offer, but there's no way I'm letting that dog out of my sight. The salesman will just have to get over it if he doesn't like it. I only wish I could take Benny, too."

  "Who's Benny?" Jamison knew Lee didn't own any other pets.

  She blushed slightly and said, "The raccoon. I named him Benny this morning. Did I tell you he's the one who led me to the...downstairs?"

  Jamison smiled. "Sheriff Macke said you mentioned a raccoon, but she didn't say how he was related."

  Lee chuckled. "She must think I'm crazy."

  "Who cares? We know better."

  "Thank you. Jamison, that raccoon. He's not just an ordinary forest creature, is he?"

  Jamison realized Lee had figured out more than she gave her credit for. No more holding back. "No, Lee. He isn't."

  "You're going to explain what he is when we talk later, right?"

  "Yes. All of it."

  Lee leaned forward and kissed Jamison lightly at the corner of her mouth. "I'll see you later then."

  Jamison watched Lee leave the room before she stood and walked through the kitchen and onto the rear steps leading to the lower level. Already the awful stench had faded, though it lingered enough to make her nose crinkle. The warped door stood open and a single, bare sixty-watt bulb illuminated the area, casting shadows farther back in the room where the light had trouble penetrating. Roughhewn wooden planks served as shelves along one wall and the floor was cool, rich earth. Drag marks indicated where the barrels had been removed and Jamison followed the impressions to the back of the storage space.

  For several minutes she looked around, checking the brick and under the shelves for any sign of a hidden entrance. She didn't find anything and had to face the fact that the beast had another way of gaining access to the manor. Jamison heaved a tired sigh and left the room, clicking the light off as she did. Then she stood in the hallway looking around. This part of the house was along an outer wall and there might be an alternate entrance, a window that wouldn't normally be seen since the lower half of this level was below ground. But there were no windows that she could find, save for the small one halfway up the stairs. No getting in that way since the window was so tiny it barely allowed any light into the lower level.

  Giving it up as a lost cause, Jamison walked back toward the stairs. A shaft of light under the staircase caught her eye and for a second she thought it was coming from upstairs. She squatted down and leaned into the shadows to get a better look and was astonished to discover a hidden panel that was open by a few inches. If the light hadn't been just right, she never would have seen it.

  Jamison squeezed under the steps, but the panel was large enough for her to enter comfortably. Her nose twitched, assaulted by the smells of dirt and fresh air that flowed down a tunnel large enough for her to stand comfortably upright. Daylight from the far side cast enough of an ambient glow that even without enhanced vision she could have seen her way without concern. Nothing moved down here except the spiders, busily spinning webs in the hope of catching insects.

  It didn't take long to reach the mouth of the tunnel, only a few minutes, and Jamison wasn't surprised to see she had emerged in the woods about one hundred yards from the house. What did catch her unaware was stepping into the morning and coming face to face with

  Aaron Dalton in his jaguar form, sitting in the boughs of a tree.

  His ears flattened and Dalton issued a warning hiss.

  "What are you doing here?" Jamison demanded.

  "Not your affair. Talk to elders if you don't like."

  Communicating in animal form was much different than human speech. Most of what was conveyed was in the form of impressions or emotions. His reply was sufficient to translate that the elders had sent him and that he smugly refused to tell her why. Jamison smirked, considering she already knew the answer.

  "If it's those pictures, you can give it up. Lee handed them to me last night and they're already with the Council. I guess this is just another failure for you as far as they're concerned."

  Jamison realized she'd gone too far in goading him when Dalton snarled and leaped from the tree in her direction. The fur on his back was raised and his tail lashed from side to side, indicative of his annoyance.

  "Bitch! My job!"

  "Not anymore," Jamison replied with a chuckle. "You can leave now. Go on, do something useful like babysitting at the daycare in town. On second thought, scratch that. I wouldn't want you near any cubs; you're a bad influence."

  "You and your human won't have to worry about cubs. I'm going to rip her heart out and eat it, after I have her."

  Dalton sent mental images of brutalizing Lee's body before he crushed her skull and tore her apart.

  Jamison reacted without thinking and she morphed into a sleek, black jaguar in the seconds it took to pounce. Tooth and claw clashed as both attempted to inflict mortal damage.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  AFTER JAMISON LEFT to explore the basement, Lee went upstairs to retrieve a suitcase. The closet in one of the second floor bedrooms had become something of a storage area since they really weren't being used. Cleo followed her, sniffing around in her normal curious fashion, but Lee didn't pay much attention to her. She had too much on her mind. It was just staggering to find a body in the house she'd been living in for weeks. Lee had always thought herself more in tune with her surroundings for anything like that to happen without her knowing. She worried
that something was wrong with her because she wasn't more upset. If anything, she felt strangely disconnected and wondered if Sheriff Macke was right. Was she just in some kind of shock that would wear off and leave her a hysterical wreck?

  It was the biggest reason she had said yes to Jamison's offer. She wasn't worried she would suddenly have a psychotic break or anything that drastic, but if she did have trouble functioning she wanted to ensure Cleo would be all right. It bothered her to think she couldn't care for her own dog and Lee pulled the bag from the closet a little more forcefully than was required, turning back toward the exit as she did. Movement from outside the window caught her eye and she saw Jamison emerge from nowhere into the woods.

  How'd she do that?

  Her curiosity vanished in a flash when a golden jaguar leaped from the trees toward Jamison. The animal's spots, or rosettes, stood out sharply in the dappled sunlight. Even in her fear for Jamison's safety, Lee couldn't help note the jungle cat's musculature and supple grace. Then he lowered his chest toward the ground and exposed large, deadly fangs. Lee dropped the suitcase and raced down the stairs with Cleo in hot pursuit. She was halfway through the entryway when she realized Cleo would follow her into the woods if she wasn't careful.

  "Stay!" she commanded sharply, pausing only long enough to make sure Cleo was still inside the house when she closed the door. Lee was so flustered she didn't even think about the dog door.

  Lee ran as fast as she could toward the place in the forest where she'd seen Jamison encounter the cat. It occurred to her that she should have retrieved the shotgun, but it was too late now and she wasn't about to turn around at this point. Branches snapped underfoot as she careened forward, propelled by her concern and remnants of a nightmare in which Jamison had been attacked by a similar creature. Jamison's angry voice drifted toward her, illustrating how close she was before Lee bothered to question how the two of them could fend off the animal if it decided to strike.