Red Wolf

by Rebekah Shelton

  ****

  Boone drove back to the hotel after another uneventful night. “Head up to the room and I will get the wine,” Boone advised, heading to the hotel bar. Boone could see Delilah was chilled to the bone. “Try a hot shower,” he suggested.

  A few minutes later, Boone entered the suite. They decided to share a room to save money. And if they did not solve this case soon, they would be in the red. The reward was not big enough to cover staying more than two more days. Boone was starting to think their decision to become partners was ill-fated. But he agreed to give it a try through the winter. Come spring they would reevalute their alliance.

  Boone looked towards the bathroom and saw the steam seeping from under the threshold. He had to laugh. He knew Delilah had the water as hot as she could stand it. He was surprised after three nights her skin wasn’t covered with third-degree burns. “I have the wine,” he announced loud enough for Delilah to hear over the running water.

  By the time Boone had changed into his flannel sleep pants, Delilah had finished her shower and donned her pink satin pajamas. “Wine,” she cooed as she entered the room with both hands extended. Boone slipped a large warm mug of wine into her proffered hands.

  “We are going about this all wrong,” Delilah announced after drinking down half the cup of wine. “We are waiting for them to come to us, but we need to go after them.”

  Boone nodded in agreement. “Any thoughts?”

  “How good is that nose of yours,” Delilah asked.

  “My nose? Do I look like a bloodhound?”

  “No, but if you can track the thieves by their scent, we can wrap this up in no time.”

  Boone pondered what Delilah was suggesting. “We can go back in the daylight, and I can try to pick up their scent while human. Then we can try to track them down. It would be so much easier if I did this as a wolf.”

  “Even in New Orleans, a giant wolf would stand out. Even on a leash, I think you would scare at least a few people,” Delilah laughed.

  “You would put me on a leash?” Boone asked surprised Delilah would even suggest him being tethered.

  “It would be a nice leash,” Delilah laughed. “Only the best for my strawberry wolf.”

  “Not in your wildest dreams, Angel,” Boone snarled with a low growl.

  “Let’s get some sleep. We will hit the bricks, or should I say cobblestones, first thing in the morning. First, we will stop by the precinct and get the location of the crypts which were already robbed. Then we will go from there.”

  “I just hope the smell of urine, vomit, and alcohol which saturates this god-awful city does not screw with my nose.”

  “Yeah, that could be a problem,” Delilah sneered in return as she climbed into one of the two double beds. “Pleasant dreams, Hooxei.”

  “Pleasant dreams, Angel.”

  Despite their best efforts, three nights of sitting in a cemetery had taken a toll on both of them. Visions of ghosts, grave robbers, black magic, and daemons permeated their dreams and refused to vacate. Both tossed and turned all night. Both groaned their displeasure as the sun rose and the light which came with it inched its way into the room through the cracks in the drapes.

  Both grumbled in unison. “Another hour,” Delilah whined, pulling the blanket over her head and trying to hide from the daylight.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Boone countered as he reluctantly crawled out of bed. “I am so ready to get out of this evil city.”

  Delilah moaned again in discontent but rolled out of bed. She dressed while Boone showered and then ordered a large breakfast for both of them.