“S’good to know, thanks,” said Ella. At that moment, they reached Ella’s doorstep. “Well, thanks for the walk home, and I’ll keep all your warnings in mind when I come over to take care of Charlie from now on.”
“Okay and thanks again for taking care of Charlie. Say hi to George for me.” George was Ella’s husband.
“Will do. See you later!” They gave each other a quick hug, and then Ella went inside. Wilson took a look around the neighborhood before heading back home.
Chapter 5
Not long after, however, while still up at eleven o’clock, Wilson heard a noise outside. This got Charlie all riled up and started barking at the window.
“Shh! Charlie!” Wilson took Charlie and put him into his dog crate so that Wilson could go outside to investigate without Charlie possibly getting outside. He took a flashlight with him and kept his gun belt on. When he got outside, the noise seemed to be coming from the end of the cul-de-sac leading into the forest. But he also heard the barking from Charlie inside.
Ignoring Charlie, he started heading to the end of the cul-de-sac, where he saw the silhouette of a woman standing there looking away from him. As he got closer and closer, he realized she was naked. She briefly looked back his way, but didn’t see him as he stood in the darkened area of the street. He realized how beautiful she was, with long, flowing blond hair that blew lightly in the nighttime breeze.
“What the hell?” he said to himself before taking quicker steps toward her, but before he could reach her, she started running towards the forest. She then jumped into the air and he started taking quicker steps toward her as she did so. However, when he was within several feet of her, her human form suddenly changed into a wolf in midair, a big white wolf who then continued to run into the forest. He started running to chase after her, but she was gone.
“That could be the big wolf that’s been killing people in town,” he said to himself. He then pulled out a cell phone to call the station.
“Mayville Police Department. Sheriff Sherwood here.”
“Al, it’s Wilson. You won’t believe what I just saw.”
“Wilson, I thought you went home? I saw you at the crime scene earlier.”
“That’s what I’m calling you about. I just saw…oh man, I don’t think you’re going to believe this.”
“Saw what? I don’t have time for this, Wilson.”
“I just saw a woman down my street, and she jumped into the air, and then changed into a big wolf, just before disappearing into the forest!”
“Are you drunk, Wilson?”
“No I’m not!”
“Well then you must be dreaming. Better go to bed and get some rest!” At that, the sheriff hung up.
Wilson grunted to himself and then put the phone back in his coat pocket. He was determined to find out the truth, no matter what. There was no way this could be a dream. He then pulled out his gun from its holster and, keeping the flashlight in front of him as well, continued on into the forest.
As he went deeper and deeper into the forest, he could hear all kinds of noises around him. He heard leaves rustling under his feet as he walked through them, the hoot of a nearby owl up in a tree, crickets chirping, but what he focused on was what sounded like paws hitting the ground as the wolf ran through ahead of him. He managed to keep up the pace, but the animal sounded like it was zigzagging in all different directions, and he couldn’t keep up, but couldn’t force himself to stop either. He just had to know what human could change into a wolf like that, and if this wolf was the one who had been killing people in town. He knew it had to be, because there was no other answer to that question.
But eventually the noises of paws thumping stopped and so did he. He took one last look around before turning around to go back home. He decided to wait until daylight and hope he could see everything better in the morning.
Chapter 6
The next morning, after a quick morning cup of coffee, he headed straight back to the forest, hoping the creature he encountered the night before was still there. He surmised that she had to be, because if she was the serial killer, she needed to stay near in order to keep coming back into town to attack people or, in the cases of the bodies found within the forest, she would’ve had to be staying in the forest, lying in wait for the victims to come to her. He again took his gun with him, and brought the flashlight in case he encountered a cave or something else dark in the forest.
He started to take the same path he had taken the night before, but this time, before he got too deep in, he saw the naked body of a woman just off the path, lying near a tree. “Oh no. It can’t be another victim in the same night as the last!” he said to himself. He immediately rushed to her side and noticed there was no blood, bite marks…anything indicating that this woman was a victim of the animal attacks that had been taking place in and around town. He took off his coat to cover her up, and then gently turned her body over to take a better look at her.
“It’s the woman from last night!” he said quite loudly, scaring off any and all birds that were in the trees looking down on him. He put his gun back in its holster before carefully picking her up into his arms, and proceeded to return home.
When he got there, the street was still quiet. Everybody who had jobs had left while he was exploring the forest or before he even came outside. Those who didn’t were inside sleeping in or relaxing. He lay her on his porch seat while he unlocked his front door, and then carried her in. As he transferred her to the couch, Charlie sauntered over to have a look at her.
“Charlie, back off!” Wilson ordered. Charlie backed away slowly, and then sat down in the corner of the room, watching intently.
Wilson pulled out a blanket from the hallway closet and placed it over her body. He didn’t know what to do. If this woman is indeed the one who had been killing people, should he turn her in? How would he explain what he saw and how he knew she was a wolf? Would everyone think he was crazy and send him to a mental institution? All he could think to do was to keep her there until he figured all that out.
He looked at the time, and realized it was about time to leave to go down to the station, but he also didn’t want to leave this girl alone. He went to the kitchen, picked up the phone and dialed.
“Mayville Police Station,” said the officer who picked up the phone. It was Officer Kyle Phillips.
“Kyle, it’s Wilson.”
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“Just letting you know I’m going to be a little late. I have a um…personal issue to deal with first.”
“Sure, no problem. See you when you get here.”
“Thanks, Kyle. See you later.”
When he returned to the living room, Charlie was still obediently sitting in the corner but the woman was starting to wake up. Wilson rushed to her side just before she got up quickly and tried to get off the couch. Wilson grabbed her wrists to hold her down. “It’s okay! I’m not going to hurt you!” The commotion caused Charlie to get up and start barking as well, which also scared her.
“L-L-LET ME GO!” she yelled, and tears started building up in her eyes. Charlie kept barking and running around the room frantically.
“NOT UNTIL YOU CALM DOWN! LIKE I SAID, I DON’T WANT TO HURT YOU, BUT YOU CAN’T LEAVE EITHER!” At that, the woman stopped struggling and with his hands still around her wrists, she completely broke into tears. Wilson let go, but also stood in a way to keep her from running in case it was just a trick to get away. He quickly put the blanket back on around her and ordered Charlie to calm down again. Charlie then took back his corner, where he lay down, disappointed at the lack of attention.
“It wasn’t me,” she cried.
“What wasn’t you?”
“The people…the ones who are dying…I didn’t do it.” Wilson grabbed a tissue box off the coffee table and gave it to her. “The police think it was me, don’t they?”
“No. We don’t know who or what is doing it. All we know is that it’s an animal of some s
ort.”
“We? Do you mean--?”
“I’m a cop. Well, I’m actually a detective. My name is Wilson Parker. But my office is in the police station.”
“What? No! You’re going to turn me in, then!” She immediately tried to get up again, but Wilson wouldn’t let her past him.
“I won’t turn you in. At least not until I find out the truth.” She sat back down again. “What’s your name?”
“Aria.”
“Aria, where are your clothes? I found you like this in the forest.”
“They’re at my apartment, on the other side of town.”
“Wait, you live here in town?”
“Yes.”
Living in a small town, he thought he knew everybody, but apparently he thought wrong.
“Hold on. I’ll get you something to wear in the meantime." Wilson went to his room, pulled out a large t-shirt and handed it Aria, who immediately put it on. Then he picked up the phone, which caused Aria to jump. “It’s okay. I’m just calling my next door neighbor.”
“But she’ll turn me in!”
“No she won’t, I promise.” Wilson dialed, and Ella picked up on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Morning, Ella. It’s Wilson.”
“Oh, do you need me to come over to dogsit Charlie?”
“No, I need borrow some women’s clothes from you, if that’s alright.”
“Why?”
“My uh…niece came to visit. Sort of a last minute thing…and she lost her suitcase.”
“Oh that’s too bad. Sure! I can bring some things over, but what’s her size?”
Wilson looked over to Aria. “What size do you wear?”
“Medium, or size 8,” responded Aria. Wilson repeated this to Ella.
“I’ll find something for her, don’t you worry. Will be over in a few.”
“Thanks, Ella. Much appreciated. Bye.” Wilson immediate rushed back to Aria’s side.
“So then…what are you? Why did I see you turn into a wolf last night? And why haven’t I seen you before?”
“I just moved here a couple of weeks ago.” Wilson realized that was when the killings started, but that could just be a coincidence. “I am what movies and television shows refer to as a werewolf. Except I don’t just turn into one when there’s a full moon. However, I also can’t control my powers very well. You see, I just became one a couple of weeks before I moved here.”
Wilson nodded and took her hand. “So if you can’t control your powers, then how do you know for sure that you aren’t killing people while you’re…a wolf?”
“Because while in wolf form, I’m still conscious of what I’m doing. I just don’t know how to avoid randomly turning into a wolf every time the moon comes out. As a result, it’s been happening at the most inconvenient times, and then I have to run before anyone sees me.”
“Why don’t you just go back to your apartment and hide until morning, then?”
“Because I’m not always near home when it happens. Like, last night, I was walking down one of the streets in town, and I happened to be near where that attack happened.”
“Wait. Then you must know who did it?”
“No, because as soon as it is happening, I start to change and have to run away before the killer or anyone else sees me.”
A knock on the door startled them. It must be Ella, Wilson thought. “Just a few minutes!” yelled Wilson towards the door. “Be calm and act natural,” he told Aria. “Remember, she thinks you’re my niece.”
Aria nodded, wiping away her tears and keeping the blanket over her bare legs, as Wilson opened the door.
“Hey, Ella. Thanks so much.” Ella, curious about his sudden visitor, tried to peek around him through the door. “Oh, how rude of me. This is my niece, Aria.”
“H-hi…and thank you for the clothes. I promise I will return them as soon as I can get mine.”
“No hurry, and welcome to town, Aria! How long will you be staying?”
“She’s not sure yet,” Wilson interjected. “Listen, I really need to get Aria settled in and then get down to the station.”
“Oh, okay. So you don’t need me to take care of Charlie?” At that, Wilson looked over at Charlie and Aria. He knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to leave Aria alone with a dog, especially cringing at the thought of what could happen if he had another late night at the station.
“Is it alright if he stay with you for a few days?” Wilson asked Ella. “I mean, I don’t want to trouble you, but it’s Aria’s first time here and I don’t want to make her take care of my dog while I’m at work.”
“Sure! Lindsay will love that!” Ella responded and smiled.
Wilson gave Aria the borrowed clothes before going into the kitchen, where he gathered up about a week’s worth of dog food and a bag of dog treats into a bag, and brought it to Ella. “Charlie!” Wilson called. Charlie obediently ran over, and Wilson gave him a big hug and a pat on the head before taking the leash off a hook near the door and hooking it on Charlie’s collar. “You’re going to stay with Ella, Lindsay, and George for a few days, alright, boy? Don’t worry. I’ll come by and visit when I can.” With one last pat, Wilson gave Ella the leash.
“Come on, Charlie,” Ella said to coax him over. He happily did as he was asked. “Don’t worry about him, as always.”
“I won’t,” said Wilson, who gave Charlie another pet, this time on his back. “And thanks so much.”
“Oh it’s no trouble…really.” Ella looked at Aria once again. “Have a nice stay and enjoy your visit with your uncle. Bye!” Ella turned around, taking Charlie and his food supplies with her as Wilson closed the door.
When Wilson turned around, Aria was no longer on the couch, but he heard the bathroom door closed, and he figured she must’ve gone in to change into her borrowed clothes. He went up and knocked on the door. “Can I get you anything else while you’re in there?” he asked through the door.
“I think I better take a shower…and brush my teeth.”
“Okay then hold on.” Wilson got her a clean towel, a fresh packaged toothbrush and a cup. He knocked on the door again. “I have a towel, a new toothbrush, and a cup for you.”
Aria opened the door slightly, held out her hand, and he handed everything to her. “Thanks,” she said before closing the door.
Wilson looked at the time and noticed he was already going to be two hours late, but he couldn’t very well leave her alone without telling her where he’s going, so he sat down on his couch to wait for her to come out.
When Aria came out of the shower a half-hour later, she seemed much more relaxed and calmed down. Wilson noticed how much better she looked all nice and clean.
“Hey, Aria, listen, I’m sorry to do this to you, but I have to go into work at the police station. Is it alright if I leave you alone?”
“I think it will be okay. Do you have any food? I’m hungry.”
“There is plenty in the kitchen.” Wilson pointed at the doorway leading to the kitchen. “Please help yourself. Also, I have a guest room you can sleep in.” Wilson showed her the way. “After work, I can stop by your apartment to get you some of your own things, if you’d like. I think you should stay here with me until we find out what’s going on with all the killings around town.”
Aria nodded. “Thank you, but I left my key in my hiding place in the forest.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll get the landlord to let me in.”
“How? You could be anyone asking for my key. He might think you are just trying to break in to steal things.”
“I’m a detective, remember? I will simply convince him that you’re a witness to a case and that you are now under my protection.” Wilson then pulled out a calling card with his phone number on it. “If you need anything while I’m away, please call me at this number.” He handed the card to her. When she took it, she cradled it in her hand. “Also, Ella’s a really nice lady, as you can tell. If you need something quicker, I’m sure
you can stop by her house next door and ask.”
“Okay, thank you.” Ella placed the card in her pocket. “I’m so sorry you have to send your dog away.”
“It’s alright. He’ll be fine. As long as you’re safe.” Wilson went back out to the living room to grab his coat. Ella followed. “I’ll be back to check on you whenever I can.”
Ella nodded, and then gave him a little peck on the cheek. “Thank you again…for taking care of me and not turning me in.”
“Like I said, if you’re truly innocent of those killings, I want to prove it.” At that, Wilson went out the door.
Chapter 7
Wilson spent hours at work going through the evidence once again and still not finding any way to prove Aria’s innocence. The more and more he studied it, the more and more it made sense that Aria was the prime suspect in every killing. The only suspect in every killing. “There’s gotta be something here I’m missing,” said Wilson to himself, but what, he just couldn’t figure it out.
At around six, Wilson stopped by Aria’s apartment as planned and gathered up a suitcase of her things before returning home to Aria, who was fast asleep on the couch when he arrived. He looked around, and realized his house looked different than when he had left it earlier. It was tidier and much more organized, and there was less dust on the furniture than before. Aria woke up slowly as he walked around the living room.
“W-Wilson?” she asked groggily.
“I brought your things…and did you clean up my house?”
“I had nothing better to do other than watch television, and I thought while I’m here I should at least earn my keep.”
“You really didn’t have to, but here,” Wilson placed the suitcase next to the couch. “I gathered up some of your things as promised. I wasn’t sure what to bring, exactly, so I just randomly picked out some tops, pants, skirts, socks, stockings, and shoes. I also found your purse with your wallet and everything in there.”
“Thank you,” said Aria. She then got up and took the suitcase to the guest room. While she was in there, Wilson retreated to the kitchen to start something for dinner. Being a bachelor made him a great cook over the years, although much of it was due to his parents, who ran a restaurant back in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. They taught them all of his culinary skills hoping that he would take over the restaurant one day, but he decided he wanted to be a cop, and then several years later he got promoted to detective. As a result, his brother and sister back in Charlotte were taking over the restaurant instead, which will – once his parents retire - relieve him of the pressures of keeping the family business alive. This also left him free to move out of North Carolina altogether, which he did after college. His mom at least had the satisfaction of knowing that her son could cook for himself.
She Wolf and The Detective: (Suspense, Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy) (Book 1-3) Page 2