Avery tapped on the window and Moose released the lock. She clambered into the car and wordlessly passed him a coffee. He nodded his thanks and guzzled it down.
Moose was a new addition to the SEA tactical team. He was – as named – a moose shifter. Avery wasn’t sure of his real name, he didn’t seem keen on sharing, but everyone just called him Moose.
He was on a stakeout watching Tom ‘the Hammer’ Murphy. A hippo shifter, asshole, and monster extraordinaire who had at one time been linked to half the crime in the city. Gambling, prostitutes, drugs – you name it, he’d organized it… allegedly. He had been in prison a few times over the years for various petty crimes – like beating the hell out of a guy he thought was sleeping with his wife but actually wasn’t. But, he had soon got out, and it was frustrating that he had never been charged with half the crimes he had committed… allegedly.
They had wanted to get him for a long time, but he managed to stay out of jail thanks to his scare tactics against witnesses – namely making them disappear permanently.
“How’d you get roped into this?” asked Moose in his deep drawl.
Avery shrugged. “I have no life.”
“Hard to believe, I mean, look at you.” He gave her a dispassionate look.
“Ah, yeah…”
“Don’t worry; I’m not interested. I know guys at work hit on you a lot, but I won’t.”
Her lioness let out an uncertain humph. “I don’t know whether to be pleased or annoyed. Pleased, I think.” It wasn’t like she was interested in him, so there was no need to be offended. “Any movement?”
“No. Hasn’t done anything in days.”
“Mmm, well, he was hardly active before he moved here.” Avery peered at the dilapidated trailer. “Can’t believe he lives in such a crap shack.”
Just a few years ago he was in a mansion that defied both taste and belief. He had twelve cars and an actual butler called Jarvis.
“Heard he spent all his money on his new heart.”
They believed he had undergone an illegal heart transplant – performed by someone who was stealing people’s organs. It was a case that Avery’s team had investigated a couple of years ago. Isis almost lost her own heart before they managed to put a stop to it. There was a lot of joking around the office that they wouldn’t have been able to tell if Isis’ heart was removed, but honestly, it had been pretty horrific.
Tom had been sick and dying because his daughter had reputedly poisoned him. The apple didn’t fall far from the psycho... reputedly.
Avery’s boss, Gerry had recently signed off on the round the clock surveillance as they suspected Murphy of being involved in the abduction of a genetic researcher. Dr. Kay Kringle went missing a couple of months ago – given that she was a loner working in her own lab, it was a while before anyone actually noticed. Even then, witnesses were thin on the ground. But they managed to catch a break when one of her neighbors – who had been working abroad, came home and remembered seeing someone hanging around the building at the time she went missing. He picked Alfie Stoner out of a lineup – Alfie happened to be one of Murphy’s goons and a fearsome elephant shifter. Naturally, Alfie had half a dozen witnesses for the night in question - all of which they didn't believe for a second.
So, yeah, it wasn’t much to go on, and a judge refused to sign off on a wiretap, but Gerry was encouraged enough to authorize surveillance.
Of course, they weren’t getting very far – he could be saying anything to anyone – giving all sorts of orders over the phone, and they wouldn’t know, but they had to do something.
But it was all in addition to their usual workload – murder never took a break in that city, or any city really – so everyone was volunteering when they could. Avery did as much as possible – but then, unlike most of her co-workers, she didn’t have a mate or children, or a child on the way – so she had the time.
“You can get going,” she said to Moose.
He looked at her uncertainly. “You’ll be okay on your own?”
She wasn’t sure if he was worried about her because she was a woman, or just worried because they were friends. Her beast huffed. Better not be the woman thing she thought haughtily.
“Sure. I can write it down when it looks like he’s going to the john.”
“Thanks for the coffee,” Moose grunted and left.
Avery blew out a breath. Well, it was better than sitting home alone waiting for her whackadoodle sisters to jump out and attack her.
*
Wolfman considered his board of crazy – that was the name he’d given it. He had printed off photos of various things and stuck them a pin board; then he used a ball of his mom’s yarn to pin lines between them. If anyone asked, he hadn’t seen her missing ball. Most of the photos weren’t necessary or relevant, and he could have done without half the yarn, but he felt that this was the kind of thing that heroes did. Plus, he did think he had stumbled onto an actual crime being committed. One that no one else seemed to have noticed.
He hadn’t just been running around half-cocked. Well, not completely anyway.
He may actually be onto something here.
He may actually be able to make a difference.
He may really be able to impress Avery… plus help some people - which was definitely more important.
A couple of months ago, he noticed something – the disappearance of a couple of his regular homeless guys.
He had a usual route around the city – looking for danger, looking to help people, and it always took him down an alley past a couple of guys called Bert and Jones. They always used to say hi to him, and he had taken to bringing them coffee and sandwiches.
He tried to encourage them to a shelter, but they liked the alley – they didn’t want to lose their spots.
Then one night, Bert was gone – Jones didn’t know where, but didn’t want to talk to the cops – he was sure Bert would turn up again. Winston gave Jones the other sandwich and made a few discreet inquiries, but no one knew anything. Then a few nights later, Jones was gone as well– so was all his stuff. When he asked around, everyone said the guys probably just found a better place to live, but Winston wasn’t sure. He didn’t see hide nor hair of them again. He put an anonymous call into the cops, but… nothing seemed to happen.
Then a month ago, Carol the Cat Lady also disappeared. He didn’t see her as regularly as Bert or Jones, but he saw her around often. He usually brought her tuna for all her stray cats and chocolate pudding for her – her favorite.
After a little more digging, he was starting to believe that someone was abducting homeless people. Not just homeless people – homeless shifters. He had checked all the shelters across the city, and they hadn’t seen any of the people he believed to be missing – they also noted that a few of their regulars hadn’t been around recently.
He thought there was a crime going on, he just didn’t know who was doing it or why, or when they would strike next, but damnit – he would break this case. If it definitely was a case.
He could imagine Avery’s face if he did. Would she be proud of him? Would he be her hero? Probably not – he wouldn’t be able to take any credit for it. Though, he could make sure she knew he did it.
“Winnie! Dinner’s ready.”
He quickly covered his board and scooted upstairs. He probably shouldn’t let his mother cook for him, but, she was an awfully good cook. Both man and beast salivated over the delicious scents wafting his way.
He quickly sat down and started inhaling his pumpkin and apple soup.
The TV was on in the background. His mother liked to watch TV as they ate – she wasn’t someone who was particularly bothered about the ‘how was your day’ conversations. She just wanted Winston there with her – forever, apparently.
The news anchor droned on as Winston dunked a chunk of bread in his soup.
“And the Shelley Orphanage was thrilled today to receive a large donation from Grant MacArthur…”
“Aww isn’t that nice,” commented his mother.
“What?” he mumbled between mouthfuls. He wasn’t listening.
His mom dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. “That man adopted ten shifter orphans – how wonderful is that in this day and age?”
“He’s a regular Daddy Warpaint.”
“Daddy Warbucks and don’t slurp your soup.”
The anchor moved onto a new item of news.
“Last night, Los Lobos’ very own Wolfman prevented this gentleman’s wallet from being stolen.”
“Yeah, it was awesome sauce!” cried Brick. “I want to thank Wolfman and tell my girl, Gina I love her – I love you, babe!”
Winston smiled as he took pains not to slurp his soup. To think, the guy never would have given him the time of day back in high school. Now he was thanking him on local news!
His mother pursed her lips disapprovingly. “I wonder how his mother feels about that.”
Winston wrinkled his brow. “About him loving Gina?”
“No, I mean Wolfman’s mother. She’s probably worried sick every night.”
He shrugged. “She probably doesn’t know.”
She shook her head and scowled – as if keeping secrets from your mother was a capital offense. “What he needs is a good woman to keep him grounded. I’m sure I could find the perfect woman for him.”
He smiled inwardly. No, there was only one woman for him.
His mother beamed at him. Though it was unlikely she would ever give the real him the time of day, or that his mother would ever let him go
Sigh.
*
Marlowe returned with Eleven. He was tranqed and resting, and on looking at him, it was hard for Kay to believe that he would be a scary, growly creature when he awoke.
“Is he okay?” she asked watching as the security team loaded him into his cage. They were none too careful about dropping him in.
“Yeah, he’s fine,” said Marlowe.
The male was usually taciturn, but he seemed even sharper than usual.
“What happened?” she asked, fearing the answer a little.
“There was an incident.”
Kay’s hands flew to her mouth. “He hurt someone?”
Marlowe closed his eyes. “Yeah, he definitely hurt someone.”
“Oh no.”