An hour later, everyone was on the scene, where they should be, doing what they should be doing. I was still leaning against my car when the captain and my old partner pulled up next to me. I had been without a partner for about two months now, I had scared them all off with what I was willing to do to catch a murderer and what they weren't. I didn't blame them really, they had but one life to live and I...I have already lived so many. But with this last one though I had walked right into a vampire den, with barely a thought. He thinks I'm nuts or have a death wish. I don't but it is nice to watch him squirm.
He refused to look at me, as he and the Captain walked up, he asked, "So whats the run down on this Spring?"
So I told him about Mark's mother coming to see me and what had brought me here and finally the body and who I speculated it was and who may have done it.
The Cap. was a middle aged, good looking man but the lines on his face had become more prominent over the years, this job really took its toll on humans, fortunately for me, I wasn't one. He rubbed his forehead as he looked down at his phone, seeming to be reading something important.
"Alright Spring, this case is your baby. But the supernatural agency thinks this was a sup so they are sending in one of their own to work the case." He said and I went to protest but he put up a hand indicating that he was not done, "Their not taking the case from you but it does mean you have to partner up with this...person their sending in."
I took a deep breath and spoke calmly, "Your kidding me right, you know I don't do partners. Just look at Frank here, I think I scared him off field work for life. This is going to be a nightmare you know that right chief." I remained calm but now suddenly needed a smoke and not being able to find one, I had quit a couple of months ago but usually kept a pack hidden in my car just in case, but today I just couldn't find them.
"I know but if anyone can handle this its you, you're the best detective I've got, just do what you do best and it will be over before you know it." He said handing me a smoke and lighter, I inhaled deeply as I lite it, savoring its taste, I took one more drag and then I handed it back to the captain, he still smoked and I really shouldn't but he knows when I need one on occasion and helps me out.
"Shoot I'll probably have his thing solved before their agent ever gets here." I smiled at him.
"As much as I would love for that to be true, I think that's him coming under the tape as we speak." He said solemnly as he nodded in the direction of the agent, but before I could turn to look a shiver stroked down my spine and a tingle glided over my skin. The shiver told me he was most likely a vampire, but the tingle was a completely new thing.
"You owe me a raise for this." I whispered and turned to meet the deep green eyes of my new, and I stress, temporary partner. He was at least six' four, built, broad shoulders with black hair that brushed his eye brows when not combed back and that rugged look that said he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. He was essentially sex on a stick and he walked up staring at me but the moment he reached us he turned his gaze on the captain.
"Captain Flint, I presume. I'm Detective Arden Haze, I believe you were informed that I was coming." He said his voice deep and smooth, it rolled over my skin like a cool summers breeze. Threatening to make me relax in ways I hadn't dreamt of in years. But I would have none of that, I needed to be sharp and ready for anything, like always. Its part of what made me so good and I wasn't going to show him otherwise.
"Ah yes, its nice to finally meet someone from your department. I was beginning to believe that the sup agency would never work with us, I guess I was wrong." He said smiling but it never met his eyes. He motioned to me, "This is Detective Alys Spring, you will be partnering with her for the duration of the case and no you may not ask for someone else, she is the best detective I've got and the best person for this case."
"No offence, captain but if I wanted someone else you wouldn't really have a say in the matter. Fortunately I actually like to find out what a person is worth before throwing out opinions about them." He said putting out his hand, I took it in mine as I studied him, either he was going to be a complete ass or he might actually have a sensible brain in his head, only time would tell. As I looked into his eyes, they told me many things, that he seemed trust worthy, he had been in at least one war and he had been alone for a very long time, were only a few. My eyes started to feel warm which usually meant that they were going to start changing to their vampire blues or their werewolf red, my eyes tended to switch colors at random but usually when my emotional state changed. I touched my eye as if I was correcting a lens and turned grabbing my sunglasses off of the dash.
"Seems that I must have lost a lens, good thing I have these." I said putting them on. "Its good to meet you, now why don't we go see what the forensics team found." I said and took a couple of steps toward the house.
"Oh, Spring don't forget we have that dinner with the mayor tonight at that fancy new restaurant downtown, the Sans at seven." He called to me as I waved and headed up to the house. "Detective Haze, we would be honored if you would join us."
"I would love to." He said and started following me inside. Great I've known the guy less than five minutes and I'm already having dinner with him. Funny, now I've got to call Marta and tell her I met a boy and we'll be having dinner together, I'll have to figure out whether hes nice somewhere between now and then. I slipped on a pair of gloves and headed toward the back bedroom, trying to block out the smell this time. I made my way over to the body and started examining it, she had obviously been dead for at least a week by the state of decomposition, she had pajamas on so I doubt she had been planning on going anywhere and the room was a mess. It looked like there had been a struggle, the girl had fought for her life, I looked down at her nails, there was something under two of them possibly skin from the perpetrator. Unfortunately she looked to have been drained of blood and there was not a spot of it to be seen and she had a large gash down her torso, from neck to hip. It was a horrible way to die, I knew from experience, looking down I saw something under the edge of the bed, I pivoted to find a pink phone sitting there.
"Hey Vini, did your guys get this?" I asked as Arden comes into the room.
"Yeah, have at it Spring." Vini called back, I picked up the phone and swiped it on, the last entry was her trying to call nine one one. But the one before that was to Mark, the calls were with in minutes of each other. Which told me that it was unlikely that Mark was the murderer here. But the other option was that he was most likely dead. I frowned deeply as I stood and Arden looked down at the phone.
"We should question this Mark person." He said idly as he moved around me to look at the body.
"Wish we could, he's missing." I said placing the phone in an evidence bag. "That's why I was here, this girl if I'm not mistaken is Kelly Sauer, Mark Dumont's girlfriend. They are both to have been reported missing for two weeks. Obviously no one had checked Ms. Sauer's home. But where is Mark, if she's here?" I asked myself, what had that boy gotten himself into.
"You sound like you know him? How did you come across this case?" Arden asked as he carefully looked through her nightstand.
"His mother came down to the station yesterday, claiming that he must have been murdered. Him and I used to date, so I thought I would look into it for old times sake. But don't worry I wont get all emotional on you if we find his body, it wasn't serious and I take my job extremely so." I say and turn back to Vini, "Call me when you get the forensics back and the autopsy results, though I think I already know how she died. Thanks Vini." I said removing my gloves and exiting the room as Vini mumbled to himself. Arden, unexpectedly, followed close behind.
"If thats the case then I suppose you have a hunch on where to go next, then?" He said sounding slightly defiant, though I don't know why. Its not like he some how got one over on me or something. I grinned as I turned back towards him slightly.
"Yeah I do." I said and stepped onto the sidewalk outside a warm breeze blowing through, making my way towards my car. "Do you have a car or do you need a ride?" I asked removing my jacket and tossing it onto the back seat.
"I was picked up at the airport and brought straight here. So I haven't had the chance to get a car yet, my partner was supposed to be here already, he flew in yesterday and we hadn't realized that you wouldn't have one. I guess he slept in." He said sounding just the slightest bit worried.
"I don't do partners, that being said, do you want to go check on him? What hotel are you staying at?" I asked sliding into the drivers seat as one of the other officers moved their car so I could get out and Arden got in on the passenger side.
"We've got rooms over at the Rio, you know it?" He said and looked down at his phone.
I smiled knowingly, Marta's brother owns it and I have given him a loan once or twice. I could own the place if I wanted to, he had offered but I rather a young man fulfill his dreams and besides I really couldn't have my name on that kind of paperwork. Plus he was the occassional booty call when I needed such relief.
"Yeah I know the place, let me make a call!" I said grinning still and dialed the hotels number on my phone..."Hey its Spring let me talk to Hank." I said to Kate the desk clerk, a moment later a male voice came over the line.
"Missing me already beautiful?" Hank asked suggestively, he had been the one I was out with last night when I got called in, but I wasn't going to tell Marta that her brother was my occassional piece on the side, Oh heavens no.
"You wish, no I'm calling about a detective that checked into your hotel last night." I called to him over the roar of traffic.
"Yeah Detective Michelson and his partner, two interior rooms, non smoking. One of them checked in last night but I didn't see him then or today for that matter." He paused as Kate said something in the back round, "Oh ok, Kate said he left this morning, said something about getting breakfast since is night stalker partner hadn't kept him up all night. He laughed as he left and she has not seen him since." He said starting to sound a bit ominous. "The vampires with you isn't he?"
