The Witch's Detective, page 5
“Yes, thank you, Detective.” she sighed and crossed her arms. “Okay, I’ll try and remove a piece and run a few tests. You’re leaving it here, I assume?”
“Yeah. I just got a new couch. I’m not taking it home. What if it starts moving around?”
Nicola rolled her eyes. “Uck, thanks for the visual. Hand me a scalpel, would you?” I turned and picked up the sharp instrument and handed it, handle first, to Nicola. She took it and, with one more shake of her head, cut into the gelatinous blob. We all waited a moment for a scream, but nothing happened. I swear we all breathed out in relief at the same time. I don’t think any of us wanted to hear a gelatinous orb scream or gurgle in pain. She got a sizeable chunk off the side and started dividing it into more pieces. “I’ll let you know if I find anything, but don’t hold your breath.”
“Got it, have fun!” I slipped my plastic gloves off and tossed them in the biohazard bin.
“We still on for Saturday?” she asked, nose deep in green goo.
“Yep, unless a certain Detective needs my beautiful brain for anything,” I said, looking at Moss.
“I’ll try not to ruin your night out.” He smirked as we walked upstairs into the bullpen. The medical examiners were in the basement of the precinct, which was convenient. It was one big happy, murder-solving family. We opened the door to the bullpen, and even though it was nine at night, the noise went from quiet to cacophonous in one easy push. The large room was all dark wood and metals, a total dude cave. Moss’s desk was off to the right by the large, frosted windows. We walked over, and he sat at his desk, and I took the chair next to it. His desk was always a little messy. Crushed paper cups and files all over the place, but I don’t judge. I tend to think the smarter ones are always a little messy. And that’s not in any way an excuse for my own messes. “Well, at least no one died on this one,” he said.
“That we know of.”
“Ooh,” he chuckled, “unsettling.”
I shrugged. “I’m probably a bit jaded. You’ll have to excuse me.”
“Hey, it’s a way to stay sane.” He wrote something on a notepad, “You and Nicola go out a lot?”
I shrugged. “We try to go out a few times a month. But you know, crime waits for no woman. No matter how much she needs to dance to techno music while taking multi-colored shots out of a long test tube.”
“Ha! Sounds like quite the night,” he said, shuffling through the files on his desk.
“You have no idea. You have to go two towns over for that kind of fun.” The left side of his mouth tilted in a smile, and I noticed a little dimple on his cheek.
“Hey, Bruja!” A yell tore me from staring at the newly discovered dimple, and I turned. Mickey Torrico, a down on his luck construction worker, was being led into a holding cell. There was a four-day beard on his face, and he looked like he was sweating tequila. “I’m innocent this time! Tell them!” he yelled at me.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Of what?”
“I was drinking beer! I don’t get drunk on beer!” The bullpen erupted in laughter. “I don’t!” They dragged Mickey through a doorway, and he disappeared.
“What’d he call you?” Moss asked.
I looked over at him. He seemed genuinely curious. “Bruja. It’s Spanish for Witch.”
“I see.” Moss was still new to our little haven of Arion. He came from Oregon, so I don’t think he really understood the small-town mentality. He’ll find out soon just how well I was known. Especially when it got out that he was working with me. “Why does Mickey think you could tell them he was innocent?”
I shrugged. “Well, I’m a witch, so of course I can tell if he’s drunk off his ass or not.”
“Ah, because witches are omnipotent when it comes to drunks.” He teased.
I couldn’t stop the chuckle from my lips. “He’s one of the few in town who were friends with my family before they died. He never believed the rumors about me either, so I tolerate him.”
Richard’s eyes softened. “I didn’t know your family died.”
I shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”
“Well, I’m sorry anyway.” Richard leaned back in his chair, putting his hands on the back of his head. “The other witches, Amelia and Jackson Fell are they married or brother and sister? I haven’t met them yet.”
That’s because you always call me. “They’re married. They moved to town a few years ago, but they like to keep a low profile.” Being a witch in a small town was like walking on a thin wire with razor shoes. You never knew when it was going to snap and turn you into a pariah. I was four when the wire snapped for me, so I was used to it. They moved from a big city, so they weren’t. You’d think growing up in a world with magic would make people more tolerant, but there are always those who want to push a mundane agenda. Let’s blame magic for all the bad stuff in the world! You get used to it. I wish we didn’t have to. “You got any plans this weekend?” I asked, trying not to seem like I was fishing for a date.
Moss cleared his throat and shook his head. “No, still trying to organize my office at home. Might try and finally get it done.”
“Sounds fun.” The sarcasm was heavy.
He smiled. “It will be when it’s done. I can finally—” A scream filled the air, and every police officer in the room got to their feet.
“Was that Mickey?” I asked. Major Ryan rushed out of the holding area. He looked irritated as he stalked over to me. I assumed I was the cause of his irritation since his eyes were burning into mine. He hated me and the other witches. He thought we were a waste of money even though our solve rate was one hundred percent. I snuck a glance at Moss, who gave me a sympathetic look. No one likes it when the major is on a war path.
“Roa, go get rid of that asshole,” he demanded as he stopped in front of me. I got to my feet and looked up at him. Ryan was tall, but most were compared to me. His moustache was twitching, and I fought not to giggle.
“I assume you aren’t talking about Mickey, Major?” I mean, he was being vague, I swear I wasn’t trying to bait the guy!
“No, I don’t mean Mickey, Roa!” he roared. “That damn ghost! He’s screwing with Mickey, and it’s freaking his drunk ass out. I don’t need a freaked out drunk in my hold! What kind of witch are you if you can’t get rid of a ghost!” He turned and went back to his office without an answer. I rolled my eyes and walked across the bullpen to the holding area. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. They all knew how the major felt about witches, and even though most didn’t like me, they knew how important we were to the department. But that didn’t mean they’d come to my rescue when Ryan was mad. So, I pretended everyone was looking at me because I looked smoking hot in my little red dress. Which I did.
I turned the corner and saw Mickey sitting on a bench in the holding cell. His eyes were wide as they darted around the enclosure.
“Oh! Bruja, help me! The spirits are punishing me. Get rid of them!” Will was in the cell with him, laughing and rolling on the floor. I had no idea it was so funny messing with the living. Then again, Mickey was incredibly drunk and even the living couldn’t resist that. Don’t tell me you’ve never been to a party where a passed-out drunk person got a dick drawn on their face. I walked to the cell and stared at Will for a moment.
When he finally realized I was there, he got to his feet. “Ahh, Lily, look at ‘cha. You look nice! Got a hot date? If not, want one?” His eyebrows wiggled suggestively. The Scottish ghost was good looking for a dead guy. It was the one reason I put up with him. It could also be the reason I hadn’t exorcised him from the precinct. He seemed happy enough haunting the old building. Will wore an old-fashioned shirt that might have been white once but was covered in stains and dark pants. Typical peasant wear, according to Nicola. When he turned around, I could see the wound in his head made from a hammer most like. He didn’t seem to be aware of it, but I never asked about it either. The last thing anyone needs is an upset ghost reliving its death over and over in your attic. Or, in this case, in your drunk tank. Thankfully, Will didn’t turn around often.
“No, I don’t have a date, Will, I came to see what you were up to.”
He leaned back against the bars, his elbow sticking out between them. “Just tormenting the drunk. It’s rather fun, care to join me?” He pointed at Mickey, who was now passed out, upright against the concrete wall with his mouth wide open and snoring.
“I’m sure it is Will, but he’s pissing Ryan off with the yelling, which is making Ryan yell at me. Leave him alone, please? Or at least wait till Ryan’s gone? Or me?”
He scrunched his handsome face. “Ooh, I hate Ryan. I’ll leave the drunkard alone for you, my bonnie lass. But the moment you’re gone, he’s mine.”
Smiling, I gave him a nod. “Thank you.” I watched Will disappear, and I walked back to Moss’s desk. Everyone’s eyes were still on me. “He’s gone!” I yelled louder than I needed to for Ryan to hear me in his office across the room. My Abuela would have scolded me for such unladylike behavior, but you can’t be ladylike all the time. I sank back into the chair next to Moss’s desk as chuckles surrounded us. “Okay, well, now that the daily ‘Ryan yelling at me’ is done, it’s time to go home and see if I can find information about goo in any of my books.”
“Sounds good. I’ll walk you to your car.” He stood up and took my coat off his coat rack, and held it open for me. Moss was an old-fashioned type of guy who opened doors for me and walked me to my car. Then again, it could also be a cop/safety deal since it was nighttime. Either way, I didn’t mind. I slinked into my little black coat, and I caught a whiff of Moss’s cologne. He always smelled good, low-key spicy with a hint of orange.
We walked into the morgue, which led to the parking garage, and saw Nicola putting her coat on.
“Leaving?” she asked.
“Yeah, gonna go read about goo!” I tried to sound excited about it, but it was difficult. I grabbed the takeout box with my bruschetta and could feel how cold it had gotten. Aw, man.
“Well, let me know what you find, I’m gonna get a cuppa.” She took a step but whirled back to us. “Oh! Amelia’s in the freezer. I forgot to tell you earlier and I don’t like to bother her in there. Maybe mention the goo to her before you go?” She turned on her toes and left the morgue. I slowly turned to Moss, one hand on my hip. He was in trouble now.
“Amelia’s here, isn’t that interesting?” I asked, a plastic smile on my face.
“Is it?” I walked around him like a lioness stalking prey. The memory of fresh bruschetta was ruined by the sound of green goo jiggling on a metal table. Knowing the little crostini bread would now be soggy, it all made the situation even more annoying.
“Why call me…when Amelia…was already here? I was just about to take my first bite into my bruschetta.” I opened the take-out box and showed him the pile of tomatoes, basil, and garlic on top of the now mushy bread. “The smell of tomatoes and garlic were already making my mouth water. When you call me to the morgue…when Amelia…” I poked him in the chest, “was already here.”
“Sorry!” He put his hands up, trying to stifle a chuckle. “She didn’t answer her phone. Does she usually spend time in the morgue?”
I sighed, annoyed, and laid my forehead on a nearby wall. “Yes, she likes it in there.”
I heard his feet shuffle next to me. “Why?”
“She feels more connected to the dead than the living, and her husband doesn’t want her to summon them in their house. So, she comes here.” I spread my arms wide, my head still on the wall. “Cause it’s dead central.” I moved away from the wall, confident I now had a big red mark on my forehead, and closed my takeout box. I waved for him to follow me and started for the freezer. “Come on, let’s go see if she’s okay.” I pulled open the door to what Nicola called the ‘freezer.’ It was where the dead waited for their families to sign them out.
Arion was a small town, so there were usually no more than three or four of the dozen slots filled at a time. That was enough for Amelia. She was indeed still in there at the other end of the room. She was sitting in a fold-out chair, wearing a coat and wool hat. It did tend to be a bit chilly in there if you’re in there for longer than five minutes, and Amelia could be in there for hours. “Amelia?” I called out, and she quickly turned around.
“Lily! Sorry, you startled me.” She turned back to the wall and waved her hands in the air to cancel her spell, and got out of the chair. The ghosts she summoned never showed up in person, just in her mind. I envied her for that on occasion. Like when I’m getting out of the shower. “What’s up?”
“Just making sure you’re okay before we go. How are the dead?” I asked.
“Still dead,” Amelia said with a smile. She and her husband Jackson had a good ten years on me but didn’t look it. They say doing what you love helps keep you looking young, which was true for them. But I swore I found a gray hair in my armpit last week. That can’t bode well for me. I’m barely thirty!
“Come here, I want to show you the most glorious green blob you’re ever going to see.” We started for the table where the blob still lay.
“So, it isn’t another zombie cat ready to traumatize children?” she teased.
Moss snickered, and I shook my head. “Ha, ha. I knew I shouldn’t have told you that,” I said as she giggled. “Shall I tell them you feel like another dip in the town fountain? Nekid?” I pointed to the police officer’s upstairs.
“Pft, that was fun, and you know it.” She pulled out her cell phone. “Oh, crap, I missed a call. Who is Moss?”
“That would be me,” Moss said. He looked over at me, a smug look on his face that said, ‘I didn’t need to be as snarky as I was’ to him.
I shrugged. “Sorry, but if you had Intermezzo’s bruschetta, you’d know I was justified!”
“Oh man, Lily, I’m sorry,” Amelia said as she pulled the hat off her head, letting her tight curls bounce back to life. “If I had known, I would have paid better attention. I’ll try harder.”
“It’s okay, Amelia, I get it.” I did get to see Detective Hotty for a while, so it wasn’t all bad. We stopped a few feet away from the table, and I pointed toward the exam tables. “Take a look at that.” Amelia turned, and I watched her eyes go wide as they landed on the bowling ball of goo. “Weird huh? Never seen so much goo before. Or at all, really.” Amelia turned around and took a step back towards the freezer. But her other leg took a step back towards the table. She looked like her body wanted to keep walking, but her brain was trying to talk her out of it. She took another step, then stepped back with both legs. It was an unusual looking dance. “What’s wrong?” I moved out of her way in case her dance got even crazier.
“Where did you find that? When?” She was suddenly a little manic. It was surprising. Amelia was usually the calmer of the three of us. The goo really had her worked up.
“In an alley near Rosetree, about an hour ago,” Moss said.
She turned and stared at me for a moment. Her huge dark eyes looked shocked. “An hour ago?”
“Yeah, were you here an hour ago?” I pointed back to the freezer.
She nodded manically. “Yeah, here, I was here an hour ago. Just an hour ago, yeah.” I looked over at Moss. We both had the same ‘what the hell is going on look’ on our faces. “I’ll see you later.” Amelia waved and left us alone in the morgue.
“Wait, do you know,” It was clear she didn’t plan to stay. “What it is. Okay.”
Moss walked up next to me, keeping an eye on Amelia. “She’s not normally like that, is she?”
“No, she’s usually pretty calm.” I pulled out my cell phone and texted Jackson. ‘Is Amelia doing okay? She seems a bit stressed.’ “We’ll see if Jackson has any insight.” Then I texted Amelia, hoping she’d see it eventually and get back to me. ‘Do you know what the green blob is?’ I put the phone back in my pocket.
“Well, everyone has their off days,” Moss said as we walked to the underground garage. It smelled like oil and burned rubber from police officers speeding away to emergencies. I watched as Amelia’s red car sped out from the garage and turned onto the street. She really was in a hurry.
“True. Well, call me if you need me. If I find anything about the goo in my books, I’ll let you know.”
“I’d like to hear the title of that book.” Moss held my car door open for me, and I slipped behind the driver’s wheel.
“We’ll see if I can even pronounce it.” He shut the door, and I could hear him laughing. I liked making him laugh. To me, he seemed like a guy who liked to laugh but didn’t have much reason to. Not sure if it was my witchy instincts or my womanly intuition that made me feel that way. But I’d be damned if I weren’t going to make him laugh at least once whenever we saw each other.
Chapter Seven
I sat on my new black sectional, covered in my dark green blanket, going through the books I thought might have goo in them. Not in-in, just about goo, you know what I mean. But so far, I wasn’t having any luck. I looked at my phone for the third time in half an hour, and there was still no reply from Jackson or Amelia. Either his phone was dead, or he was trying to help his wife. I knew he got uncomfortable when she spent more time in the morgue than at their house, but he had always worked through it with her.
I picked up a piece of toast that I covered with my bruschetta and was about to take a half-satisfying bite of tomatoes and garlic when my ear twitched. That was a hint an entity was trying to contact me. It happens more often than you’d think. You just have to pay attention. I quickly put the toast down and listened. I closed my eyes, and I could hear a faint voice calling out, but I couldn’t quite understand what they were saying. I opened my eyes and snapped my fingers, lighting the tall, white candle I kept on my coffee table for just this reason. Most times, a ghost needed a little extra energy to come through, and it was better for it to take that energy from the fire instead of me.
