by Shae Bryant
Vince made the hasty introductions. "Belle Patricio. Detectives Escobar and Kleyman."
"Good to meet you." I said.
Belle refused my handshake. Instead, she placed a delicate hand in mine and dipped her head towards me, "You've heard of me? How nice. Are you Human, dear"
"No." I really wanted to punch her.
"Ah. That explains everything." Belle gave me the same smile she had given Vince a moment ago, "Are you joining us for dinner?"
"No." Vince said, "They're looking into the gentleman who left in an ambulance."
"Oh yes! How terrible. The poor man. Is he alright?" She clutched her hands to her chest in an over-dramatic display of concern.
"He's still in bad shape." I told her.
"How awful." She closed her eyes for a moment before letting out a long sigh, "Well, I hate to change the subject like this but what else can one say about it? It was lovely meeting you ladies. Vincenzo?"
Vince gave her a forced smile, trying to hide his annoyance. He offered her his arm with a nod, "Indeed. Shall we?"
Belle dripped on his arm, hanging there like a helpless maiden who needed a Knight in shining armor to protect her. As they walked out, she turned over her shoulder and gave us a genteel wave of two fingers. I really didn't like her. It seems Sophie didn't either. Once they left, Sophie rolled her eyes and shut the office doors.
"Wow..." Catherine said, "Now what?"
"I don't know. Let's look around."
Looking around didn't help us at all. We had combed The Veiled Monarch from floor to ceiling. The blood from Shane Lynch's collapse had been cleaned; samples had been taken, and fibers were being examined back at the department. There was nothing new or interesting for Catherine and I to find.
I sat down at a vacant table with a huff. Catherine joined me, slouching in the next chair and kicking at the table legs. Leo lumbered in the front door holding a bag of cat food. He grinned at us, shifting the bag to one arm and waved.
"Leo..?" Catherine was puzzled, "Is that cat food?"
"Yeah. There's a stray cat that comes by. Vince said to stop feeding him." Leo laughed.
"I won't tell him then." She giggled.
"I feel bad for him." Leo said, "He didn't ask for that life."
Wait a moment. A cat! I spoke to a cat the night of the first murder. What if it was the same stray cat?
"Leo. How often do you feed the cat?"
"I leave food for him every night." He started towards the offices, "Why?"
"When does he come by?"
"I don't know. It depends on how hungry he is."
Catherine stood up. She already knew where we were going. "And Raina can talk to it. "
"That is exactly what I'm hoping."
"Oh!" Leo got excited, "I get it. To help with the case! Maybe he saw something!"
"Yep." I rubbed my hands together, "Let's go feed your cat."
We walked through the offices into a murky alley. I wrinkled my nose at the funky odor of restaurant waste and nightclub garbage that lined the back doors. It was a perfect spot for any stray cat looking for a free meal or three. On the back stoop belonging to The Veiled Monarch, there were two old bowls. One was full of fresh water and the other was empty.
Leo shook the bag of cat food before pouring it into the empty bowl and started to call for the cat, "Jackson! Jackson! Here kitty, kitty!"
I smirked, "You named him?"
"Yeah."
"Leo, you know he's your cat right? You're bonding with him."
Leo beamed at me, "I was kind of hoping for that, but I need to convince Vince that I can bring him home."
Catherine noticed a cat shaped shadow in the alley, "I think he's coming."
The same skinny tabby cat I had seen well over a month ago padded towards us. She paused at our feet, looking between us and Leo. Her tail twitched on the ground while she contemplated the new visitors at her food bowl. After scanning us for a few moments, she walked to her bowl and started to eat.
"Hey it's Jackson!" Leo called out, "How are you bud? Dinner is served!"
"Jackson is a girl, by the way." I said.
"What?" Leo blinked at me.
"She is a female cat. I talked to her before."
Leo laughed, "I guess her name is... Janet then."
I waited a minute to let the cat eat before bending down and talking with her, "Hey, remember me?"
She licked her paws, "Yes. Is he your friend?"
"Yeah. I'm glad that he's taking care of you. He wants to take you home."
The cat's tail flipped back and forth on the stoop, "He gave me a name. I think he cares about me. He can take me home."
I nodded, "I'll tell him. Can I ask you a question? Did you notice someone come by last night? They might have been hurt."
"I saw him. The man who was in pain." Her ears twitched, "I saw him come from windows."
"Windows!?" I took a moment to calm down after my exclamation caused Janet to crouch close to the ground. "Sorry. I was confused by your answer. Can you tell me where?"
"I don't know. He fell out of one. Is he OK?"
"I don't know. Thank you for telling me this. It's helped a lot." I gave Janet a gentle scratch on the top of her head. She responded with a loud purr before going back to her meal.
"What windows?" Catherine asked.
"She said that she saw Shane Lynch. He fell from a window. She doesn't know which one."
Leo shook his head, "All the places here are Vampire owned. Good luck getting in."
"All of them?" I asked.
"Yeah." He chuckled, "Is that not the lamest thing? Why do Vampires stick to stereotypes like that? At least Belle has the spa. That place is nice too. She gives me and Vince gift cards all the time. I love getting manicures."
"How very metro of you Leo." I snickered.
"I'm a twenty-first century man. We care about our grooming. Unlike Vince, I wasn't born before soap. Besides, Belle is fun. She's weird, but fun." Leo didn't seem too phased at Belle's rather...eccentric personality.
"She's something alright." Catherine laughed, "We should go look at some windows. Leo, why don't you go back inside? Just in case?"
Leo moved to leave, "Hey, what about Janet?"
"She said she doesn't mind going home. Congratulations on your cat." I gave Janet the thumbs up as Catherine and I left the nightclub. One stray cat found a home that night.
We walked down the alley to take a closer look at the buildings. Thirty years ago, every one of these "golden era" buildings had been restored to resemble their heyday. The front was a perfect picture of retro neon lights and palm trees. From the back, it was drab and dingy, full of dumpsters, boxes and supplies.
Employees milled around a few of the buildings, taking their smoke breaks or talking with each other. A couple of them were restaurants preparing for the dinner rush. The rest were nightclubs, getting ready to open up for the night. Nothing looked out of the ordinary until Catherine and I both stopped by a building that was quiet. The lights inside were dim, and the second story windows weren't like the others. These windows could have been opened in the last few days. They were not nailed shut.
Catherine motioned for me to follow her to the front. Both of us stood at the entrance to "Patricio's". It was a premiere luxury spa that sat in the heart of South Beach. Of course, it was owned by Belle Patricio herself.
We opened the door and found ourselves transported into a tranquil atmosphere. The door closed silently behind us and the lights were dim. Soft piano music played while water babbled over rocks on one side of the room. Bamboo and palms separated each chaise lounge. A small bar for herbal tea and fruit infused water completed the welcome to all visitors.
At the desk was a perky receptionist who gave us a wide smile, "Hello. Do you have an appointment?"
"No. We don't." I shook my head.
The receptionist produced a brochure for us, "I'm sorry, but we don't accept walk ins. If you'd like to see our brochure and have s
ome water or herbal tea while you look, I'd be happy to make an appointment for you."
Catherine took a brochure from the woman with a nod, showing her badge, "Maybe another time? Right now, I'd like to ask some questions?"
The receptionist sat up straight, "Oh gosh! I'm sorry Officers. Is everything alright?"
Catherine produced her card, handing it to the woman. "There were some attacks near here recently. We were wondering if anyone who works here saw anything at all?"
"I'm afraid not." The receptionist was apologetic, "The Police already came in to question everyone. Should I bring in some employees to talk with you again?"
What was she doing? The department had been here twice. I knew that. Catherine knew that. We couldn't look around if we were going to question people. This wasn't going to get us anywhere.
Catherine leaned her elbow on the desk, taking on a friendly expression. Then I understood what she was doing. She was playing the 'good cop'. "No. It's OK. We were just checking in again." She gave the receptionist a very serious look, dropping her voice low, "Just between us, we're having a hard time finding information. We thought we'd double check with local businesses."
"I'm sorry to hear that. The Officer who came by left his card. If we know anything, we'll call."
"Would you mind if we just looked around?" Catherine motioned towards the closed doors.
"Of course not." the receptionist was such a perfect hostess, "Please, be as quiet as you can inside. Our clients are relaxing."
The doors opened to a wide hallway that was lit with soft pink lights. It smelled of lavender, herbs and fresh linen. Soft music was the only noise save the quiet movement of shoes on the plush carpet behind some doors. Every so often, someone sighed with quiet contentment.
Belle certainly knew how to create a space for her customers. If we weren't there to investigate something, I would likely be making an appointment. The atmosphere was getting to me. I was even starting to feel calm and relaxed.
"Good job back there." I remarked.
Not only did she disarm the receptionist, but she got permission from an employee for us to look around. That was all that we needed to do everything legally.
"What are we looking for?" Catherine scanned the hallway for anything that might be suspicious.
I leaned towards the stairs at the end of the hallway. A velvet rope barred customers from going up. A landing that led to another staircase barred anyone from knowing what was on the second floor. Both Catherine and I stepped over the rope and tip toed up the stairs.
We came to an old room that was full of boxes and supplies for the spa. Nothing seemed to be out of place except a discarded massage table and an old lamp. I shined my light on the floor, checking the window for any signs of blood. Wait a moment...something on the floor had caught my eye.
A part of the floor had been scrubbed clean. It just so happened to be right below the window. Both of us inspected the floor and then the window itself. In order to look at the outside, we would need to open the window. We couldn't do that without garnering unwanted attention.
"We should call this in." Catherine was starting to give me a look I would become all too familiar with. A look that meant she was preparing to lecture me.
I shook my head. "No. We need some help. Some Non Human help. I hope Vince likes us as much as I think he does."
Catherine stood there, letting her arms hand at her side, "Ohkayyyy?"
"Trust me." I signaled for her to follow me.
"I'm getting sick of hearing that.", she moaned.
We left the spa after thanking the receptionist. Catherine played one last 'good cop' line by encouraging her to call if she needed anything at all. Then, we both hurried back to The Veiled Monarch. Inside, we found Vince in the offices, attempting to check his phone.
I tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey Vince?"
"Detectives? I didn't expect to see you both come back."
I searched his eyes for any sign of anger. After our little standoff earlier, it was possible he still had a bit of ill will towards us. It seemed like he was over it now. At least, I hoped he was.
I stifled my nerves and asked, "Can I trust you?"
He leaned his head back, looking me over with a careful stare. Now he was searching my eyes. He wanted to know why I asked such a question. "That depends. What are you trusting me with? If you were a Vampire, I may say yes. But you aren't."
That was his roundabout way of saying 'yes...but'. It was good enough for me. "I know. What I'm asking you may implicate another Vampire."
"Then I doubt you can trust me." He answered.
"Oh!" Catherine's eyes lit up, "I know what you're doing! Vince, all we need are your eyes. On a window."
Vampires had the best sight and hearing in the world. Werewolves had them beat when it came to a sense of smell. But, Vampires could see far more than any Human. If Vince looked at that window, we might be able to find what we're looking for.
My problem here was Vince's honest answer. He may not want to implicate another Vampire. I was taking a huge gamble. Regardless of what he saw, he may turn on us to protect his own. After weighing the options in my mind, I made a decision.
"If you'd come with us, we'll explain on the way. You don't have to do it."
Vince walked with Catherine and I through the alley towards Belle's spa. On the way there, we told him about the cat and what she had said to me. We also told him what we found inside of the spa. Vince's expression changed from indifference to concern and then utter disappointment. It seemed that the very thought of Belle being responsible bothered him.
I pointed to the window from the outside, "All I need to know is what you see. If you don't want to see anything, then don't."
He scanned the window, making sure to scan over every inch of it before he spoke, "There is no blood outside of the window. Because it has been cleaned. Likely in the last day or so. I think someone is covering something." Vince sighed heavily, "Oh Belle. What are you doing?"
I tried to reassure him, "Wait. We don't know if she did anything. She just owns the business. That doesn't mean she's here all the time. Vampire owned businesses always employ other vampires."
"You do have a point." He cheered up, "Why don't I talk to Belle first?"
"You know I can't let you do that."
"At least let me be with you. She's an old friend."
Catherine put up a finger and started to wag it back and forth. Technically, we couldn't do that either. She looked between the two of us and shrugged her shoulders, "Fine. Why not?"
I grinned, "You're starting to understand things Catherine."
We decided to wait a bit longer since Belle's spa had just closed. If we were going to find anything, it would be after hours. The three of us stopped for coffee at a nearby cafe.
Much of it was spent drinking our coffee in silence. Vince was able to make small talk remarkably well. He asked Catherine about South Carolina and what it was like growing up in her town. He asked me a few questions about South Florida. Most of it was Non Human related and getting a better feel for the communities here.
We operated like anywhere else, to be honest. Each community had their leaders that were chosen by the community. All except the Vampires. They were always lead by the eldest Vampire in the area. I guess that means Vince is leading them now. Isaac leads the Werewolves in the area, so they were easy to explain. Two friends of mine lead our group. Kevin and Ronan Anderson.
I gave Vince a pretty quick lay of the land, explaining to him where most of the spots were located. I didn't need to go into the Vampire side of things. He already knew that after being here a few weeks. Catherine listened with interest. It was obvious she had no idea that Non Humans operated in such organized groups. We had to. We couldn't stay alive otherwise.
After an hour and a half, we made our way back to the spa. The door was locked with a keypad. Fortunately, I was a cop. I radioed in a possible suspicious person and received a code to open the doo
r. Two minutes later, we were inside with no alarm tripped.
Catherine groaned, "I can't believe we broke in. I've done things today that we are both going to get in a lot of trouble for."
"We didn't break in. This is legal. Probable cause."
"That's shaky, Raina. Very shaky." Catherine put her hands on her hips.
"Whatever."
Vince turned towards the hall, "Someone is coming."
Belle walked through the doors, staring all three of us down, "Vincenzo? Did you need something?"
"Belle." Vince tried to give her a disarming smile, "The Detectives need to ask you some questions."
Belle huffed, "I hope this is important considering it is after hours, Detectives. Especially with my doors locked and alarm system on."
It was now or never. Belle was going to sue if we didn't leave. I stepped forward, "Miss Patricio. Shane Lynch has been seen tumbling out of your second story window. Can you explain that?"
"That's absurd!" Belle scoffed, "There is no way he could have."
Vince moved towards the doors at a steady pace, keeping his eyes on Belle. He pressed his ear against them with a suspicious frown. "Belle, what is that noise?"
She waved a dismissive hand, "There are people feeding in the back rooms."
"That is not feeding." Vince said, " I want to see for myself."
"Go on. If you are hungry, I'm sure someone is available. I'm sorry Detectives. We don't allow Humans unless they are donors."
"I'm not Human." I shot back, starting to walk behind Vince.
Belle grabbed my arm, "You are not a Vampire either, dear."
"They'll be my guests then." Vince placed his hand on the doorknob.
Belle moved so quickly that she seemed to appear in front of Vince, placing her hand on the door, "I can't allow that, Vincenzo. The people feeding are private people. I don't think they'd like to see Police presence."
Vince smiled at her, "They're plain clothes. I am sure it's fine."
"I said no." Belle's serene expression faded quickly.
Wind whipped past me and something thumped against the wall just behind me. Vince held Belle up against the wall by her neck. His fingers made dents in her skin, and he was starting to tremble. I watched his eyes closely. Just as I thought, the whites were beginning to turn red. This could be bad.
