by Tiffany Foxe
“...yeah, but that’s…”
“What did you shoot?”
Emiline thought the question odd. Why “what” and not “who?”
“Actually, that is none of your business. That’s a police matter.”
“Depending on what you shot, it may not be.”
Sophie rose out of her chair and approached Em.
“WHAT did you shoot?” she demanded.
Her assertiveness took Em aback.
“A...a guard dog...I don’t know. A wolf?”
Sophie’s expression changed. She seemed stressed, an expression Em hadn’t seen on the woman, before.
“A dog or a wolf?”
“I don’t know! It was...different. It wasn’t normal. I don’t know what it was,” she explained, still perplexed at this line of questioning being thrown at her.
“This...animal? Where did you hit it?”
“In the chest,” Em answered, still perplexed.
“I mean location. Geography. Was it here?” Sophie pointed at the floor.
“Uh, no. On the Columbia.”
“Why were you there?”
“W--wait a minute.”
Emiline tried to regain control of the conversation.
“I’m asking the questions here. What kind of bullets were those?” Em demanded.
Sophie grabbed Em by the shoulders and looked her in the eye.
“What happened? There’s no time for trivial matters. Tell me.”
“No!” Em insisted.
This person knew more than she and Em wasn’t about to give all her cards away to a private citizen, especially a person of interest.
Sophie clenched her jaw, then sighed.
“I will tell you what I know when you tell me what happened.”
“You first,” said Em.
“I replaced the bullets with better ones. Now you.”
“What do you mean? What are they? That...that thing, it just disintegrated that animal’s chest cavity.”
Sophie’s eyes widened. She went and sat back down at her desk and rested her chin on her fist.
“What do you know?” asked Em.
Sophie seemed to be calculating intently. She stared blankly down at the floor. Em waited for what felt like it was an eternity. Finally, she spoke.
“Obviously, you’re in danger. Though, I’m not entirely sure why. If it’s a case of wrong place, wrong time, or maybe you’re just snooping around too much. The deaths are related, but not in the way you think.”
Sophie paused for a moment, contemplating.
“I think you should stay with me until we get this sorted out.”
Em scoffed in disbelief. Sophie just stared blankly at her. Em couldn’t believe it. This woman seemed serious.
“You’re joking, right?”
“No,” said Sophie, flatly.
She got out of her chair and walked over to Em and searched her eyes. Em wasn’t sure what she was doing. She felt so exposed.
Is this what those AKC show dogs feel like as their being judged?
“There’s something I should show you.”
She walked across the hall into a room filled with books, manuscripts and collections of papers lining every wall from floor to ceiling. Sophie ran a finger down a shelf, she pointed at a book and pulled it off the shelf. She fanned through the pages, then stopped about two-thirds of the way through.
“Here.”
She pointed to a page in the book.
“This is all you need to know.”
The top of the page read “The Sons of Cain.” Em looked up from the book quizzically. She read on.
In a fit of jealousy, Cain slew his brother, Abel.
As punishment, Cain was cast from Eden and marked so that all may recognize him for his wickedness.
“A Bible verse?”
Emiline’s chest filled with dread. Not another bible thumper bent on some absurd apocalyptic doomsday theory. She lacked the reserve to not speak freely and call this woman out on her fairytale propaganda.
“What does this have to do with anything?” asked Emiline.
“It’s not from the Bible. The mark. That’s what you saw, tonight. What chased you.”
“A wolf? A wolf is the mark? I don’t get it.”
Emiline thumbed through the book. It looked and felt fragile, it’s spine cracked, the pages yellowed and weathered. She closed it and looked at the title: The Sons of Cain: A History.
“There were three. Not one. Wasn’t Cain the only one marked?” said Em condescendingly.
“All descendants of Cain bear the mark. That bullet in your magazine was made of silver. They’re allergic.”
Em scoffed as she grinned with pity.
“What is this? Some kind of joke? Is Baldawin in on this?” Em asked.
“The bites on the victims,” Sophie reminded.
“Riiight,” said Em in disbelief.
Sophie’s expression remained the same. She just stood there watching Emiline.
“Don’t tell me you believe in werewolves. And I thought I was losing it.”
“The creature? That knocked you out the other night?”
Em wrinkled her nose.
“In the Garden?”
“What?” asked Em brashly.
“What did you see?”
“I didn’t see anything. It was dark,” she snapped.
“I know,” Sophie interrupted.
“WHAT are you talking about?” Em shook her head as she handed the book back to Sophie.
“You saw a wolf, a wolf that is smarter and stronger than any canine you’ve seen.”
To Em’s surprise, this calmed her down a bit. Maybe she wasn’t losing her mind, seeing weird creatures running about, making calculated decisions. But, then more questions arose.
“No, no. You don’t get to do that. You can’t just bring up all this nonsense werewolf crap and expect me to believe that’s what’s actually going on. I’m not a fool.”
“That’s all I can tell you.”
Her reply only ruffled Em’s feathers.
“You were there. At the Masquerade...kneeling over his body! You were there! When that animal attacked me, and I bet you were there at that strip club, too. What? Do you have a dog trained to attack people? Do you get off on watching people die?”
Sophie’s shoulders slouched forward as she let out a sigh.
“I can see this is going nowhere fast,” she remarked as she carefully placed the book back on the shelf.
“Who are you, really?” Em demanded.
“I already told you.”
“Sophie. That’s it? Just...Sophie?” she retorted mockingly.
Sophie rolled her eyes.
“Yes.”
Emiline grew increasingly agitated.
“Just Sophie...the bar owner slash medical doctor without a license to practice or any actual proof of being a doctor or the owner of that bar...That’s right. I looked you up. There’s not a single Sophie in the state with an M.D. license and you’re not listed as the owner of this bar.”
“I told you I just run the place.”
Sophie turned towards the bookcase and scanned its contents.
“And I haven’t practiced medicine in awhile...but my license is still active. I could show you a copy if you like,” she added.
Emiline crossed her arms and puffed in frustration. The more answers she got the more questions she had. The woman was a walking enigma. Em started for the door, stopped and shook her head in disbelief.
“A doctor that believes in werewolves…” she scoffed. “You’re nuts.”
Soph stared blankly as Em walked to the doorway.
“How do you explain the bullet?” Sophie remarked.
Em stopped. It was yet another thing she couldn’t explain.
“A chemical added to the bullets...an acid. Don’t worry. I’ll have it tested.”
“You know what it’ll show...silver.”
Em was getting annoyed and acquiesced from im
patience.
“Tricks. My eyes could have been playing tricks on me. It was dark. A lot was going on.”
“Not a good quality for a cop.”
Em whipped back around toward Sophie, offended by the jab at her competence as a detective.
“Don’t leave town,” she huffed.
She thought it absurd that this woman who called herself a doctor was talking up stories of werewolves. She was flabbergasted.
“You don’t want me to leave, you’ll have to keep an eye on me.”
“Don’t you fret about that,” Em retorted.
“No, really. I need you to stay with me for a while. Just until I know why they were after you. We can go pick up some things at your place if your want.”
Em chuckled and rolled her eyes.
“They were after me because I was on their property. And, if you seriously think I would stay with you...”
“You can search my premises,” Sophie interjected.
“I’ll allow you to search my home for whatever it is you think you might find, and I’ll present you with any documentation you desire...medical degrees, taxes...whatever.”
This piqued her interest. She immediately shook the idea from her head, but it popped back in with little effort. Sophie crossed her arms and waited. Em stood silent for a moment. Perhaps, this was an opportunity to move the case forward, find some evidence, or at the very least rule this woman out as a suspect.
Hmm, the freedom to snoop around Sophie’s place in exchange for...well...my freedom.
Maybe she could find out how Sophie knew the John Doe that was found outside her bar, or, maybe, this was the beginning of a new chapter of American Psycho.
“I’m keeping my piece,” Emiline insisted.
Sophie gave a terse nod. Reluctantly, Em nodded in agreement.
Chapter 4
Em packed some clothes into a duffle bag for her stay with Sophie while Sophie waited in the living room.
“Hey, if you’re a doctor, how come you believe in that stuff? I thought most scientists were atheists,” said Emiline from her bedroom.
Sophie surveyed Em’s place. It was sparse, lacking any photos or decorations that would typically make a place feel homey.
“There is a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips, if you’d only take the time to look,” Sophie responded in a tone that was both monotonous and automatic.
Em peeked through the cracked bedroom door. Sophie was taking in her surroundings, not paying any attention to Em. Em tiptoed to her closet and pulled down a box from the shelf above her. She placed it on the bed and quietly opened it with a key from her pocket. She pulled out a small .38 Special and tucked it in her boot. She glanced back at the door to make sure Sophie didn’t see. She was still looking around her apartment, now browsing through the kitchen. A weight lifted her shoulders. There was a sense of security in firepower.
“Okay, I’m ready,” said Em.
They arrived downtown at Sophie’s apartment. They walked into the same lobby Em had visited before. She thought about the elevator and how it only went to one floor.
“This way,” said Sophie.
She was standing to the right of the elevator which turned a corner and made a small hallway that led nowhere. Sophie walked up to the dead end wall. A gas burning valance hung above her on the wall. She stood on her tiptoes and blew out the flame. The wall made a low rumble that Em could feel vibrate through her feet and up her legs. The wall turned at a ninety degree angle creating a doorway. Sophie walked through. Em cautiously followed. They entered into a vast dark hall made of large grey stones and high, arched ceilings. It was drafty and cool. Gas burning lamps illuminated shelves on top of shelves of books along the walls. The books looked old and frail. The bindings were well worn, cracked, and fading. Sophie pulled one book from a shelf and then another. They continued down the hall which opened into one large room. In the middle of the room lay a large, oval hole in the ceiling that let light in from the floors above and allowed one to see the ceiling of the very top floor. Em could see that each floor had an opening like this just like she had seen when she was on the top floor looking down.
They walked over to the elevator and entered the ninth floor. Sophie turned to Em and handed her the two books she had grabbed on the ground floor.
"This will catch you up,” Sophie said as she shoved the books against Em’s chest.
Emiline frown and reluctantly accepted them.
The doors opened onto the ninth floor, an area that Emiline immediately recognized from before. The fireplace still roared and the candle in the window continued to flicker.
“You can sleep in that room, there."
“Bossy much?” Em sarcastically asked.
Sophie pointed to a door across the room. She turned away and began walking toward a hole in the center of the floor.
"I have to take care of some things. Whatever you do, don't leave."
Sophie dove down into the hole, head first. Em's eyes widened in shock as she felt a jolt run through her body. The books fell out of her hand and hit the floor with a loud clap. She gasped and hurried over to the opening in the floor and looked down. It grew darker the further down she peered. She could barely make out the grey slab stone on the first floor, but no Sophie. She gawked at the hole, perplexed by the lack of a body splattered on the bottom floor. Where was she?
Emiline was seriously beginning to wonder whether she was losing her mind...or dreaming. No one could jump nine stories and survive. Even if she somehow landed only a couple stories down on one of the other floors, the sheer physics of how she must have done it were mind boggling. She shuffled away from the railing, still fixated on the hole it surrounded. This was turning out to be a weird week.
She looked down at the books Sophie had given her. They were brown, tattered, and obviously old. They appeared well used just like all of Sophie’s books. Some pages had detached from the spine. She picked them up and set the books down on a table. She glanced back at the hole in the floor where Sophie dove into the ether and disappeared.
Am I losing it?
The hair on her skin stood on edge. Emiline wandered through the living area. Everything looked pretty ordinary. A white sofa lay in the center of the room with a red armchair adjacent to it. The walls were white. No pictures hung on them. Everywhere was neat and tidy. She browsed around. Any sort of papers could come in useful: mail, receipts, bills, maybe. But she couldn't seem to find any paperwork anywhere. She looked through the kitchen drawers, then meandered into the bedroom. This room she recognized. It was where she had awoken after blacking out from the wolf incident in the Chinese Garden. The satin sheets were still scattered about the bed just as she had left them. There was a photo on the nightstand. She walked over and picked up the picture frame. She hadn’t noticed it before. It was a picture of Sophie and another woman smiling together. The red-headed woman had her arm wrapped around Sophie’s shoulder. Why did she look familiar? Em felt like she had seen her before, but where? She rummaged through her thoughts. Somewhere...recent. Somewhere...her eyes widened.
The crime scene! She was the owner of the strip club, Corazon Diablo. Her chest grew tight at the realization of her current situation. There she was holding the link between two crimes scenes. The strip club owner was at one scene and she obviously knew Sophie who was at the other crime scene. And, here she was in the woman’s home. The woman who had just dove down nine stories and went god knows where. In her large, perplexing, unusually designed home with a free fall and an oddly functioning elevator for an exit. She suddenly found it difficult to breathe. What had she gotten herself into? Her gut told her the woman was eccentric, but not murderous. But now, she could feel her throat constricting. Adrenaline zipped through her veins. How could she have been so stupid?
She went over to the window she had used as an exit from before. The glass was still blacked out. She unlocked the window and tried to pull it up. Nothing. It wouldn’t budge. She tried again. Still nothi
ng. Why was it so hard? It came up so easily before. She continued pulling anxiously, but then a shiny reflection caught the corner of her eye. A nail anchored the window to the frame. She took a deep breath, turned and looked for something to pry the nails out with, but she saw nothing useful. She needed a means of egress. The elevator, she thought. Maybe the elevator would work. She knew the elevator seemed to be rigged to only go to certain floors: the ninth and first as far as she knew. She was reluctant to use something so slow and claustrophobic. She hurried to the doorway of the room and peeked out, looking and listening carefully for any unwanted visitors. Silence. She grabbed her bag and ran to the elevator. She pushed the “down” button and stepped into the elevator.
Moment of truth.
Em pushed the button for the first floor. The doors closed, and the elevator began to go down. She sighed with relief. That was one less thing to worry about. She stepped to the right side of the elevator and covered her gun holster with her hand. If someone was waiting when the doors opened she would be ready.
Bing.
The doors slowly pried open. She peered out, scanning right and then left. Nothing.The lobby was empty.
Good.
Emiline stepped out of the elevator and exited the building. She pulled out her phone and began dialing. She walked over to a Max train that had just stopped nearby and hopped on.
“Hey. I need you to meet me somewhere. I got a lead...yeah…remember Corazon Diablo? As soon as possible. Thanks.”
She hung up the phone.
Em arrived at the white building of Corazon Diablo via cab. The Max didn’t go out far enough, and she didn’t want to waste time going back home to pick up her car. She got out of the cab and looked at the building. Rain deposited on the pavement as the low rumble of bass bellowed out the entrance door as it opened and closed. She thought of how this intriguing woman had managed to pull her into this web of confusion. Sophie had seemingly saved her from a wolf attack, then declared Em was in danger and needed help. Now, Sophie knew where she lived and was apparently connected to all the strange things that had been occurring. The thought sent shivers down her spine. Maybe, Sophie was the danger after all, in spite of what her gut had originally told her.
