BELIEVE in DEMONS

by Richard Alanson

  Ascending the narrow staircase, Carter heard someone rustling behind the door and there was a shadowy figure moving inside the room. Seth was a fool if he thought he could cover something up when Carter was standing right there. Carter ignored the posters of famous fights that had been plastered all over the walls. He reached around and placed a hand on his gun. He didn't think he would need it but it didn't hurt to let Seth know that Carter was here for a serious matter. He reached the top and banged his fist against the door. The figure stopped moving. Carter pushed open the door and was about to greet Seth when he was silenced by surprise. Evidently, the people below had been telling the truth when they said that Seth wasn't in, but they hadn't told Carter that Leo Tanaka was in the office. Tanaka was almost as good a person to find as Seth. Although Tanaka didn't wield the same influence as Seth he was a local bookie and would likely know something about the circumstances surrounding Paulo's death.

  Leo Tanaka was a small, rotund man of Asian descent with thinning hair and a fondness for garish clothes. His wiry black mustache hung over his top lip and his scalp broke through his thinning hair. Usually, he wore a fedora to cover this up but today he was bare-headed. The office wasn't in any better state than the rest of the gym. Papers were strewn about the desk; clothes were piled up on the chair. The computer looked as though it was from the 80s. It was a wonder anyone could get any work done. Leo wilted as soon as he saw Carter. His eyes widened and his head bowed.

  “I was just leaving detective. I'm sure you're looking for Seth. He's not here. I had an appointment with him this morning. I don't know where he is. I've waited here long enough. Excuse me.” Leo spoke hurriedly, and he went to try to push past Carter but the detective was like a brick wall. Sweat beaded on Leo's brow.

  “Why are you in such a hurry?”

  “People to go, places to see, you know how it is,” Leo said, not realizing that he was getting muddled up. Carter pursed his lips together.

  “Have a seat Leo. I'd like to have a word with you.”

  Leo groaned and sat down on the chair. Carter rested on the edge of the desk. He quickly glanced over the desk to see if there was anything incriminating but it only seemed to be random memos. If anyone knew anything it was going to be Leo, and Carter was going to find out what he knew.

  “Do you know why I'm here?” Carter began.

  “Because you're looking for a workout? He said with a nervous attempt at humor. I don't know. Is Seth in trouble?”

  “Now why do you say that? I thought that Seth was a reputable businessman. Is he doing something illegal?”

  Leo's eyes darted around. “No, no, I just mean, well, you know some of the people that hang around here. There's no problem with Seth though. No problem at all.”

  “You know Leo, I've always liked you. You're just a man trying to make his way through the world any way he can. I respect that, I really do. This country is built on people just like you. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize your business; I just want a few answers that's all. You see, Paulo Hernandez was found dead this morning and I know he trained here. I'm just looking to see if anyone knows what happened. I mean, I can't speak for you but I know I always found the man intimidating. Those biceps were as big as my head! I can't imagine who would have had the balls to take him on and actually win! I know he was quite favored here as well, in the fights,” Carter said pointedly. Leo was breathing raggedly and his skin glistened under the lights.

  “I...I don't know what you mean. What fights?”

  “Don't play dumb with me,” Carter growled, leaning forward. He held the sides of Leo's chair and glared at Leo. Their faces were inches apart. Carter could smell the eggs Leo had had for breakfast. It was all he could do to not gag. “I know there's an underground fight ring and I know that this is where it all happens. Now you can cooperate and tell me what I want to know, or we can carry on this conversation down at the station, and I don't think your associates would be very happy to see you paying a visit to the police.”

  “They'd never believe that I'd say anything!”

  “Maybe not, but I wouldn't have believed anyone who knew him would kill Paulo either. Strange things happen in this world Leo and you always have to watch your back. But if that's the way you want to play it then we can go right ahead. I'll get a squad car down here so everyone can see the bright flashing lights, and I'll make sure they all hear that Leo Tanaka is coming in for questioning. I'd love to know what little secrets are locked up in that head of yours,” Carter said, smirking. It was an empty threat really but sometimes those were the type of threats that worked. Leo wiped his brow and swallowed. He looked around the office for a drink but there was none available.

  “Okay, okay, what do you want to know?”

  “I want to know who wanted Paulo dead. Did he refuse to throw a fight? I can't imagine there was much money involved in him winning anymore. The only way anyone could have made any money was for him losing and he didn't seem the type to lose. That's my theory anyway, and I find it telling that Seth isn't here. Now unless you can shed some light on the investigation, that's the idea I'm going with and I'll make sure that Seth knows how helpful you've been.”

  “No, no! Please...you can't lie. It's not ethical.”

  “Neither is killing a kid!” Carter yelled. Leo was cowed, then took a few deep breaths and started speaking.

  “You've got it all wrong. Seth didn't have anything to do with this. You're looking in the wrong place detective.”

  “Then where's the right place to look?”

  Carter stared at Tanaka. The small man's face had a deathly pallor. Sweat was now pouring down his skin and his eyes were darting furtively, never resting on anything. His voice was shaking and his hands were wringing. His entire body started to tremble. “Leo, tell me what I need to know!” Carter yelled. Leo looked at him and in that moment Carter saw something eerie and unsettling in the man's eyes. Something that he couldn't quite place, but he knew it was unnatural. He didn't have any time to reflect upon it though because at that point Leo Tanaka started spewing out a string of Latin words, so fast that Carter couldn't keep track of them.

  Then, Tanaka started shaking violently. His hands and arms flailed about. Papers were pushed off the desk. Tanaka jumped suddenly from the chair aiming for Carter, who for a moment actually feared for his life but was able to use Tanaka’s impetus to his advantage by sidestepping the attack, tripping the little guy onto the floor as he did so then quickly pinning his arms behind his back and sitting on him; the best way he could think of to stop Tanaka’s thrashing. He tried to talk Tanaka down but whatever was happening to the man had deafened him to anything.

  Carter suspected that drugs were involved and there was nothing to do other than to slap cuffs on the wildly struggling, almost berserk man, and arrest him.

  Chapter 6

  M cBride had never seen anything like the tantrum that Tanaka had thrown. It hadn't been expected from a grown man and it only confirmed to Carter that Tanaka knew something about Hernandez's death. Carter hauled Tanaka out of Seth's office and dragged him outside. The people in the gym looked nonchalantly at Carter. They didn't seem to care that Tanaka was making such a show. Carter strained and struggled to keep Tanaka under control. The small man didn't look very strong but his muscles were tightly packed and he was wriggling and writhing in such a way that it was difficult for Carter to get him to the car without any trouble. The detective was about ready to slam his fist into Tanaka's face to make him easier to manage but was able to rein in his darker impulses.

  Tanaka kept repeating the same phrases in Latin over and over again. Carter didn't know what type of drug was in Tanaka's system but it must have played havoc with Leo's mind because Carter couldn't imagine his education went so far as to know Latin. Carter certainly didn't know what it was about. The only Latin he knew was Carpe diem, but it seemed that every day there was a little less to seize. This murder investigation was starting to be too strange for him. From Fa
ther Constantine's reaction to this...Carter didn't know what to think. There was still the actual problem of figuring out how Paulo had died as well. Carter tried not to think that there might actually be something supernatural going on but when everything was turning crazy around him...it made him wonder.

  On the drive back to the station Carter blasted the radio to try to drown out Tanaka's ramblings. It wasn't entirely successful. At the station house he shoved Tanaka into a room and told one of the junior officers to get Father Constantine in. If anyone knew Latin then it would likely be the priest although Carter wasn't enthused about seeing him again. Now that he thought about it, it had been a strange request for the priest to want to take the body back to consecrated ground. Never before had Carter experienced anything like that. He sat at his desk when Sosa came over.

  “Sounds like you've had quite the morning,” Sosa said.

  “Tell me about it. I don't know what's happening to this city, but it's getting worse all the time,” Carter said wearily.

  “It's all a matter of perspective. Anything I can help you with?”

  Carter eyed the man suspiciously for a moment. He and Sosa certainly had their problems but at the end of the day, they were both on the same side. Carter took a deep breath before he spoke. “I've got a young man who was killed with no evident wounds on his body. I've got a priest who confirmed the identity and then said he wanted to take the body back to consecrated ground because there was an evil presence around. Now I've got a suspect who is speaking Latin. I don't know what to think.”

  “Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. I guess being promoted means that you get all the best cases.”

  “You know I never asked for it right?”

  “But you wanted it,” Sosa said. Carter didn't have a reply for that. “I don't begrudge you anything, Carter. It’s always been the two of us against each other in our careers. The precinct isn't big enough for the both of us, just know that I'm always going to do my best and if you slip up I'm going to be right behind you waiting to prove to everyone that I'm the best choice for the job. That being said if you need help with this just ask. I don't want to see criminals get away with anything.”

  “Truth is I don't know what I need help with. Nothing about this case makes any sense. I get what you're saying though and I don't blame you, but I'm not going to give up easily. I'm aiming to be Chief one day and I'm not going to let anything or anyone prevent me.”

  “Then it looks as though we're going to be having this little rivalry for a while,” Sosa said and left. Carter didn't know what to make of Sosa. There were times when he thought him to be a loyal member of the force and other times when he seemed loyal only to his own ambition. Carter would have to be careful of him in the future. The longer this went on the more desperate Sosa would be to prove himself, and that could mean trouble for them all. It hadn't escaped Carter's notice that Sosa hadn't actually offered him any help with the case at all. As far as Carter was concerned he was alone, but that was when he tended to do his best work.

  Being detective suited him well. He'd never been a team player which was one of the reasons why his first marriage had fallen apart. It wasn't a character trait he was particularly proud of, and realized it could go against him when being considered for promotions, but it was easier to rely on himself and not think about anyone else. It meant he couldn't let anyone down again, not like Eddie. He was sure that his father had blamed him for Eddie's death, and that had, in turn, played its part in his father's suicide. Carter's past was heavy with tragedy, but he couldn't do anything about the past. The only thing he could affect was the present and right now he had a murder case to solve. Deciding that he wanted to take his mind off his own problems Carter went down to the holding cell to talk to Leo again. Hopefully by now whatever drugs he had taken had worn off and he was able to hold a rational conversation.

  ****

  When Carter reached the holding cell however he was in for a surprise. The place was empty. The cuffs were left on the table and there was nobody in there. Carter slammed his fist against the wall and yelled to everyone around to find Tanaka. Nobody had seen him though. Carter growled and snarled like a wild animal and threatened to have everyone on report for their incompetence.

  “How can a person of interest just waltz out of here?” he bemoaned. It didn't make any sense. Tanaka wasn't some kind of genius. Carter went into the room and looked around. It was absolutely befuddling. He held the cuffs in his own hands. They were still locked but Tanaka wasn't in them. It was as though he had just vanished and nobody remembered seeing him. It was just another thing that Carter couldn't explain and he was getting tired of it. He slammed the door on his way out and almost bumped into Father Constantine on the way.

  “You needed my assistance?” the priest said in a soft voice.

  “I did, but I don't anymore,” Carter said, glaring back at the holding cell. It just didn't make any sense and there was nothing that could explain it, except magic, and Carter wasn't going to go down that route.

  “You seem troubled detective. Is there anything I can help you with? Often it is good to talk when we encounter difficulties.”

  “This is something more than a difficulty,” Carter said.

  “Does it have something to do with Paulo?”

  Carter sighed and took the priest to the side where they couldn't be heard. “I wanted you down here because I arrested a suspect today who was rambling in Latin. I don't know if it's related to the death or not but I figured if anyone knew what it means it would be you. But the man has gone. I don't know how, but he's just gone.”

  “That does sound troubling,” Father Constantine said softly, “I don't suppose you can remember any of the words he used?”

  “I'm sorry but they all sounded the same to me. Complete gibberish. I don't think anyone had the chance to write it down either. He was gone before any of us had a chance. I'm sorry for wasting your time Father.”

  “No, no, there's no need to apologize. It's all a little intriguing, really. I've thought for a long time that there's not enough excitement in my life but what you tell me is disturbing. I have heard of this kind of thing before and nothing good ever follows from it.”

  “I'm figuring it's some kind of drug but I've never heard of a drug that can do this.”

  “I think you are mistaken there detective. Perhaps if you can spare an hour or so I could talk to you about my thoughts? I know that you see yourself as a man of logic and do not put much stock in faith but I would suggest that you open your mind up to other possibilities.”

  “I'm sorry father but I really don't have time right now. I've got to figure out how this man escaped from right under our noses.” With that Carter turned his back on the priest. Father Constantine sighed and shook his head slightly before he turned and left the precinct. Carter was willing to believe a lot of things but he couldn't give any attention to the crackpot theories of a priest. There was nothing supernatural about this case and Carter wasn't going to start cultivating a culture of religious fervor. There was a rational explanation for everything that happened here even if it was hard to see.

  ****

  By this point it was mid-afternoon. Carter checked his cell and saw that he had a message from Nicky. She made a cute reference to their plans to snuggle up and watch a movie later. It made Carter smile. He hoped that he'd be able to get all of this off his mind. Whenever he had a case he liked to work it until it was done and this one seemed as though it was going to take up a lot of his time. With nothing else to go on, Carter decided that he'd follow up on his original lead and try to find Seth. There were still a couple of rocks that he could have crawled under and it seemed the best way to try to get information. He'd likely know about whatever drug Tanaka was taking as well. Maybe that had something to do with Paulo's death. The problem was that right now Carter had too many ‘maybes’.

  Chapter 7

  C arter found Seth in one of the man's regular haunts, the r
oller derby rink. The careening sound of people skating around filled the air. Seth was sitting by the side. The man had his fingers in a lot of pies and sponsored one of the local roller derby teams. He threw up his hands and yelled at them that they had to be faster. He was involved in a lot of shadier activities as well although nobody had been able to pin anything on him for sure. He was one of the vilest men Carter had ever had the displeasure of dealing with. Even the thought of being around him made Carter's skin crawl. Seth had beady eyes and jaundiced skin with a mottled area on the right side of his face, the result of a childhood accident. Yet for all his faults he had built himself into a powerful man. He was strong and there was always a beautiful girl on his arm. Money could buy a lot of things. Seth was sitting by the edge of the rink gazing out at the skaters. There were two muscle-bound goons flanking him. Their hands were folded behind their backs but Carter noticed how they stiffened as he approached. Seth remained relaxed and barely even acknowledged Carter's presence.

  When Carter approached Seth waved a hand. The blonde girl by his side sauntered away without saying a word. Carter pitied her. Sure, she had a pretty dress and sparkling jewelry but that was too high a price to pay for having to be in thrall to Seth. Carter didn't want to think about what it was like to share a bed with the man and he'd seen too many young girls stray down the same path. There was nothing much he could do about it though. There were always too many people to help. Evil hung like a shadow across the world and it seemed to be getting darker every day. The more of the world Carter saw, the more he was convinced that God had no place on Earth because if he did then why was it such a hellish existence? So many people had been lost to desperation and temptation. Men like Seth took advantage and ruined the lives of so many people. Carter was always angry that he hadn't been able to pin anything on Seth. One day the man would slip up and Carter dearly hoped that today was that day.