by Teri Barnett
All eyes on her, Morgan squared her shoulders. “What are you talking about? Are you suggesting we have an animal in Bijoux killing people?”
“Could be a werewolf,” Cal whispered. Zoe shot him a glare and he quit talking.
“Hey!” Miranda shouted from the beach. “Look!” Everyone turned to where she was pointing. A large, dark green, humped blob was floating just above the surface of the water. “Messie is here!”
Morgan and Cal hurried to the edge of the water, about half the psychics following close behind. The others stayed close to the circle. “Well, that’s something,” Cal said.
“You believe in sea monsters, don’t you?” Morgan asked.
“Whether or not I believe is not the question. The only question is, what is that?” he said, pointing to the moving entity.
“A lake sturgeon? They can get up to three hundred pounds. The conventional thinking is Messie is just a big old fish no one’s been able to catch.”
“It’s not a sturgeon,” Zoe said. “It’s a sign from Edna and Rocky.” She turned to Morgan and her eyes were closed. “Messie is elusive, as is the animal. In our midst, yet unseen.”
“Zoe,” Morgan said.
Zoe opened her eyes and took one of Morgan’s hands and one of Cal’s in each of hers. “You will solve this mystery. Together.”
As Zoe finished speaking, Messie dove under the water and everyone cheered. A long thin tale, maybe fifteen feet long, pointed straight up in the air before it, too, vanished. “Not a lake sturgeon,” Cal whispered. “Not by a long shot.”
Chapter Eighteen
“What are you doing?” Morgan asked as she approached a small, older SUV. Jack Steve spun around.
“Nothing.” His eyes shot back and forth between the officer and Cal. He patted the roof of the vehicle. “Nothing at all.”
Morgan held her hand out.
“What?”
She wiggled her fingers until Jack reluctantly deposited a small lock picking kit onto her palm. He kicked at the sand while she examined it. Not fancy, cheaply made, and barely usable. “You said yesterday you’d given up your early life of crime. This says otherwise. Reputable folks do not carry around lock picking kits.” She held up the small vinyl case. “Where did you get this? The back of a comic book?”
Jack straightened. “If you must know, yes. That’s exactly where I got it.”
“Did you get the x-ray glasses too?” Cal asked. “I could never get my pair to work.”
Morgan stared at him. “You should probably stop talking now. You’re only adding to your professor weirdness persona.” She looked back at Jack. “Explain yourself, please.”
“This is Rocky’s vehicle. I had a hunch. Not a premonition or anything like that, just a good old-fashioned hunch.” He shook his head. “It was like a breath of fresh air, really, to have an original thought not tainted by guides and spirits.” He glanced at Cal and frowned. “Never got my x-ray glasses to work either. I had dreams of seeing through walls.”
“I bet that’s what you dreamed of seeing through.” Morgan rolled her eyes, then scolded herself. How had she not thought to look for Rocky’s car? Damn “Now, back to the real conversation. Why are you here?”
“In the spirit of full disclosure, and to further cement our professional relationship, I will tell you everything I know.”
“We don’t have a professional relationship but go ahead anyway.”
“I remembered hearing someone was looking for Rocky yesterday, for a reading. I thought Rocky might have had an appointment book with names in it,” Jack offered. “Nothing more nefarious than that.”
Damn. I should’ve thought of that, Morgan admitted to herself. “So, did you find one?”
Jack gave Morgan the once over. “If you would embrace your witch-self, you’d already know the answer and wouldn’t have to ask. But since you continue to be in denial, no, I found nothing.” He looked at Cal. “It’s a shame, really. Power exudes from this one and she fears it.”
Cal peeked at Morgan out of the corner of his eye. Her jaw was clenched. “Sorry, Jack. The only thing she fears right now is smacking you and getting charged with police brutality.”
Morgan stuffed the small kit into her back pocket. Jack started to protest. “I’m keeping this. You can return to your friends over there. Stay out of police business or we’ll need to have another talk down at the station again, only this time there’ll be bars between us.”
Jack huffed. “Well, I never.”
“And you shouldn’t.” Morgan nodded toward the psychics. “Looks like they’re waiting for you.”
“Yes, yes, of course they are. I’m somewhat of a leader for them, you know. They’ll need my help closing the circle and putting Edna and Rocky to rest.” He walked away, but added over his shoulder, “Not that they’ll get any rest while the murderer is still on the loose.”
“I can’t believe I forgot about checking Rocky’s vehicle,” Morgan said to Cal.
“Cut yourself some slack. There’s a lot going on.”
“Yeah, but this is my job. I’m not allowed to make these sorts of mistakes.” Morgan sighed. Self-recrimination wouldn’t get her anywhere. She opened the car door and gave Rocky’s vehicle a thorough going over, but nothing interesting turned up. Unless you counted his collection of shawls, turbans, and unopened packages of bubble gum. Beyond that, there was nothing to help figure out who killed him. Her phone pinged and she checked the message. “Doc Pete has the DNA results from Griselda’s claws. He’s going to meet me at the station. C’mon, I’ll drop you off.”
Cal looked at her, eyebrows raised.
“I’m taking you back to the Raven’s Nest, not the station, in case you’re wondering. Don’t you have a psychic fair to get ready for?”
“That’s not for another hour, plus I have Billy taking care of whatever the psychics might need this morning. Which is good because I’d rather not miss seeing the Doc around you. I’m sure you noticed how he turns an interesting shade of red.”
“I don’t exist for your entertainment, you know. I have two murders to solve and you insist on being in the way.” Morgan pushed her choppy bangs out of her eyes. When this case was done, a haircut was first on the agenda.
He punched her gently on the arm and grinned. “Now who’s acting all stuffy?”
Morgan gave up. If she dropped Cal at the store, he would only walk over. Might as well save the gas. She pulled up in front of the station and, true to his word, Doc Pete was waiting, perched on the wood bench outside the entrance. She waved to him as she unlocked the door. “Come in, please.”
She angled around the counter and both Cal and Pete stood on the other side. Cal leaned sideways, his elbow on the counter, and looked at Pete. “What do you have for us?”
“There is no us,” Morgan said. As the words were coming out of her mouth, she wondered why she even bothered to say anything at all. Damn he was stubborn.
“Should he be here? Isn’t this private police business between an officer and a doctor?” Doc Pete asked. He looked at Cal out of the corner of his eye, then back at Morgan. “Isn’t he potentially a security risk to your investigation?”
Morgan shook her head. “He’s always a risk. I find it’s best to ignore him,” she said. “He eventually gets the hint and wanders off.”
“Well, okay.” Doc Pete pulled an envelope out of his back pocket and retrieved the contents. “Here are the results of the DNA testing from the blood I found on Griselda’s claws.” He paused. “Do you know we share about ninety percent of our DNA with cats? It’s just that little ten percent that makes them kitties and not humans. Or, I suppose, us human and them kitties. All their soft fur, innate cuteness, and bad attitude exists just within that small ten percent. Isn’t that fascinating?”
“Sure….?” Morgan said. If she’d entertained even a smidgen of a possibility of going out with him, Pete just shut that down with his kitty comments. “But what can you tell me about the test?”
“Oh. Oh, yes. I found two different DNA strands and compared what I had with what Wood’s been able to gather. One strand matched Edna. The other is unidentified.”
“What does that mean?” Cal asked.
“Well, it’s more human than cat, sort of a human/animal hybrid.”
“That seems odd,” Morgan said. Janine’s words came to mind, Do something before the animal strikes again, and she shook off the foreboding.
“A little,” Pete said. “But I believe it was likely the human DNA was contaminated with Griselda’s. Because of the contamination, there’s no way to get a conclusive human match.”
“Makes more sense than something like a werewolf — werecat? — walking among us,” Cal said. “Though Griselda is pretty big.”
“Wouldn’t that be something,” Pete said, his eyes wide. “Michigan does have its fair share of cryptids, you know, besides Messie. Some even with werewolf characteristics, like the Dog Man.”
“The French called it Loup Garou. The legend in Michigan goes all the way back to the 1700s and the voyageurs,” Cal added. “Native cultures have similar folklore about a half wolf/half man who roamed the woods at night as well.”
The two men stared off in the distance, as if imagining such a creature walking down Main Street. Morgan cleared her throat. “Why don’t you two take this fascinating discussion outside?” Morgan held her hand out to the Doc. “I’ll take the results. Thank you for bringing them over.” She smiled at him. “I appreciate your help and everything you’ve done for Griselda.”
He stared at her like the proverbial deer in the headlights. The blush started at the base of his neck and flushed its way up to the top of his head, making his blonde hair and blue eyes glow in bold relief.
Morgan noticed Cal was watching the color change with an intense fascination. She shoved at his shoulder. “Go. Go away. Both of you. I have work to do.”
“But it’s Sunday,” Pete said. “Maybe you should get some lunch first? With me?”
Morgan froze, which she considered must be some sort of Cro-Magnon self-preservation tactic still locked in her genetic makeup. Who knew? She’d stared down hardened criminals and never gave it a second thought, always acted with quick reflexes.
Cal laid an arm across the shorter man’s shoulders and steered him toward the door. “C’mon, Pete. I have a little time before I have to be at the fair. Cap’n is busy chasing criminals. I’ll grab some food with you.”
“Um, okay.”
Cal tossed Morgan a look over his shoulder as he and Doc Pete left. “You owe me,” he mouthed.
Morgan could not disagree. She crossed her arms on the counter and laid her head down, eyes closed. Where was the quiet lakeside town of her childhood where the worst thing could happen was a beach streaker or pot-smoking teens on the preserve?
When she moved back, three months ago, she’d noted the physical changes in Bijoux—the trendy shops and coffee houses—and wondered if they reflected deeper shifts to what had been a more simple way of life in the tourist town. But maybe seeing through the lens of her childhood wasn’t a good way to look at something. Her years in Detroit and Ian’s murder had definitely made her cynical, which probably wasn’t a good way to see the world either. Even Able, had mellowed out over the years. Balance. She needed balance. Maybe it wasn’t enough to hop on her bike and go for a ride. Maybe she needed to embrace change like everyone else around her had done. Maybe yoga classes would do the trick. Yoga was supposed to be good for such things, or so she’d heard from Frankie. And Liz. They both attended classes several times a week. And there was a new studio in town.
Voices outside drew her attention and Morgan raised her head. A line was forming at Hal’s. Must be another unscheduled Coffee Cake Day. Cake made everything better. She locked the station door behind her and walked over to see her dad.
Morgan reached the front of the line and started to open the exit door when someone yelled, “Cutter!”
Another joined in. “Line cutter there!”
Morgan turned around. “For heaven’s sake. We’ve been through this before. I am not cutting the line. I’m going to talk to my dad.”
“Oh, Morgan,” Mr. Dominic began, “you know you have to obey the rules of Coffee Cake Day just like anyone else.” He gave her the once over. “Kissed that fancy professor of yours yet?”
“What? No! He’s not ‘my professor’ and I’m not having this conversation.”
“I understand. You need some coffee cake to sweeten him up, get him to like you enough to plant one on.”
“I do not need coffee cake to get someone to kiss me.”
“Can’t hurt, though,” Cal said from behind her.
Morgan turned. “Why are you always lurking? I thought you were getting food with Pete.”
“He had an emergency and had to run to the clinic.”
“Well, go keep an eye on your psychics,” she said to Cal. Then, to Mr. Dominic, “And you. Stop placing bets on me.”
Mr. Dominic hung his head. “Now the captain won’t let me wager money on kissing.” Several people standing around him, patted his back and shot dirty looks at Morgan.
“How am I the bad guy here?”
“Don’t make her mad, Mr. Dominic,” Connie warned walking up to them. “Or you might end up her next victim.”
Morgan took a step toward Connie. Cal put a hand on her arm and whispered, “Let’s go get some of that coffee cake.”
She allowed herself to be led inside, chants of ‘cutters’ and ‘killer’ ringing out behind her. “I am really getting tired of her antics,” Morgan muttered.
“Hey, Morgan!” Able called out. “Come on back. Fresh coffee and a new coffee cake recipe today — lemon poppy seed.”
“What’s the occasion?” she asked. “You’re off calendar again.”
“Celebrating in advance of tomorrow’s ceremony.” Able smiled and handed them two steaming mugs. “Just what the doctor ordered.”
“And here’s the other half of the prescription,” Zoe said, handing them each a napkin with a large piece of cake.
Morgan smiled her thanks as Zoe turned back to the line of folks waiting for their slice.
“You’re worried,” Able said. “And those circles around your eyes tell me you’re not sleeping. That’s not a good combination for working a case, especially one as intense as this one.”
Morgan sighed and stepped over to the side of the makeshift coffee bar, away from the crowd. Able followed. “Dad, you’re lucky you never had to deal with death while you were on the job. And, you know, it’s not that I can’t handle it, but it’s been a lot to manage in such a short amount of time.”
“It doesn’t help that Connie keeps dogging you, either,” her father growled. “I have a mind to talk to the station manager about her behavior. That woman is beyond unprofessional. She’s downright dangerous with her crazy theories.”
“Thanks Dad, I can handle Connie. She’s goading me into a confrontation so she can get it on camera. But I’m not going to give it to her.”
Able gave Morgan’s shoulders a comforting squeeze. “Any developments on the case?”
“Nothing substantial. Rocky was the main suspect. Since he’s no longer viable, we’re now investigating some of the other psychics.”
“Why assume it’s another psychic?”
“There are a lot of rivalries and Edna, the first victim, wasn’t well-liked in the community. It stands to reason it could be one of them.” She shook her head. “And then there’s Starman’s son, who thinks these people are all frauds.” She leaned in and whispered. “Between us, that exact word turned up at each murder scene.”
“I’d be more inclined to go down that road than the psychics. These are Zoe’s friends. Some of them are like family to her.” He glanced at his fiancée. “I hope for her sake it’s not one of them.”
Morgan sighed. “Her friends have been handing out predictions like crazy, too. Whether to divert attention from them
selves or not, I have no idea. I can’t believe I’m even giving it any thought, but they keep talking about an animal being the killer.”
“Not just any animal,” Cal said as he joined them. “A werewolf-cat hybrid.”
Able eyed Cal. “What, you too? Stop floating ridiculous rumors like that. You know as well as I do how itchy everyone around here gets when people start talking about ghosts and monsters.”
“It’s not ridiculous. The Loup Garou is well known in Michigan.” Cal took a bite of cake and pushed his glasses up. “Goes along with the territory of being the most haunted town on Lake Michigan.”
Zoe joined the conversation. “Ghosts and werewolves are two entirely different entities. One’s dead and the other, though altered, is still very much alive.” The crowd behind them started grumbling. “Sorry everyone, we’re out of cake!” she called out.
“At least the Killer Captain got hers,” someone said from near the door. “Maybe she’ll be happy now and not kill anymore.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Able shouted. “Go on, all of you!” Then he grinned. “But, hey, thanks for coming by. Stop in next week for my wedding day discounts and specials.”
Morgan shook her head and had to smile a little. This place was crazy, but it was home.
“Well, I’ve heard enough. I’m heading over to the psychic fair.” She glanced at her phone. “Some info from JJ on Davey and Daisy just popped into my email.” She glanced at Cal. “I suppose you’re coming?”
“Wouldn’t miss it. Plus, I need to do some research on blue animals crossed with werewolves.”
“And don’t forget Messie,” Zoe said. “She’s tied into this somehow, too. It may be nothing more than Edna and Rocky sending messages through her, but you never know.”
Chapter Nineteen
“All of you. Go back to your tables. This sort of public disturbance is not welcome in Bijoux and will not be tolerated!”
