Which, after stalling a bit, staying in the little office doing all the paperwork for the day, is what he did. Go home and just sit there, playing games all night. No one even called, which was sad. It sort of meant he was being forgotten. Then, the coolest thing about him, other than his winning smile, was that he could travel to other realities. A thing he hadn’t done in over half a year. It was tempting to sneak off and do that, but, as had been suggested, the best way for him to hide that kind of talent was to not use it.
“So, my little game friends, get ready to die.” He managed to sound pretty intense about the whole thing, as he growled the words.
The sofa barely squeaked under him, being comfortable and fairly new. It didn't have a lot of wear on it yet, either. It was tan, a bit overstuffed and had been purchased when he’d gotten the tiny place he was in. He did have two rooms and vaulted ceilings, which kept it from feeling like a coffin. There was even a window in the front room, which meant that, at midnight, Troy was able to see that someone was standing there, outside his place.
It was about to become menacing, when a soft knock came. Followed by a low and gentle voice.
“Troy? It is I, Bey. May I come to visit?” Like always, it was very polite seeming.
He jumped up, hitting pause on the game as he did it.
“Bey!” He was happy sounding, but didn’t get loud. Really, it was nice to have the company, even though it probably meant something was wrong. That or it was time for his bi-annual checkup.
When the door opened, the man, small and bald, stood there. He looked normal enough really. He had a slightly large head, with big brown eyes and was pale. At least as much as Troy was himself. The fellow also had a large smile on his face, and moved in quickly. That was just how he did things, at least around other vampires. The way he acted around humans was a little different, since it was very clear that not frightening them was pretty important to the man.
He was great that way. It was one of the reasons that Troy had picked him to bring him over. He’d had other offers, but had decided that the vampire boogeyman was the right choice for him. Then, unlike most vampires, his first encounter with Bey was as a helpful being that had saved his life. The others mainly had him show up to kill them, so it was different.
Then they’d been roommates off and on for about six or seven years.
When the door shut, he turned to find the small vampire, dressed in a slightly frayed black suit, just standing there, behind him. Perfectly still.
“So, did you magically figure out that I was going to be totally bored tonight, or is there something going on?”
The little vampire actually looked away then, as if he were thinking about what to say.
“It is, I fear, that second one. I was just in New Mexico, for an investigation. Steven York, an embassy employee there, believed that something strange was going on with the vampires in the area. In that they seem to rather be going missing. When I looked into it, that was clear, but there are others also. Humans from the area. A young shifter woman. I do not know of the mages, feeling that having this looked into was more important than to stay and do so myself. I would not wish to be seen as the cause of such, when I am not.” There were folded hands then.
Troy waved to his sofa. He had a chair as well, since they’d come as a set. The larger piece of furniture was more comfortable though, so offering it to the older vampire seemed like a good plan. Even if comfort was an abstract thing to their kind, as often as not. Anything you did while not on fire was practically restful and fun, after all.
“Okay. So, we need an investigation. One that…” He blinked and then made a considering face. “One that the police, or at least law enforcement might be able to handle. This could be anything. I don’t suppose that I could get some information from you on it?”
That got a smile and clapped hands.
“Oh, that would be most welcome, Troy. I was uncertain if you would be allowed however, since the humans seem to control who is allowed to know certain things most closely.”
That got him to nod.
“Yeah, they really do. Still, I can put together a packet to pass to the correct people. Even if they don’t want our help, we can arm them that much, right? I can have the Chief pass it along, I bet. That or Detective Tran. She’s a human. My new partner?” Troy didn't stress the words. With any other vampire, he might have. Letting them know that she was his.
Bey didn’t need things like that. He was very good about such things in fact. If you crossed him, or the council, you died instantly, but your things and people wouldn’t be bothered if you were following all the rules. Troy was, so it wouldn’t be an issue at all.
“Is she nice?” The question… Honestly, it seemed like small talk. The kind of thing anyone would have asked about a new work partner.
“Not bad. She has a mouth like a sailor on her. Smart though and kind of funny. Willing to work with me, so that’s a plus. We’ve only started together today. We already broke open several cases. Little things mainly. A shifter boy painted a mean message on a school wall. That led us to uncovering a drug ring and the rape of a human woman. So, for one day that isn’t bad, really.”
There was a considering look then, and a nod.
“Are you too busy for this? I could ask someone else to do it…”
Troy snorted at the man. It took some skill, but he really had the derision right there in it. Then he smiled, since that took some practice to get right. Watching Tran all day had really helped with it.
“Like I don’t have all night? Part of the day, too. They really only expect us to work eight hours or so. Maybe ten, in a pinch. I’m on call all night, in case something strange happens at work, but it won’t. So, this is a good thing. Even if we end up being aced out of it. I can also call on the shifters. Though I bugged Calley Hale already today. The graffiti artist was her cousin. Another bat shifter.”
Bey winced then.
“I see. That could prove difficult then? A dignitary must be catered to, in order to prevent hard feelings. Defacing a wall is a sign of disrespect, however. How was that resolved, if my asking isn’t untoward?”
“You know, it was resolved pretty well. We threatened to strand the boy, Morgan Bauer, in case the name comes up for you later, on a tiny island alone for a while, then let the Principal and his secretary get the kid out of that, in exchange for him doing some simple work for us. The police department and the Coalition of Nations. We’re doing a picnic in a few weeks, to show the solidarity and strength of humans and the rest of us working together. So, bat boy gets to slave away for us on that, doing most of the work. Tyler Gartner set that part up for us. The boy also has to apologize for the graffiti and announce what he is to the public.”
There was a long pause. An unnatural thing that seemed to take several minutes. It lingered on, but Troy let it. The very old often had a lot to think about and consider.
Finally, Bey nodded.
“That should be fine enough. He will not be harmed, which will appease the shifters in this. Avery Rome has gone ahead of him, announcing herself to the world, which will act as a shield for the next to do so. Even his slave duties sound mild enough. Putting together amusements for others. All are satisfied with this?”
Troy shrugged, to show that he really didn’t know the answer on that one.
“Probably. More or less. The message… He’d overheard the secretary telling the Principal that she wanted to have relations with him. What he wrote was real enough, but also not the kind of thing everyone would be comfortable sharing in public. There might be hard feelings that way. Morgan will have to tough it out if that’s the case. Grade sabotage, comes to mind. His school marks? Both the people maligned have access to that kind of thing. Then, no one will believe it really. Especially once the news of one of the students drugging and raping a teacher there comes out. That’s regular human business though, not my unit. We just do all the little odds and ends, unless we have something supernatural
to look into. That’s anything odd at all. If someone gets too lucky at gambling, we’re going to hear about it.” At least the way it had been explained to him.
It really didn't sound that important, once he’d spoken of it out loud to someone that he cared about. That was down to the sire bond, he thought. Troy was linked to Bey on a level that was intense. He really wanted to please the man, even if it was hard at times to see how to do that.
“That sounds like a good place to start. Now, I have memorized some names and other data? Perhaps we should write that down. I should have already. An oversight on my part.”
That took a few hours of work. It wasn’t fun, exactly, but there was enough to set almost anyone on the right path. Then, very lightly, Bey stood up from the sofa.
“Now, I should get to the Vancouver embassy. Eve is needed for a rather sensitive mission in Mongolia. I might call on you, if there is need to handle things in this area while she is gone? With allowance to your work, naturally.”
That was different sounding. It was probably a hint that they wanted him to act as a line walker for them, which Eve had been doing all the heavy lifting on. Barb could do it, and Avery was pretty helpful that way, but the first was incredibly slow at it, and the second was both busy and a shifter, not a vampire. The Council liked to keep things in house much of the time.
“Sure thing. I’m always available to lend a hand.”
There was a beaming smile then, and a soft pat on the arm.
“This is a known thing, Troy Lopez. One that the others of the Council have remarked on, favorably, several times. Now, I should be off to my own work. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.”
Then, even though Troy was also capable of super speed, the man vanished. Just walking out of the apartment, doing it so carefully that only the opening and closing of the door was discernable. That was only as a soft click, instead of the world ending boom that it probably should have been. Having used his own speed before, Troy understood several things first hand, even if he hadn’t been able to see what had happened.
The first was that Bey had been in agony the whole time he moved that way. It hurt on a level that even the sun didn't truly match. At least if you were pushing like that. The second main factor was how subtle and careful the other vampire always was. Even just leaving the apartment had been very nearly silent. Not to make Troy feel better either.
No, it was all about his neighbors. Most of whom he’d heard a lot about, but hadn’t really met.
Apartments were like that. Especially when you had superior hearing like he did.
To kill time, he rewrote all of the notes that Bey had given him, and looked up a few pieces of information that weren’t included. Mainly names and phone numbers that Bey wouldn’t have had access to. The guy was great, but computers weren’t a thing he understood yet. That probably needed to be fixed soon, since they were clearly part of the future.
If you lived long enough, it probably became hard to keep up with everything.
By morning, after showering and changing for the day, Troy had a nice report ready for work. He got in a bit early, so went over the reports from the day before. They were correct, but it was something to do that didn’t involve watching kitten videos online.
Not that he didn’t love some kittens.
When Tran got in at nine, he smiled.
“Hey! I had something come in last night. Missing persons, except that it’s probably linked to something outside of the norm. Also in New Mexico, but I wrote up a report on it. Do you want to look at it before I pass it up the food chain? We probably won’t get anything out of it, but…”
The slightly surly looking woman stared at him.
“I haven’t even had my coffee yet. Let me grab a cup first?”
“Of course.” He hadn’t even known that was something she did. When she came back she had a grimy white mug in her left hand and the right held out for the sheath of papers he’d generated. Then she sat silently, reading it for half an hour.
“Fuck. Too bad we can’t get in on this. This is huge. It reminds me of that crap last year. When all those people were taken by that paramilitary group? I don’t know if you’re up on that.”
“Yeah. I was there for it. In on the vampire side of the investigation, too. The battle as well. It was a lot bigger than hit the press.” That was true. Not that he expected anyone to know that.
Except that Detective Tran packed the papers up and held them out, which meant getting up to retrieve them.
“I know. There was some data passed behind closed doors, here. Footage of the fighting. Space ships and dragons? I can see why that didn’t make the mainstream news. Anyway, we should get that off to the Chief, so I can pretend I had anything to do with it. That sounds fair, right?”
Troy smirked and tilted his head.
“Yep. That’s the whole partnership thing. At least I hear that’s how it works. Let’s go?”
They were spending a lot more time bugging the Chief than he really had expected at first. Especially if they were going to be given things like the great graffiti caper to work on most days.
Denise moved forward, placed the file on the clean and tidy desk and smirked.
“The new kid found something big. He has an informant in the vampires that uncovered a slew of missing people. In New Mexico, so not our problem, but the data looks pretty solid. We put this packet together. In that I did a proof reading of it after all the work was done. I didn't have to make any changes. It’s remarkably typo free.”
The man looked into the manila folder and read for a few minutes, then looked at Troy. His eyes seemed dead, if only a bit.
“Fine. I’ll send this where it’s needed. You two are on call if they need help on the ground there. Be ready to travel. It probably won’t happen. Who do you have on the shifter side for this? We probably can’t call their President in yet, since no one involved is a relative of hers.” There was a hint in the words, as if letting him know that he’d better not do that.
“I have a contact for that one, actually. I think she has connections at the embassy there anyway. Avery Rome.”
Tran looked at him like he was being an asshole.
“From Red Rain? I love that show. She plays Bethany, the dragon shifter. How does that help us, though?”
“She plays a dragon shifter, and is one. That’s out in the public eye. Her brother is the Shifter Ambassador for the New Mexico node complex. Chi Hale, Calley Hale’s younger brother, works there as well. The communities aren’t always that large. I mean, I know people there on the vampire side, too. Steve York. He’s linked to Tyler Gartner. They’re in the same band. Calley is one of Tyler’s girlfriends. The other is Ginger Harris, the assistant ambassador at the Sparks embassy in Nevada. Her mother, Lenore Hawthorn is my old roommate’s girlfriend.”
Both of the others looked at him like he was being funny.
Finally, the Chief nodded.
“That makes sense. Eve is working at the Vancouver Embassy.” He stopped there.
Denise didn’t.
“Your daughter? The Snowflake. Which is why we’re getting to have Troy boy here, instead of him going someplace else to play cop. We’re all so close that I can practically call up the Shifter President for a reach around.” It was a bit crude, saying it that way.
Troy nodded anyway.
“If you want. Just a word of warning. Say that to Calley Hale and she will take you seriously. Any bat shifter, really. So, we need to be careful there, given the situation on the ground here.”
There was a thump from the desk, as the file was hit edgewise on it.
“Okay. Get on that then. Like I said, stay ready to move. You can handle that?” He was looking at Detective Tran, directly.
She rolled her eyes.
“Fuck you, Roy. I’m fine. I hardly ever die on duty or anything.”
The man ignored the name calling. He didn’t even seem to be strained by it. Troy was willing to bet that would
change if he did it. Then, he was the rookie, not a lifelong friend and coworker.
“We should be good. I’ll go and get on that? Unless we’re supposed to sit here and call the Chief more names, just because he actually cares about his people?” He looked at Tran, his face very bland.
There was a wave in his direction from his partner.
“Yeah, yeah… Thanks Roy. I do appreciate it. Even if I am a pain in the ass. You know that you’re a bitch when the vampires are paddling you over things like that.” She didn’t seem that taken to task.
Benson nodded.
“We always knew all that though, Tran. Now, get out. I need to get to work on things that actually impact my area. I’ll have people call you directly, if I can. It will save me time and energy.”
On the way, back to the office space, they passed several uniformed officers. One of them was Riley, his old training partner. As in the man who he’d been riding with the week before. Before that… Something was there, but he couldn’t keep it in mind.
It wasn’t lost on him that the man was also the Trickster who worked at the mall in Vancouver. He hadn’t even lied about it the first day when he’d been called on it. The thing was, the fellow was also up there, working nearly full time.
“Lopez! How are the higher ups treating you? Making you get their coffee and taking their dry cleaning in yet?”
“Nope. So far, it’s just doing all the paperwork, so you know, no different than working with you. Oh… There’s a picnic coming up in a few weeks. Spread the word? We expect families to show up. We haven’t picked a date yet. It’s a thing with the CoN, so a big deal. At least that’s what I’m claiming.” It was hard, at times, to pretend the man wasn’t a trickster, but so far, he hadn’t pulled anything there as far as Troy could tell. What that meant, he didn't know.
The guy was there for a reason, that was certain.
Most likely, he was a different trickster, or a greater demon, just using the face and name for their own purposes. He hadn’t mentioned it again, just waiting to find out what was going on. Saying the wrong thing to the wrong person would be worse than being left in the dark. If it had anything to do with him at all. He was starting to suspect that he really didn’t. After all, it had been over six months that he’d been there. Nothing much had happened at all, except some better than average training, from what Troy could tell.
Troy Ounce (Lopez Time Book 1) Page 6
