by Sonia Parin
“Maybe you’re about to hear from them.” Luna settled on her shoulder again. “Or maybe you’re a step ahead of them.”
“But I don’t actually know what’s wrong.”
“That’s okay. Mirabelle and Cat never have all the facts. It doesn’t stop them from sending you out to face danger.” Luna lowered her head. “Okay. I just heard myself. I hope we haven’t landed in the thick of it. There’s something to be said for being forcibly recruited to deal with a problem. We might not always have all the information but at least we know to expect trouble. I suggest we retreat and regroup.”
“You wanted a mystery. You got one.”
Luna’s head sprung up. “Who said that?”
“Rebel,” Lexie said. “And she has a point.”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Luna said in her most sarcastic tone. “We have a third wheel.”
“There.” Lexie pointed across the street. “I see another O’Rourke detective. Hold on tight.” She took off at run, her legs pumping hard, her focus pinned on the O’Rourke detective.
Swerving around a couple of cars, she was about to hit the pavement on the opposite side of the street when Luna screamed, “Jump.”
Lexie’s step faltered.
She skipped, regained her momentum and, stretching her right leg out, she jumped.
Midway through the air, she frowned and screamed, “Why am I jumping?”
Luna bellowed, “The scene called for a dramatic moment.”
“Scene?” Lexie’s arms flailed about. Somehow, she kept her focus on the O’Rourke detective. In that split second, he turned. Their eyes locked and Lexie crashed into him.
Luna released her hold on Lexie, became airborne and, as Lexie landed against the O’Rourke detective, Luna landed on his head. “And that’s a take. Well done everyone.”
As a strong pair of hands clenched around Lexie’s shoulders, she asked, “Which one are you?”
“Random.”
“Huh?”
“Random O’Rourke. Would you mind? Your knee is digging into me.”
“Oh…” Lexie grabbed hold of his shirt and rolled off him.
He cleared his throat. “You’re holding onto my shirt.”
“Yes. As a security measure. You’re not going anywhere until you explain why I’ve been seeing so many of you around.”
Chapter Two
Lexie guessed Random O’Rourke had never before been asked… Or, rather, ordered to explain himself.
“This should be interesting,” Luna mused. “He might look like all the other O’Rourke detectives but we know they all have different personalities. I’m sensing a suffer-no-fools trait in this one.”
Lexie waited to see if he would react to Luna’s remark. Only a couple of the O’Rourke detectives she’d met had been able to hear Luna. One, in particular, had chosen to ignore her.
“There’s a BOLO alert,” he said.
A what? Lexie wondered how long she could pretend to know what he was talking about before she had to ask because she couldn’t follow the conversation any more.
“Be on the lookout,” Luna murmured taking full advantage of her ability to hear Lexie’s thoughts. “My previous companion used to love watching police procedural shows.”
“Has someone escaped the O’Rourke dungeons?” Lexie asked thinking that would explain why she’d seen so many O’Rourke detectives.
She’d never asked about the O’Rourke dungeons. She didn’t need to. Her imagination had always provided a crisp image of dark, dank and smelly underground cells accessible only from an iron grill hatch or a trapdoor.
“No one ever escapes.” He shook his head. “The charred remains of a body were discovered earlier today in a building scheduled for demolition.”
Lexie waited for Random O’Rourke to link the death to some sort of supernatural activity, but he didn’t. “So, it’s all hands on deck and everyone is hunting for the killer because you know this wasn’t an accidental death?”
“No. We’ve stepped in to help look for other victims. One of the detectives at the precinct made the connection to a similar unsolved case.” He stepped back, his eyebrows drawn down. “I have to get going.”
“Wait.” To her surprise, he stopped. Although… as he stopped, he appeared to be trying to take a step.
“That’s odd,” Luna purred. “Either he’s incredibly polite or you have some sort of hold over him. It’s very confusing. O’Rourke detectives have compelling voices. I would never have imagined someone could use a compelling voice on them.” Luna gave a vigorous shake of her head. “Nope. I’m still confused.”
Looking at Random, Lexie curled her finger and, as she walked to the curb, she said, “Come with me.”
Random O’Rourke followed her, but not willingly. His jaw muscles twitched as he clearly struggled and failed to remain in place.
“Okay. Stop.” Lexie brushed her hand across her face. “I know you’re busy but something just happened and I’m not sure you noticed.”
“I did,” he growled under his breath. “I’ve heard rumors about you acquiring new skills.”
Turning to Luna, she said, “Luna, scratch your ear.”
“Why? It’s not itchy.”
Okay. So, it didn’t work on everyone.
“Are you done?” he growled.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hold you up. If there’s anything we can do, just call. We’re… at a loose end at the moment.”
He nodded, took a tentative step and seeing she wouldn’t hold him back, he strode off.
“Now we know why you saw so many O’Rourke detectives,” Luna purred. “I guess that’s another mystery solved.” Looking around her, Luna asked, “Where’s Rebel?”
Distracted, Lexie gestured to her neck.
Luna’s whiskers twitched. “She’s not on your neck.”
“No, not mine. Yours. She turned into a cat collar.”
Luna yelped. “Get her off me. Get her off me now. Wait… How do I look?”
Rebel unfurled herself and flew away from Luna. “Ugh. I think I swallowed a fur ball.”
Lexie watched Random disappearing down the street. Were the O’Rourke detectives on the trail of a serial killer? He’d said they were looking for other victims but it had sounded as though they were trying to prevent something before it happened.
“Come on.” Lexie took off at a trot.
“Where are we going?” Rebel hovered above Luna. “Where is she going?”
Luna scurried after Lexie. “Sometimes, you will be required to blindly follow wherever she goes. That means, no questions asked. Think of it as a test of your loyalty and gullibility. Some might even say foolishness.”
Lexie caught up with Random. “Can I help?” she asked when he gave her a distracted look.
“Do you have any new powers that might come in handy?” he asked as he turned into a cobblestoned alley.
“Not that I know of, but I have a cat and a fairy. That’s three extra pairs of eyes. What are you looking for?”
He held her gaze for a long moment before answering, “We’re looking for other victims or possible victims.”
“That’s… very broad.”
He shrugged. “Are you in?”
Glancing over her shoulder at the others, she said, “Yes. Count us in.” She watched him turn and press his hand against a door. Without any more effort from him, it opened and he strode in. “Are you checking out abandoned buildings?”
He gave a small nod.
“We should wait by the door,” Luna murmured. “Let Lexie go in first. She’ll give us the all clear signal. Sometimes, I like to play it safe and I think you should too. I wouldn’t want you to make a rookie mistake like tripping her up. Just saying… Don’t ever accuse me of not watching your back.”
“What are you worried about?” Rebel asked. “You have night vision and I have my own light source.” Rebel held her hand out and produced a light orb. “If you’re scared, you can follow several steps behind me
.”
Lexie stayed close to Random and whispered, “So, who’s the victim?”
“A young runaway.” Random’s voice hardened. “She went missing two months ago.”
Lexie fell silent. Such a bad ending…
Every other step she took seemed to set the building off groaning and moaning.
“You think there’s a serial killer out there?” Despite it being daylight outside, the building had been boarded up so apart from a few slivers of light, darkness permeated throughout it. Regardless, she saw Random nod. “He targets runaways?” Another nod. A shiver ran up and down her spine. She didn’t want to know what the killer did with them before setting them alight. “Where was the other body found?”
“In a deserted warehouse in the city.”
Her mind raced. “Did you cross reference arsonists’ names with kidnapers?”
He glanced at her. “We left all that to the regular police.”
Lexie hummed under her breath. “You said there’s nothing supernatural about this case.”
“There isn’t. While we only deal with supernatural cases, we have the manpower to assist with this. I guess your skills will come in handy too.”
Lexie frowned. “I thought there were strict rules about not interfering with regular people.”
“Are you having second thoughts?”
Lexie lifted her chin. “No.”
“Even if it means facing the Coven’s disciplinary board?” he asked.
She gave a shrug meant to signal her indifference.
“Are you sure? They like their rules and there’s nothing they like better than to go after renegade witches.”
Lexie thought she heard Luna whisper, “Bring it on.”
Lifting both shoulders into an easy shrug, she said, “I’m sure they’d understand. After all, we’d be trying to help prevent further crimes.”
Random snorted. “Good luck with that reasoning.”
Lexie bit the edge of her lip. “Are your dungeons damp?”
“Why do you ask?”
She flicked her hair. “My hair doesn’t react well to dampness.”
He held up a hand and she ran right smack into it. Pressing his finger to her mouth, he called for quiet.
They moved further into the dark interior. The floorboards beneath her feet creaked.
“I don’t hear anything,” Luna whispered. “And I have extra fine hearing.”
Rebel settled on Lexie’s shoulder. “You only need to say the word.”
“Huh?”
Rebel bounced her light orb in her hand.
“Let there be light?” Lexie asked.
Rebel gave a small nod and flew off her shoulder. Following the light orb, Lexie saw her hovering up high. She bounced the light orb on her hand and appeared to whisper something. The orb expanded and chased away the darkness.
They stood in the middle of an empty warehouse, the floor littered with years of debris left behind by previous tenants. Mounds of dust had been shuffled toward the edges by foot traffic. A rusty drum sat in the middle. Probably used to light fires for warmth, Lexie thought.
“There’s no one here,” Random said and turned to leave.
“That looks different.” Lexie pointed toward a set of footprints. Careful not to disturb them, she circled around them. “The imprints look sharp and determined.”
“What do you mean?” Random asked.
She looked around and pointed to other footprints. “Those look like someone shuffled around. They were probably made by someone too drunk to know where they were going. These ones, however, are steady. The spacing is even…” She shrugged. “I don’t know. They just look different.”
“You have a keen eye.” Random took a closer look. “You’re right.” He followed the trail. It led to a room.
Random pressed his ear to the door and then eased it open. He stood on the threshold, his hands on his hips. Lexie tried to see past his broad shoulders. A pile of old newspapers sat in one corner. Nudging him aside, she saw a bundle of kindle wood sitting next to the newspapers.
“That doesn’t look like rubbish left behind by the previous tenants.”
“No. It doesn’t,” he agreed.
Someone had been here and they were planning something…
The footprints Lexie had seen led straight to the newspapers. They had stumbled onto a crime scene in the making. If they set up surveillance, they might be able to catch the perpetrator.
“You said there’s a cold case linked to the recent death. How long ago did the other death occur?” Lexie asked.
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Two years ago, and we’re afraid there might be more.” He held his hand up as if calling for a moment of quiet and Lexie saw him closing his eyes.
“He’s communicating with the other O’Rourke detectives,” Luna murmured. “It’s what they do. Be careful. You don’t want to sprinkle any of your fairy dust. It might contaminate the crime scene.”
Random turned and signaled for everyone to move. “They’re on their way.”
“Who?”
“The regular detectives.”
“So, what now?” Lexie asked.
“They’ll comb this place for evidence. Meanwhile, I need to regroup with the others.”
“You’ll call me if you need help?” Lexie asked.
His response came quick. “Sure.”
“It’s unusual for an O’Rourke detective so accept Lexie’s help,” Luna explained to Rebel. “Hence Lexie’s surprised expression. You can count on seeing a lot of that. She has a very expressive face.”
***
“You’re in a bustling metropolis now and what we just experienced is a fine example of life on the hop. When we step out of the apartment, we never know what we might encounter.” Luna stopped chatting to preen herself.
“Why do you always do that?” Rebel asked.
Luna tilted her head. “Do what?”
“Stop to preen yourself. Are you that vain?”
“I’m a cat. It’s what we do. Personal grooming is important when you live in the city. You might not have noticed, but everyone tries to put their best foot forward. Especially if you live on the Upper East Side. Of course, Lexie is the exception. She never cares what she looks like. Not even when we visit the Upper East Side.” Luna lowered her voice. “I believe I’m close to convincing Lexie to move there. Perhaps you might help me. Between the two of us, we could wear down her resistance.” Luna pranced forward and caught up with Lexie. “Where to now?”
“I thought we might stop by the pub and check with Jonathan. He might have heard something.”
“Good thinking,” Luna said. Turning to Rebel, she added, “We work as a team and that means offering encouragement and support. As I’m her right hand feline companion, she trusts my advice. Watch, listen and learn.”
Rebel hovered close to Luna. “You take yourself seriously.”
“In this game, there’s no room for error. Either you’re in all the way, or you’re not.”
Nodding, Rebel flew over to Lexie and settled on her right shoulder.
“Hey,” Luna called out. “You need to learn your place. I said I’m her right hand feline companion. It goes without saying, I sit on her right side and I walk on her right side.” Luna leaped up and clambered over to Lexie’s left shoulder.
“If you don’t learn to get along, I’m going to send you both home,” Lexie warned.
Luna’s whiskers twitched as she whispered, “She started it.”
“Please keep your arguments away from my shoulders. I don’t want you to dump all your negative energy on me.” Lexie smiled and waited to see what Luna would do next. She didn’t disappoint. Her little paws began kneading into her shoulders, massaging away her stress.
When they reached O’Connor’s Bar, Lexie made a beeline for the only barstool available. She couldn’t see Jonathan but she knew he would emerge within minutes. He always did. Almost as if he sensed her presence.
Luna hopped onto the counter and curled up in front of Lexie while Rebel moved to her other shoulder sitting down to swing her legs.
Rebel asked, “Do they serve blueberries?”
Luna sniffed the air. “Do you ever eat anything other than blueberries? Aren’t you worried you’ll end up smelling like blueberries? Not that there’s anything wrong with it.”
“Do you ever eat anything other than cat food?” Rebel asked.
“Are you about to suggest I smell fishy?”
“You probably do and that’s why you’re constantly licking yourself.”
Rebel had a point. Lexie tried to keep a straight face and got busy cracking a peanut shell. When she looked up, Jonathan stood in front of her.
“What brings you here?” he asked.
He stood a head taller than Lexie. It would be hard to miss him moving around. “How do you do that?”
“Stand behind the bar?” He shrugged. “I own the place. I work here. Stands to reason, when a customer comes in, I’m going to serve them.” He reached behind the counter and produced a small bowl of blueberries and a bowl of milk for Luna. “What have you been up to?”
“We’ve been helping the O’Rourke detectives,” Lexie said.
Jonathan smiled. “Word is, you thought you were hallucinating and seeing O’Rourke detectives everywhere you turned.”
“And how did you happen to come by that information?” Lexie expected him to answer the question with a question or change the subject, instead…
“I know everything you do. I see everything you see.”
She stopped blinking and she also probably stopped breathing. Rebel hovered in front of her and clicked her fingers. Or, at least, Lexie thought she did. She couldn’t be sure because she couldn’t break eye contact with Jonathan.
“Just fooling with you,” he said and turned his attention to wiping the counter.
Luna looked up from her bowl of milk. “He’s not.”
Of course not. Jonathan chronicled everything she did and Lexie had no idea how he knew so much. Did he have a crystal ball?
“So, what are the O’Rourke detectives up to?” he asked.
