Moonlit Tales

[BLACK BART]

*Thank you Jenn1982 for joining me in this tale*

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"I'm not real sure" Jason replied "The last thing I heard the Captain screaming was to get my "ass" out of his office and don't come back"

Jason smiled timidly and pushed his glasses back up his nose for the umpteenth time since he had sat down at the table then lifted a piece of his meatloaf to his mouth.

At twenty-four years old he had the distinction of being the youngest cop ever to reach the rank of detective. He then set a second record in the form of having the shortest detective career, losing his gold badge in exactly 2 days after being caught with an unknown woman in the men’s locker.

The rumor circulating was it was the Captain's wife...unconfirmed of course, due to Jason refusing to discuss THAT part of the affair and the "wife" had gone to visit her parents for an unsure amount of time.

"I park that THING at the animal control HQ each evening and fill out my reports" Jason swallowed and finished, nodding out the window to the ancient eyesore of a truck. "The only time I see or hear anyone is on the squawk box when an animal is reported, and then it's usually an address and a curt set of instructions."

Once again the glasses were pushed upwards...and then his blond hair was pushed back as well, blue eyes studying the new partner that sat across from him and wondering what walk of life she came from.

"So what did you do to get busted down to the "Alley squad"? You might as well tell me and I'll answer your questions afterwards, beats wondering what kind of partner you've been saddled with for the next two years..."

The meal finished he lifted his cup and sipped at the coffee inside, waiting to hear just WHAT had gotten this woman in the fix she was in...and why.

 

[Jenn1982]

Olivia pushed her empty plate away from her before she answered his question.

“Well I was told that Animal Control desperately needed officers of my caliber and that it was my duty as a law enforcement officer to go where I was needed. They said I should really consider it an honor that they thought I was just what Animal Control needed, god, what a bunch of bullshit. The real reason is that I was working in Vice and a few weeks ago they had me go undercover as a prostitute. Well the first guy I bust turns out to be the mayor’s 20-year-old son. He didn’t get brought in but my boss got a call the next morning from the mayor and the next day I was told I’d be the newest officer in the Animal Control division.”

The whole time Olivia had been talking she’d been studying her new partner. He looked younger than he was and that seemed to make the fact that he’d been promoted to a detective even more impressive, even if it had only been for two days. She was also surprised he’d be in the locker room with the captain’s wife, he just didn’t seem like he’d have it in him. Granted she’d only known him for about 45 minutes. She was relieved to find he wasn’t like some of the other male police officers she’d met since she joined the force three years ago. The waitress began clearing away their empty dishes and Olivia looked out at the truck she and her new partner would be driving each night. Grimacing she turned back to Jason.

“So what does a normal night in Animal Control entail?”

 

[BLACK BART]

"An endless dull routine of catching cats, dogs and if we're really lucky the occasional raccoon or skunk. Ironically there is more paperwork for a stray dog then there is a human... and when we reply to a call be ready to be blamed for the animal shitting in the callers yard and them acting like we're supposed to clean it up."

Jason stood and tossed a pair of bills on the table to cover the check then smiled.

"You can drive the catmobile if you want, the worst that can happen is you wreck it and we draw another from the carpool, the a/c quit in this one last year and they won't fix it...I've gotten used to the noises it make and put an old tape player in it to cover them up...but despite all it's flaws it continues to run."

He followed as his new partner led the way and took him up on his offer, taking her place behind the wheel as he hopped into the passenger bucket seat and watched her familiarize herself with the cab.

"The gas and speedometer work, the rest never did...and I stashed the shotguns behind our seats, I've never had to use them and keep them there only to satisfy the regulations..."

Holding on as Olivia started the truck and dropped it into gear he grinned as she pulled out on the road and headed north.

"It's not the end of the world down here, if you lay low and don't create any waves you'll get bumped back to your old department and rank in a year...and can put it all behind you."

The speaker squawked and a raspy female voice came over...

"Disturbance on the 1100th block and 21st Avenue...a large pack of dogs fighting in the alley"

Jason grimaced as Olivia spun the truck around and punched the throttle...

"That's the dang garbage cans behind Terri's diner, I've told the man to keep his trash inside the cans or buy a bigger dumpster. But he's too cheap and lets it spill over, it attracts the hungry strays and THEN he calls and complains. The guy has nerve if nothing else."

One thing for sure about his new partner, she could drive... and minutes later she wheeled the ancient truck into the dim alley and braked to a stop.

As Jason had predicted a pack of dogs were busy fighting over the garbage overflowing from a pair of cans and ignored the presence of the new arrivals.

"Let me calm them down and then you can help me round them up and load them, ok?"

"Barehanded and no shotguns if they come for us?"

Olivia questioned, the look on her face saying she might be crazy but was far from stupid.

"The departments idea of protective gear is beside the shotgun, I've found most of it useless...the padded jacket takes too long to put on, the pants won't stay up on my waist and you're even trimer and the leather gloves make it impossible to handle even the door much less the shotgun IF you wanted to use it."

Stepping out he walked towards the growling and snarling pack of mongrels and approached calmly, waiting until he was nearly able to touch the mass of squirming fur and snapping teeth before he spoke in a loud voice.

"Quiet DOWN!"

The boiling mass stopped twisting and turning, beginning to take shape as individual bleeding and growling animals, each directing thier attention to the man in front of them.

Jason was glad his partner had done as he asked and stayed inside the cab of the truck, her face pale and her eyes intent as he looked over his shoulder and then returned his attention to the pack.

"Shut UP" He barked and nearly grinned as the snarls turned into whines and the dogs dropped thier heads and tails in submission.

Waving an arm to Olivia he walked over to the largest and gently cuffed it behind the ears, then grabbed it's fur behind the head to guide it towards the truck.

"Don't show any fear and if they snap or growl..swat them and growl back." He instructed as he passed Olivia as she approached. "I'll toss this one in and come back in a jiffy."

"What makes you think they won't run or attack?

Jason stopped and turned, looking down at the packs now docile leader beside him, then at Olivia.

"Because I told them to."

He answered matter of factly and returned to guiding the mongrel to the truck.

15 minutes and 7 stray dogs later the pair once again sat in the truck and Jason made his alibi...

"The dogs know me and after the first time of trying to "cow" me failed will listen...once in a great while a new one will try me but most will obey...the worst thing is the paperwork and getting the dang people that create te problems to act responsibly..."

Olivia nodded and backed the truck from the alley, her eyes telling she wasn't quite convinced and yet not quite ready to call Jason an outright liar.

"I'll handle the human end and do my share with the paperwork then. You can handle the wildlife. Deal?"

Jason nodded and soberly looked her over from his vantage point, admiring the form beside him as well as the strength and control she had shown.

"Deal, now lets get them back to the kennels and I'll show you around"

 

[Jenn1982]

Despite Jason's explanation Olivia couldn't help but have some doubts about the whole situation she'd witnessed. Those dogs had seemed downright vicious yet Jason had just walked up to them. She was sure she'd stopped breathing for a few seconds as he'd stood right next to the snarling pack and shouted orders. She'd been even more shocked when they'd actually obeyed his loud commands. She had a dog of her own and if he had been as angry and territorial as the dogs they'd just picked up he wouldn't have obeyed so easily. Then again she supposed it wasn't so unbelievable, Jason had said he'd had run-ins with this particular pack of dogs more than a few times. She could feel her doubts begin to dissipate and she pushed the remaining to the back of her mind. Still she wasn't sure how safe it was for Jason to go out with no protection; if even one of those dogs attacked him it could lead to serious injury. She didn't want to make waves with her new partner right away so she made a mental note to try and talk to him about it later.

The dogs hadn't made any noises since they'd loaded them into the truck and she was a little surprised. The ride to the kennels was short and she enjoyed Jason's stories about a few of his more interesting nights he’d had since he'd started here.

She pulled up to the back of the kennels like Jason instructed and got out, watching as Jason unlocked the door into the building.

"Since I don't know my way around I'll follow you."

"Don't worry, I'll give you the grand tour once we get these dogs out of the truck and into the kennels."

Jason had moved back to the truck and got out one of the dogs. Olivia grabbed one of the kennel leads and moved to the closest cage door. She opened it up and peered inside. She saw the large dog that Jason had grabbed first looking back at her with a disinterested gaze. She got the lead around his neck and began to coax him forward she saw the change in his posture. As soon as she saw his attitude change she berated herself for not using a control pole instead of the lead. She pulled back managing to have his bite fall on her forearm instead of her face or shoulder. She heard herself let out a cry of pain as his teeth sunk into her arm. As she saw the first traces of blood begin to form around the dog's mouth her mind refused to focus and she couldn't seem to recall what the procedure was for a situation like this. She saw the dog's eyes dart to a spot behind her and it immediately let go of her arm, dropping onto its belly with a whine.

As soon as the jaws were unclamped from her arm Olivia stumbled backwards into a solid form. She felt hands close on her shoulders to steady her and she realized what, or rather, who the dog had been looking at. For a brief moment she wondered what Jason had done to make the dog stop biting her and move into a submissive position. Then her arm began to throb and pain emanated from the bite. All of a sudden she wasn’t feeling too well and she closed her eyes and tried to steady her breath. Sensing her discomfort Jason turned her around so she was facing him and Olivia offered him her arm to look at. She hoped Jason would be able to handle this whole situation better than she had been.

 

[BLACK BART]

"It's my fault"

Jason apologized and wrapped an arm around his new partner to steady her.

"He's male you know and wasn't trying to attack you, just establish his rank over you...once you entered the kennel he thought you were trying to pull rank and responded."

While he talked he lifted Olivias arm to check the wound, frowning when he was the skin was broken and blood oozing from the punctures.

"When was the last time you had a tetanus shot... in the academy I hope?"

"Yes" Olivia replied clearly to the question and winced as he poured the contents of a bottle over the wound. "What's in the bottle, holy water?"

Jason laughed and watched the foaming liquid on her arm, then replied.

"That and peroxide, one cures what the other can't. Why don't you take a seat and we'll make sure this doesn't happen again, ok"

"You're not going to shoo..."

"Shoot him?" Jason finished "No, I'm going to drag him out here and explain to him your rank"

And with that he moved back to the kennels and a yelping sound followed, then silence as he returned and the mastiff followed a length behind.

"Now you SIT by Olivia and LISTEN"

Jason barked and watched as the dog slinked over to her side, tail dragging as he sat without a whimper where Jason had pointed.

"Olivia is your Mistress and you will protect her, with your life if needed...understand?"

As if answering the dog whined and hung it's head, all defiance and aggression gone from it as Jason shook his head side to side.

"Show HER, not me"

The whining continued as the yellow eyed mongrel turned and pushed it's nose into Olivia's good hand and began to lick it...

"Now get back to your hole" Jason finished in a stern voice and ignored the lesser male as it made haste to return to the kennels.

"What he did was instinctive Olivia. You could report it and that would get him put to sleep, or you can take my word it will never happen from him again or the ack he runs with. I won't blame you for either decision or bring it up again, now lets give you that promised tour..."

Olivia rose with his eyes watching her carefully and he nodded in affirmation and began the tour.

"This area is for the canine species...to the north behind the barrier is the feline...to our left is seperate cages for the more troublesome individuals as well as the ones marked for deportation. Behind is the area I keep for our offices and storage, as well as parking for the "Catmobile"."

The fast tour done Jason showed Olivia into the offices and offered her a chair by a cleared desk.

"Keys for each area are in the left drawer, the blank daily and instance reports are in the right, you can use this desk and mine is on the opposite wall by the door, allright?"

Olivia leaned against the desk and as she did she bumped her arm on the top, wincing and then replying it would be "cool" with her.

"I'd like to treat that for a week or so if you don't mind...there might be a small infection or fever and with my potion we can keep it under control."Jason asked and then reminded. "Our shift will be over by the time I get you back to your car, why don't you ride with me this time and we can meet here next time?"

 

[Jenn1982]

"Ok, sounds good."

Olivia followed him to his car hoping every day wouldn’t be like this. By the time she got settled in the car with her seatbelt on her arm was hurting again and she let her head lean back against the seat. Jason must have realized she was tired and they rode back to her car in silence.

As they drove she contemplated her new partner. He really seemed to have a way with the animals and she wondered if he’d maybe worked with animals before. She’d already decided that she wouldn’t report the incident with the dog. It was obvious Jason had meant it when he promised she wouldn’t have to worry about it happening again with that dog or the others in the pack and when he’d had it come sit with her it had acted as if it was her new best friend. She was still taken aback by how it had seemed to listen to Jason, even the commands that it couldn’t possibly have understood. What had he told it again, Olivia is your Mistress, you will protect her, with your life if needed and he’d said it with a total confidence that the dog would understand and obey. This job must really be getting to this guy; he obviously needed to get out more. She’d have to invite him to a few parties.

She felt the car slow and was surprised to find they were already at her car. As he pulled up next to it she turned to him and gave him an apologetic smile.

"I'm really sorry about letting myself get bitten. I should've been more careful. Thanks for taking care of my arm and showing me the ropes. I'll meet you at the office tomorrow."

She got out and closed the door in record time, only giving him enough time to say a quick “bye”. She didn’t want to give him a chance to try to refute her apology and blame himself instead. She knew she looked bad enough for giving the dog a chance to bite her, the last thing she wanted was to make it worse by not taking responsibility for her carelessness and letting him take the blame.

She drove home quickly and once she got in she stopped only to take a few aspirin before dropping into bed.

**********************************************************************

Walking into the office she looked at the clock. She’d come in a little early, hoping to familiarize herself with all the paperwork she’d promised to handle. She figured there were probably also some people she’d have to call regarding complaints.

It didn’t take her long to figure out how the different forms needed to be filed and she looked up from her desk with a smile. Looking at the clock she frowned when she realized it was twenty minutes after their shift had started and she hadn’t seen or heard Jason yet. She got up and turned to go check the parking lot.

“Shit!”

She’d almost run into Jason who was standing in the doorway of the office. She saw a smile start to form and realized he was trying not to laugh.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were there, it surprised me. I was on my way to go find you. I was just getting ready to start on that paperwork unless we needed to head out first.”

 

[BLACK BART]

"How's the arm?"

Jason moved to Olivia sitting at the desk and slid a hand under her arm to begin checking the bandage and what lay under.

"You've kept it clean and dry...that's good." He complimented as he unwrapped the gauze and met her eyes.

The punctures were red and swollen...and Jason winced, and then smiled as he pulled a bottle from his jacket pocket and drew an eyedropper from it.

"This will hurt...and help."

The clear liquid changed quickly to white foam as it touched each puncture mark and Olivia hissed between her teeth...

"That's NOT exactly over the counter...is it?"

"No, it's not" Jason agreed, "It's better"

The used gauze went fluttering through the air to land in a corner basket...and delving into the same pocket Jason supplied a new roll...

"This will keep the arm safe and you as well."

He promised, making a quick chore of wrapping her tanned limb and splitting the end to tie it off.

"You've got a month work of dull, tedious reports to catch up on."

Nodding towards the stack of papers he smiled and rose from his perch on the corner of her desk.

"I'll be back at noon and buy you dinner to reward you if you get it all done by then?"

Grinning at her unsure eying of the mound of work he laughed and reassured her.

"Just do the daily reports and initial the requisition forms...central will never even open the reports and will OK anything we want...except what we need most. If something doesn't look right set it aside and I'll take care of it before we go out this afternoon. Something curious happened overnight and we're "requested" to visit the crime scene."

And with that Jason was gone...the door swinging behind him as he moved to the rooms to begin feeding the caged animals...

"You'll have to stay in them just a few more days." He spoke to each as he delved out portions of food. "Then when everything is all right with my new partner.... I’ll let you out, ok?"

Was it just time passing prattle...or did the caged animals nod as if understanding as they moved to the bowls and Jason moved on...

No one was telling or they’re to question...

And Jason moved silently and efficiently with his work and through each room...and time passed quietly and quickly.

"Noon hour, how's it going?" He questioned of his abandoned partner, chuckling as she jumped in her seat. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Looking past he saw the huge pile had dwindled to a meager one and he nodded in appreciation.

"You've earned a good meal and it's my treat as promised...and your pick, I'll fill you in on what we're going to see this afternoon while you drive to your choice?"

Holding the door he waited and explained that he didn't own a car...never had and didn't think Olivia wanted to arrive at a restaurant in the "wagon"...

"I only drive the thing because it's required and you can't drag a pack of mongrels down the alleys every day" He finished and closed the door behind them.

Content to ride he directed the conversation away from work and towards his partner...posing questions to her of her thoughts about the job she now held and of her past life...

"We're going to be partners for quite a while, I hope you don't mind?" He questioned and admired her profile as Olivia moved smoothly though traffic.

"You seem to lead an interesting life outside of work...I'm sure you've seen quite a few unbelievable things?"

 

[Jenn1982]

Olivia

"I'm flattered you think I lead an interesting life, but it's not really all that interesting. I do get out to a few parties so I guess that could be interesting depending on who you ask. Speaking of which you're welcome to join me sometime, I mean there is such a thing as overworking yourself."

She looked over at Jason briefly to make sure he didn't seem offended. Some people were touchy if you insinuated they worked too hard and didn't get out enough. She had purposely left out that the parties were usually college parties that sometimes got a little wild. Jason seemed like someone who'd let a little wildness dissuade him. Deciding to move on to another topic before the silence got awkward she started to ask him what he'd meant about her seeing "unbelievable" things when she saw the restaurant.

"Well we're here."

She pulled the car into a great spot right in front of the Chinese restaurant. Once inside they were immediately seated in the almost empty restaurant. The waitress greeted Olivia by name and went to get their drinks. Seeing the look on Jason's face Olivia smiled and explained, "I come here a lot, it's not far from where I live and the food is excellent. Since I can't cook too well it solves the dilemma of what to have for dinner."

"Yeah that makes sense." he said, though she wasn't sure if he meant it. He probably had a ton of cookbooks and cooked all the time.

Once the waitress had taken their orders Olivia remembered that Jason had mentioned an incident during the night.

"So fill me in on what we're going to go see this afternoon."

 

[BLACK BART]

Jason smiled and wondered quietly to himself what his new partner would think if she came to the type of party he was used to attending.

It would definately be one she would rank as out of the normal...

Still her point was well taken and he accepted the open invitation.

"I'd like to go with you sometime and meet a few of your friends."

Inside the restaurant it was obvious Olivia was well known and liked and he relaxed as she ordered and he followed suit, taking in the decor of the interior and his partner as well.

"So fill me in on what we're going to go see this afternoon." Olivia cued and Jason waited until thier drinks were served and the waitress moved away.

"We're going out to identify what the police think is an animal attack. A man and a woman were mauled, the rented room they were was destroyed...and the "badges" need to verify if the suspect that attacked them is human.....or not."

Olivia nodded her understanding and sipped her drink, listening carefully with her eyes showing she understood and was thinking over what Jason had supplied.

"And if it was an animal attack?" She questioned.

"Then it's our job to determine what kind and track it down."

"And if and when we find it?"

"We deal with it."

Jason replied and smiled, the food arriving and stopping the conversation for the present moment.

The food was excellent and Olivia was a pleasant and pretty woman to enjoy it with...Jason knew she was quick to understand her new job and felt her intuition guided her as well in her decisions. He hoped she had an open mind for what they were to see later that same day...and what she would learn on the job in the future.

"The interesting thing about the incident is both people were married but no to each other."

Jason returned to the subject as they rose and paid the check, then moved to the door and opened the fortune cookies the smiling cashier had given them.

"Your love life will soon be expanded" Jason read his and laughed...

" Reality will soon change your perception of life " Olivia returned and they laughed together moving to her car.

"So tell me what got you into policework in the first place?"

Jason prompted as Olivia backed out and moved the car onto the street....

 

[Jenn1982]

Olivia

“Well it’s not one of those classic stories where my father and my father’s father, et cetera, were police officers and I followed in their footsteps or that some injustice that affected my life made me become a police officer or anything like that.”

Olivia backed the car out into the street and stopped to listen to Jason’s instructions to the crime scene. Once she was on her way she finished with her explanation.

“I actually worked as a secretary for an attorney while I went to school to become an accountant. Turned out working in an office was not what I wanted, I got bored to easily. A friend suggested I apply with the force and they had me go through some training courses and take a few classes at the college and then I was hired.”

“I hope I didn’t put you to sleep.” She teased, laughing as his face started to flush.

“No, of course not.”

“Well I’d understand if I did, it is a pretty boring story. I’m sure the story of how you found yourself a detective at twenty-four is much more interesting.”

She’d pulled into the parking lot of the motel Jason had directed her to and they spent a few minutes trying to figure out which side of the motel the room was on. By the time she’d parked the car her eyes had picked out the bright yellow crime scene tape blocking the door. Even though she’d been a police officer for three years she hadn’t seen many dead bodies and none of them had been killed in extremely violent ways. She could only imagine how violent an animal mauling would be and she was not looking forward to going into that room.

She forced her nerves back down and joined Jason’s side as he walked through the parking lot to the building. The stairwell up to the room was on the narrow side allowing her to walk behind him and she let him reach the door first.

 

[BLACK BART]

crime scene

The room was in shambles. If you could call it a room anymore. The plaster was shredded off the walls, the tile piled high from what once was the 8 foot ceiling in several spots, the once cheap furniture broken and twisted on the floor beside it.

In the middle of it all like a calm isle surrounded by the storm sat the bed relatively unharmed, the pillows propped up, the blankets neatly folded back and a tiny figure laying on top of it.

It was the tiny figure they were brought in to offer thier opinion on and the coroner showed the rage he was feeling on his face quite clearly.

"Another one of your "Precious" animals, Jason?" He growled and turned away, kicking what was once a chair out of his way and stomping out the door.

"Way to go Perry, destroy more traces of what happened here!"

Jason shook his head in disgust and stood in the center of the room, looking at the nude and shredded back of the woman in front of him and then towards his partner.

"Take a good look from the other side. I'm going to go find the scenes photographer and make sure we get copies of the pictures he took, then we'll head back to the kennals."

True to his words he took a final look at the motionless woman and the long, bright red and open scars that criss crossed her entire backside. The body looked as if she were posing, her arm under her head...the dark satin sheet in striking contrast to her near albino skin.

"Hey Perry did you check the body for signs of intercourse, forced or not...or did you lose your lunch and forget in the process?"

"Shut up about telling me how to do my job or I'll fill your new partner in about what a freak she's going to be working with. Perry responded and kept walking away in angry strides. "You'll get your damn copy just see to it I get mine!

Several minutes later he was leaning against Olivia's car and greeted her as she walked towards him.

"You look a little green yourself. We'll have copies of the scene and victim before the day is over as well as the coroners report. Now how about we get some fresh air? You can tell me more about yourself...maybe what you do for fun off hours...and then later we can discuss what we both looked at."

He remained quiet as Olivia backed out of the parking lot and then fed gas to the engine, the car responding quickly and taking them out and away from the hotel.

"It seems that you and Perry don't get along too well?"
Olivia hazarded a guess and Jason barked a short laugh.

"By the book Perry I call him and he hates me for it, among other things..." Jason ventured and then sighed waiting for the next question.

"So why the "freak" statement or was I hearing things?"

Another sigh and Jason looked out the window at the line of houses and businesses passing by...

"You might say I have a "nose" for crime scenes like the one we just looked at and once I had an argument with Perry over rechecking some evidence I thought bore closer scrutiny. When he refused I took it up with his C.O. and had the case reopened. He got a black mark in his "jacket" and I got Perry's undying hatred."

"And the case? What happened? Did he miss something or were you barking up the wrong tree?"

Jason winced and then looked to see if Olivia was joking... and then grinned before answering.

"I was right. He had several rugs at the crime scene soaked with blood and didn't want to test each one individually. When they finally were tested they found proof of multiple DNA's and not just the one they suspected. Two more arrests were made and all three convicted. When they insisted how I knew I told them the truth."

Several minutes passed and it gave Jason time to think over what he had observed at the fresh scene and how he was going to word it in his report. They parked and Olivia shut the engine off then looked to Jason and asked the question he had left hanging with his last statement.

"So how did you know?"

Jason opened his door and paused before stepping out, watching Olivia's face and eyes as he answered.

"I could smell it. The rugs and room reeked of multiple seperate odors that couldn't all belong to the same person. And when I saw how soaked the rugs were I knew one man couldn't bleed like that and live. Now lets go inside and you ca tell me what you saw and thought about our first crime scene together."

 

[Jenn1982]

Once they were settled in the office Olivia forced her mind to concentrate and go back to the scene in the motel room.

“Well I was surprised at how undamaged the bed was. The rest of the room was trashed; it seemed as if every piece of furniture had been broken. The bed looked pristine compared to the rest of the room.”

She paused as she recalled more of her observations of the room. She’d wanted to spend as little time as possible there and had worked quickly in checking out the scene.

“With the broken furniture and damage to the walls I thought at first that maybe the damage had been the result of a fight. I didn’t see any blood on any of it though. I think if someone had been thrown around violently enough to cause that much damage it’d leave some blood.”

Her other observations had to do with the body and she let out a sigh. She was grateful that Jason was letting her take her time.

“I’m sure you saw how torn up her back was but her front didn’t have many marks on it. Her stomach did have a few deep slashes but that was it on the front. All of her wounds seemed to be gashes; I didn’t see anything that looked like bite marks. The wounds do look like claw marks though. I have to admit I’m definitely not an expert on animal maulings. There is one thing though; I thought you said there were two victims, a man and a woman?”

 

[BLACK BART]

Jason nodded and his estimation of his new partner went up several notches.

"The man survived long enough to call for help. He died outside the room and was found fully dressed behind the hotel. The maid that found him stated he was mumbling something about a large, fanged demon before he died."

"DEMON?" Olivia questioned incredulously

Jason shrugged. "Some people it's said before they die see angels coming for them, perhaps he saw his own brand in the form of a demon?"

He shifted in the chair behind his desk and lifted a manila folder and handed to her.

"It was first thought of as a single crime with the scene in the alley. The man wasn't registered and the connection wasn't made until after the woman failed to check out. By then the scene in the alley was cleared...Now we know the woman is the mans wife and yet she was registered under a false name...We also think the two came in different vehicles though the woman’s car is missing."

Leaning back in his chair Jason was at a good vantage point to watch Olivia’s face as he asked.

“So tell me what you think happened…and why.”

 

[Jenn1982]

Olivia finished scanning the folder on the man's murder and set it down before answering Jason's question.

"Well I guess it depends on whether they were attacked by an animal or murdered. Personally I don't think it was an animal attack. I'm sure an animal could've caused that much damage to the room but I just don't think it's likely. I also think the woman's body seemed too "neat" to be the victim of a mauling…no bite marks, and the cuts seemed to be localized to just a couple specific areas. Also the position of her body seemed like she'd possible placed like that after she died."

Olivia stopped for a moment to think. She also used the opportunity to try and read her partner's reaction to her assessment so far. She wasn't surprised to find his face gave away nothing.

"I think somebody killed the husband first and then went into the room and struggled with the wife before killing her. Obviously I still haven't worked out all the details. I don't know how the killer got into the room…possibly the husband had a room key on him and the killer took it or he knows the woman and she let him in. Maybe the husband and wife had planned on a romantic night away at a hotel to act out some fantasy or something and that's why she was using a fictitious name and they took separate cars."

The explanation was beginning to sound flimsy and Olivia wished she had something solid to show why she thought they'd been murdered.

"I haven't really figured out the motive aspect. So is my opinion totally different from what you think happened?"

 

[BLACK BART]

"Some of it is and some is quite similar"

Jason shifted his legs off the desk where he had relaxed and lowered them to the floor, sitting up in the chair to face Olivia before he spoke.

"I think your noticing the differences in damage to the room and the woman is quite a good point. Also the fact the man died first and the woman second. Each can be backed up by good forensic work..."

Jason shifted again and ran his hands through his hair, carefully choosing his next words...

"There was evidence of a large animal in the room. The claw marks on the shredded walls and what remained of the dresser show it quite clearly. The back of the woman does as well in a lesser degree. That too is solid, unrefutable evidence. The woman had willingly participated in sexual intercourse before her death and her husband showed no signs so I'd hazard the guess it was she who rented the room for an afternoon romp and her husband found them out...That much is theory and until witnesses come forward will have to remain theory...The question that hangs in my mind is where did the animal come into the equation?"

And so it was said...Jason focused his vision over Olivia's shoulder and yet was carefully aware of her as he waited for her next conjecture...

"Any ideas?"

 

[Jenn1982]

That the woman had been having an affair was a new and interesting development, one that Olivia would muse over later. For now her mind focused on Jason's question.

"That is an interesting question. There aren't many kinds of animals that it could have been. I know we have some large wildlife around here but usually when they're wander into town it's only on the outskirts, not this far into the town. It's possible it was a mountain lion; I know they only get about the height of a medium sized dog but they could do the damage that was done to the room. Of course I don't think it's very likely it was a mountain lion."

As Olivia had been talking about mountain lions her mind had strayed back to the dying man's comments about a fanged demon. Her thoughts had turned to macabre images and she pushed them out of her mind with a shudder.

"You know if the dog that bit me yesterday wasn't still in the kennels he would be my first suspect. I know you said he was acting on instincts but obviously a dog of his size could have done this. Maybe some other wild dog is running around. I mean what else could it have been other than a really big dog? It could've been in the alley, the man surprised it, and it attacked. Maybe the woman and her lover were arguing about what to do now that they were found out, the lover stormed out, and the dog took the opportunity to run in the room. I know some of that is a little far fetched but that's the only logical explanation I can come up with."

Olivia knew it sounded as if she were trying to convince herself as well as Jason. She figured he'd probably notice but she hoped he'd just chalk it up to inexperience in this area. For some reason this case just didn't sit right with her and it was making her unsure of her opinions.

 

[BLACK BART]

theories and fables...

Jason listened carefully as Olivia went over her observations of the crime sight and the possible explanations of it…He took special interest in the pauses she made and the look in her eyes as she silently mulled over other explanations she wasn’t quite ready to share.

“So you’ve accepted some parts of the scene as real possibilities, though vague…the presence of an animal, the explanation of a love tryst gone sour…and the remote yet linked death of the husband.”

He summarized and waited for her confirmation. It came in the form of a nod as Olivia still worked on the events and explanations in her mind.

She’s not ready…yet, but she IS beginning to work on an explanation outside of the norm… Jason told himself and rose to his feet.

“Break the scene down…” He advised carefully “Turn it into a series of events that will eventually link to each other, then take each scene apart carefully, using the facts and logic you possess to verify and prove your theory, once you’ve done that with all the scenes arrange it in the order it best makes sense…”

“And if I can’t make a logical verification of one or more scenes?” Olivia posed the obvious question.

“Then create another scenario albeit illogical and use the same hard evidence you possess to prove or disprove it.”

She was intelligent and canny, Jason knew and yet she wasn’t linked to old ways of thinking within the force…eventually she would begin to explore the illogical explanations and come to her own conclusion.

He glanced upwards at the clock hanging on the wall and saw that time had passed quickly, the day was nearly gone without the pair realizing it…

“When you’re ready to talk again just say so and we’ll mull it over as many times as you want to, OK? Now it’s past ten PM and I need my beauty sleep…unless you want to talk more or eat? ”

 

[Jenn1982]

Olivia

Olivia agreed that it was time to head home and she said her goodbyes to her partner. As she drove home she spent the time going over the case yet again. She knew she was missing something, even Jason could see that, and whatever it was she was missing would be the thing that would make the case come together. The whole animal angle was really throwing her off. Why would the woman let the dog into the room and how would a dog kill the husband so quickly and quietly? By the time she’d gotten home her mind was swimming with all the possibilities she was conjuring up…though none of them seemed realistic. She hated going to sleep thinking of mauled bodies and frenzied animals but she’d learned that sometimes if she went to bed with a case on her mind she woke up with a new take on it.

******************************************************************************

Olivia walked into the office and immediately plopped down into her chair and closed her eyes. She hadn’t bothered even trying to cover the dark circles under her eyes, though she didn’t think either Jason or any strays they picked up today would mind. Her sleep had been filled with strange dreams that had left her tossing and turning and she’d woken up feeling as if she hadn’t slept at all. She heard Jason come in and looked up, managing a smile.

“Are you okay?”

“I didn’t sleep well.”

Jason nodded at her short explanation and went to his desk. As she sorted through the paperwork on her own desk she wondered how to phrase the question she’d had for Jason. Her dreams, however strange, had put an idea in her head. When she’d woken up she’d taken some time to do some research on the idea before coming in to work. Of course it’s a totally ridiculous idea, she thought to herself. Well at least it would give them both a good laugh regardless.

“Jason, I wanted to run something by you if you have a few minutes. I was thinking about the case last night and it must have still been on my mind when I went to sleep I ended up dreaming about the case. Now I know this is probably going to sound really stupid but it can’t be much worse than some of my other ideas. Two of the things missing at the scene were the lover and the animal that attacked the husband and wife. Well what if they lover and the animal aren’t two separate things?”

Olivia realized just how ridiculous this sounded and hurriedly went on.

“What I mean is that I’ve heard of people who really believe they can turn into animals, they believe they’re Lycanthropes. Obviously it’s a form of psychosis but maybe that doesn’t mean that parts of it aren’t possible. There are quite a few cases of people who believe they are vampires killing people. I can’t see why it wouldn’t be possible with someone who believes they can become an animal. Ok, I admit this sounds way too unbelievable but I’m just having trouble making the animal that killed them fit into this.”

Olivia realized she must be blushing from embarrassment and she turned back towards her desk, trying to focus on one of the daily reports on her desk.

 

[BLACK BART]

Olivia's eyes had dark rings under them, her skin paler then he had seen it before and her hair looked as if she tried to brush through it and failed...

And behind the disarray from the lack of an nights sleep Jason could sense something else.

"Congratulations Olivia."

He complimented his partner knowing she needed at this moment a confidence boost.

"You've obviously spent a great deal of time considering the other theories and have discarded them as useless. Most people would stop at that point and flounder around before admitting failure."

He took a deep breath and was happy to see she had lifted her eyes from the imaginary interest on her desk to match his look with her own curious one...

"You went beyond that point and found another theory. One that fits the crime scenes despite it's outrageousness..."

Jason grinned and stood, moving to sit on the corner of Olivia's desk, wanting to be able to sense what she was feeling with his next statement.

"Now all you have to do is to get past your emotions about the theory and then begin to rationally prove or disprove it."

Olivia nodded and frowned, her face telling him she had dwelled on that subject as well...

"The "prelim" came from the coroners office. What killed the woman was a knife wound to her throat...As were the rest of the marks on her body from the same knife. The weapon was found under the mans body and had his prints all over with...and no one elses."

"So he murdered his own wife and the case is closed?"

Releif washed over Olivia's face and Jason sighed, hating to put the strain back on her again so quickly...

"In one victim only Olivia...the cuts on the man and the interior walls of the room weren't made by that knife...or any other knife for that matter. It's up to us to determine WHAT made those marks and to see if they fit your theory."

"So back to the crime scene?"

Jason nodded and then paused...

"After I treat your arm though...and then one word of warning...never give out an unproven theory to anyone you don't trust completely...the fall out could destroy your chances of proving it as well as your credibility...OK?"

 

[Jenn1982]

Jason's advice was sound and Olivia took it to heart. She held out her arm for Jason and he carefully removed the old bandage, pausing to assess how the wounds were looking. He brought out the liquid concoction from his pocket and Olivia held back a grimace.

Actually she didn't mind the daily treatments and despite the discomfort from the liquid she'd rather have Jason do it then have to go to one of the force's workman comp doctors. She enjoyed watching Jason go through the whole routine with the same skill she'd expect from a doctor yet he seemed to do it without having to even concentrate. She found herself wondering how many bites he'd had to treat since starting here. He finished in record time and she carefully pulled her sleeve back down over the fresh bandage.

"So I guess we're ready to head back to the scene. I'll drive…unless you'd rather take the truck?"

The look he shot her made her laugh and she grabbed her keys from the desk.

Once they'd gotten situated in the car Olivia wondered what the revisit to the crime scene might reveal. Maybe Jason could use the exceptional sense of smell he'd mentioned to find them some clues. She'd been surprised to hear the husband had killed the woman but it made sense; more sense than most of the aspects of the case. She thought back to the gashes in the walls as well as on the man's body and shuddered as she wondered what had made them. The idea that they might have been made by claws seemed to be worse than if they'd been made by a knife or man-made weapon. Looking over at Jason she wished she were as calm about this case as he appeared to be.

She turned into the parking lot of the motel and parked in one of the many empty spaces. The door to the room was still crisscrossed with yellow police tape making it easy to spot and Olivia waited as Jason unlocked the door.

"When the officers questioned the motel staff were they able to get any description of the lover?"

 

[BLACK BART]

Jason nodded and affirmed the lover had been seen...if only from a distance...

"Under six foot with jet black hair, he wore jeans and a white T-shirt. The maid commented he walked like an athlete and the shirt fit tight enough to confirm he was in excellent shape...Her words..not mine...the maid repeated that word three times in the report. Unfortunately she was so focused on his body she missed his face..."

Jason pulled a tape out and handed Olivia a pad and a pen...

"We're going to spend the next few hours measuring the span of each mark on the walls and inside door...until we find a pattern and can determine if it's possible the scratches are man made...or animal. Then we're going to compare those results to the measurements I had made on the dead husband."

Jason marked the far wall at the highest scratch marks and then measured...calling out the depth and width of the marks slowly and having Olivia repeat each to him afterwards.

"This will prove if the man or animal that was in this room killed the husband as well..." He continued as they slowly worked to the opposite end of the wall.

"And IF it was an animal and IF it killed the man?"

Olivia continued the train of thought after they had finished the first wall...

"Then we track it until we find it....and kill it.".." Jason replied soberly...



Both had stopped and taken a break...and as Olivia looked to the roof and gasped Jason followed her gaze and nodded.

The motel was and older building and like most built in that era had tall walls and raised ceilings...and this one was no different, except it was covered with the same claw like marks as the walls were... ten foot off the ground.

"If it's possible."

 

[Jenn1982]

Olivia couldn't help but nod her head in agreement at Jason's statement. If this did turn out to be an animal it was one she didn't want to even see from afar let alone try and catch.
She stopped looking at the ceiling and was ready to get back to work. Jason seemed to feel the same way and they slowly made their way through the rest of the walls.

The process was tedious and slow but the thoroughness would keep them from having to go back and do it again because of mistakes. Just a few wrong measurements could change the pattern and cause them to miss something. Olivia thought about the meager description they had of the lover and cursed the maid's lack of help. Though it helped some the description was still broad enough to cover a lot of people. Olivia wrote down the measurements for the last mark on the last wall and read it back to Jason.

They were both ready for another short break and Olivia went to the front lobby and grabbed two cups of coffee from the complimentary pot they had. From the taste of it, it was the same pot they'd made that morning but she drank it in a few quick gulps. Despite it's bad taste Olivia welcomed the small amount of energy it gave her. She planned on going straight to bed when she got home and hopefully making up for the previous night's lack of sleep. Olivia set her empty coffee cup on the table by their other stuff and glanced up at the marks on the tall ceiling. She met Jason's gaze and gave him a wry smile.

"So I guess I'll go see if they have a ladder around we can use."

They did in fact have a ladder, though it was in dubious condition. Other than some slight wobbling it managed to hold Jason despite its appearance. Once they finished up she returned the ladder while Jason locked the room again.

When they'd returned the office Olivia offered to sort through the measurements and make note of any patterns that emerged. As she went through the data her tiredness seemed to evaporate and she found herself wrapped up in the work. When she finally finished she turned to Jason's desk and was surprised to see he wasn't there. She made her way through the building and found him in the kennels feeding the animals.

"I finished going through the measurements. I think you might want to take a look."

 

[BLACK BART]

Jason nodded and finished with the last kennel then followed Olivia back to the offices.

"Rex come HERE"

He called before moving to his partners desk and looking at the file and list of numbers she had painstakingly charted.

The clicking of nails could be heard clearly as the animal he had called approached and Jason lifted his head to meet Olivia's eyes.

Only her eyes weren't on his. They were focused on the animal that approached...the same one that had bitten her earlier and given her the wounds she still treated.

Half wolf and half german sheppard the brute was enormous...the eyes intelligent and intent as it approached the pair....

and whined...

"He's a big animal, isn't he?" Jason voiced what Olivia's face showed. "Hundred and ten pounds when he's fed right and quicker than a cat."

Jason motioned and the half breed whined again and then approached, tail tucked under and head slunk low in subserviance...

"Put your hand out, palm up, Olivia"

The look he received wasn't all that confident from Olivia...in fact her eyes were asking if he was slightly "touched" as she lifted her hand...

And Rex gently placed his hefty paw in her palm.

"He's on your side Olivia...but take a look at the size of his front foot." Jason smiled as Rex tried to lick Olivia's face...

Olivia's face was a blend of emotions as she moved from surprise of the breeds meekness...to relief...and then to what Jason was comparing her charts to.

"Same amount of nails....the curve matching those on your charts as well as the placement when the paw would meet the wall...or ceiling. But there is ONE difference, right?"

Olivia reached into her desks drawer and pulled out a wooden ruler..Rex lowered his ears and whined....

and Jason laughed.

"He thinks you're going to beat him. Go ahead if you wish. He'll take it without reprisal...You have that right."

Instead Olivia shook her head in a negative and laid the flat surface of the ruler over Rex's paw that still rested in her hand...

and Jason nodded in mute applause.

"A span of five inches...big for a dog...but not compared to the ones we're studying...Add another foot and we'd have...

"A match"

Jason followed her thought and motioned to the breed, the hand sign getting the response of the animal dropping his paw and trotting away...as Jason summed up his observations of Olivia's facts.


"So we have a huge animal it seems. Not Rex but three times larger and able to walk at least for a short time on it's feet. Does that meet the criteria of your theory...partner?"

"It does..only..." Olivia confirmed and paused, then turning to open the second folder with the coroners report on the dead husband.

"Only...what?" Jason pushed gently

"It matches the marks on the husband as well, less blood stains that should have been on the plaster if the animal killed the husband first."

Jason stood and smiled. Not a happy smile but one that spoke of approval over the logic in Olivia's thinking.

"Go on"

"Based on the coroners report the woman died first, the knife in the husbands hand matches her blood type...the man died afterwards from the wounds the animal gave him. That's all fact. But the rest I can't say from hard evidence what occured..yet."

Jason nodded and moved to the window, taking his time to breath and think before turning and meeting Olivia's eyes.

"You think the lover and the animal are one in the same, don't you? It would make your theory work and all the peices fit in the right order."

Olivia nodded and rose from her desk, ready it seemed for her partner to laugh her out of the office...

"I followed your advice and keep returning to that conclusion."

Jason nodded and looked soberly at his new partner, knowing she was under a lot of strain and finding out the "dogcatchers" job was more than it first seemed.

"I agree with you, Olivia" He returned gently "Now tell me what our next step is and how we do it?"

 

[Jenn1982]

Olivia had a few ideas of what their next few steps should be.

"Well I think the main thing we need is to find the lover so I'm guessing our next steps will be ones in that direction. Maybe the guy visited one of the businesses right around the motel and they remember him. We could also try and dig around the wife's life for the past few months. Hopefully, no matter how careful she was, she left some kind of clue of who this guy was. Maybe they met some other place besides the motel and we can get a description that way."

Jason nodded in assent and glanced at the clock. Looking up Olivia saw that their shift was already over. She went to her desk to gather up her bag and keys.

She was eager to go home and take a break from this. She was still trying to come to terms with her theory. She knew it was correct but her mind continued to go against the illogical idea. This case was one of those that you couldn't get out of your mind. It was also the kind of case that seemed to make Olivia jump at shadows and she hated feeling that way. She didn't want to have another sleepless night and if she continued thinking about the case she knew she probably would. She was already trying to get the image of an animal three times the size of Rex with a paw span of a foot and a half out of her mind.

As she pulled her jacket on she looked out the window at the poorly lit parking lot. She headed to the door before turning back to Jason.

"Hey do you need a ride home? It's pretty dark out and it looks like it might rain."

 

[BLACK BART]

"Hey do you need a ride home? It's pretty dark out and it looks like it might rain."

He wasn't sure if it was just a friendly overture or an honest worry regarding the current crimes they were investigating, either way he knew from her tone of voice Olivia was worried.

"That would be great. Though I warn you I live several miles out of city limits?"

Olivia smiled and assured him it wasn't a problem....

And off they went to her car and towards his waiting home.

He gave directions, warning her as the rain did begin to fall on the windshield the road turned to gravel the last mile and she probably shouldn't drive on it in the rain, then relaxed as Olivia turned the radio on low and drove.

"I hope you don't mind my asking but I didn't see a wedding ring and you've never mentioned anyone waiting for you...I can't imagine an attractive and intelligent woman like you without a boyfriend?"

She was attractive and the closer he was to her the harder it became to fight his natural urges...and curiousity...

The rain shower turned into a storm...and they reached the end of the paved road...

"Thanks for the ride I can walk from here..." Jason thanked her and made to get out... "The road will be a disaster...Look if you want a wet walk and a hot cup of coffee?"

Olivia grinned and set the car in motion, the wheels grabbing for traction as they moved onto the slippery gravel road..and then the car stopped...

"Stuck until the road dries..." Jason predicted and then chuckled. "Guess you'll get that wet walk and hot drink after all"