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Murder in the Moonlight by Nagini Riddle

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A light breeze tickled the embracing couple, sifting through the maple trees that swayed slowly in the night air. The moment was so tender, so private, their eyes speaking everything, reflecting just the lingering glow of the earlier day. The dark clouds above thickened, obscuring the starry sky and the bath of moonlight, yet nothing whispered in the relaxing air of an approaching storm.

"Eric," the woman sang softly, caressing the side of his strong face and sighing happily.
 
The man smiled sweetly and wrapped his fingers in her thick curls, discolored to a dark orange in the descending night. "Yes, muffin?"
 
"Stay with me, please. Stay." Her voice was pleading, a slight hopelessness mixed in her undertone. Eric failed to notice, just chuckling, still twirling her hair.
 
"Ah, darling. I'll be back. Promise. It's just six months. Really! I've got to do it! It's the opportunity I've dreamed of. Better than anything else." The woman stiffened, but again, Eric did not sense the change.
 
"And when I'm back, I'll be back for good, be able to finally get that job! Finally have the life I want."
 
"You don't like this life now?" she sobbed, her shoulders starting to shake.
 
"How many times do we have this talk? Sweetheart, I'm 28 years old, and I've yet to even get an errand boy's job. I need this!" He seemed impatient now, and he turned his back to the woman, whose eyes were wide with a rather daunting blankness.

"I need you," she breathed laboriously, a deep shadow passing her expression.
 
"Muffin- I said I'll be back! You can wait that long. Just six months." He whipped back around and grabbed her hands. "Please..."
 
He suddenly lifted his arms and a grimacing look overcame him. "Honey, you're all wet!"
 
Indeed, even in the gloomy night, her entire being was quite damp, and beads of water were glistening on her forehead. She shook now, uncontrollably, her eyes flashing a troubling dark scarlet, her cheeks suddenly a raw pink.
 
"Eric-" she moaned pitifully, and she crumpled to the ground, cushioned somewhat by the recently fallen autumn leaves.
 
"Hun?" He rushed to her side as the clouds slowly rolled away, pure white moonlight filling the small grove. Silence stretched for a beat...
 
---
 
Cameras clicked madly as a male in his early thirties, dressed in a suit and carrying his trusty badge, crossed the yellow caution tape, drinking in the view of the woods and sunshine. Even now, the sky spoke of nothing peculiar, a solid blue without a splash of white, a perfect neutral background for the tall, multi-colored trees.
 
"Wish we could get out more, Albaum," he said, ironically smiling. He strolled to one old trunk and patted it appreciatively- and then noticed some long gashes in the dying wood. Frowning, he traces them gently with his stout fingertips.
 
Casey Albaum, his partner, rolled her pale eyes, exasperation clearly spelled into her premature lines. "This can wait until later, right? You interrupted my briefing, Hunter."
 
He glanced back at her, apologetic. "Sorry, Albaum. I just love the outdoors."
 
"Apparently so did our vic. Male, late twenties, with a large animal bite to his collarbone and shoulder. No i.d. on him, but you'll find this interesting- no signs of a struggle. A jogger found him about two hours ago, laying here on the leaves, face up."
 
Mr. Hunter continued to gaze at the marks in the tree, lost in thought. "Albaum, what kind of animal makes these slashes?"
 
Albaum wandered over to where he stood and gasped at the indents. She turned around quickly and motioned for one of the photographers to come. "I need a picture of this, stat!"
 
As the cameras continued to weave around the crime scene, Albaum continued to brief her partner, who didn't really seem all that interested in the task at hand, but still more focused on gazing around at the picturesque scene.
 
"We found three sets of tracks. Two belonged to humans and one to an animal- we assume the same creature that killed our vic. However, we are unable to identify said tracks."
 
"Why are we exactly here? We are homicide detectives- not animal chasers." Hunter, seemingly done with the view, looked down and straightened his suit jacket.
 
Albaum slapped his hand off the jacket and faced him to her, determination blazing in her eyes. "Look, some things aren't right."
 
He allowed himself to give her a sharp look. She was rather pretty, with short blonde hair, but that steely look in her eyes intimidated people. That look made her a great detective.
 
"Example?" he wondered, somewhat intrigued now. If Albaum though it important, it most likely was.
 
She steered him over to the set of tracks. They seemed straight forward- men's tennis shoe prints (most likely the victim's), the high heel marks, and finally some strange jagged claw tracks. He knelt down to examine them closer and saw that the high heel print had a smooth bottom- no identifying lines. What was more, this seemed to be where they just stopped and the creature's began.
 
"You see, those prints lead here, but don't lead back or anywhere else. And the creature's? No tracks leading it here. They just suddenly appear. And that's not all."
 
Hunter felt some excitement build. "What did you find?"
 
Casey walked a short distance and pointed to marker 5, a harsh yellow color against the pretty red leaves. Next to the marker was a long, thin, and polished stick, but it couldn't be a stick. It had an intricately carved handle, as though it was meant to be held and wielded- quite like a light saber, but wooden, smaller.
 
"A- wand?" Hunter asked.
 
Albaum solemnly nodded. "Yes, you little nerd. I'm guessing it's a collectible, but I can't imagine how it got over here."
 
"So we have a wand, strange footprints, and an animal attack, plus those gashes on the tree... This wand is too far away from the victim- could he have dropped it?"
 
"None of his prints are over here. Neither of the heels or the creature's. I'm guessing it was thrown- it couldn't merely fall out of a pocket."
 
"No struggle?" Hunter repeated suddenly, as if he was back at the earlier conversation.
 
"Exactly. And the victim's face- you have to see it for yourself." Albaum stalked over to the body. The man was dressed casually, his brown hair not even mussed, his expression neutral, not a hint of danger or shock etched in his features. The wound was hard to ignore- it seemed like a gigantic creature with mammoth jaws had gored the front of the left man's side.
 
"No struggle!? He doesn't even look scared! But he had to have seen the creature. Maybe it happened too fast for him... And the heels. Where did the other person go?" Hunter suddenly found the whole thing suspicious. "Are there tracks near the gash in the tree?"
 
Suddenly another man rushed into the clearing, bewilderment in his frown. "We found some clothes. You will want to see this!"
 
They went crashing (as gently as possible so as to reduce tampered evidence) through the leaves and rounded some bushes to find what appeared to be torn rags. On closer inspection, they were clothes, in shreds, as though they had been ripped off the body, then attacked by scissors or something just as sharp. The clothing appeared to be from a woman.
 
"Hmm. Her tracks disappear and her clothes show up, completely destroyed. Did you find her heels?" Hunter mused to the other male detective.
 
The man shook his head. "No, but there aren't any tracks over here, either. These clothes were definitely thrown. I would bet my life on it."
 
Hunter gave him a serious look. "No bets on life today."
 
Albaum spoke up, her mind obviously working furiously to put the pieces together. "The creature's tracks lead away from the body to the road- perhaps it carried the woman off, and ripped her clothes too."
 
"Suggesting that the animal walked on hind legs. And where did it come from? The sky? There aren't any tracks leading to that grove- they just start where the heels end. And carried off- must have powerful jaws."
 
"Or arms." A cheerful voice from behind startled them.
 
"Arms?" Hunter repeated skeptically. "I don't even think bears could carry off a fully grown woman in their arms."
 
"Ah, but it wasn't a bear, now was it?" The newcomer was a stout older man, beaming from under a beard. "How are ya, Robert?"
 
The addressed Hunter barely grinned. "Just fine, Mr. Betram."

"Pity. A youngster like that, dying here! T'aint right."
 
Albaum chuckled. "Yes, well, it happens. Our job to just set it straight."
 
"Santa Barbara ain't paying ya enough, girl," Betram wisely said.
 
"It's not about the money," was all she replied, and stopped down to peer more closely at the clothing, examining it for blood.
 
Betram gave her a misty look. "Fine woman, Robert. Why'd that idiot divorce her?"
 
"I suppose because he was an idiot," Robert Hunter said a little irritably.
 
"Ar, that'd be right."
 
Robert's eyes narrowed. "What brings you here? This isn't really your area, and we don't need your half-crazed, but mostly right, theories on what happened."
 
Betram shrugged, and he twisted his shoe in the leaves. "It's a mystery, and I lurve mysteries. Give me ta facts."
 
---
 
"Name?" Robert asked the morgue doctor who worked at the lab. They were examining the body in a closed room.
 
"Ran the DNA, name of Eric Vendoza," the doc replied, apprehension on his middle-aged face.
 
"Good, we'll be able to find family. What's the matter?"
 
"Well, I found something puzzling. There are two-yet not two- more sets of DNA on his body."
 
"Really?" Robert blinked. "Human and non-human?"
 
"Well-" The doctor seemed very upset, as though the investigation was not going as planned. "Stetchsky gave me the name of the man, but then she said that- the other DNA matched but didn't match the woman's DNA off the clothing."
 
Robert Hunter pondered that briefly. "I'll talk to her later. Now, was the kill instantaneous or did he bleed to death?"
 
The doctor didn't seem eager to get off the DNA topic, but he waved his hands at the body. "Dead on impact, and yes, it was the cause of death. I found traces of steak in his stomach, with other foods, but no drugs, no alcohol, no poisons. But, his hands were covered in some thick salt that was once sweat- and it wasn't his DNA- it belonged to- the other DNA."
 
"Creature sweats?"
 
The doc pursed his lips together. "I see no signs of struggle or resistance- but his hands are covered in dry sweat that isn't his. But, instead of fur on his nails or wrapped around his hand- I found hair that was long and curly and a copper color."
 
"So, he was definitely with a woman."
 
"Yes, it would seem so. But where did she go?"
 
"That's what I have to find out. Thanks for the analysis. I'll be back later to see if anything has changed." Robert nodded his head at the doctor and swept out of the office, troubled. He felt as though he was missing something big.
 
He turned the busy corner of the cluttered hallway, thinking for the millionth time that someone needed to clean up. This helped calm him slightly-cleaning wasn't as big a job as figuring out a murder. Well, at least, he didn't think so.
 
His musings took him to the far end of the hallway and he found himself facing Stetchsky, a forensics scientist. She appeared amused that Robert was wandering around the halls, and she immediately handed him a blue folder.
 
"Has everything you need for now. Still working on our Jane Doe, but I think we might hit a dead end," she stated very matter-of-factly, sweeping back her long brown hair.
 
"Why?" Robert asked, pulling at his tie.
 
"Come in, sit down. Make yourself comfortable. You'll need it." She turned into her office and promptly sat down, her posture perfect and commanding.
 
Robert followed suit, though not quite so professionally. "Alright, what do you have for me?"
 
"The woman? You understand how DNA works, I'm sure. Human DNA has 46 chromosomes, give or take one at times. This woman- I don't know if I can call her human."
 
"Are you suggesting that who ever bit Eric was a creature the entire time, just dressed in high heels and woman's clothing?"
 
"Perhaps," Stetchsky replied, straight faced, but her tone had a hint of humor.

–Alright, how many chromosomes did the DNA have?” He rubbed his face with his hands, wondering if her could take any more strange news.
 
–It was mixed. Not quite mixed- mutated. Some of the DNA contained 46 chromosomes, but then the actual sweat had a jump up to 60, and then the creature’s DNA had traces of the girl, but was well at 79. Now a wolf has 78 chromosomes. That’s not all. A lot of her strands of DNA had some foreign substance in it that I can’t trace- like some alien energy. But this I can tell you- the creature and the woman are the same being.”
 
Robert felt himself exhale a large breath he didn’t know he had been holding. –What, like those Sci-fi shows and movies? How is that possible?”

Just then, Betram strolled in, and he didn’t seem at all surprised to see Robert there. –Have ya given him ta facts, Stetchsky? Ah, yeah, ya have.  I can see it in his eyes.”
 
–You already know?” Robert asked him, wondering who else had known before him.
 
–Ar, how do ya feel about the supernatural?”
 
Robert struggled to keep the whole situation logical. –Supernatural? Look, there must be something wrong with our system.”
 
Stetchsky and Betram shared a look. It said "We have a lot of work to do to get through to him."

Betram sat down next to Robert and clapped him on the shoulder. –Do ya believe in vampires? Witches? Werewolves?”
 
–Unicorns?” scoffed Robert, wondering where this conversation was going. Betram only nodded.
 
–Ya, thems too. I’m a thinking that the murderer was such a creature: a werewolf.”
 
A taut silence followed, and Robert felt his body chill, fear creeping into the flow of his blood. –Does Abraum know?”
 
–Not really. In fact, she’s on her way now. Appears she had an accident in the evidence room.” Betram used a mysterious tone, like someone might do before they jump at you and yell, –Boo!”
 
Robert quickly stood up. –I will leave you and Stetchsky to talk about your little fantasies. I need to debrief with Abraum.”
 
He walked quickly out of the room and almost ran to the evidence room. He got there in time to see Abraum coming out, disheveled and confused.
 
–Abraum, what happened?”
 
–Hunter, thank goodness you’re here. It seems that something happened with- the wand.” She appeared a little frightened by saying those words.
 
–Lead on,” Robert grunted, wondering what could have occurred.
 
–It, well- exploded.” She seemed to hesitate, afraid to explain further.
 
–A bomb?” he guessed.
 
Abraum shook her head. –No. Only, now, some people have arrived, wanting to see it.”
 
Robert pondered this statement. –Collectors?”
 
His partner gulped. –I think it’s worse than that. Come in.”
 
The two entered the evidence chamber, and he saw three people, dressed smartly and having an air of authority.
 
One of them- the male, buff with sandy hair- stepped forward. –Sorry to intrude on your investigation, but we have to insist that we take over.”
 
Robert shrewdly glared at them, again having the sense that he was missing something. –Why?”
 
–By order of the Creature Induced Murders Auxilary. This isn’t a homicide where you can jail the murderer. You should focus on the new case you’re going to get.”
 
–Now Paris,” one of the women said gently. –They’re policemen, not criminals. No need to use that harsh tone.”
 
–Anastacia- I will discuss that with you later,” the addressed Paris growled. Anastacia only smiled.
 
–Good morning, detectives. It seems we will need all the facts, the evidence, and the body,” she told the partners in a firm but pleasant voice.
 
–The wand, too?” Robert asked suspiciously.
 
–WAND? Goodness me, that’s not a wand! What silliness. Next you’ll suggest the victim’s from outerspace.”
 
Robert decided to keep quiet about the –werewolf” hypothesis, but he raised an eyebrow towards the three intruders. –It’s a wand. I’ve seen them in those shops.”
 
Paris appeared to a give a fleeting look of panic, but it disappeared when Anastacia glared at him.
 
–Now, my colleagues- Hera and Paris- and I know it’s not a wand. Please disregard that evidence, and just give us what we came for. We have other things to be getting to.”
 
There was a coldness to her now, and Robert reacted to it abruptly. –No.”
 
–No?” Hera steeped forward, suddenly menacing.
 
–No. It’s our case, and it’s not being turned over. I’ve never even heard of this creature auxiliary. The case stays. Final.”
 
Abraum tensed at Robert’s words, but she didn’t seem to want to argue any further.
 
–So much for that plan,” muttered Paris, shooting furtive glances to Anastacia. She silenced him with an upheld hand and reached into her pocket. Robert thought wildly that she might be grabbing a gun.
 
–Well, then we’ll have to use force,” Anastacia announced, a hard edge to her voice.
 
–Force?” Abraum spoke up finally, and she appeared ready to defend herself if need be.
 
Anastacia quickly whipped out a thin stick- remarkably like the one they had found at the scene. The other two so-called detectives did the same.
 
Robert found himself breathing calmly. Not wands, huh? For some reason, he felt that these three were about to use real, magical wands. Yet, he couldn’t comprehend why he didn’t feel more scared.
 
There was a blinding flash- then a foggy darkness.
Chapter Endnotes: Any comments would greatly help this plot bunny move along! And remembered- do not go out during a full moon... *scary music*

Tune in for the next chapter when Robert meets someone a little... odd.

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