CHAPTER THREE
D umas was on his own this evening with Reis meeting up with Michael's team. Dumas took over for Gage who had shadowed the Detective earlier. Dalhousie worked primarily overnight so Gage was basically positioned outside his apartment and listened to him sleep. Although Gage reported that the man slept very little.
“He lives in a nice part of town the Holbrook apartment building apartment number 504 with a great view.” Gage reported. Dumas met him a block down from the tenement building so they could meet and speak freely. The authorities were present at the building and so was Dalhousie.
“Did you notice anything strange or off putting about him?” Dumas asked figuring he might as well get Gage’s opinion of the man as well.
“I didn’t get close he left the office at six this morning and went to his apartment no stops. He stayed in his apartment all day until he returned to work six this evening. He headed to the tenement at eight just a little over an hour ago.” Gage stated dryly. “Why, do you sense something off about him?”
"Not sure, but something is getting my beast riled. It might just be the tension in the air and the threat of our secrets being laid bare." Dumas downplayed.
"We'll find who committed these horrific acts, and we will control the dissemination of information even if we have to wipe the minds of every human being in Pittsburgh. Dalhousie is a formidable detective, but we are the Hadden Coven, and no one beats us." The pride was clear, and Dumas seconded the sentiment. There was no second-guessing in this business.
"We'll find them, and I'll keep the detective out of our business," Dumas added.
"I'll see you tomorrow." Gage bade farewell and headed off to his beloved Harley, no doubt. The young human kept him busy and very happy. Dumas proceeded to the tenement building with all the stealth of a hellhound born from the fires of hell. He made his way to the apartment of the last victim.
Det. Dalhousie was there, and he was alone. Dumas remained in the hallway in the shadows, well away from his view and awareness. Humans were normally fairly easy to evade, but the Detective seemed more astute than the average human. He glanced at the door several times and even moved to the hall at one point, obviously picking up on something. Dumas shielded himself and continued to observe from a distance.
Det. Dalhousie did the strangest thing when he was completely alone or at least he thought he was alone, he began to smell things. He smelled the rug the area of the floor beneath where the man had lain. He smelled the doorknob; he smelled the side table near the chair. He smelled everything in the small apartment. Dumas watched him study everything and constantly write in his notebook.
Dumas wasn't sure what he was discovering but at times he looked intrigued. He ached to walk up and ask some questions, but he and the Detective were not on chatting terms, and he had no right to be hanging around the crime scene. Dalhousie once again stepped into the hallway and looked first left and then right and then stood there for at least a minute listening and taking in the scents.
He was acting like a shifter, but he was a human. Dumas took the chance to step slightly closer in order to get a better sense of the man, and what he discovered shocked him. The Detective was shrouded by a glamour of sorts, not exactly like vampire glamour but similar. This one was very specific and clung to him like a second skin. It was mystical in nature but not evil. The power it emanated was clean and harmless. It was simply a shroud, but why? Why would a human need a cover, and what was Det. Dalhousie hiding?
Rowen studied the apartment from end to end, not missing a single square inch, and still, he did not have an answer to who or what had drained the man of all life and all fluids. His Sergeant was on him to close this case. They needed a suspect or two to get things rolling, but so far, he had come up empty.
On top of that pressure, he began to notice that Master Hadden's men were hanging around. They showed up at the apartment building shortly after the victim was found, and then he was almost certain one had followed him to the station and then home.
They were suddenly everywhere inserting themselves into this investigation and it raised Rowen’s suspicions. Why would the Hadden Coven be so curious about this murder to the point of following and keeping track of the detectives progress?
There were two detectives at the station who were watching Rowen and reporting to the Coven, Det. Grant Dorsey and Det. Iker Dawson. Neither of the men were with homicide, but they were following the case. Rowen wasn't clear as to their connection to the Coven since Dorsey was a wolf shifter and Dawson was human, but he would find out.
The intense interest in his case by the Hadden Coven had him thinking perhaps they know who the killer is and are hiding him or intending to cover for him. Could a vampire do the damage he saw? They were bloodsuckers, yes, but they didn't drain a person of all fluids and their soul as well.
That man was left as nothing but a dry husk and magic was present in the atmosphere of the apartment and also present in small amounts in the apartments of the other missing residents. He knew for a fact that Master Nikolas Hadden abhorred magics, especially the dark and evil kind. He would not be sanctioning such abuse of power, but he might be covering for someone else.
He walked over to the one window in the living room of the apartment actually it was the only window in the small apartment. It looked out onto the street below not much of a view, just potholed pavement and junk cars along with a dreary ambiance that always hung over this section of town.
While standing there he saw what he thought to be more of Hadden’s men approaching the building. He knew this was his chance to get information on their intention by eavesdropping on their conversation. He quickly left the apartment and proceeded to the fire escape.
Dumas watched the Detective stare out the window for several minutes and then abruptly dash to the fire escape accessed from across the hall. Dumas followed, unclear as to what had spurred his interest in the fire escape.
He hung back a little, not wanting to be seen or detected. He knew that there were few places for the Detective to go, so it would be easy for Dumas to catch up. He followed his essence of leather and cotton to the alley floor and looked around, but the Detective was not there.
The scent of leather and cotton that surrounded him was there but was quickly dissipating. There were no doors nearby, and there wasn't enough time for him to reach the roadway in either direction or out of the alley. Finally, Dumas looked up, and something told him to go to the roof. On the roof, he found the two soldiers Dalhousie had been observing from the apartment. They were checking the area for clues and discussing the case. Dumas fell into step with them, asking about their findings but not bringing up Dalhousie.
He noticed a stray cat dart across on their left. It was full gray and moved with speed and agility, which was common with cats. He watched it without looking at it. The cat was the same one he'd seen before while searching this property. There was more there than just a minor feline. That cat had an interest and an objective.
Dumas continued to discuss mundane aspects of the murder and the Master’s interest to see if the cat showed interest in their discussion. He was feeling ridiculous, but his hound was adamant that the cat was suspicious, and he wanted to get closer.
“Have you seen Detective Dalhousie around?” He asked the two men.
“We saw him watching us from the apartment window but haven’t seen him since.”
“Go down to the apartment and take a look around. It’s empty at the moment." He told them, and they nodded and headed in the direction of the stairs. Dumas watched for the cat to see if it tried to follow them, and it did. He heard the skittering of tiny feet moving fast, attempting to catch the door before it closed when Dumas stepped in front of it. The cat reeled back obviously startled by his presence and took off in the opposite direction.
It made a run for the fire escape but managed to corner itself between two brick walls. Dumas blocked its escape and moved forward careful not to let the little creature get away. It moved back into the corner with a low growl and then it looked up at Dumas with large, vivid green eyes that Dumas had seen before and recognized. He smiled down at the cat and then crouched down and all of his previous confusion turning to clarity.
"Hello Detective Dalhousie." He said and watched as the small grey cat became the homicide detective, Rowen Dalhousie. The shift was swift and smooth, and like the hellhounds and dragons, he did not lose his clothing. Det. Dalhousie stood before him in his suit and trench coat, staring up at him with those same gorgeous green eyes.
“Hello Dumas.” He responded and straightened his coat. “I’m not sure what you are specifically but I know you are a shifter of sorts.” His tone was cautious, and his eyes were taking in everything.
"Of sorts," Dumas responded but did not go into detail as of yet. “You hide with a glamour?”
"No, I use an enchantment; it's a cat thing." The Detective was off his game, looking side to side and giving off an apprehensive vibe.
“You belong to a clowder or colony in Pittsburgh?” Dumas tried to keep his questions as casual as he could, but his sheer presence held a cold harshness that was difficult to work around. It’s a hellhound thing.
“No, I’m a stray.” He said that with solid conviction. It meant something to him.
“What does that mean?”
“I take care of myself, and I answer to no one.”
“It’s my understanding that the Wazir rules the strays.”
“Not all strays.” He answered and did not elaborate. Silence fell for a few minutes as they took stock of one another. “Why is Master Hadden so interested in this case?”
"The death was unnatural, and dark magic was involved. Such information cannot get into the hands of the public at large." Dumas assumed Det. Dalhousie would understand the dangers involved since he was a shifter. "The killer must be found and dispatched before the Pittsburgh PD gets a hold of him or her." Understanding spread across his face, and he nodded.
“I understand your fear of exposure, but it is my job to solve this case, and I intend to do so.” He took a stand but also a tentative step back when Dumas nailed him with a dark stare.
"You will do as you are told, or your days in this town will be few. You, as a stray, may not feel a responsibility to your fellow paranormal. But I guarantee you, Master Hadden will bring hell down upon you if any of your grandiose, self-centered behaviors brings harm to any of our brothers or sisters." Dumas was severe, but this man needed to understand that the secret came first and everything else in life came second, including his career aspirations.
"Of course." He backtracked quickly. "I didn't mean that I would put anyone or any community in danger of discovery. I will find the killer or killers and handle them appropriately." That sounded too vague to accept, so Dumas did not accept it.
“And what do you consider appropriate?”
“It’s appropriate to get them off the street so they are no longer a danger to others.”
"You know what they are capable of doing, and you've no doubt sensed their power, so with that in mind, how do you propose to find them and get them off the streets?" The Detective was cocky as all hell and spoke in circles without declaring any plans. Dumas was strangely attracted to the little bloviator in spite of himself. The cat shifter had an air about him that seemed to speak to Dumas.
"I'll identify them, track them down, and deal with them. It's how we do it in the department, and it's how my cat operates."
“You’ve had several successes since getting your detective badge, but you have never dealt with magics of this level.” Dumas pointed out the obvious flaw in his plans.
"Investigations are all the same." He shot back, and Dumas rolled his eyes, bringing a sudden flare of anger to the cat's green eyes. "I'm not completely certain that Master Hadden doesn't have a hand in what is happening. He has the power to pull it off."
"If you honestly believe that, then you are a bigger idiot than I thought." Dumas turned his back and began walking away. The draw to remain close was strong, and that fact was infuriating him. It was better that he gets some distance from the overconfident, under-skilled shifter before he said something he might regret.
Dumas went back downstairs and out to the street before putting in a call to Josef. "Det. Rowen Dalhousie is a cat shifter." He announced, and Josef fell silent for a moment.
“Is he affiliated with a colony?” Josef asked slowly as if still working this out in his mind.
“He says that he’s a stray with no affiliations.”
"The Wazir claims all strays," Josef stated.
"That was my understanding as well, but the detective is adamant that he is a lone wolf, so to speak." Dumas clarified.
“Stay close to him and make sure he doesn’t try to grandstand on this case. This could work in our favor.”
“Yes, sir.”
"Micheal and his team are closing in on the magics involved. The markers have led to the remains of the old leather club that housed the incubus a few years back. They, the magics involved, appear to be trying to resurrect his essence or power." Josef gave him the update and then added. "If your Detective heads off in that direction, let me know; otherwise, just keep a close eye on the man. Hopefully, we can wrap up this situation quickly without his interference.”
“I’ll keep an eye on him sir.” Dumas was not thrilled with the prospect of following Det. Dalhousie although he found him quite attractive the idea of trailing him for God knows how long seemed tedious.
The man was smart and not without resources to aid in his investigation, so it was important that his movements be monitored. He was open with the fact that he would try to arrest the perpetrator regardless of their supernatural affiliations. This fact made it imperative that he not find the perpetrator. He was, for all intents and purposes, a loose cannon. Permission was granted to do whatever was necessary to ensure that their secret did not get out to the general public, and with that in mind, Dumas swore to deal with the irritating, vainglorious Detective in any manner he deemed appropriate.