Chapter 6 #2
I opened the missing persons record on her for more information, discovering that her parents had listed her as missing after losing communication with her in 2120.
The record indicated that her parents had passed in a car accident in 2145, but the case had been left open at the request of a sibling, who still lived.
“There is a missing persons record regarding your case, Loraine. I know that won’t change your position any, but the record indicates that you have a living sibling who has kept the case active.
Unfortunately, your parents, who were the original filers of the case, perished in a car accident some time ago.
” I took care with meeting her gaze, aware she might remain calm or she might react poorly to my words.
To my relief, she accepted the news with a bowed head and teary eyes.
There was something comforting in knowing that death was hard even for those who passed and that we shared common ground.
“Would you like me to notify your family of your death and make arrangements for your bones?” I checked her file once more, confirming we had a DNA sample before adding, “There is a record of your DNA, so we should be able to gather your body for burial.”
Magic would help with that. Some purple dragons could identify if bones came from the same body, which would simplify the sorting process. I lacked the ability, much to my disappointment.
I wanted to do everything I could for Madam Merorie’s victims.
She nodded.
With a little luck, Loraine would quietly pass on to the next life once she and her family received closure. “Would you like us to wait until we have identified your remains before contacting your surviving family members?”
She hesitated, her gaze staring at the Scrabble board.
“You’re not sure?”
She pointed to ‘yes’ and nodded.
“Was your family, when you were with them, particularly religious?”
I’d discovered religious families often struggled with the lack of a body, as their beliefs required them to have the remains to bury in order to find peace.
She pointed to ‘no’ and bowed her head.
“Were you religious?”
She pointed to ‘yes,’ and her head remained bowed.
Ah. I understood. “Would you like your remains to be buried per your religious beliefs?”
She lifted her head, and her expression brightened.
I didn’t need to see her hand gesture towards the Scrabble board to figure out what her spirit needed to rest. “Please spell out the denomination and religion, that way we can research how we should handle your remains and lay them to rest. While I can’t promise the specific church is still around, we will locate someone who can handle your rites in the fashion you wish and make it known to your surviving family and friends that this is your final request and not up for negotiation. ”
While the method of using the Scrabble board and spelling everything out worked like a charm, it ate away at time.
I was aware of several people entering the room, but I paid them no heed; the last thing I wanted was to agitate the cooperative spirit.
If all she needed was reassurance her remains would be handled in accordance with her beliefs, I could work with that.
And I had no scruples about making certain her demands were met.
As far as requests went, she wished for a burial and no cremation, she wished to be placed in the ground at sunset, and she wanted a Catholic ceremony. The place of burial didn’t matter to her, but she longed for her final rites by a Catholic priest.
It amazed me that something so simple could lay a spirit to rest.
Once satisfied I had all the information she needed, she vanished.
I wasn’t the only one to issue a rather relieved sigh.
“You’re attracting them, aren’t you?” Captain Andretti asked.
That possibility worried me. “They know I’m trying to help them, and I’d rather them seek me out than try to haunt me.
I can handle carrying a Scrabble board and some paper around if it keeps me in a ghost-free state.
Well, of the haunted variety.” I spotted Erik hovering in the doorway with Citrine, Garnet, and Tourmaline. “You don’t think I’m haunted, do you?”
“No, I don’t. But I’m definitely concerned they’re following you around now.”
“For good reason. At least the Scrabble board works pretty well.” I displayed the notepad I’d used to jot down her last requests. “Do you want me to reach out to the relevant parties, Captain Andretti?”
“I’ll handle the notification to the family members personally, but since you had good luck in Cheyenne, I’ll have you contact the appropriate church about her burial once we’ve identified which bones are hers.
We have several clans of purple dragons helping to sort bones at the location, so that part is going well. ”
“Body count?” I asked, fearing the answer.
“So far, we’ve counted six hundred and thirty-two skulls.
Unfortunately, the basement there is layered; there is an entire catacomb complex underneath what you had found.
We’re compiling missing persons reports for the entirety of the state dating from the boy’s death.
Once I have that information, I’ll give you the list so you can compare with your financial records to see if there are any overlaps.
I’ve also put in requests for various human trafficking resources on state and federal levels.
I should have that for you on Friday. As you’re now officially on this case, I am expecting you two both take the day off.
Unless a spirit comes to you and asks for you to follow, I am not approving overtime for Wednesday and Thursday.
The only exception I’m making for that is if you’re taking her on a date to our range, Erik.
If you do, just file the forms and let me know.
I’m expecting a card and possibly flowers from you for adding the firearm requirements to her private investigator contract with us. ”
My fiancé snickered. “You might even get a batch of my mother’s cookies for that. I appreciate it. Is she on my schedule for hours?”
“Yes. Unless I say otherwise, her hours overlap with yours. Technically, we don’t have her full time unless a case demands it, which this one does, and we have to pay her bonuses for interfering with her ability to take on private cases.
She’s a bit more expensive to keep than our average cop, but at least she has the abilities to justify the pay.
” The captain engaged Erik in a staring contest. “Unlike you, who is just the son of a thorn in my side.”
“What did my father do now?”
“He has realized he has made mistakes, regrets he didn’t push for her to join the force, and understands your woman is not going to back out of being a private investigator who gets to work on the math she loves at this stage.”
I gave Erik’s father credit; how better to hide the reality I was both an undercover detective and a private investigator?
We’d have to trick my fiancé when I ended up putting in more than the expected hours, but when private investigation cases came my way, those cases would become part of my cover, which meant I would be paid twice for my work.
Legally, the only time I would have a problem was if my private investigation case overlapped with my current police assignments. Should that happen, I would likely withdraw from the case on the police side, making use of a black dragon to verify my integrity.
It would be a challenge, and I appreciated a good challenge.
Erik sighed. “At least we have her for the number crunching, and she excels at it.”
“Maybe you can’t be my partner at work, but you get to do the whole gaudy proposal thing dependent on which of our mothers beats the snot out of the other. My mother is evil, so I’m expecting to have to do the stupid, gaudy proposal.” I sighed.
“I’m still struggling to believe those two had a hatchling and that you’re such a well-rounded and kind individual.
Those two? They’re living, breathing nightmares for everybody else.
If I hadn’t been disclosed about it by the commissioner, I would have bought into the ruse of you stealing their last name as payback.
Of course, I’ve met your grandmother, and now that I know, you really are a lot like her, but you have a few of your mother’s traits.
Not many, but a few. When I’m being honest, I’m rather unnerved that someone like your father managed to create a daughter as beautiful as you are. ”
It amused me we essentially repeated our previous conversation for the sake of deceiving Erik.
“It pisses my dad off,” I replied with a grin.
“How dare I be him if only he had been born female and gorgeous. And then my mother eyes him, shrugs, and says she’d be bisexual for him if he had been a her.
At that stage, I wisely leave the area. Thus far, they haven’t produced a sibling for me yet, but I’m hopeful that will happen sooner than later. ”
“I’m not sure Dragon Heights will survive your mother suffering from pregnancy hormones,” Captain Andretti muttered.
I snickered. “Miami somehow survived. I’m not sure how, but it probably involved my father being my father.
When they aren’t in Dragon Heights terrorizing other dragons, they’re quite loving at home.
Imagine my surprise and confusion when they came here and behaved so poorly!
It wouldn’t surprise me if they abandon the city again should they have another hatchling.
They didn’t want me to be raised spoiled. Erik is spoiled enough for both of us.”
My fiancé sighed. “I was only moderately spoiled when I went to Miami. I was a quick study. And then I had to play down my wealth so you wouldn’t treat me like every other trust fund man after a pretty woman.”
Two hours at the range before going home had done a good job of freshening my skills, and I worried I’d be crushing Erik with my accuracy and skill before too long.
My Phoenix treated me well, tested my strength, and promised good things to come in the future.
“That reminds me. We need to book time at a regular range so I can practice with my Flamerunner and Blazewing.”
“I can add those firearms as exceptions to the range rules,” Captain Andretti stated. “I already added your derringer so you can get in some practice with that. Erik, do you have any unusual firearms you need to practice with?”
“I have a derringer that matches hers. I have not joined the Flamerunner or Blazewing insanity, and I’m seriously tempted regarding her Phoenix.
Unfortunately, there are no Phoenixes available in the city for purchase, but I’m thinking about reaching out to the manufacturer about getting one made.
” Erik winced. “It adds an offensive amount to the price tag, but after seeing Kinsley with hers, I want one.”
“Good luck. You’re going to need it. Kinsley, if any more spirits show up, text me. If I don’t reply, go up the chain. I want every manifestation reported. We’ll prioritize their remains first. The faster we get them laid to rest, the better.”
“And the probable trafficking?”
“Do what you can. If the FBI is right, we’re hunting using wishes and prayers as our primary tools.”
Unless I could make the numbers whisper to me and figure out how the traffickers obscured their payments to the mercury dragons, the FBI likely was correct. We would be making use of hopes, wishes, prayers, and dreams to crack the case.
All we could do was cling to the small chance that the mysteries of the dead could lead us to the living.
But as long as a small chance remained, I would hunt for the truth.
With luck, we would find it, and we’d do so before the rest of the madwoman’s victims ran out of time.