Ridley - A Shaman's Duty (Chap 11)

1

"I mean, I just can't believe it," the heavyset woman said, shaking her head to show her disbelief. "I mean, Sara is ... was just the sweetest thing."2

The reporter nodded as if she cared, her sleek bobbed hair swaying. "When was the last time you saw Ms. Jenson?"3

The woman wrung her hands. "Oh, geez. Just the other day or so-"4

The reporter's sharp gaze suddenly locked onto Ridley even though he was still a nice distance away. She forgot about the woman in an instant, her eyes lighting up with recognition. The woman sputtered as the reporter waved her camera man to follow her.5

"Excuse me, Mister ... um, I'm sorry. Mr. Ridley, I'm not sure whether that's your first name or last ..." She blinked up at him, stepping nimbly into his path, waiting for him to clarify.6

Ridley had to actually strain not to bare his teeth in annoyance at the pretty little reporter. He hated to add to the distrust mundanes had of Specials, and his acting like an animal on camera would not help anything.7

"Yes," he muttered, trying to get around her.8

She danced into his way again, as agile as a cat. "Yes, your first name is Ridley? Or yes, your last name is?"9

"Yeah, that's right. I'm Ridley Ridley. My mother hated me. Now, excuse me-"10

She thrust the microphone towards him. "If you're here, Mr. Ridley Ridley, then can we assume that the murder of this young lady involves Specials?"11

She'd spoken loud enough to have the entire crowd looking his way. He actually saw one neighbor suddenly pull her daughter behind her as if Ridley was going to snatch the child. The kid looked at him from behind her mother's hip with wide blue eyes.12

"You can't assume anything, miss," he growled, making sure he had a tight leash on his power. The last thing he needed was to knock this annoying little woman on her ass with power right in front of kids and a camera. 13

"Now please, excuse me." He pushed past her and ducked under the yellow police tape that guarded a small section around the door of the apartment building.14

The two cops holding the crowd back nodded politely at him and he felt a little better. At least not all mundanes were fuckin' idiots.15

The cop who stood inside the entryway told him that the victim's apartment was on the third floor, room 302. He took the stairs rather than the elevator, using the extra time to clamp down hard on his magic. He had just told himself not to ever leave the house again without doing a few hours of heavy working out, and yet, here he was one day later, brimming with power and walking around mundanes. 16

The apartment building was moderately nice. Not upscale or flashy, but homey and well-used. It smelled like a mixture of burritos and mint, a surprisingly cheerful combination. The pale colors that stained the walls took on a different hue each time Ridley passed another door to an individual apartment. The victim's apartment walls glowed an ugly, sick green.17

Morano and McKenny both stood in the hallway. Morano looked so tired that even her usually-bouncy ponytail seemed limp. But her eyes were alive and gleamed as she watched Ridley approach. McKenny, in comparison, looked exactly like he had the night before, down to the straight tie, polished shoes, and habitual scowl. He sneered as he watched Ridley.18

"Thanks for coming down," Morano greeted him, nodding and looking away from him. 19

"This girl died in the same way as the others?" Ridley asked.20

"That's why we fuckin' brought you here to confirm, dickhead."21

Ridley smirked at the tall detective. "Good morning to you too, McKenny."22

"Morning? It's fuckin four in the afternoon, asshole."23

"Stop it," Morano snapped. She glared up at McKenny and he glared back, but he backed down. He huffed and turned away. 24

Morano watched him for a moment, then touched his arm. Both Ridley and McKenny stiffened, both of them staring at Morano for different reasons. Power raged in Ridley's head at the innocuous sight of her slim brown hand on the arm of McKenny's jacket, and the tender look that swept across McKenny's face before disappearing back instantly into his scowl.25

"I know you're pissed. I'm fuckin' livid, too. This bastard is killing girls left and right on our watch," Morano said softly. "But Ridley is here to try and help. Don't attack him."26

McKenny nodded slightly. "Yeah. Sure," he said gruffly.27

Morano nodded and turned back to Ridley. "If you could do what it is that you do ..."28

Ridley nodded, knowing his face was tight with restrained anger. Seeing his expression, McKenny suddenly smiled over Morano's head, triumphant and looking much happier.29

She gestured to the door. "Do you need to be alone or ..."30

"Yeah, that's fine," he said shortly. He brushed past them as lurid blood-red light glittered in his vision. 31

"Shut the door," he barked as he stepped inside. He waited until the apartment door was shut and he was alone in the quiet apartment before clenching and unclenching his fists, trying to contain his fury.32

Down to business. Focusing on the problem at hand would help. He looked around the apartment. 33

The couch set was threadbare and second-hand, but clean, and the tables had seen better days. The TV was small and ancient, and the rugs were worn over scarred wooden floors. The entire apartment had a sweet, upstart feel to it, as if it's occupant was struggling but making it and took pride in her meager belongings.34

He found the dead girl in the bedroom. She was pretty and young, like the other girl, but that was the only physical similarity that Ridley saw. She was naked, spread-eagled on the bed. The killer still hadn't bothered with leaving his victim with any dignity.35

Sara Jenson, if he'd heard the reporter correctly, had a long, slim frame. Her skin was like melted milk-chocolate, her short hair inky-dark against the white pillow, her pretty expression shocked. She had been scratched up like the other girl had been and blood had turned her snowy sheets into a red mess. 36

Ridley sighed and apologized quietly to the dead girl for invading her space even more than it had been already. He held out his palm over her and flung the door in his mind open.37

The magic was exactly the same as from the Den of Sin, blazing and swirling inside the poor mundane's dead body. She had been filled with alien power just like Amelia Brown. 38

As Ridley shook his smoking hands, he backed out of the room. He opened the apartment door and just nodded to Morano as her anxious gaze met his. She worried at her bottom lip, glancing at McKenny. It was a familiar habit when she was trying to solve a puzzle, one that Ridley had always viewed as adorable. It just pissed him off right now.39

"She doesn't seem like a working girl," Ridley said thoughtfully.40

"She wasn't," Morano said softly. "Or at least, we're pretty certain she wasn't. She worked fulltime at a daycare. Volunteered at an animal shelter. As far as we can tell, she was a regular, hard working girl."41

"So, what do these girls have in common? I thought this guy was just going after convenient girls. If Ms. Jenson doesn't fit that bill, then how did he get to her?"42

"Not just that, but he's picking tougher and tougher girls to attack. It started in back alleys, and now he's breaking into people's homes." Morano looked disgusted and pissed at the same time. "As far as we can tell, none of these girls visited the same store, or moved in the same social circles, or anything."43

"Different races, but all of them have been cute and young," McKenny said thoughtfully. "Does that tell us anything?"44

"That he has good taste?" Ridley shrugged. "This guy is perfecting his kills, getting arrogant. He must've made a mistake somewhere."45

"Don't you think that we've been lookig at every possible detail?" McKenny growled. "You've done your fuckin' job. Thanks a lot, but why don't you go now?"46

“And why don’t you stop trying to piss a circle around this case and claim it as your own?” Ridley snarled back. “You could use all the help I could offer!”47

“And what can you actually offer, except telling us shit we’ve already guessed?”48

“Shut the fuck up, both of you!” Morano snapped, stepping between them. She was shorter than them and they continued to glare at each other over her head. “Jesus, it’s like trying to control two children.”49

“He started it,” McKenny mumbled, then actually had the grace to look embarrassed that he’d said that.50

Ridley looked down the hallway. “You didn’t bring Marta in to take a sniff?”51

Morano shook her head. “It didn’t really make sense. She’s only been able to confirm that it was the same man at each murder and you could do that. Besides, the Lycanthropes are even more nocturnal than the Mentals and she wouldn’t have answered until nightfall. So we didn’t bother calling her.”52

Ridley nodded slightly. “Yeah, I guess—”53

He suddenly froze, his brain whirring into overdrive. Something clicked into place neatly. He almost wanted to shout ‘Eureka’.54

“Ridley?” Morano took a step towards him. “What is it?”55

He blinked at her. “Huh? Oh, nothing.”56

“No, don’t try that nothing shit.” She moved even closer to him, studying his face intently. “You just thought of something or realized something. I want to know what.”57

He lifted his head higher, trying not to inhale as she moved close to him. Still, the smell of spiced honey rose to tease his senses. “Um. No, there’s nothing.”58

She frowned. “You’re not a good liar, Ridley,” she murmured, soft enough that McKenny actually leaned closer to hear her. He didn’t look very happy.59

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Morano.” He tried to move around her and gain some space, but she shadowed him. Funny, how her tracking him and ignoring McKenny would’ve probably given him secret joy if she wasn’t so damned observant. 60

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, you asshole, and if you don’t quit trying to run away from me and tell me what you know, then I’m going to throw you in lockup.”61

“For what?!”62

“Obstruction of justice.”63

“I’m trying to help you here!” Ridley glared at her while trying to look earnest. “If I knew something that would help you find this asshole, I would tell you. You know that. This guy can’t run around free.” 64

“You sure you’re not trying to save your fellow head-job?” McKenny sneered.65

“You can shut the fuck up!” Ridley growled. Sky-blue fireworks erupted in his head and the doors set in the hallway all shivered. While McKenny frowned at doors, Ridley clamped down ruthlessly on his power. He turned back to Morano while McKenny was distracted.66

“You believe me, don’t you? I wouldn’t let this continue if I could stop it.” He stared deep into her intensely dark gaze and ignored the thick pulse of hot power sliding down his spine. 67

She frowned, studying him, but finally nodded. “No. You wouldn’t.”68

“Caia!” McKenny snapped.69

Morano ignored him. “Get the fuck out of here, Ridley, before I change my mind and drag you in to interrogate you.”70

He nodded. “I’m sorry, Morano. If something comes to mind, I’ll be sure to call you.”71

She turned away, dismissing him. “Whatever,” she mumbled smokily. “Go, Ridley.”72

He turned away with one last, fierce glance at McKenny. He couldn’t tell them what he’d just realized because it wasn’t much. And he already knew that the people who could tell him more would definitely not talk to the police. 73

He walked back through the apartment in a daze. He hated lying to Morano. He didn’t regret it, but it made him feel pretty lousy. She was burning both ends of the candle to try to put this Special away; he could see the guilt in her for not doing it sooner when she mentioned poor Sara Jenson. He would do what he could to help her even if she didn’t want his help.74