A Tangle With the Past

By Reese Currie

Creigh's future was looking peaceful; he had set aside his career as a paranormal investigator and settled down into life as the owner of a funeral home. But when Evie McAllister is murdered in a manner suggestive of a werewolf, Creigh is pressed back into service, and his past, and that of all of his friends, is coming back to haunt them with a vengeance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Reese Currie
• Release date: Dec 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370198399

Reese Currie

Reese Currie has had the creative writing bug in his soul from a very young age. Now in his middle age, he is finally releasing the floodgates on his passions, including his passion for fiction writing.

Book preview

Chapter One

My cell phone rang in my pocket; I checked the call display and picked up.

Carl, I said. Long time, no hear.

Where are you at, Creigh? RCMP Inspector Carl Lane asked. Are you at the funeral home?

Yeah, I replied. Where are you at?

On my way to the funeral home, now, Carl replied. Are you busy?

I was never all that busy at the funeral home I owned with my wife, Natalia, our friend, Dejana, and our new friend, Rick Hartmann. Natalia was our cosmetologist; Dejana ran the office; Rick was our embalmer and funeral director. As for me, well, aside from being an owner I was just a driver. When I had contract computer programming work, I fit that in between my driving duties. I might go to the hospital to get a body, or drive the hearse, or drive the pallbearers or the family to the cemetery. If I didn't own the place I'd be in a pretty minor role.

Not very, I replied, feeling a little trepidation. What brings you out our way?

Death, Carl replied. What else?

What kind of death? I asked.

We don't really know yet, Carl answered. It's complicated.

Complicated, I commented.

Yeah, complicated in a way that I'd like you to have a look, he said.

I paused a moment, and closed my office door. I don't know how much use I can be to you anymore, Carl, I said. I told you I lost all of my capabilities.

Yeah, I know, but you know things, Carl replied, and you know the right person to call if we need help.

Carl meant Jack, a person in the Canadian government whose duty was to cover up the paranormal. I had worked for Jack for a few years, not willingly, but by compulsion. I had never really trusted Jack until he allowed me to retire to the funeral home business.

Of course, I had kept my share of secrets from Jack, too. He never knew that I had been a werewolf.

On my first visit to British Columbia, I was here to investigate suspected werewolf activity. Natalia had been a werewolf, complete with transformations. She had killed her own niece while she was transformed, something that I think has haunted her down to the present day. In my research on werewolves I had learned that a conversion to Christianity was considered a cure in the medieval church. Natalia converted and never transformed again, but she did turn me into a werewolf in hopes of enabling me to survive a gunshot wound.

Conversion didn't seem to be a complete cure at the time, because our form of Christianity had been missing a crucial element, absolution. When we received absolution at a Lutheran Divine Service, our lycanthropy was completely removed from us. We had lost all the capabilities and all the vices that had gone along with being werewolves. We'd had enhanced hearing and an enhanced sense of smell, and could survive gunshot wounds. We'd also had sexual peculiarities because werewolves and vampires both changed to be polyamorous; that had culminated in a brief three way relationship between me, Natalia, and Dejana. It had all gone away with the absolution that cured our lycanthropy.

All right, I said cautiously. What are we looking at?

I'll tell you on the way, Carl replied, then cut the connection.

I looked at my cell phone for a moment after he hung up, then pocketed it. I wandered out of my office into the lobby. Everyone was busy except for me. Natalia was doing make-up for a man Rick had just finished embalming, who was having a wake this evening. Rick was now working on a woman who was going to be in the second reposing room. Dejana's keyboard was clacking as she did our accounting. I went into her office. She looked up and smiled.

Carl's coming to get me, I said. He wants me to look at a crime scene.

Dejana stopped typing and took off her glasses.

It's like he doesn't understand that I don't have any of my capabilities any more, I said, looking out her window.

You were good investigator, even without, Dejana said in her Serbian accent.

You didn't even know me before I was a werewolf, I pointed out.

I have seen you work, Dejana said. A lot of what you do doesn't rely on being a werewolf at all.

I don't know, I replied. I'm afraid he's got his hopes up too high.

So, you disappoint him, Dejana said, shrugging. Big deal.

I looked at Dejana, stricken, and she laughed. You are such perfectionist, she said, smiling as she scolded me. She sometimes dropped out words when she spoke English. It was sort of endearing.

I don't like doing anything badly, I admitted.

One of the outside doors opened, and Carl Lane appeared in the lobby.

I've got to go, I told Dejana. If Natalia asks where I went, I'm with Carl.

I will let her know, Dejana said, putting her glasses back on. The glasses were new. Dejana was getting older along with the rest of us.

I stepped out into the lobby. Let's go, Carl, I said.

Carl turned without a word and I followed him out the door.

We've got a dead child, Carl said as he opened his car door.

I sighed as I walked around to the passenger side and got in.

The child looks partly eaten, Carl added as he sat down in the driver's seat and put on his seat belt. This is why I'm thinking this might require your expertise.

I don't have much expertise anymore, Carl, I said as I buckled my belt. All of my werewolf powers are gone.

You really think that, don't you? Carl asked as he wheeled the car around. How did you find those vampires? Was it your sense of smell? Was it your hearing?

Well, no, I admitted.

"It was your brain, Creigh, Carl said as he sped down the driveway and onto the road. You quickly figured out where we should be looking for real estate that had been sold within a certain timeframe and within a certain distance of the first known crime scene."

The funeral home fell out of sight behind us.

We should have taken Dejana along, I commented.

Carl shrugged. As a matter of fact, she's really good, too, he allowed. He looked at the clock. We could go back and get her.

No, let's just get this over with, I said. I might as well spare Dejana the sight of a dead child.

It's a pretty rotten sight, Carl agreed.

How long was he missing? I asked.

She, Carl corrected me. The kid just wasn't there when the parents got up yesterday morning.

Do you think it was an abduction?

We had a forensics team at their house all day yesterday looking for clues, Carl said. I flew up here while they looked. They didn't find a sign of forced entry.

I sighed heavily. Did they check the whole house, or just the kid's room?

The kid's room and the exits, Carl said.

They didn't check the parent's room at all?

No, why?

There might have been an item in the closet, a wolf-skin, I said. How well do you understand werewolves?

Not at all, Carl admitted.

Well, in Armenian folklore, a woman who lives an immoral life can be condemned to spend seven years in the form of a wolf, I said. A spirit comes to her, bringing a wolf-skin, and makes the woman wear it. The wolf-skin gives her an insatiable need to eat human flesh. She starts with her own children, then her relatives' children in order of the closeness of the relationship. Once they're all dead, she moves on to the children of strangers.

I don't know what to do with this information, Creigh, Carl said.

You'll want to find out if there are other children in the extended family and maybe do surveillance, I said. I don't know how you'll justify that. Maybe say you think it might not be random so you want to watch for a couple of days.

Carl blew out his breath. I don't know how I'll swing that, Creigh.

I shrugged. If another child in the family is killed in the same way, it will justify itself, and you may have to leave it at that.

Carl looked at me for a moment before turning his attention back to the road. That's pretty cold, Creigh.

If you tell me where the parents live, I could watch their house tonight, I said. Are there two parents?

Yes.

If one's a werewolf, they're probably both werewolves by now, I said. I could watch and see if they transform and try to leave. I'd have to kill them on the spot. If we're going to do that, I should call Jack and get a Collections team on alert.

It was Carl's turn to sigh heavily. I guess you'd better do that.

Chapter Two

We arrived at the crime scene, and Carl led me through a throng of officers to the dead child. She had been a beautiful little girl, with golden, curly hair. The lower part of her body was missing, her torso ending a bit above where her shirt ended, a pile of intestines marking the end of what was left of her body. Although my werewolf powers were gone, I still instinctively gave the air a sniff. All I perceived was that which could have been perceived by any person with a working sense of smell, the stench of shit, blood and death. I stood a moment, bowed my head in silent prayer, then turned and walked back through the throng.

Got nothing, eh? Carl asked, following me.

Well, I should be able to stay up tonight for my surveillance, I said. I don't think I'll be sleeping easily after seeing that.

But nothing else? Carl pressed.

I sighed. Nothing else, I confirmed.

The coroner, a man named Harvey MacLean, came up to us. You drive for one of the funeral homes, right?

I nodded. Yes, the Hartmann-Zee funeral home, I confirmed. I'm one of the owners.

Do you think your people can handle that? he asked.

I looked in the direction of the little girl and whistled through my teeth. Let me check with my embalmer, I said. If we can do it, I'll call you.

Is it Rick Hartmann? MacLean asked.

Yeah.

He can probably do it, MacLean replied. Check with him, but he's the best around.

Thanks, I said. I'll let you know as soon as he confirms.

I'm going to take you right back anyway, Carl said.

I'd better check with Rick now, see if he needs pictures or anything, I said, pulling out my cell phone and dialing.

Hartmann-Zee Funeral Home, came Dejana's voice.

It's me, I said. I need to talk to Rick for a minute.

I will get him, she said, and put me on hold. I had time to wonder how people felt about hearing a foreign accent when they first called the funeral home. I thought her voice was beautiful; sexy even, although I didn't like permitting my mind to go there. After about a minute, Rick came on the line and said, Creigh, what's up?

I'm at a crime scene with Inspector Lane, I said. We've got a little girl who's been ripped in half. The coroner was wondering if we could handle the funeral, and I thought I'd better check with you.

How bad is it?

Bad, I replied. She's missing from the hips down. Actually, I don't know if Natalia can handle this.

Why do you say that? Rick asked.

Her nephew died in a very similar way, I said.

You two have uncommonly tragic lives, Rick commented.

I don't buy lottery tickets for that very reason, I said.

There was a pause before Rick added, You also have an uncommonly dark sense of humour.

Harvey MacLean is here, the coroner, I said, changing the subject.

Really? Maybe I should talk to him, Rick said.

Dr. MacLean, I called out. Do you have a minute to talk to Rick Hartmann?

Yes, MacLean said, coming over. I handed him my cell phone and let them talk.

I turned to Carl. I guess we should think about a game plan.

Let's save it until we're on the drive back, so no one can overhear, Carl suggested.

Good idea, I replied.

We waited a few minutes in silence until Harvey MacLean came back with my cell phone. We'll give you guys a call when she's ready to be picked up, he said, then turned to return to his work.

Thanks, I called to his departing form.

I guess I'd better get you back to the funeral home, Carl said.

I got into the car with him. Carl started it and pulled away, then asked, Well, what do you think?

It could just be a crazy person, I said. You should probably keep up a normal investigation in case that's what's happening.

For sure, Carl agreed.

You know ten times as much as I do about that kind of investigation, so I can't offer any advice on that front, I said. Probably I should watch the parents' house tonight, in case it's them. Are there any female relatives?

I don't know, yet, Carl replied. It could be a male, couldn't it?

It could be, but the males aren't as likely to attack children, I said. The last werewolves in BC worked in the same way as the Armenian folklore describes. A male was going around making female werewolves, and they were attacking children in their own families. He sometimes killed adults, but he never went after children.

This rings a bell, Carl said, thinking. There were two further south a few years ago, wasn't there? Looked just like this.

I nodded. In one case, Sue Derderian, a werewolf, had killed her own child. The other case had been Natalia's nephew, and we suspected Natalia had done it while transformed into a werewolf.

If you look through your history on that, the killer was identified as a woman named Sue Derderian, I said, giving the official story. She killed her own son, then moved on to unrelated children. I killed her in self-defense when she attacked me and the RCMP officer with me.

Only the one person? Carl asked.

I killed more werewolves unofficially, I replied. I got the man who was turning the women into werewolves, and I got a woman who was doing the same thing and two men she had infected. I didn't mention the scores of Jack's operatives I killed because they had wanted to kill Natalia, not believing that she could be cured.

It is completely looked after, though, right? Carl asked. No stragglers?

I thought so, I replied, sighing heavily. I hope I got them all. That's been one of my fears for years, that I didn't find them all.

It's been a long time, Carl said. You'd think other bodies would have shown up if there were still werewolves around.

I shrugged. They can kill other stuff, I said. The vampire we dealt with over in Serbia was undetected for centuries, eating woodland creatures.

Werewolves don't get to live for centuries, do they? Carl asked.

I paused. I don't really know, I admitted. They don't live all that long around me.

Carl snorted.

Dejana would probably know the real answer, I said.

We rode in silence for a few minutes, until I broke the silence.

Carl, I don't like having secrets between us, I said. Can I tell you something confidentially, off the record?

Carl shrugged. I won't share things you tell me, but if they were to come up in an investigation, I don't know how I could interfere.

About all I can ask for, I said.

About all, Carl agreed.

I sighed. Natalia may have killed Timmy Kalestian, the other child that was credited to Sue Derderian.

May have? Carl asked.

She wasn't always a Christian, I explained. When I met her, she was a werewolf who transformed. I explained Christianity to her as well as I could, she believed it, and she stopped transforming. Before that, her nephew was killed. It's very likely she did it while transformed, but she doesn't remember it, probably because she was in the werewolf state when it happened.

Carl was silent for a few moments as he considered what I'd said.

Does her family know? he asked.

They know she may have done it, yes, I said.

Who else could it have been? Carl asked.

Well, there were five other werewolves in BC when it happened, I said. It's still most likely Natalia who did it, since she was the only one related to the child.

Only you would know that she's the most likely candidate, Carl said. It certainly couldn't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Carl was silent for another minute before adding, It kind of explains the attitude I got when I called her sister to get the name of her dentist when we thought she'd been burned in your home.

What attitude?

I kind of got the sense she was glad that Natalia was dead, Carl said.

Chapter Three

Carl dropped me off at the funeral home. I immediately went to find Natalia, who was working on a body when I found her. She had a photograph of the man and was working on him with a make-up brush. She glanced at me when I came in the room.

I think I'm done, she said absently, putting down her brush down and picking up a mirror, checking all around his face and neck.

Rick came into the room and stood beside me.

I used to do the make-up myself, he said quietly, shaking his head. Natalia's gifted.

Natalia finished her inspection, looked up and flashed Rick a smile. Thanks, she said.

I'm done with Mrs. Everett, and she's ready for you, Rick said.

Natalia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Okay.

I need to talk to you first, I said.

They both looked at me curiously.

You haven't told Natalia about the child? I asked Rick.

Oh! No, not yet, he said. I was busy with Mrs. Everett.

I need to talk to her about it alone, I said.

Rick nodded slowly. Okay.

In my office, I said to Natalia. I followed her there and closed the door behind us.

There's a dead child? Natalia asked.

I nodded my head sadly. I'm worried about you seeing it. It's bad.

You think it might set me back, Natalia said.

Several months ago a man identifying himself as Dr. Guillaume came to my office and asked to speak to me. I asked him to come in, closed the door behind me, and invited him to sit down.

How can I help you? I asked.

Jack sent me, Guillaume said.

Jack who? I asked.

You know who, Guillaume said. I don't actually know his last name.

I don't know who you mean, I replied, pretending to be confused.

I don't know who I mean, either, he admitted, but he sent me here to help your wife.

Help my wife with what? I asked.

Her post-traumatic stress disorder, he said.

I opened a drawer in my desk and took out a pencil. What did you say your name was?

Dr. Benjamin Guillaume, he replied.

You realize that if Jack doesn't confirm this, we could have a serious problem here, I said.

I somehow expected you would say that, Guillaume said. It's par for the course lately. Call him.

I called Jack's number. He picked up, as he always does, on the first ring. Creigh, he said.

There's a Dr. Guillaume in my office, I said. Says he knows you.

I sent him, Jack said instantly.

Why?

We spoke about getting Natalia some help for her post traumatic stress disorder, Jack reminded me. She never asked for any help, so I thought I would just send help.

Hm, I hummed.

He's had a rough go, Jack added, his voice filling with sarcastic mirth. His practice just got moved from Toronto to Promenade. You should let him help her. She would be the only client he has, as far as I know.

I looked at the man across the desk for a long moment. Describe him, Jack, so I can be sure the person you sent is the same person that's in my office.

Jack described Guillaume for me.

All right, that's him, I said, stopping Jack. Thanks, Jack.

Smart to check, Jack commented. See you, Crazy. Jack had given me the codename Mr. Crazy based on a quick pronounciation of my name, Creigh Zee. I hated it, but who wouldn't?

I hung up the phone. What has he got on you?

I beg your pardon?

Jack works by coercion, I said. What has he got on you?

If I tell you, you'll have it to hold against me, too, Guillaume said.

If I don't know, my wife won't be using you as a therapist, I said.

One of my patients transferred to me from another doctor, he said. He was having suicidal thoughts, but they only started after he was on antidepressants. It was a known side effect of his particular antidepressant, but he couldn't get off it because of the nausea. I got him some marijuana to manage the nausea while he weaned off the drugs.

Makes sense, I said, tossing my pencil back in the drawer. Did he get off them?

Yes, Guillaume said. The original issue was he was trying to manage with them was over. The real issue had become the antidepressants themselves.

If this news got out, would it cause you big problems? I asked.

I'd lose my license, and my practice, he replied. Marijuana is still illegal.

Jail time?

It's a possibility.

It seems to me you've lost your practice already, I pointed out.

Guillaume shook his head. Not as long as I still get to help people.

I studied his face. How do I know you're not a conduit to send information back to Jack?

I don't like Jack, he said. In point of fact, I hate him.

I shrugged. He was able to pressure you to come out here, I noted. He would be able to pressure you to reveal things Natalia had told you.

If he tries, I'll lie, Guillaume said. He's managed to manipulate me through one ethical breach. I'm not going to give him more ammunition.

I considered this for a few moments, and made a decision. I want Natalia to see you face to face, I said. It's her decision whether to actually see you or not, but if she does decide to see you, I need to know that the same person I talked to is the one treating her.

You don't trust Jack, either, Guillaume commented as he sat.

Nope, I confirmed. I trust him more than I used to, but I'm still wary.

A good way to be around him, I think.

I called Dejana over the intercom and had her get Natalia to come to my office.

After that initial meeting, and another round of questions from Natalia, she had been seeing Dr. Guillaume ever since. She'd made a lot of progress and I didn't want her to lose it all at once.

Yes, I said to her, I am worried you might have a setback. The same thing happened to this girl as happened to Timmy.

Natalia sat down, stunned. Do you think it's a werewolf?

I don't know, I replied. It's a possibility. Carl's going to treat it like it's a psychotic killer, and I'm going to treat it like it's a werewolf.

You have no immunities now, Natalia said. Do you think it's safe for you to investigate?

No safer than it is for the police, I said. Maybe a little safer, because I know what I'm dealing with, and I have silver-garlic bullets.

My friend Dean Smith and I had designed 45 calibre bullets that would kill both vampires and werewolves. A piece of zero gauge silver wire was packed in ground garlic inside a 40 calibre shell casing that was tapered into a 45 Colt bullet. It was designed to smash through bone without being deflected to lodge in the heart.

Do you want me to get another cosmetologist to look after her? I asked Natalia. Rick could do it himself. It wouldn't look as good, but Rick could do it.

Natalia shook her head. No, she said. Rick and I can restore her. I can make her look exactly like she did in life. I can give her something I couldn't give Timmy.

She looked me straight in the eye. I think it would help me make that right, so I can put it behind me.

I sighed. All right, I said. If you change your mind—

I'll let you know, Natalia finished. Now I'm going to go do Mrs. Everett's make-up.

Chapter Four

I closed the door to my office behind Natalia and called Jack from my cell phone.

Mr. Crazy, Jack said in greeting.

Jack, we've got a possible werewolf in BC again, I said.

This is the child who may have been murdered or attacked by animals? Jack asked.

Yes, I confirmed.

I have been tracking this one, Jack said. What do you know about it?

I've been to the crime scene with Carl Lane, I said. It looks just like the attack on Timmy Kalestian, except Timmy was tucked into a culvert. This child was left out in the open.

Do you have the child's name? Jack asked.

No, I said.

I don't have it yet, either, Jack said. They are being very slow about getting information into the database. So, Timmy Kalestian's offically a solved case, with Sue Derderian recognized posthumously as the killer, correct?

Yes.

But Timmy is the one that Natalia really killed when she was a werewolf? Jack asked.

Well, we assume Natalia did it, because she's a close relative to the child, I said.

Yeah, but legalese aside, we know Natalia did it to Timmy, Jack said. We know the damage on this child looks very similar. So I have to ask, where was Natalia at the time the child was attacked?

Come on, Jack, I said, sighing.

You may get asked, Jack said. Where was she?

Why would anyone ask me that? I complained.

All right, I'm asking you that now, because I'm afraid a conversion to Christianity might not cure lycanthropy as well as you think, Jack said.

You seriously think it could be Natalia? I asked. Look, I can assure you, conversion to Christianity does indeed cure lycanthropy.

Humour me, Jack said. Where was she?

At home, in bed, with me, I said.

You were sleeping, Jack said. How do you know she was with you?

We have a proximity alarm, I said. If she left the house in a werewolf state, she wouldn't have known how to turn it off.

Perhaps, but anyone investigating wouldn't know about the werewolf state, and in fact, can't know about the werewolf state, Jack said. So she could have turned off the alarm and left. Do you have anything better? Outdoor cameras, perhaps?

No, I don't have cameras, I admitted.

Does anyone else have a camera in your neighborhood that would pick up your house?

No, I said. Nobody lives around my house. It's in the country, with trees all around.

So you might have a little trouble proving that if it comes up, Jack said.

I wake up whenever there's any movement in the room, I said.

I bet you do, Jack said, but I know you.

Do you think Natalia could have done it? I asked him again.

No, I do actually believe you would either wake up or be a victim if she transformed into a werewolf, Jack said. I consider Natalia ruled out, but, I have knowledge of you that a police investigator wouldn't have.

Why do you think the police will investigate Natalia? I asked.

Ah! Because both Natalia's home town and Promenade are pretty small places, Jack said. It's a very unique crime, a few years apart, and if they look into who was in both places at the time of the killing, I would guess Natalia may be the only person who matches. She is probably the only person who has actually moved from her home town to Promenade. So she would be a natural suspect, if the police follow that avenue.

I felt a cold stab of fear in my gut.

I don't say this to upset you, but to prepare you, Jack added.

I guess it does a little bit of both, I replied.

There was a pause as Jack thought things through. Finally he spoke again.

When you know who the victim is, and where the child's home is, let me know the address, Jack said. I can look for traffic cameras between point A and point B. If there is an unavoidable traffic camera, and Natalia's car doesn't show up on it, that would at least cast some doubt.

I'll let you know when I know, I said.

Now as for our present werewolf, how do you want to handle it? Jack asked.

Well, I wanted you to know about it to begin with, I said. I plan to stake out the mother overnight tonight to see if she transforms. Carl is supposed to get back to me on whether there are other female relatives we need to be concerned about.

How are you going to handle it if there are more?

I'll probably get Dejana to help, I said.

She's obviously able, Jack mused. What if there are more than two?

I don't know, I admitted. I don't want to involve Natalia.

How's she doing with her therapy? Jack asked.

You mean you don't know?

Guillaume won't discuss the case with me, except in the most oblique terms, Jack complained. Like, 'she's coming to her sessions.' Big deal. I want to know progress.

It's helping, I said.

Montana's not that far from BC, Jack suggested. Maybe get Dean to give you a hand.

Dean's not back from England yet, I said.

It's been months, Jack said, surprised. What's he doing over there?

I don't know, I admitted. He said that he has PTSD issues of his own, and he's getting treatment in the UK instead of the USA.

There was another pause from Jack's end.

Given that you said you were retiring, I have recruited a replacement for you, Jack said.

Maybe you could send him, I said.

Her, Jack corrected. You remember the woman who impersonated Dejana Plogojowitz for the deportation?

Yeah, I said. I never spoke to her, but I saw her at a distance.

She's my new agent, Jack said. Her name is Simone O'Keefe.

Is she good? I asked.

Paranormal cases are few and far between, Jack said, so I don't really know yet first-hand. Her record with CSIS is good.

How did you come to choose her? I asked. Do you have something to coerce her with?

It's a bit of a Mexican stand-off, Jack said. I know she moonlighted on CSIS, and she knows that she moonlighted for me. Plus, she also found me at my house.

Are you going to move again? I asked.

No, she'd just find me again, Jack said. You would, too, if you wanted to.

Probably, I admitted.

So I come home, and there she is, chatting with my wife. They were friends at CSIS.

I recall that.

She said she'd done some work for me and wanted to show me. She had an envelope with her that was a pretty rough approximation of how I fund my missions. She said she didn't know for sure what I was into, but she wanted in.

I chuckled. What did she say when you told her what you were into?

She didn't believe me, of course. The paranormal, who's going to believe that? So I gave her some details of cases we had done and how they had been officially portrayed, Jack said. She did some investigation of her own and realized I was telling the truth.

You must have been watching her like a hawk, I commented.

If she'd gone anywhere near Parliament Hill, or called any phone numbers on the Hill, I would have known, Jack said.

And if she had?

She'd be dead, Jack said. But, she conducted her verifications very discretely, and when she came and told me she was convinced, I hired her on.

I wouldn't mind handing over the investigation to her, I said. How soon could you have her out here?

Well, not tonight, Jack replied. Tomorrow or the day after, or the day after that if I can't get her a flight quickly enough.

Sounds good, I said. I'll cover what bases I can tonight, and she can take over after that.

Very well, Jack said. Thanks for letting me know, Crazy.

I sighed when he used that codename again, but said, You're welcome. Thanks for the help.

Chapter Five

Both wakes were going on that evening at the funeral home when I got the call I was expecting from Carl. I ducked into my office, leaving Rick to tend to any visitors' questions, and picked up the phone.

The father has two younger sisters, Carl said without preamble. The wife is an only child, so there's nothing to worry about there.

Does either of them have a child? I asked.

One's married, has a baby, Carl said. Why?

It's not her, I said. She would have killed her own child first. I only have to stake out the mother and the childless one. Do you have addresses for me?

Carl read me off the addresses while I wrote them down.

How are you going to cover both places? Carl asked.

I sighed. I might have to see if Dejana will take one, I said.

If you give me the right equipment, I'll take one, Carl volunteered.

Bad idea, I said. If there's a shooting, we need to play it like the person who killed the kid killed the parents, or the aunt. It can't be a police shooting, and we can't have anybody spot a police car.

I'd be driving an unmarked, Carl said.

If somebody saw the license plate, you'd be screwed, I said. There would be questions about why a police car would be leaving an area where shots were fired.

Yeah, Carl said wistfully.

Let us handle it, I said. You'll know by morning if one of them was a werewolf. If so, there will be a new crime scene.

Marvelous, Carl said after a nervous sigh.

We said our goodbyes and I called Natalia at home.

Hi sweetie, what's going on? she said when she answered. Do you need me there?

No, stay home and get rested, I said. There are two people I have to watch tonight.

How do you plan to pull that off? Natalia said. Can I help?

I think I'll get Dejana to help, if she will, I said. Tomorrow morning we'll probably need you at the funeral home more than we'll need her. She can always catch up on the accounting.

If she won't help, I will, Natalia said.

I'll find out and get back to you, I said, then we said our goodbyes and hung up.

I went to the office's door and watched Dejana take a donation for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. When the donors left, I turned to the other donors who were waiting and said, I apologize, I have to speak with her for a moment. I went into her office and closed the door.

What's going on? she asked.

We've got two potential werewolves to watch tonight, I said quietly. I can't watch both of them myself.

I'll watch one, Dejana said.

After work, we'll go home and get you set up with the appropriate equipment, I said. Natalia, Dejana and I co-owned a duplex and lived on either side of it. Dejana nodded, and I opened the door and let in the next donors.

I went to my office and called Jack with the names and addresses, then finally went back out into the lobby to help Rick direct traffic. At nine o'clock, the wake was officially over, although Dejana was still dealing with donors.

I'm going to head home now, Creigh, Rick said.

Sure, Rick, I'll lock up, I told him. I watched him leave and then came around to Dejana's office door.

Dejana finished dealing with the last of the donors, put down her pen, and flexed her hand. I find writing so many receipts is painful, she commented.

I'm sorry about needing you tonight, I said.

There was a pause as Dejana remembered what it once meant for Creigh to need her, back when she, Creigh and Natalia had a sexual relationship. She inwardly rebuked herself yet again for her desire for Natalia's husband. Natalia was literally her neighbour and the situation fit the ninth commandment perfectly, You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or in this case, husband.

Is okay, Dejana said.

Are you sure? I asked. There was a pause there. Did you have plans?

What are plans? I never have them, Dejana replied, smiling. I will help you watch for werewolves tonight.

All right, I replied uncertainly. We locked up the funeral home. Natalia had my car so I took a ride back to the duplex with Dejana.

You seem kind of sad and lonely lately, I commented to Dejana as she drove.

A little sad, a little lonely, Dejana agreed. I am okay, Creigh.

Sometimes I think you'd be happier in one of the urban centres, like Vancouver, I said. A place with more of a Serbian population.

I am happy to be in place where I am only Serbian, Dejana said. Then I do not have to worry about militants or Branko's spies looking for me.

I'm sure he knows where you are, I said. Branko, I mean.

If he does, he also knows how hard it would be to get at me, with you and Natalia living and working in the same building, Dejana said.

True, I said, and dropped the topic.

We arrived back at the duplex and I invited Dejana over to our side of it. Natalia greeted both of us warmly when we came inside, giving me a kiss and looking over at Dejana afterward. I went to the gun safe and returned with both of my 45 Colt Ruger Redhawks and the silver-garlic ammunition. I handed one of the Redhawks to her and opened the cylinder on the other one, starting to load it.

We really need to rethink doing this ammunition in a revolver calibre, Dejana complained as she loaded rounds into her revolver.

Why? I asked. The revolvers have served us well.

If we had semi-automatic pistols, we could use suppressors with them, Dejana said. With these guns, if we have to shoot, the whole neighborhood around these people will know shots were fired immediately.

Suppressors are illegal here, I pointed out.

I suspect killing people is too, but here we are preparing to do it, Dejana replied. Look, I am just saying that these revolvers are not very versatile compared to semi-automatics.

I sighed. You make a point, but there's nothing we can do about it now, I said, closing my cylinder and handing her the Redhawk. Take two guns. I'll take my two Blackhawks.

Do you have speedloaders? Dejana asked.

We went into my office and loaded a couple of speedloaders for her. There were only a handful of rounds left, enough to fill my two Blackhawks but not much more. Dejana gestured at the few remaining rounds. We are just about out of 45, she said. Maybe we consider change when we are out of silver-garlic ammunition.

Maybe, I said cautiously. I'd like Dean to help design anything new, but he's still in England.

Still? Dejana said, surprised. His treatment is taking long time.

It is, I agreed. It's a lucky thing he still has money from that case with Sava Savanovic, because his store is closed and he's getting no income from there.

Maybe he is working at something in England, Dejana suggested.

Who knows? I haven't spoken to him for a long time, I said. Okay. The two women we're watching are the mother of the dead baby, and the aunt of the dead baby on the father's side. I'm going to watch the mother.

She is the most likely person, Dejana commented.

I agree, I said. That's why I'm taking her.

Let me watch her instead, you watch aunt, Dejana said.

Why? I asked.

If there is shooting, the shooter might be caught, Dejana said. You are Natalia's husband. I am no one's anything. If anyone is going to jail, it should be me.

It's not true that you're no one's anything, I said, borrowing her terminology. You are a very dear friend to us.

Then accept favor friend is trying to give you, Dejana said.

I accept, I replied. You can watch the mother, I will watch the aunt.

What time will we go?

There probably won't be any action until three, if they're really werewolves, I reminded her. Maybe leave here at one-thirty, to get to their homes for two?

Sounds good, Dejana said. I will take nap, and you should, too.

I will, I replied. If I can sleep. This stuff kind of gets my adrenaline flowing.

Mine, too, Dejana replied with a smile.

Chapter Six

At one-thirty, Dejana and I emerged from our respective sides of the duplex, waved to each other, got into our cars and drove in two different directions, me to the dead child's aunt's house, and Dejana to the child's parents' place. We were using our personal vehicles. For a while, when we had just gotten the funeral home, we used the funeral home's cars to drive to and fro, but Dejana pointed out that it made it nearly impossible to account for the fuel expenses, so we had gotten personal cars. Both of us also had GPS units in our cars because we didn't know all the side streets and so forth in the area, so we used our GPS units to find the homes we were to spy on.

The younger sister's place was an apartment building in Promenade. It was a small building with only four units. When I arrived, I got out of the car and looked around to see how many exits there were. There were exits on the front and the back of the building. It would be tricky to watch. I wished I had brought Natalia to watch the back. I couldn't go get her now, and I couldn't ask her to meet me here because we only had the one car. I also didn't want to watch from outside of a car, because a man just standing around watching a building was much more conspicuous.

Sometimes I wished I hadn't lost