Myth: The Claire Thomas Murder Mysteries, #2

By Lucky Santoro-Caballero

The second installment in The Claire Thomas Murder Mysteries Series...

The murdered bodies begin to appear just as a gale force storm approaches the Island and the strange methods of the murderer leaves me haunted, blaming myself that my younger sister Allie has become a victim of the twisted killer's game. I know she is alive. She must be alive.

Horrible dreams of a bloody mouth full of crooked pointy teeth and glaring blood red eyes, ripping the flesh from my ribs from which there was no escape, haunted me.

I was now totally convinced that killer was a creature, not human at all.

Stepping closer to the water's edge, I allowed the icy tides to sweep thick seafoam across my feet. The tide was rising swiftly, now. Huge rolling waves crashed into the rocks not far from where I stood. Icy fury swept around me as the crashing waves violently sprayed upwards as it rammed itself helplessly against the worn rocks and cliffs, and the water rose higher with each wave.

This wild sea echoed the fury that rose and fell in rhyme within my soul. The helplessness and fear had now become like a live thing inside of me. And it angered me. I hated feeling helpless. I hated feeling fear even more so.

I searched deeply within my soul, blocking out my desperation over Allie, and concentrated on my higher self, seeking answers. Images of Allie flashed continuously through my thoughts, piggybacking the fear I would never find her alive in time.

Then I saw it- that thing that took my sister. With a savage growl, I launched myself at the creature, who whipped around to face me, mouth open, revealing bloody rows of sharp teeth that crowded its mouth. Blood ran down its chin as the red glowing eyes widened in surprise…….

For a deliciously enchanted treat, plunge into the  intriguing world of ancient beings that live not in the shadows of society, but out in the open, living semi -normal everyday lives on the small southeast Island in Alaska and meet a cast of human and not so human characters who will keep you turning the pages long after darkness has fallen......

• Language: English
• Publisher: Panther Publishing
• Release date: Jun 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386515104

Book preview

Prologue

Acold, chilling, sea borne wind whipped across the wet slippery docks. Darkness fell rapidly, as winter approached on swift icy feet. Shadows fell heavily across the tourist shops, which lined the cruise ship’s port. An eerie howling floated on the winds.

The young girl in her late teens, hurriedly locked the shop’s door, struggling against the forceful wind to hold on to her purse, as the sea’s angry breath ripped and tore at her thin coat. Her long black hair whipped about her face, in the wild rush of the gale force. She moved with caution as she maneuvered the slick, wooden dock planks, wet with sea water, scum and patiently growing moss.

Sea spray had soaked through her coat, plastering it to her thin, fragile body as her hair clung to her wet face, obscuring her already limited vision in the darkness. An odd scrapping sounded behind her, distorted by the ripping winds. The girl turned her head to look behind her, fear thickening her blood as it unfurled through her with lightning speed.

She saw nothing in the inky blackness behind her. She moved quickly around the corner of the building, ducking under the short stair well to enter the sidewalk, parallel to the curving street. Thick white ropes barricaded the side walk and dock from the street, placed to keep tourist from wandering aimlessly into traffic. Uncertainty filled her as the ropes were invisible to her now.

Reaching out a trembling hand, she moved forward slowly. The girl felt in the darkness for it. A sigh of relief escaped her chapped lips, as her hand touched the cold, wet, tightly bound cotton rope as thick as her forearm, in front of her. The stench of rotten fish and sweet soured garbage assaulted her nostrils, gagging her. Gripping the thick rope, she glanced behind her.

Her terrified eyes saw nothing, but she felt the sinister presence only seconds before the hot, rotted breath gripped her lungs. Her body spasmed as it fought for air, gagging, as a wrenching nausea rose to her lips, unable to scream. A car’s head lights flickered behind her as it rounded the corner, illuminating the tall slender thing that hovered menacingly an arm’s length away.

Panic sized her as she looked up into the glittering green eyes that bore into hers. A hard cruelty edged brilliant eyes, which began to shift into a glowing blood red. Hatred consumed them, as those eyes pierced her soul.

A short snout with thin lips curled back to reveal rows of crooked, long, sharp tiny needle shaped teeth gleaming threateningly in the approaching headlights. Its sleek head, covered with shiny black and silver fur, pinned large cat like ears to its head, as the creature glanced up at the car.

A bristly seal like pelt covered its lithe body from head to foot. Arms, long and muscular, hung nearly to its knees. An odor of rotted fish and death clung to the shimmering fur, reeking in the wind. The car rounded the curve, heading for the tunnel, leaving them in inky blackness. The girl trembled, jerking up the rope to slide her body beneath it.

The creature roared, a long-fingered hand tipped with razor sharp claws, gripped the girl’s neck, lifting her bodily backwards. Her scream turned into a gag, as her face rammed into the rancid fur of the creature’s muscular chest. Panic sized the girl as she realized she was going to die. The street lamp twenty feet away flickered on, revealing the gangly monster in front of her.

Please... She whispered.

The creature’s ears shot forward, an odd expression of pleasure flickered through its eyes and was gone. It loosened its tight hold on her upper arm, grimacing a horrid smile that flashed momentarily across its terrifying features.

The lamp brightened, and the girl swung her purse at the creature’s head before twisting free, running as fast as she could towards the Visitor’s Center. She ran breathlessly towards the unroped sidewalk, nearly colliding head on with the massive brass statue of fishermen that sat on the dock near the entrance to the street next to the Visitor’s center.

A wild roar of fury ripped from the beast as it tore after her, its long legs hurtled it with amazing speed across the windy, slippery docks. She screamed as it caught her. Razor sharp claws wrapped themselves tightly into her hair, jerking her to a sudden stop.

She looked up at the statue towering above her on the dock, praying it would not be the last thing she ever saw. The rancid, putrid odor permeated the air despite the heavy gale force winds that swept against them. An almost greasy smell accompanied the rotten sweet odors. It was if this creature took pleasure in rolling in the filth it reeked of Sobbing and gagging, the girl began to sink to her knees. The beast jerked her upright, leaning down, shoving its face close to hers. Its hot rancid breath forced her to hold her breath as it stung her face.

The creature lifted its clawed hand, a long finger with a curved yellowed claw, traced the line of her high cheekbone. The razor-sharp talon sliced deeply, flaying to the bone. She trembled violently, unable to scream, fighting the terror that rose in her throat, paralyzing it.

Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the salty sea spray that filled the wind, as waves crashed violently against the dock. Blood ran freely down her jaw, to drip on the brilliant white sweater, coating her breasts with her own blood. The creature smiled hideously at her, before leaning in to lick her blood with its wide raspy tongue.

She could sense the creature’s growing excitement, as it lapped at the flowing blood. The girl attempted to pull her head away, and froze, as it snarled in warning, pinning its ears tightly to its head.

Cold, soulless eyes glared at her before yanking her head back by her hair. Slowly, with purposeful movements, the beast licked the girl’s neck, its raspy tongue removing the thin skin.

Lifting a long sharp claw, it slit the woman’s throat. Her scream choked off as the creature sank its teeth into the tender flesh of her throat and fed hungrily.

Minutes later, it dropped the body at the foot of the statue, leaving its victim staring sightlessly up at the black stormy sky, as it disappeared in the inky shadows of the night.

Chapter One

Gale force winds blew through my insulated rain coat as the icy rain and sea spray plastered my coppery shoulder length hair to my head. I shivered as chilling rivulets of rain ran down my neck, soaking my thick Irish cable sweater. Nausea rolled violently around in the pit of my belly as I eyed the young female’s body some fifty feet from me, where I huddled at the side of the small dock coffee shack, trying to stay out of the wind and away from the mangled bloody body.

Lieutenant Charlie MacAvoy glanced at me as he walked past. Shaking his head as if to say I was being a baby. I glowered at his retreating back as if my being there was all his fault. It was my own nosy fault. That and letting Joe D’Amico, Ketchikan’s Chief of Police talk me into it. I had decided after the murder of my father, his wife, and the Voodoo priest Sutton a month before that I had had enough of murder.

I failed to look at the caller ID when my cell rang, answering it without much thought. Joe demanded I come take a look at the body of a young female on the docks, because it did not look right to him.

Normal was what he meant. I eased myself around the shack and fought the wind to walk to where the body lay, bracing myself by holding onto the cold metal statue. Nausea again rose swiftly, and I clamped my lips tightly together as my throat tightened painfully. She lay crumpled on her side, her head twisted to stare sightlessly up at the angry grey clouds. So young. She looked as if she could have been no more than eighteen.

Long black hair fanned out around her head, thick ropes of it clung wetly to her face and neck, drenched in bloody sea spray. The white cotton sweater was pink with blood that had paled under the constant assault of spray and rain. An angry gash above her high cheekbone lay open to the gleaming white bone. Biting my lower lip, I bent down to get a closer look at the gaping wound across her pale throat.

I moved back, allowing the police photographers to do their job, and walked over towards the thick barrier ropes that separated the docks from the curving street, and the newly rebuilt Visitor’s Center. Joe stood above a white vinyl plastic purse, waiting for Charlie to finishing videotaping it before reaching a rubber gloved hand down to pick it up. He held it up by thumb and forefinger, as he turned towards me, a puzzled expression moving across his ruggedly handsome face.

Why would she have dropped this here if she came from locking up the Totems and Trinkets shop four shops down? She died over there... Joe searched through the contents, withdrawing a slim pink vinyl wallet. She wasn’t robbed. Her name was Julie Hensley, eighteen years old last month.

Joe flipped the wallet shut, slipping it back into the purse. I raised my brows at the name, my mind working fast.

What? You look like you just had a light go off somewhere in your head.

I shook my head, staring at him as I connected the name to several gossip tales’ I had recently heard.

Nothing really. I told him, not wanting to repeat that Julie was considered a bed hopping boyfriend stealer by other teens and twenty somethings on the Island. I sighed. There was not much evidence considering the heavy winds and rain that continued from the night before. Who would want to kill this girl? I stood in front of the thick rope barricade and watched the flow of traffic. The shops had closed since the first week of October when all the tourist and Cruise Ships ended their summer season. The Island was slowly returning to normal.

I turned and followed Joe back towards the body. My stomach lurched again, and I turned my eyes away to find myself looking into Evan Wilder’s mesmerizing bright blue eyes as he walked towards me, a brilliant smile wreathing his normally stoic face.

I never knew why he had stayed in Ketchikan after he had told me he was transferring to a Post in Palmer. I had felt guilty, even though he had assured me his reassignment had nothing to do with my reluctance to have a romantic relationship with him. He believed it was because he was a Vampire and I was half human, half werewolf. We had remained friends, though neither of us ever spoke of his reassignment that never happened or why he had changed his mind and stayed here. Evan reached me, grinning wider as he took in my bright red nose and dripping hair.

You look like those pictures of that Christmas reindeer...What’s his name?

You mean Rudolph the red nosed reindeer? I scowled up at the tall muscular State Trooper who towered over me.

Evan nodded, chuckling. His golden blonde hair ruffled slightly in the fierce winds that swept over us from the sea. I looked down at my feet, feeling self-conscious about my glowing red nose and a movement caught my eye. I saw something fluttering between the cracks of the faded grey wooden dock planks in front of me. Squatting down on one knee to balance myself in the wind, I looked closer at what looked like thread. Lifting it carefully from the small piece of wood it had snagged on, I held it up to