Darkest Before the Dawn (male/male)

Barty

Despite how heavy my eyelids were and how much I craved sleep, I couldn’t drift into unconsciousness for longer than twenty-minute increments. The images of those pictures kept appearing behind my eyes. The eyeless holes in the faces. Gaping wounds where horns should have been. Claws ripped off. All to hide the evidence of them being demons.

By the time I heard Cadence get up to start making breakfast, I knew there was no point in trying to sleep anymore. “You look like death chewed you up and spit you out,” my sister commented, wearing her bathrobe. If she could get away with it, she’d wear nothing but her leggings, an oversized T-shirt, and bathrobe all day, every day. Like Marigold, she was effortlessly beautiful.

I wanted to explain that the case was already starting to bother me, her concern being the only thing to stop me. While I didn’t lie to my sister, I didn’t count withholding information as a fib. “I think I was still wired from the plane ride and getting home.” I cast her a grieved look. “Which wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t hired a vampire who makes us have our briefings at night.”

She stopped mixing her pancake batter and whipped around to me. “How did you turn you not sleeping well onto me and Felix? When the hell did that happen?”

“Stating facts.”

“Uh-huh,” she said suspiciously, arching an eyebrow at me. “You sure it isn’t because you’re doing exactly what I told you not to do and getting worked up about this case already?” There was a hint of I warned you in her voice, cocky and prideful. It was annoying when she got like this, taking her definitive place as my older sister and not just a regular sibling. She took her job seriously only at times when it inconvenienced me.

“Those stupid fucking pictures kept popping in my head all night,” I confessed, glaring down at my bare feet. “Akiya was right, though. I want nothing more than to solve this stupid thing.”

“Where did they find the two bodies?” Cadence always tried to help me where she could. While she didn’t have the stomach to permanently work as an enforcer, she enjoyed following along with my adventures like some sort of sick true crime fanatic.

“They found Luis over in Dahlonega, shoved into a drainage pipe. And Penelope was found in Cumming, wedged between two boulders.” Neither of which were preferable resting places.

“Aren’t those both near Atlanta? Like small town type of places.” She was already wandering towards the living room, returning with her laptop and tapped away at her keyboard. She handed it over for me to see Google Maps pulled up, zoomed in on the two towns. They were much closer than I expected, probably less than an hour’s drive from each other.

“Now that’s interesting.” I darted to my room, a hunch pricking at me, my instinct alarm blaring to try to get me to make the connection. “Okay, look. It says Luis, who was north of Penelope died August seventh. Then, two days later, the ninth, Penelope was killed down in Cumming. So the vampires that did this are headed South.” I looked at my file, then back at Google Maps, zooming in on the different towns.

Cadence pulled open one of the drawers of the island, depositing a pen and notepad by her laptop, already knowing I’d need it for notes. “Go on, Ace Detective Bartholomew. Don’t forget to call Marigold with updates.” She knew that there were several times when Sharice and I would work together that I’d just work the investigation alone without sharing details with my partner. It was more efficient for me that way.

Pulling up the police report had been easy, containing the names of suspects already questioned by the human police. They hadn't discovered anything worthwhile, although it did give me a good list of names to start. They had interviewed a friend and sister of Luis's, then the mother and some friends of Penelope.

Usually I didn't like having to rely on humans for matters with the supernatural, but I couldn't avoid it with this situation.

“Goldie, we’re headed north,” I told my partner when I got her on the phone. “If you have your work laptop, login to the database and see if you can pull up the addresses for the following people.”

I listed off the names found on the report, forever thankful that we had the same database that the human police did. Goldie was able to find addresses in the same amount of time it took me to brush my teeth and pull on clothes. I barely said bye to Cadence before gunning it to Marigold's cottage, overnight bag in tow.

“Woah, are you okay? Your eyes are bloodshot,” Goldie asked, slipping into the passenger seat, wearing a dress that was two shades off from her hair. She looked like the sun and exhumed about as much energy, making my already low energy dull in comparison.

“Couldn’t sleep much. I kept thinking about those pictures and probably got about three hours total of sleep last night.”

“Do you need me to drive? It’s like a five hour trip up there.” Marigold behind the wheel certainly would’ve kept me awake the whole time, fearing for my life.

Shaking my head, I handed her my phone instead. “Just keep my music going. I’ll stop and get coffee before we head out.”

“Do you want your ‘2000s Feeling Down About Myself’ playlist or the ‘Fuck Shit Up’ playlist? Oh, hang on, did you make me a playlist?” She gasped, then made a little pouty face as she scrolled through it, finding a bunch of music from the psychedelic era and an ample amount of CCR and Fleetwood Mac, as well as most of the Disney soundtracks. Marigold’s Music was the title. “Barty, this is so sweet. Can we listen to it?”

“You’re in control of the music. You do you.” I said it without thinking. Driving while exhausted and listening to an acoustic version of “Tale As Old As Time” was not a good combination. Goldie was so into it, though. I didn’t have the heart to tell her to turn it off.

“So the vampires are headed South,” Goldie mused when we got on the Interstate, scanning my notes. “How are we going to figure out where they may be going next? There's a thousand tiny towns in Georgia."

“There’s a fuck ton, right? But lucky for us, we work for Mazarene, which happens to do a census every five years to check our population."

“And the last one was done last year, I believe." A soft glow came to her chlorophyll-colored eyes. “We can cross reference the demons who live in Georgia and predict where they're headed, based on the towns headed south.” She jabbed my thigh with her painted nails. "I missed working with you."

“Likewise. Got your laptop?” That was a silly question. If Goldie didn’t have her laptop on her, I’d be worried. She was glued to the thing.

“Duh. I'm using your hotspot.” She was already reaching into her messenger bag, pulling out her stickered laptop. She had about a dozen stickers on the cover, touting veganism and conservation.

Working with Goldie always helped my mood. She knew exactly what I needed usually before I did and could anticipate what we had to do in order to complete our job. While I drove, she tapped away on her computer, humming along to the Jefferson Airplane songs that would play.

As we reached the more forested area of Georgia, where a conglomeration of small towns speckled the roadsides, I rolled down the windows to let in fresh air. Goldie used her scrunchie to tie back her vibrant hair, leaning her head back against the headrest and taking a break from her research. The air was warm and moist, the summer rains having made the air damp and my skin sticky. The air conditioning challenged the heat, balancing the temperature, keeping me cold against the morning sun.

“Are you nervous about this case, Barty?” Goldie asked me as we drove past another town that was barely the length of a football stadium. She had to raise her voice over the wind and music. “I mean, you’re dealing with a lot of personal stuff here with the vampires and demons and whatnot. It’s okay to feel anxious if you are.”

“Fuck, you sound like Cadence and Felix now.” I wanted to glare at her and would have if the traffic wasn’t as heavy. “I’m fine. Felix and Akiya wouldn’t have given this assignment to me if I wasn’t. Besides, Felix was making it seem like a much bigger deal than it is. We’re gonna stop these other vampires from killing anymore demons. I’m not worried about it.”

I chanced a peek at her, her lips drawn into a thin line. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, like she was contemplating if she wanted to drop it or not. “I have a bad feeling that I can’t shake. It’s the same feeling like when a hurricane is about to hit and my whole body is buzzing.” She shifted in the seat, almost acting how I did when I got anxious. “I’m going to call Felix when it gets dark and tell him all the information you found out. We should be in Cumming at about one, then we’ll find Penelope’s friends.”

“Do you really feel the need to call him? We can just email him a write up later after we get the interviews done.” If I could avoid any help from him, I’d be happy. This was my case, not his.

“You’re going to have to accept his help at some point. Just like how everyone is trusting you to look at this case from a hypercritical eye because of the demons, he’s going to be looking at it the same way. His reputation is on the line, too. I mean, vampire attacks are so rare nowadays. People are already prejudiced against them.” It took every ounce of my willpower not to snap at her when I felt her forest green eyes boring into my head, probably willing it to set on fire. “If vampires keep killing, people are going to start subconsciously disliking him. I’m not surprised he wants to help.”

“Quit trying to make me feel bad for the guy. It’s my kind that’s being brutally murdered, not his.” Not yet anyway. Spiting a demon was a deadly mistake, especially one who constantly got into trouble for being too violent.

“Barty, your hands,” Goldie hissed, noticing the red flaring to my fingertips before I did, my magic springing to my fingers at the thought of what I was going to do to the murderers when I got caught up with them. “Your little marks showed up, too. You’re safe here. Whatever you’re thinking, you have to relax.”

Finding my reflection in the rearview mirror, I spotted the familiar black designs that had started near my jawline and began to bloom upwards. They only appeared when my magic sprung forward so quickly and strongly, typically when I was raging. “Shit, sorry.” Conceal, don’t feel. I fucking detested that Disney song, but Goldie liked to sing it to me when I got especially annoyed at Felix.

As if she knew I needed to focus on something light, Goldie pulled up the whole Frozen soundtrack on my phone, beaming at me now. “Let me tell you about the story Mom told me last night about my cousin, Talulah. I think you met her at the family reunion two years ago. She's an actual nutjob."

There was actual work to be done for the jobs that could make a difference between life or death. But we also both understood that when my magic was fighting against me and my hands starting tingling and my mind became hyper-focused, we had to revert back to being irresponsible and gossip about family drama.

By the time we got to Cumming, my nerves had settled back into my stomach, all of the anxiety on the way here suppressed like it never happened. I did a damn fine job of ignoring my problems.

Cumming was surprisingly built up, with a movie theater and a few strip malls that looked fairly new. A bunch of local and chain restaurants lined the main street, my empty stomach growing as a reminder that I hadn’t eaten the breakfast Cadence had made for me that morning. We continued West, taking surface roads now as they lead into the more forested area of the town.

“This is Mariah’s house,” Goldie explained as I pulled onto a dirt path, the trail leading to a double wide trailer. It was decorated with lawn ornaments and a flower garden. The Confederate flag killed the aesthetic. “Oh, great, it isn’t like I’m Black or anything. You want to make a bet that she has a gun hiding behind her back when she opens the door?”

I shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been shot.” Ignoring how my hands were sweating again, I made my way to the trailer, taking the few steps up to the front door and tapping my knuckles against the glass. Marigold hid behind me, peering around my body to keep an eye on the door.

Several locks were undone on the other side of the door, my body instinctively moving to block Marigold when an older, obese man opened the wooden door, bloodshot eyes and a scowl greeting us. “Who the hell are you?” he grumbled, keeping the glass door between us. His watery eyes drifted over my face, then down to our badges. “You more cops?”

Clearing my throat, I squared my shoulders, knowing that I could take this guy if I needed to. He needed to believe that too, though. “Detectives, actually. Special victim unit. We’ve been assigned the case for Penelope Stiltz. I’m Detective Palmer, and this is Detective Marigold. We were seeing if Mariah was here to answer a few questions about the victim?”

Tired eyes peered between me and Goldie, his upper lip curling like he had smelled something bad. “Mariah!” he growled, still not opening the door for us. “You got more cops here. Don’t let’em in.” His eyes never strayed from us. “Don’t trust you cops. Once you’re in the house, you’re like rats who never leave.”

Behind me, Goldie grumbled something that made me thankful there was a door to help block the sound between us and the man. We were both relieved when a petite woman replaced the big guy in the door, stepping outside with us, bundled up in a ratty gray blanket. She smelled like smoke and Lysol. “I already answered a bunch of questions about Penny,” she murmured, sounding more weary than annoyed. “I don’t know what else to tell you.”

Marigold peeked out from behind me and extended her hand, her friendliness already disarming Mariah. It was one of her specialties. “We understand, Mariah. We really do, and we’re so sorry for what happened to your friend. We promise not to be here for long.”

Mariah nodded, her nose red and her hair disheveled. “Sorry ‘bout my uncle. He ain't too fond of cops comin’ up to his door. Especially ones who look like. . .” She eyed us, particularly Goldie, who’s skin was far darker than my own. “I hope he didn’t say anything rude to y’all.”

“Nothing we aren’t used to,” I responded quickly, flashing her a smile. “So if you don’t mind us asking, how long did you and Penelope know each other for?”

She leaned against the railing of the steps and reached into her pocket, materializing a pack of cigarettes with a lighter tucked into the plastic. “Shoot, Penny and I go back to middle school. She’s been my best friend for fifteen years. We did everything together.” Putting a cigarette in her mouth, her hands trembled as she tried to click the lighter. Taking the lighter from her, I sparked her cigarette for her and handed the lighter back. “Thanks. I’ve been so fucked up since she was killed. Like who the fuck does that? She was only 27.” She took a long drag and closed her eyes that had begun to glisten.

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Marigold responded, pushing past me so that she was on the landing of the metal stairs. “We’re going to try our hardest to catch who did this.” Her voice was so sympathetic, much better than mine whenever we did our interviews. “So you were with Penelope a few days before the murder, right?”

Mariah nodded, blowing smoke from her nose. “Yeah. We got some drinks at Ruben’s Bar down the road, then she stayed the night with me that night. She went home the next mornin’, then we talked on the phone that night. I still have the length of the call on my phone if you need proof. The other cops were interested in that.”

“That’s fine, I believe you,” I swore. “When you went out that night, was it just you and Penelope, or were there some others? The police report had interviewed a few other women."

“Yeah, Lindsey and Callie. We’ve known them for a few years, but their husbands came and picked them up about an hour before we left.” She narrowed her eyes, sucking in more smoke, almost appearing like she was contemplating something. “There was another girl there that left before any of us. She had been there when we got in, and Penny invited her to sit with us since she was alone. Morgan or Maddy or somethin' was her name, but I don’t know much else about her, other than that she was passin’ through from Athens.”

I didn’t need to look at Marigold to know she had her eyebrow arched at me. “Can you describe what she looked like?” I asked, taking out my phone to get to my recorder app. “Do you mind if we record this, by the way? Just so we can go through it later.”

Mariah waved me on, giving me her permission. “That’s fine. Uh, here, I may have some pictures of her from that night." She disappeared back into the house, reemerging a moment later with her phone, thumb scrolling through pictures. "Yeah, here. They're blurry 'cause I was pretty shitfaced by this point, but you can see her sort of. Said she was passing through town and was just stayin' for the night."

The picture was blurry and dim as all hell. Still, I was able to make out the figures, spotting Penelope, Mariah, Lindsey, Callie, and the woman who Mariah said was passing through town. She was an Asian woman with wavy black hair and brown highlights. Her outfit reminded me of something from an 80s fashion catalogue with her cheetah print mini-skirt and lacy blouse.

A grin and gray eyes painted her face.

"Can I send myself this picture?" I asked, showing her the one in question.

"Sure can."

“Did she drink anything?” Marigold asked, grunting some when I elbowed her at the ultra-obvious question. The first rule of working on the MMES is that you had to keep questions general and apply them strictly to human affairs. “Sorry, I mean, is there anything she could have drank that would make her angry or anything?” Shitty save, but Mariah didn’t seem to care.

“No, not from what I remember. She could’ve had somethin’ before she sat with us but didn’t when she was at our table.” Pulling the blanket tighter to her, she blew smoke from the side of her mouth, the fine lines around her lips showing more when she did that. “Penny was always tryna make friends with people. She didn’t know her daddy, and her momma tried her hardest to keep her happy. Look, her momma's doin' funeral arrangements, so don't go runnin' to her with these questions. She's been through too much."

Marigold nodded, promising something that I wasn’t sure if we could keep. “We have a lot of info from you and what we know from the other officers. I don’t think we’ll be visiting her mom quite yet.” She glanced up at me, warning me that we would be heeding her request. “So is there anyone you know of that would want to hurt Penelope? An ex? A family member?”

Shaking her head, Mariah snubbed out her cigarette on the railing, then flicked it into the grass. “Nah. Penny hadn’t had a boyfriend in a while, and the last one broke up with her because he moved away. It’s really just her and her momma, too. Their family ain’t too big.”

“And you said Penny didn’t know her dad?” I confirmed. It made sense. Most Earth-born demons didn’t know one of their parents since it was usually a one-night-stand with a human and a demon.

“No, never met the guy. Beryl May said he was just a guy who got her knocked up then never heard from again. That ain’t too uncommon around here.”

“Besides this woman, was Penny talking to anyone else new that you know about?”

Mariah scowled and shook her head, crow’s feet crinkling up near her glossy eyes as she stared at a point beyond us. “Usually when there’s someone new in town, everyone knows ‘bout it, especially people who look like that woman. Penny wasn’t talking to anyone she wasn’t supposed to.” Her voice was hollow now, distant, her way of starting to end the conversation. “Whoever it was who done killed her is probably still in town, It’s disgustin’ when you can’t trust the people you grown up 'round for your whole life.”

Languidly closing my eyes, I contained my annoyed sigh, hating what I was about to do. Putting my hand on her shoulder and choosing to overlook Marigold’s scathing stare, I offered Mariah a smile. “We're gonna try to solve her murder, Mariah. I promise we'll bring her peace."

Tension visibly released itself from Mariah’s face, though, validating that what I said was exactly what she wanted to hear. “Please do. She needs justice. She can't be just another murder victim."

“We will,” I promised, wanting to shoot myself in the foot. Never make promises during investigations. “Is it okay if we call you with any other questions?”

“Oh, absolutely. That number you texted yourself with is the best one for me.” She snubbed her cigarette on the railing, then waved me and my partner off.

“You shouldn’t have said anything.” We barely made it out of the driveway before Goldie was scolding me. “You know not to give any kind of info or any kind of false hopes like that. Now if we don’t find who’s committing these murders, she’s going to have a reason to hate the police.”

“Guess we gotta solve this then.” I finally exhaled the breath I had been holding for several minutes, satisfied that I could breathe normally again. Interviewing people was always overwhelming. “I’ve solved all of my cases so far, so I'm gonna solve the one that involves the murder of demons. We already have a lead with a picture.”

“Do you really think that woman in the picture could be related to this?" Goldie was apprehensive, knowing that I was trying to get my hopes up on getting this figured out.

I wanted to jump in and tell her of course, how could it not be her? But Goldie always knew when I was putting my hopes before my logic. Listening to her may have been the wiser choice. "It's worth following the lead with her. She has gray eyes like a vampire, and she was passing through town the night before Penelope was murdered. I think pursuing this would be a good idea."

"Okay, but we can't ignore any other hints that may lead us to other conclusions." She took a deep breath, like she was going to say something scandalous. “I also think we need to ask Felix about her, especially if anyone else we talk to brings her up.”

The wind covered up my grumblings. “Callie next then?”

“Then lunch. I’m getting hungry,” she responded, already pulling up the address for the next of Penny’s friends.