To Tell a Tale (Season One)

“How are we going to find the stupid vampire wannabes?” Smitty grumbled.

Nash looked at his partner. It has been two days since Airianna had the dream, and they haven’t found anything in new or old cases that connects with her painting.

“Jackman, Smitt, my office, now,” Captain Dish said as he passed their desks.

Nash looked at Smitty; his partner shrugged and stood from his desk. Nash stood, and they walked to their captain’s office.

“Sir?” Nash asked as they entered.

“Close the door,” Captain Dish ordered.

Smitty closed the door, and the two detectives stood in the middle of the office, watching their captain.

“I finally found something that could help us with the vampire issue.” Dish held a folder out to Nash.

Nash took the folder and opened it. Inside were photos of an old case from two years ago.

“That isn’t the only case filed under creepy,” Dish grumbled.

“It was seriously filed under creepy?” Smitty asked, looking at their captain.

Dish snorted. “No, but it may as well have been.”

“This isn’t the woman from Airianna’s painting.” Nash looked up at his captain.

Dish shook his head. “I haven’t found any matching the picture you gave me of the painting. I am hoping that means it hasn’t happened yet.”

“This makes sense.” Smitty pointed at the folder in Nash’s hands. “If the killings are starting up again, then Airianna’s dreams are warning us about it, so we can stop it before this woman is killed.”

“Or it’s preparing us for her death,” Dish sighed.

Nash set the folder on his captain’s desk. “What do you want us to do?”

“The bodies were found near a bar south of here. Go check it out, and see if you can find anything that may lead you to the next victim. Hell, maybe you’ll find the victim herself.”

Nash nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

“And boys,” Dish said as Nash and Smitty headed for the door. Both stopped and turned to him. Dish smirked at them. “Wear something that doesn’t shout, Police.”

Smitty grinned and nodded to their captain, turned, and left the office.

“Nash.”

Nash turned to his captain again. “Yes, Cap?”

“Take Airianna with you. No one knows her dreams as well as she does, and she may be able to find something you wouldn’t see.”

“Uh, I don’t think….”

“She would also be a good disguise.” Dish grinned and waved Nash out of his office.

Nash sighed as he walked to his desk. Take Airianna on an undercover assignment?

“Hey, what’s got you so down?” Smitty asked when he saw Nash’s face.

Nash looked at his partner. “The captain ordered me to take Airianna along.”

“Ordered? Not recommended?”

“He said she would help make my disguise.”

Smitty smiled. “She will be the center of everyone’s attention. That girl doesn’t know it, but she is beyond HOT.”

Nash snorted. Did Smitty think he didn’t already know that?

~🔮~

“You really want me to go undercover with you?” Airianna asked, surprised that Nash would even ask.

“Not really,” Nash grumbled.

“Come on now, Partner. You know you want to see her in some tight jeans and sexy top… ouch!” Smitty stopped talking and rubbed his arm where Nash had punched him.

Airianna tried her best not to laugh.

“The captain thinks it would be a good idea to have you with us. That you could see things we may not see, and help with my disguise, so I don’t look like an officer of the law.” Nash looked up to the ceiling and then back down at Airianna, who looked too thrilled about the idea of helping them.

“I would love to be your arm candy,” she said with a wink.

Nash grunted. That was what he was afraid of. She’s much too innocent when it comes to places like bars. The men there are going to eat her alive.

“That’s what I have you for,” she said, leaning closer to him.

Nash stared at her. Had she read his mind? Is she a mind reader now?

“Dude. Don’t be such a chicken wick. Between you and me being at her side, no one is going to touch her.”

Ah, he’d said it out loud. Great. He looked at his partner.

“What the fuck is a chicken wick?”

Smitty snorted as he looked from Nash to Airianna and back again. “I didn’t want to say chicken dick in front of our lovely seer.”

“Oh, but now you can say it?” Nash shook his head.

Smitty grinned. “You said fuck first.”

“I’m not that innocent,” Airianna grumbled.

Nash pulled Airianna into his arms and kissed her. She sighed against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Dude, can’t you wait until I’m not here?” Smitty turned from them.

Nash chuckled as he pulled away from Airianna and smiled down at her.

Airianna blinked up at Nash. He is so gorgeous. How she caught him was beyond her. It’s not like she’s even close to his level. But for some reason, fate thinks they should be together.

“Okay, you can come,” Nash finally gave in.

Airianna jumped and wrapped her arms around Nash’s neck, pulling him in for another kiss. He grunted as he deepened the kiss. She didn’t hear Smitty, but she could feel him trying to move away from them.

“Thank you,” she said out of breath once he let her go.

He smirked. “Under one condition.”

She nodded. Anything, she’d do anything to go with them.

“You must stay at my side at all times. Just like when you came with us before.”

She nodded. “I will be glued to your side.”

He chuckled. “I hope so.”

“Good. Now that we have that settled, let’s plan this to a T.” Smitty pushed the two lovebirds apart.

Airianna didn’t hear Smitty’s words, but she knew he was ready for them to stop kissing. She chuckled as she moved to sit on the couch in her father’s living room. Maybe it was time she got her own place.

~🔮~

“Shit, you look gorgeous,” Nash said, practically drooling when Airianna walked down the stairs to meet with them for their trip to the bar.

“I told you I would fix her up for you,” Maribelle said as she followed close behind Airianna.

Nash smiled at Airianna when she smiled at him.

“Do I really look that good?” she asked, looking at herself in the mirror on the living room wall.

Nash moved up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He looked at her reflection in the mirror. When she looked at him, he grinned and mouthed…

‘Gorgeous.’

Airianna’s cheeks turned a bright red, and Nash grinned.

“Okay, you two. Let’s get this shitshow on the road.” Smitty motioned for the other two to follow him.

“We’ll meet you there,” Maribelle said when Airianna looked at her.

Airianna nodded.

“Who, meet us where?” Nash asked, looking from Airianna to Maribelle.

Maribelle smiled at him. “At the bar. You didn’t think we’d let you do this alone, did you? Not with my seer with you, you’re not.”

“Hey, she’s my seer,” Nash growled.

Maribelle smirked. “As you wish.” She blew Airianna a kiss and left the house.

“What the fuck was that?” Smitty asked, looking out the window to watch Maribelle get into her car and drive away.

“Maribelle thinks it would be even more convincing if there’s more of us.” Airianna looked between the two detectives.

“Hmm, she may be right,” Smitty said, looking at Airianna. “Okay, let’s go.”

Airianna smiled and took his outstretched arm.

Nash grumbled as he pulled Airianna away from his partner. “Don’t test me, Smitt.”

Smitty grinned. “I wouldn’t dare to, Jackman.”

The three left the house and got into a large pickup truck. Nothing said Bar Jumpers like a huge ass pickup.

~🔮~

“Do you want anything to drink, honey?” the bartender asked, gawking at Airianna.

Airianna smiled at the man, trying not to flirt but at the same time trying to be polite because the man gave her the creeps, the way he looked at her like he wanted to taste her blood. Oh, dear Lord. Is he a vampire wannabe?

“Yes, please. I would like a screwdriver,” Airianna said, still smiling but trying not to look flirtatious. She wasn’t sure that was working cause the man gave her a once over and licked his lips.

Nash and Smitty were checking out the men’s room. Probably looking for bloodsuckers taking advantage of the john. Wouldn’t it be easier to take them out into the alley? And why the hell did both of them need to go?

The bartender set her drink in front of her, and she thanked him. She didn’t hear his words or read his lips as she picked up her glass to take a drink. A shiver rolled over her body, and she quickly set the drink down. Through her blurry eyes, she saw the bartender watching her.

She pulled her purse onto her lap and pulled out her notepad with the pen clipped to it. She opened the notepad, and her vision went black. When she came to a few moments later, she looked at the drawing and almost jumped out of her seat. In her drawing, she was on a bed, passed out—the bartender on top of her.

She looked at the screwdriver and knew something was wrong with it.

She looked at the bartender, who was still watching her and wanted to scratch his eyes out. No, he wasn’t a vampire wannabe, but he was a different kind of monster. One who took advantage of women.

How many has he raped?

Well, he’s not going to touch another woman for a very long time. Not after she and her detectives got through with him. She smirked as she turned from the bar. Yeah, no more women for you, buddy. Hope you have soap on a rope.

“Are you okay?”

Airianna turned when a hand touched her shoulder and smiled at her new friend.

“Maribelle. You made it.”

Maribelle grinned as she hugged Airianna.

“Of course I did. Where are your, uh, friends?”

Airianna pointed to the restrooms.

“Both of them?”

Airianna nodded.

“Fuck, and they left you here all alone?”

Airianna nodded again.

“Damn assholes.”

Airianna grinned. “Don’t fret. I think it was fate’s way of stopping another crime.” She handed Maribelle her notepad.

Maribelle looked at the notepad and gasped. She looked at the bartender—who was still watching Airianna—and growled.

Airianna wrapped her arms around Maribelle and hopped off the stool.

“Nash shouldn’t have left you alone,” she hissed.

Airianna grinned. “But if he hadn’t, then I wouldn’t have ordered this alone, and he wouldn’t have roofied it,” she said, picking up her screwdriver.

“You’re not going to drink that, are you?” Maribelle asked, concern in her voice.

Airianna giggled as if she was drunk. “Nope.”

Maribelle was so good at slowing her words so Airianna could read them. But she spoke low enough that no one else heard their conversation.

“Here they come.” Maribelle pointed to the bathrooms where Nash and Smitty stepped out. “What do we do for drinks?”

Airianna smiled and pretended to hold her drink up to her mouth. “Order from the other bartender,” she said as she started toward her man.

“You two are such morons,” Maribelle said as she stepped around Airianna and into the two detective’s faces.

“Well, hello to you too, Maribelle,” Nash grumbled.

“What did we do now?” Smitty asked, irritated for being yelled at for nothing.

Maribelle placed her arm over Airianna’s shoulders and nodded her head toward the bar. “You left our precious seer alone at the bar where she got roofied.”

Nash stared at Airianna. “Roofied?” he asked.

He watched her roll her eyes and looked at Maribelle.

“You couldn’t wait until we’re at a table?”

Maribelle shrugged. “This is important. You almost got raped….” Maribelle stopped talking when she saw the look in Nash’s eyes. He never looked like that over her. Damn, he has it bad.

“What happened?” Nash growled. He looked from Maribelle to Airianna and back again. “Tell me,” he ordered them.

“At a table,” Airianna whispered, looking around them to find others watching.

“Fine,” Nash said when he noticed they were being watched.

He placed his arm over Airianna’s shoulders and walked her to a table. He saw the notepad clenched in her hand and knew she’d had a dream. Damn it, he shouldn’t have left her alone. He wasn’t sure why he’d been drawn to the bathroom. But he couldn’t resist the pull.

They found a table and sat down. Nash pulled Airianna onto his lap once she set her drink on the table.

“Screwdriver? Really?” Smitty asked as he picked up the drink.

“Don’t drink that unless you want to wake up with a sore ass,” Maribelle said, pointing to the drink in Smitty’s hand.

Smitty and Nash stared at Maribelle. Smitty’s eyes widened when he got what she was saying and set the drink on the table. Nash looked at Airianna, who was still on his lap, watching them.

“What happened?” he asked.

“The bartender was watching me, and when I picked up my drink to take a sip, I got a dream.”

Nash watched Airianna as she held her notepad out to him. He looked at the drawing and snarled.

‘The man is going to die.’

TO BE CONTINUED