Mid-Century Monster, page 3
part #3 of Solstice Properties Mystery Series
Nodding, Cin leaned against the doorframe and listened into his side of the conversation. They’d talked about having one of his police contacts run a check on the neighborhood just to make sure there wasn’t anything odd or strange in the area. She knew she was being paranoid, but after a couple of odd things in the past year, Cin didn’t want to get broadsided by something unexpected that was worse than a bit of black mold, or asbestos. Fungus and termites she could deal with.
“Just any time in the next few days would be great. No rush.” Chad smiled. Even on the phone, he was doing his best to be charming. He couldn’t help himself. “Thanks.” “Sure, anytime.”
Cin wished she had Chad’s enhanced hearing, but the monthly furry times weren’t a good trade off in her book. She’d rather stick with her magic.
Chad ended the call and sat up. “Okay. Got a search running for anything unusual around the new place. Might take Helen a couple of days to have the extra time. Something about the local gangs being a bit more active than normal.”
Cin frowned. Hearing about increased gang activity wasn’t good, and it made her thankful Chad wasn’t on the force any longer. Werewolves couldn’t be cops, unless they were part of the special FBI forces that oversaw shifter and paranormal activity in the states. “I wonder if Chief Brown will have something to say about that.”
Turning a stretch into a shrug, Chad yawned. “No clue. I guess we both need to start thinking of him as Zack, if he’s going to marry Shelby.”
“I wonder how long it’s going to be before he spills the beans about your condition.” Cin kept their friends in the dark about the supernatural world her family was part of. Chief Brown knew about it, as did most of the other officials around the country, but everyone was sworn to secrecy in an effort to keep the public from freaking out about the existence of things like werewolves, vampires and witches.
“It’s Shelby. She won’t freak out on us.” Chad stood, then pulled his shirt down as it rode up slightly. “But the rules are fairly strict about not talking about things, even to family.”
An idea hit Cin and she grinned. “I bet that’s what happened to Sheriff Jackson.”
Lines of confusion crossed Chad’s wide brow as he stalked toward her. “What?”
“Sheriff Jackson knew about the supernaturals. He’d have found out when he became sheriff, maybe before.” Cin leaned in as Chad wrapped his strong arms around her. “Maybe he went looking for a witch who could use her magic to his benefit.”
Chad kissed her. “Are you saying he was the villain, and not her? She had everything but the cackle.”
“Yes, and no, I’m not saying that. I still think she’s a villain, but they could’ve been villains together. Right now we're working on a house he owned before they were married. Something smells off. There’s a room, passage, or something we’re going to have to tear down a wall to get to. What if he’d spent time looking for someone like Lucille? What kinds of things are we likely to find as we dig into this house?”
With another kiss, Chad turned her toward the door. “You’re really convinced there’s something in this place, aren’t you? The last house we flipped didn’t have anything odd about it.”
“The last house wasn’t previously owned by a man who tried to kill you while RJ and I were struggling to stop his power-mad wife from turning us all into skeletons.” Cin let go of his hand and let him walk down the stairs behind her.
“Good point.” Chad stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned back toward the bedrooms. “Girls, we’re heading out for dinner with Shelby and Chief Brown. You’re on your own tonight.”
Char stuck her head out of her door. “We already know that, Dad. We’ve got pizza ordered. Don’t eat the delivery man on your way out.”
“Char.” Cin gave her short warning Mom voice.
“What?” Char frowned down at them. “Not everyone has a Dad who’s a werewolf and could literally eat the pizza guy.”
Chad laughed. “Vampires are more apt to eat the pizza guy than werewolves. Behave yourself while we’re gone. Did you finish getting your college forms filled out?”
“Working on it.” Char paused. “So should I send one to the Tempest Academy or not?”
Cin spread her hands. “That’s up to you. Do you want to go to a paranormal college or somewhere more mundane? It’s your call.” She knew her daughters loved doing magic, and one of the schools where they wouldn’t have to hide it would be a good choice for them, but it might not prepare them for the real world as well as a good traditional school like she’d attended.
“I’ll keep thinking on that one.” Char disappeared back into her room. “You guys have a good night.” Her voice trailed after her.
Chad turned back toward the door. “Did you have that debate when you went to college?”
“Nope.” Cin picked up her purse and shook her head. “Mom was totally against it. She wanted to make sure I could fit into the real world. Besides, if I’d gone to one of the magical schools, I’d have never met you.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him in for a kiss as he started to open the front door. “I’d much rather have you than some stuck up wizard or vampire.”
“Good. If you’d been a normal woman, I’d have probably lost you after the attack.” He kissed her a final time, then held the door open. “That would’ve made things a lot harder.”
“Yes it would’ve.” Cin hadn’t braced herself for the chill in the fall wind that came through the door as she stepped out onto the porch. She thought about going back in for a jacket, but they would just be outside for a short time, and that way she wouldn’t have to remember it at Shelby’s.
Shelby’s roast had been cooked to perfection, falling apart with very little effort, and deliciously seasoned, as the potatoes, carrots and onions had been. Even the little bit of bread that Cin tried was wonderful. They’d been so busy in recent months that most of their meals had been fast food. Luckily, their metabolisms were a little faster than normal humans’ and they didn’t pack on pounds like they had when Chad had been human and Cin had been resisting the magic that was her birthright.
Zack cleared his throat as he pushed his plate toward the center of the table. “I’ve been trying to make sure I don’t totally screw this up, so I’ve been hitting up the married guys, seeing what they do to keep everything on the up and up with their wives.”
“Or husbands,” Cin added for the gay or female cops on the force.
“Yes, or husbands.” Zack nodded. “Although I don’t have much experience with that.”
“There’s folks you could talk to.” Cin grinned.
“Right. So how do you make sure there’s no problems because of long hours and such?” Zack dabbed his chin with his napkin.
Cin shrugged and glanced at Chad. “Communication. That’s the biggest thing. It takes a bit of understanding too. From the spouses’ viewpoints, we have to realize that we aren’t necessarily the most important things in life.” She huffed slightly. “And honestly, I’m not sure how I would handle it if I were all Chad thought about. I’m not that controlling.”
“Yet you two are obviously very much in love,” Shelby threw in. “That’s fairly apparent to anyone around you. Chad adores you.” She paused and seemed to study him for a moment. “But I can’t say as I’ve seen him doting on you much.”
“He does when he needs to, or should.” Cin nodded. “You weren’t around much when either of the girls were born. I didn’t want for anything, but he also knows how to give me space, and I do the same for him. Things are easier now that he’s not on the force. Most of the time I can relax and not worry about whether he’s going to come home or not. I don’t sit by the scanner worrying if he’s going to head into a drug bust and get killed.” She didn’t add anything about her worries when he was gone during the full moons; that was a little different. If something happened to him, she knew where to go to force the issue of her anger, and which wolf would get fried for not keeping him safe. When he’d been on the force, she’d had to sit back and wait for things to happen, and if they had, she’d had no recourse.
Shelby nodded slowly. “Zack just got me a scanner, but said to not spend too much time worrying about things since he’s the chief and isn’t in the field as much as he used to be.”
Zack laughed, but it sounded a little forced. “She’s even learning our codes.”
“That’s one of the most difficult things to get down, but once you do, you’ll even start trying to figure out what the codes everywhere else mean. I even figured out the difference between a wet spill, a dry spill, and a dirty diaper left on the floor at Walmart.” Cin smiled as she remembered trying to figure those out and the repulsion she’d felt when she found the diaper just left out on a shelf in the chip aisle. Sometimes the things people did amazed her.
Shelby wrinkled her nose. “They have a special code for that? How horrible.”
Laughing again, Zack sounded a little more relaxed. “It’s better than letting the whole store, or in our case, town, know what’s going on.”
“And there’s always a lot going on, even in a small town like Cottonwood,” Chad spoke up. “Okay, Brown, from the angle of the cop-”
Zack held up his hand, interrupting Chad. “Please, Chad, call me Zack, at least at things like this. I’m trying to be a little more relaxed with Shelby’s friends. I know it’ll take a while, but I’m just saying, and trying. Lots of trying.”
“You’re doing great, Zack.” Shelby patted his hand.
“Right.” Chad nodded, then pushed his plate a little away from the table edge. “So, Zack, one of the biggest things you have to watch out for is the badge bunnies. They can cause a lot of problems, even if you’re not looking for it.”
Shrugging, Zack smiled softly. “I can’t say as I’ve ever really had a problem with them. I mean, yeah, they do a little poking around from time to time, but I’m good at saying no.”
Shelby took his hand and squeezed it. “And I’m not some little twenty-something who’s going to get possessive of him every time another woman looks at him.”
Cin laughed. “Oh, it’s okay to do that. Let people know who your man is and you’re willing to kick their asses if they get too close. I think that’s why Chad and I aren’t overly concerned about public kissing and such.” She grinned at Chad, and he grinned back. “I know I’ve got one of the hottest guys in Cottonwood…okay, hottest straight guys. I’ve got to make sure everyone knows he’s taken. So don’t feel bad about walking hand in hand, or kissing to ensure people understand who has him.”
“If it makes you feel better, and a little more secure in your relationship, go for it,” Chad added. “Doesn’t do either of you any harm, and if it makes you both more comfortable, go for it.” He looked at Zack. “And sometimes it’s nice to know you’ve got a lovely lady willing to stake her claim.”
“That I do.” Zack leaned over and kissed Shelby.
Cin smiled to herself. It made her happy their friends were finding a connection. She liked seeing other people happy. Their little dinner was proving to be a nice distraction from starting up the latest flip. At least she wasn’t sitting there worrying about what strange things might be waiting for them in a house Sheriff Jackson had previously owned.
6
Cin parked behind RJ’s blue Dodge Ram and got out, carefully reaching back in to get the cup carrier with four lattes she’d picked up for everyone. The stop at Valley Latte had taken a little longer than she’d planned. Marzie’s car was in the driveway, as was Chad’s. It didn’t look like the demo crew had arrived yet.
As she approached the door, it swung open and Marzie held it for her. “Wow, lattes, I didn’t realize we were supposed to stop for caffeine.”
Cin shook her head. “You weren’t, and don’t expect it every day.”
“Yeah, she normally expects us to take care of ourselves while she warms her chair at the office.” Chad hurried over to her and looked over the cups before pulling the one marked for him. “What brings you out to the first day of demo?”
“Supporting Marzie.” Cin turned the cup carrier toward her friend. “Thought she might like a bit of femininity as you guys get all macho and start tearing things apart.”
Marzie took her cup and smiled. “Thanks for the show of sisterhood, but I figured we’d all be fine. I’m used to dealing with guys.”
RJ took his cup. “Not that I can argue about the testosterone that gets to flowing when we’re breaking things. I think Marzie could hold her own with us. Right, Chad?”
Chad shrugged. “I’m going to stay quiet on that. I just know how much Cin hates demo, and am surprised to see her here today.”
Cin smiled at her as she tossed the cardboard cup holder into the slowly growing pile of debris in the living room. “I’m glad I can still surprise you once in a while, dear.”
Smiling, Chad gave her a quick kiss. “And I love that about you. Sometimes I never know what to expect out of you.” He took a long sip of his latte and smiled. “Most of your surprises are nice and tasty.”
With a soft giggle, Marzie shook her head. “The old adage is still appropriate, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
“And that goes for most men of all inclinations,” RJ agreed after a sip of his own drink. “I’ll have to tell AJ you’re spoiling me.”
“Then AJ will start showing up with drinks for everyone so he doesn’t think you’re getting too much from me.” Cin enjoyed the easy banter they could fall into. It made working so much easier, even on something she didn’t enjoy like demolition.
“We’re starting with the area that looks like dead space.” Chad started walking back toward that area, then turned toward Cin like he wanted to make sure she was following. “So far, we’ve got one layer of sheetrock over at least one layer of plywood.”
That didn’t make any design sense. Cin squinted at him, then looked at RJ. “Why would someone do that?”
RJ pursed his lips and shook his head. “No clue, unless they were trying to hide something and then make it look normal.”
“But hide what?” Cin wanted to get inside that hidden space and find out what was back there. She just hoped it wasn’t something dangerous like the passageway at the Stone house had turned out to be.
“We won’t know that until we get through the wall and see what’s there.” Chad continued toward the spot they’d been working on. “It still smells weird back here.”
Marzie nodded after taking another sip of her latte. “Yeah, what is that smell? Reminds me a bit of the rats Jerry Junior used to have.”
“If it’s a rat’s nest, we’ll want to get some pros in here to handle getting rid of them,” Chad sounded a bit put out about the idea. “We’d also want to make sure not to disturb it too much in case they’re carrying Hantavirus. That can be nasty.”
Something mundane like rats would be nice, but wouldn’t explain Jackson putting a walled-up space into the house. Cin couldn’t shake the idea that there was more to the space they didn’t know anything about beyond its exterior dimensions. There had to be something about the place, and Cin had no doubt they’d get to the bottom of it.
“Okay, so if we open the area up and come up with a rats’ nest, we call exterminators.” Cin tapped her jeans’ pocket where her cellphone was. “Good thing I’ve got their number in here.”
“You keep an exterminator’s number in your phone?” Marzie sounded surprised.
Cin nodded. “Sure. You never know when a tenant is going to bring in cockroaches or bed bugs. We call them about once every six weeks or so, and some of the places we have fumigated every six months or so, depending on what the property owners want to do.” It was one of the little things that property managers did that people didn’t stop to think about.
“Okay, and I bet flippers deal with it all the time too.” Marzie nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe I’ve just been lucky and never had to deal with it with my clients.”
“Around here, very lucky.” Chad set his latte cup in a clear spot on the floor, and picked up a pry bar. “Ready?” He glanced toward RJ.
With a heavy sigh, RJ set his cup next to Chad’s and picked up the sledge hammer. “Sure, let’s get through this wall and see what’s waiting for us on the other side.”
Cin looked at Marzie. “Did you happen to see any masks around here? The guys don’t always take great care of themselves, but we should probably think about a bit of safety, particularly if there’s a rats’ nest in there.”
“Right.” Marzie turned back toward the living room. “They’re in here.”
“Okay, bring a couple back.” Cin dropped her voice. “We’re still not sure that’s it’s just something mundane are we?”
Chad shook his head. “I can’t identify it. We’re in the dark here.”
“Not good.” Cin didn’t want to deal with something magical with Marzie around, but couldn’t think of any way to get her friend to leave them alone to do the job. She was so set on learning something new, and Cin didn’t want to disappoint her. “Okay, let the dust fly.” She raised her voice as Marzie came back carrying a couple of masks.
Chad set his pry bar between the sheetrock and the exposed plywood. He heaved and nails squealed as the white chalky board came free from the harder wood behind it.
Dust cascaded down the wall, and Cin rapidly slipped the elastic of her mask around her ears so she was covered. She took a couple of steps backwards and leaned against the wall. One of the things that she secretly enjoyed was watching Chad get his hands dirty, as long as he kept his dirty hands to himself until they were washed off.
As RJ caught the large sheet of wall and carried it toward the front door and the dumpster beyond, Chad’s phone rang. “Hon, do you mind answering it?” He threw his hip toward her, indicating it was in his pocket.
