WoFCT: Chapter 2

 “What makes you think she didn’t run off with Prince Eric?” I asked, referencing a popular movie about a little red headed mermaid. The mouse people had no idea how wrong they got it. We were now seated in my “office.” It was a sound proof room, probably no bigger than a jail cell above the bar. It contained a desk, a file cabinet and two chairs, mine and the client’s. A couple of pieces of “art” were on the walls. They were found in my great - uncle’s basement under the bar. I had inherited all of it, much to my surprise not knowing I had had a great - uncle Thaddeus Blackwood. The art wasn’t much, oil paintings, a simple gothic castle, a beach scene at sunset, and an image of a fox hunt, except the foxes had been replaced by wolves. The art was all signed I.R. a set of initials I was not familiar with. I noticed Thaloran’s eyes dance among the art. It lingered a little longer on the beach scene, and would be something all my clients would do. Like the scene that spoke to them would make them constantly look at it. Even if I hadn’t noticed he was merfolk, this art made it a dead giveaway.

“My wife would never do such a thing!” He snapped defiantly. I raised my hands hoping to show I meant no harm in the statement.

“Occam’s Razor, simpler solutions are more likely to be correct,” I stated, “In my line of work, the missing person has usually run off with a beau, the missing item was taken by someone the person knew.” I shrugged at him. This did not seem to calm him. I immediately switched tactics. “When was she last seen?” He took a deep breath.

“About a month ago,” he said and I felt both my brows rise.

“She’s been missing for a month?” I asked incredulously, “And you’re just now coming to me?” He gave an exasperated sigh.

“No, I went to the police first.”

“The police or the police?” The monsters had something of their own laws and lawmen. Monsters weren’t supposed to reveal themselves to humans, to remain fictional, and those that broke the laws often were never heard from again. I knew about the monsters from my great - uncle, who I had never met and had been informed at the reading of the will. The lawyer having been a vampire. The Blackwoods were something of a monster-adjacent lineage.

“Both,” he had replied and I immediately pulled out a notepad and a fountain pen. The old style pen, once again great - uncle Thaddeus, seemed to put the clients at ease. I tapped the nib of the pen to my tongue to begin taking notes.

“Who was the last person to see her?” I asked.

“I was,” he said.

“Which was?”

“Tuesday March 2nd.” Hrm, almost a month to the day.

“What did the authorities say?” I asked hoping that I had implied both sets.

“The same thing you did, that she ran off with a beau,” he replied using my term.

“Tell me about the last day you saw her.”

“We were having a meal at Oceanside,” he mentioned the name of a seafood place that served mostly merfolk, but humans too. I’d been there, they had good crab legs. Merfolk usually eat their seafood raw, but they also cooked some of the best I’d ever tasted. If you really wanted to make a killing in the restaurant industry, open a sushi restaurant on the beach and be non-discriminatory. Even werewolves liked a good raw fish. “She had an appointment with her Pilates Instructor but never showed.”

“Did she look distressed in any way?”

“No, we talked about the vacation we had planned. We were, uh, going home for a couple weeks.” I looked up from my writing.

“Back to the ocean?” I asked and he nodded. “What is the name of the Pilates Instructor?”

“Victor Rourke,” he stated and my head snapped up, “What?”

“Mr. Rourke is a werewolf, why would merfolk be in the same circle as a werewolf?” I asked, not knowing. Usually the monsters stayed in their own circles. Werewolves hung with werewolves, merfolk with merfolk, vampires… well by themselves, vampires were wholly solitary creatures.

“We are members of H.A.R.M.O.N.Y.” I gave a vague nod. I’d heard of the movement. Basically a monster version of Woodstock, all about peace and togetherness. It was barely tolerated by the Judicators. As long as the didn’t involve humans in their HARMONY.

“So you believe in the… others,” I chose my words carefully, I couldn’t use the term ‘monsters,’ since they didn’t see themselves as such, and they had no other term to use, “Should be banded together.”

“If our peoples united we could rule this world, no more hiding in fear of the humans.” He glanced at me, as if remembering I was there, “Sorry, no disrespect.” I didn’t believe that last part. I was human, but a human who helped the monsters.

“None taken,” I lied, “Did your wife have the same feelings as you about H.A.R.M.O.N.Y.?” There was a pause. I could see him thinking back and deciding how to answer me.

“Yes, she did.” He said firmly at last. I didn’t believe him.