Ash Return of the Beast

CHAPTER 3



One Week Later…

Kane was still puzzling over the mystery of the two dead preachers. The two cases were clearly related but the investigation had come to a dead end. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn’t help wondering if maybe Special Agent Ravenwood really did know something that could help solve the case.

“Lieutenant?”

Kane looked up and saw Bower standing in the doorway.

“Yeah, Tom. What is it?”

Bower hesitated, almost afraid to tell him the news. “She’s back.”

Ravenwood didn’t wait for an invitation. She brushed by Bower and strutted into Kane’s office.

“Well!” Kane said with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Special Agent Ravenwood. I was just thinking about you. Won’t you come in? Oh, but you’re already in, aren’t you. My bad.”

Sporting a tailored black suit and starched white blouse, Ravenwood finally looked like an FBI agent.

Kane gave her a conspicuous once over, scanning her from head to toe. “Going to a funeral?”

She grimaced. Yours, if you’re not careful. “Nice to see you, too, Lieutenant.” She pulled up the chair in front of Kane’s desk and made herself comfortable. “So,” she said, forcing a smile and tossing her hair back, “Shall we continue where we left off?”

“Well, let me see. If I remember right, we left off with you walking out the door and heading for Mexico. So, yes, let’s continue with that. There’s the door. Have a nice trip.”

Her forced smile vanished. “Look, Lieutenant. I know you don’t––”

He stopped her before she could finish. “Wait,” he said. He took a breath and paused, trying to figure out how to make an apology without sounding like he was caving in. If he could make the apology sound sincere, he reasoned, maybe he could actually get some helpful information from her. It seemed worth the humiliation of an apology.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I really am. As much as it pains me to say this, I think you’re really a nice lady. For an FBI agent. So you think we could start over?”

The words caught Ravenwood off guard. It took her a moment to regroup. I was right. There is a Teddy Bear inside the belligerent bastard. “Thank you,” she said, graciously acknowledging what she knew must have been difficult for him to say. “I’m ready if you are.”

Okay, he thought, this might actually work. “Well, I don’t know if I’m ready or not but if you’ve got something to bring to the table I’d like to see it. Because, frankly, when it comes to this case… my table is pretty much bare.”

“Well, that’s why I’m here. So let’s get started. Do you have the documents I gave you?”

“Yup,” he said, retrieving the large envelope from a drawer. He pulled out the contents and spread them across the desk.

“Excellent,” she said. “Now, check this out.” She pointed to the photos of the two deceased victims, “See those marks on the forehead and the chest of each body?”

“Of course. That’s what… wait. You’re going to tell me you know what they mean?”

“Not exactly what they mean. At least not yet. I’m working on it. What I can tell you is that the marks on the chest are sigils.”

“Sigils? What the hell is a sigil?”

“For simplicity’s sake let’s just say they are signs––symbols, if you will––that are created for some magickal purpose.”

Kane shook his head. “Lady, you’re losing me real fast here. Magic? You mean like abracadabra, watch me pull a rabbit out of my ass?”

She glared at him. “I thought you were ready to take this seriously. And it’s not abracadabra. It’s abra-ha-dabra.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it isn’t. Everybody knows––”

“Well, everybody’s wrong. Trust me. This is exactly why you need me on this case. I know things you can’t imagine.”

Kane rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Go on.”

She was about to explain further when Kane’s phone buzzed. He mocked an apologetic shrug and took the call. “Yeah, what is it? I’m entertaining a lady in here, so make it quick.” He winked at Ravenwood. After a moment his expression changed. “You gotta be shittin’ me. All right. Yeah.” He hung up the phone and looked at Ravenwood. “Hate to break up our fascinating conversation but it looks like victim number three just made the roster.” He got up, put his jacket on and headed for the door.

Ravenwood spun around in her chair. “Where are you going?”

He was already half way across the outer office when he hollered back. “Gotta go look at a dead guy. Have a nice day Ms. Ravenwood.”

Ravenwood stood up, grabbed her briefcase and jacket and started after him. “Wait a minute,” she said, coming up behind him. “I’m coming with you.”

Kane stopped short and turned to face her. “Abra-HA-dabra,” he said, waving his hands like a magician performing a vanishing act. “Disappear, will ya?”

Ravenwood pursed her lips. So much for the Teddy Bear. “Sorry,” she said, “it doesn’t work that way. Your car or mine?”