Chapter 4: Its not a weekend in Portland without Murder

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Nick said breaking the silence. Alice shook her head.

"I may have suppressed what happened to me with that Blutbad...but thats no excuse for me..." She stopped herself.

"For you to do what? Kiss Monroe?" Nick said turning onto Mount hood Highway.

"I may have done more than that..." She said biting her lip. Nick shot her a look.

"Were you really that messed up?" He asked shocked

"Oh please you blacked out too! All I did was make out with him...in my uh underwear." She said looking out the window. Nick stared her down.

"You waste no time." He said acidly. She shot him a look.

"Im not proud of it! I hate his kind. I should never mess up like this! And why are you upset? You tried to kiss me twice already and you got a Fiancé!" Nick shook his head

"She's not my fiancé!" Alice raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you so adamant so prove you're not engaged to her? You're not too confident in you guys lasting?" She said smirking. Nick stopped the car. Hank could be seen up ahead talking to a coroner. He looked up at them.

"Alice...I do not wanna fight with you going into this. Im sorry. im not j...jealous. I just don't know what to think about this situation. I-" Before he could finish Hank knocked on the window.

"Time to be professional." Alice said getting out of the car. Nick shook his head and got out too.

"What took you guys so long?" Hank asked handing them both gloves. Alice took off towards the bodies leaving Hank and Nick behind. Hank looked at Nick.

"She good?" He said raising an eyebrow. Nick waved him off.

"Yeah man. She takes this real serious you know." Nick said as Sgt Wu ran over.

"We got a problem." He said slightly concerned.

"Whats up Wu?" Nick said. Hank gave a confused look. Alice went under the tape when she was stopped by an Officer.

"Woah Woah woah. Who are you?" He said. Alice cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms.

"Is that Officer Bryant?" Nick said with alarm.

"Ah Hell. Does he know she's here on the case." Hank said walking over briskly. Wu shook his head.

"Im here with Detective Burkhardt and Detective Griffin." She said. Officer Bryant pushed her back.

"Uh ah ah. You're a reporter. Only a reporter would look like that. I got orders to only let those two Brainiacs and whoever that new detective from backwoods louisiana."

"No...no he doesn't." He said as Alice began to lay into him

"Im the detective assigned to help you invalids on this case. Got a problem with that? don't solve it on your own. I have a right to be here. What? Cause im a woman you have a problem with that?" She said stepping into his face. Nick and Hank ran under the tape and grabbed her and Bryant, pulling them back.

"Hey take it easy Bryant! Alice calm down!" They both said. Alice glared at him. Someone called Hank away. He let go of Bryant and walked towards the bodies.

"He called me a reporter! Do I look like a fucking reporter?" She lunged. the other people at the scene stopped and watched the fight. Alice and Nick looked at Bryant. His face morphed into that of a grotesque looking man with no nose and hard dried skin, like a prune left out in the hot sun. Nick's eyes widened as Alice scoffed.

"hmm Säuglingesser...In portland? Oh my my my...and a Cop! You're lucky I don't kill you right now you monster!" She growled as she stepped into his face.

"A Haventhrope! And a...a G-Grimm!" He said through chattered teeth. Nick looked at both of them.
"I better not see you in the office monday. You have two days to get out of my city or I will rip you to shreds. You hear me? And if I find out you have taken any children...I will put your head on a stake!" She lunged on stake. Bryant jumped and ran away.

"What the hell was that!" Alice watched Bryant run.

"He's a babyeater. Ever heard the story of Rumpelstiltskin?" Nick's eyes widened.
"But shouldn't he get upset once you say his name?" Alice shook her head.

"That was a cover. The real problem is him wanting to eat the fair maiden's first born child. Come on." She joined hank.

"Where's Bryant going?" He asked. Alice put on a pair of gloves and knelt on her haunches.

"Gave him a leave of absence. This is a mess." She said shaking her head.

"The woman's body fits our perp...but the male...Dear God. He got sloppy." Nick said surveying the butchered corpse.

"Not sloppy, suprised. you dont surprise him. You still won't find a shred of evidence even though the bod is cut to ribbons. But maybe..." She reached in the male's bloody jeans. She fished for awhile till she pulled out a wallet.

"His name is Shane Rossen. His address is here so we better get there fast. Looks to me like he was murdering our vic when dear old hubby came home. Pissed him off, so he gutted him like a fish." She continued to flip through the wallet.

"Some of the wounds on her body look pretty rough...maybe after he killed Rossen? Nick said gently touching her naked stomach.

"He had to finish the job. I have a wedding photo of our two vics...but no ring on her finger. either our man took it or she had it off for their little ron de vous." She brought her attention to the woman's face.

"Such a pretty young woman. Shame." Alice shook her head as she stood. Nick watched for her next move.

"Alight if you'd stay here with the bodies detective Griffin, nick and I will head over the their place of residence." She said walking back towards the car. Hank and Nick exchanged a look.

"she's ah...tenacious." Hank said. Nick shook his head smiling.

"I'll see you back at the morgue." He said heading to the car.

"So alice what can we expect at the home?" Nick asked. Alice kept her stony gaze on her hands.

"Usually he destroys the place. i can only imagine the rage we'll face since the husband came home...nothing can be as bad as the time he murdered a 8 year old boy for waking up during his mutilation of his single mother. I swore once i saw that I'd hunt him down and make him suffer." Alice looked to nick. He could tell it was personal.
"Well lets hope its nothing like...that." Nick tried. They sat in awkward silence as they dodged each others gaze. Alice flipped through the wallet some more. She instantly froze, eyes wide as she took a photo out of the wallet. Nick parked the car.

"W-what is it?" She trembled as she literally flew out of the car leaving the photo on the seat. Nick looked at it as she bolted to the door. It was a picture of the woman and a newborn, dated 1 year ago. He jumped out of his seat and sprinted after her. She broke down the front door and entered gun ready. Nick followed her in. He all but dropped his gun at the sight of the room.
The room was covered in blood and traces of human flesh were strewn about the floor. There was a small sound coming from the back room.

"You hear that?" She whispered. Nick looked around.

"Nursery!" She ran towards the back room. She flung the door open and froze. Slinking against the door frame she faltered and slipped towards the floor. Nick hesitated then slowly came towards her. The room was just out of his view as he grabbed her shoulder. She pushed her way into the blood spattered room.

Nick covered his mouth as he looked into the blood stained crib. Alice knelt to the ground and checked the pulse of the baby. The child was face down in the corner covered in blood.

"That fucker is going to pay"