ERICA'S INFORMANTS
Erica was vaguely, and unpleasantly, reminded of Benny.
And it had all gone so well so far!
He was tall with dark brown hair. Except over the right temple, where he had a prematurely white streak at the front. Erica has asked why: he had evasively answered that he had a bad shock about a year before.
"In this town, that could have been anything" Erica thought. "Or anything before Lucifractor night."
He was on the basketball team (as well as the football, hockey and baseball teams in their respective seasons), and had been allowed out of Tourism class like all the other players. He had mentioned being on the championship to Erica. He had seen her as she left the administration office, while leaving the school property to "grab a smoke."
"Strange I've never seen you before" he had said, while leaning against the wall conspicuously playing with a lighter. "The way you light up the school, I don't believe I never picked you out of the crowd."
The boy casually eyed the tall blonde girl, taking in the sight.
"I wish I've seen you before" said Erica coyly.
The teen didn't mention that he was mentally comparing her with Trixie. Trixie, 43-25-37. Trixie, who would do anything for the man she loved. But Trixie, even if she were interested in him, was off limits. Trixie was his best-friend's girl. He couldn't make a move, though he seriously had the hots to her.
But the teen liked tall, leggy blondes. Not as stacked as Trixie, but Erica met his requirements. And, at least initially, he met Erica's too. A teen boy in a letterman's jacket. With clear skin.
This teen boy had the unlikely name of Jarod Vincenzo Hodges. He was known as Hodges to his buds. He was well known to be Ethan Morgan's best friend.
Hodges had already asked Erica to the Valentine's Day dance Friday, and, more importantly, the party at one of the team members' homes immediately afterward.
Erica had accepted, seeing as it was unclear she had a date in this altered reality. She could take care of her previously commitments later – if in fact she still had any.
But taking coffee with Hodges, Erica was reminded uncomfortably of Benny.
Just this morning Hodges had been told by his coach not to eat too much before the game. But here Hodges was stuffing a roast beef sandwich and a couple of doughnuts into his mouth while gulping down enough coffee to sink a ship. Hodges mentioned his coach's instructions casually to Erica; it was proof of his "cool", "casual" nature.
"You don't happen to like chocolate chip pizza, do you?" asked Erica abruptly.
"Anyone who puts chocolate on pizza is demented" said Hodges with disgust. "You don't, do you?"
"Wouldn't dream of it" said Erica, then adding involuntarily, "You . . . remind me of someone."
"As if you felt you knew me all your life?" said Hodges with a grin. "Or you were looking for me for your entire life."
"No" said Erica impatiently. "When did you move to town? And don't tell me again about being surprised not to have seen me in high school."
"If I didn't see this guy before, he might have only moved here for want of a bolt, or whatever that demon says" thought Erica.
"How can I forget?" shrugged Hodges, who looked at Erica with curiosity. Two years ago. My Dad scrambled for a new job, and got one at the Bystander. Coming here was a bolt out of the blue. But you know, I'm a cool guy. I land easy."
"I think I know what you mean" said Erica, frowning.
"This relationship is going nowhere" Erica thought. "This guy isn't even supposed to be living here. I would definitely have seen him around Whitechapel High . . . even if he spent every break off the property lighting up."
"Why, where're you from?"
"Dorval"
Erica knew, from her geek days, that Dorval was a mainly English-speaking suburb of Montreal known mainly for being the location of the airport. However, she let Hodges mention that for her and pretended to be suitably interested in his description of himself.
She also let Hodges mention that his dad worked as an editor for the publishing company that once printed Benny's favourite magazine; "Be A Man" the home of dubious dating tips. Also Rory's favourite magazine, "Teen Aviator", the home of the flying stories, advice, and the centrefold Teen Aviatrix. There was, what Erica guessed was Ethan's favourite magazine "Teen Computing and Robotics". Or did Ethan only read comics? Finally, there was what Hodges called his favourite magazine, "Teen Camping and Wilderness Life. This magazine had the Teen "Campette" girl on the centrefold; usually posed in a bikini and about to go jumping into a pure, freezing cold lake up in the Canadian Shield.
"Something's wrong here!" thought Erica. "I know that company's still in business. Ethan and his geek squad still take "Teen Aviator" and "Be A Man" magazine seriously. And some of the other guys also subscribe? What's that got to do with that time demon?"
Erica covered up her confusion with a smile.
"I thought you were a city boy" said Erica flirtatiously.
"Hey, I can handle myself in the wild" boasted Hodges. "Ever since my Mole Scouts day."
"A cool guy like you?"
"Oh crap!" said Erica, seeing the momentary confusion in Hodges. "He's crazy about his scouting days. This date is going down hill fast.
Hodges hesitated a second, and took a big gulp of coffee. Impress a girl, or respect the Moles?
"You got the Moles wrong" said Hodges, choosing a third option. "It's a good organization . . . for kids. Even after what . . . it's good for kids. I still buy the Moleo doughnuts they put out every year . . . except last year."
Hodges looked embarrassed, and unconsciously brushed back his shock of grey hair.
Erica looked curiously at Hodges. "He knows something about Valeria Mudrap . . . that must explain
"Like I care if you like the Moles" Erica lied, as she found his loyalty to a kid's organization both stupid and geeky at the same time.
"Ace Magazines Inc. only went under because some execs were cooking the books" said Hodges, who, as "cool" and "casual" as he was, in memory of past slights started to go red in the face. "We remember my Dad put everything he had into his work . . . then one day, this angry little guy from a forensic accounting firm came in" Hodges continued, "tiny guy, wispy white-blond hair, thick-thick glasses, spends weeks going over the company seeing if it can be saved or liquidated. Even when I was fourteen, I was tough enough I could have twisted his arm into saying saved!"
"And?" said Erica, feigning interest. She found herself very bored with the story of white collar crime and insolvency. It all involving a company that published magazines she wouldn't be caught reading . . . whether she was alive or undead. If Ace had the rights to Dusk, it might have been a different story, but . . . .
"He advised liquidation. The guy was out for blood" said Hodges.
"I don't think so" muttered Erica, she smirked at the phrase.
"Yeah, really. This little guy's one only son ran off with a girl two years older than him. While he was doing the audit he received a notice that the guy and girl were found dead by the Mexican Federalis. I'd feel sorry for the auditor-dude, if he hadn't destroyed my dad and a few thousand people to make up for his son. That's how we moved here, and that's how my Dad ended up in charge of the classifieds section and delivery at the Whitechapel Bystander."
"Just what a girl wants to hear" thought Erica impatiently. "Mole scouts and disgruntled accountants."
"But that's ancient history" said Hodges, sensing he was losing Erica. It wasn't hard; Erica was looking at him with an impatient stare. "What guy talks to a girl about how his Dad lost his job?" "Like I said, I land on my feet. Like right away I got on the hockey team, then was baseball. You know, Erica, right after we win the basketball game today the team's going out for pizza."
"That's it?" asked Erica. "Pizza? Since when did the basketball team turn into a bunch of geeks?"
"Our kegger's after the Valentine's Day dance, Friday" said Hodges, impatiently. "Skyler's house. He can get away with murder on the weekend. And his folks have a mansion up on Brookside Terrace."
"Why don't you have a real party . . . tonight?" asked Erica.
"Yeah, a Wednesday night" said Hodges sarcastically. "My Dad'll kill me if I come home plastered at two am . . . on a school night."
Erica realized there was some truth in that. Still, even if Hodges had a curfew if he was "cool" he should be able to sneak out. Even Ethan and Rory were able to do that, on their monster-hunting adventures (Benny, of course, didn't have to)!
Since she had been human again, Erica had found it necessary to getting enough sleep and find time to do her homework. But that didn't mean she couldn't let this Hodges off the hook for sounding so pathetic.
"I have go to coffee pick the geekiest letterman in school" Erica complained.
"Yeah, well some of us can't go to parties every night" said Hodges impatiently. "Me, I got a curfew and I'm going to university after high school. If you can't understand that . . . ."
"Don't you have any friends you hang out with? Casually?"
"Yeah, but Morgan next door, his parents are stricter than mine" said Hodges. "You think I can belt down a few beers at his house? I can tell you this. The dude actually climbs out his window sometimes to go to a party. When I had my first cigarettes, my parents gave me the usual lecture. But when Morgan first started smoking . . . Huh"
Erica was looking at Hodges with a look of complete astonishment.
Hodges, partly because Erica looked so funny, partly because he was angry about the "geekiest letterman" crack, laughed at her.
"What's Morgan's full name?"
"Ethan Morgan" said Hodges. "Don't tell me you never heard of him? Man, you are actually new at school."
"Why do you say that?" said Erica, who was leaning forward, once again definitely enraptured.
Hodges looked a little bitter, as it was clear to him who Erica was interested in. But Hodges' one great virtue was that he was loyal.
"Well, he's the best athlete at school" said Hodges resignedly. "He's a big guy, you can't miss him. He's the school hero; Vice President of the Student Council. I'm Treasurer myself.
Erica looked at Hodges incredulously. "So the time merchant demon was actually able to make Ethan cool! If this Hodges is right!
Hodges felt uncomfortable enough from the stare that he began to play with his lighter.
"Ethan lives next door to you?"
"Yeah, that's what I said. We've been best friends since I moved to town."
"Ethan lives next to a park."
"Yeah" said Hodges impatiently, "but you see, I live on the other side."
"That's the Weir house."
"Uh, yeah" said Hodges in the same impatient voice. "It is. That's why my Mom and Dad were able to get it so cheap when we moved here."
"Why?'
"You don't know? Then how did you know it was the Weir house?"
"Maybe I don't remember the whole story."
"Yeah, I guess not. Well, it's weird. There was an old lady, her divorced son who was almost always travelling for his job. And his son, Benny Weir. He used to be Morgan's best friend. I heard Weir was awkward and a little weird, but a good guy, or so Morgan says. The two wouldn't have been friends with a guy named Stochowski. A few years ago, he was Whitechapel High's star athlete. Anyway, he was a friend of Morgan and Benny's, probably saw Morgan's potential."
"David Stochowki?" said Erica. "I knew him. But where does he fit in?"
"Stochowski used to turn into a weredog every full moon" Erica thought. "I thought Stochowski was actually the werewolf in Ethan's basement, and tried to get him to sic Benny. But Benny, being the screwup he is, had turned Ethan into a werewolf. That's when Sarah went downstairs, forced that reversal potion down Ethan's throat. And . . . eewww . . . I touched Ethan naked."
"Well, Old Lady Weir . . . ."
"Try calling her that!" muttered Erica.
"She used to have a vintage Ford. Benny decided to, as Morgan said, borrow it. So Benny and Stochowski went joyriding in it one night. It broke down out of town, or had a flat, or something when they took it on a back-road. But on a backroad they were attacked and torn apart by a pack of rabid coyotes."
"RABID COYOTES?" shouted Erica.
Several people looked their way. Hodges again looked uncomfortable, although Erica didn't much notice.
"Yeah, rabid coyotes" shrugged Hodges. "Or coydogs. The coroner ruled out wolves, there aren't any in this part of country anymore."
"With Benny dead, there goes any hope of getting Sarah to live with the new cool Ethan" Erica thought grimly. "But how? Obviously they weren't wild coyotes?"
And, then a new feeling . . . or more definitely, an almost forgotten feeling seeped into Erica's mind. Sympathy, regret and sadness that the tall, geeky Benny was dead. She also felt a little sorry for Stochowski, but not so much as he had left town after he graduated a couple years before.
Then, it suddenly struck Erica that Sarah was going to blame herself for the death of Benny. Well, then, now it was truly personal! Erica was going to do all she could to undo the time merchant's curse!
Erica pursed her lips. She was going to start by armtwisting everything she could out of Hodges. She'd get this all out from Ethan's "new best friend", a guy who Ethan should never had met.
"So, after her grandson died, Old Lady Weir sold you her house?" asked Erica, somewhat sternly.
"No" said Hodges. "The old woman died a couple days later in her sleep. Heart attack. Probably the shock."
"Died of a broken heart" said Erica reflectively.
"You might say that" said Hodges. "Her son, uh, James Weir I think, or something like that, sold us the house. He told my Dad he no longer had any reason to have a house in Whitechapel. But the guy took everything out that wasn't nailed down."
"None of this adds up" thought Erica. "Benny couldn't have died the way. Coyotes . . .coydog . . . weredog . . . werewolf . . . there's only one ex-werewolf I know around. If what happened I think happened, it's a cover-up for what Ethan did.
"He killed . . . tore apart . . . maybe ate Benny and Stochowski. That's what happened. That explains Benny's body, moved safely out of town. Weredogs must, like werewolves, revert when they're killed. That's Stochowski's body moved safely out of town. Ethan . . . maybe Mrs. Weir . . . of course, Mrs. Weir, must have cleaned up the Morgan's basement and hid the evidence. It would have been a bloodbath down there! I wonder how Ethan can stand even living in the house after what he did!"
Erica fidgeted.
"What Ethan did was at least partially on me. I cheered him on when he was trapped in a werewolf's body!" she thought guiltily. "Well it'll be easy to see if it's true. Ethan couldn't have been a werewolf for over two years now without starting to look the part."
Erica pulled up her phone. "Ethan Morgan" she typed in. Soon enough, she had a link to the sports section of the school paper. It was last November's issue. "Ethan Morgan, Triple Threat Tailback, Scores Winning Touchdown."
"Even with the football uniform you can tell" Erica thought.
"He's half-hoping to be scouted for the CFL in university" said Hodges.
"Why not the NFL?" asked Erica.
"There's only about twenty Canadians in the NFL" said Hodges. "It's not like hockey where we dominate. Besides, Morgan has this weird idea football players get too much publicity in the US."
"Because if anyone finds out what he is, he's dead" said Erica to herself.
"But Plan A, is for us to finish business school and take out a loan to start a large wilderness lodge." said Hodges.
"Werewolf Ethan would like that" Erica thought. "Just going on how he behaved his two, three weeks as a wolfman last year. I don't know how he first went out for the team, but it's easy to guess he had to find some way to make sure he wasn't growling Well, better take care of my date and check up on Sarah!"
"I can see that" said Erica flirtatiously. "You're really the rugged, outdoors types. I can't wait to be alone with you at the dance Friday."
Erica added a few more word to that affect, which calmed "cool" "easygoing" Jared Hodges' bruised ego. That is until Hodges realized the time, and insisted they leave for the game.
"I thought you weren't afraid of the coach" said Erica.
"I'm not afraid of the coach" said Hodges excitably. "I'm afraid of getting kicked off the team!"
"I'll just finish up myself" said Erica.
Hodges was gone in a flash, after another panicked look at his smartphone.
Erica wondered if she wanted to see the basketball game. It would be the only way she would be able to see Whitechapel High competitive in a team sport, let alone triumph. But the fact the game should not be happening, and the fact Erica was going to be doing her best to delete it from history, made it an unappealing prospect.
Erica turned her mind again to Jared Hodges.
"It's brilliant in a way" said Erica quietly as she finished her coffee. "Benny's disposed of, by Ethan. Either just slaughtered or eaten, making Ethan a killer and giving him at least a partial breakdown. Someone arranged that little story of joyriding and rabid coyotes; either Ethan or Evelyn Weir just before she died. Old Lady Weir, as Hodges calls her, is only human and dies from the stress of helping Ethan hide the evidence. Evelyn Weir out of the picture, to make sure Ethan stays a werewolf and is forced to go after his new interests. Then you move in a friendly, if a little geeky, combination athlete and wilderness-nut next door to help move Ethan down his new path. It's brilliant! But, seriously, I don't believe it's all from the want of a nail. Especially Hodges moving here because Ace Publishing went under."
"It is all from the want of a nail" laughed a harsh voice from across the table.
It was the sharp-featured demon. He had upgraded his clothes to something this century, and had now sat in the seat recently vacated by Hodges.
For a second, Erica's face betrayed some fear. But she swallowed it down. She looked around for something she could use against the demon. But . . . nothing!
"Come to undo your spell?" Erica asked.
"No, just to make sure you don't doubt Tempus Mercator Daemonium" the demon sneered. "When I say I changed the world, I did. For the want of a nail. You of all people should realize how transfiguring an awkward teenager into a monster could lead to new personality."
"Maybe I should" said Erica cooly. "But with me, it didn't required altering the last few years of history."
"Perhaps" said the demon. "But you're actually the reason I'm here."
Erica looked at him.
"How would you like to be a vampire again?" asked the demon. "All it would cost you is your soul?"
"I heard recently that's the usual price" said Erica sarcastically, adding; "I'm not biting. I'm not that stupid. A few minutes after being turned into a vampire, I'll be cured again because there's no dark energy for the curse to feed on. I won't have time to taste human blood and fly out of town."
"You sacrifice your soul if you choose to deal with me or of your own free informed will choose to be a vampire" shrugged Tempus Mercator Daemonium. "It's when someone does it by accident that we might run into trouble."
"So I've heard" said Erica coldly.
"But what makes you think there's no dark energy?" asked the demon with a smirk.
"The Lucifractor . . . ." started Erica.
"Is where it has been these last seventy years" said the demon. "You know, Ethan Morgan is a werewolf, not a seer."
"Doesn't that mean that the vampires are back in town?"
"Well, you'll have to figure that out for yourself. Who, how many and why. But I can promise you this. They're not going to turn you."
"Ethan promised me that if I wanted, and if I wait . . . ." said Erica.
"He'll trade his blood for the vamp nurses making you undead again" smirked Tempus. "His blood is singularly nauseating to vampires now, it would be all they can do to get them down. His offer is useless. You see, Erica, I think this reality might not be much to your liking. But, through me, you can make the most of it. By moving you from one place to another for a few minutes of your life, just over two years ago, I can restore your immortality. You'll just have to stop assisting Sarah in her fool's errand to undo the wish it was my pleasure to give free of charge to the girl who freed me from my prison."
"You know as well as I do that I've never betrayed my best friend" Erica retorted.
In a second, Erica grabbed a knife on the table.
"You think that would work?" laughed the demon. "Oh, before I leave, Erica. You won't have to call Tom Towers to break your date. He died a few months ago when the gremlins destroyed the shop classroom. Ethan wasn't able to predict it happening, though he did twist a couple of slow moving gremlins' necks."
"I know why you were so happy to grant the wish" said Erica.
"Removing that one bolt created so many ripples upon the pond of reality" said Tempus Mercator Daemonium. "It might very well be my best work of all time. But as for you, Erica, you had your chance to deal with me. And now I'll tell you something you won't soon forget."
Erica sipped her coffee and didn't reply.
"You should have paid more attention to Hodges. You weren't bad figuring out guessing all about Ethan the very hungry werewolf but you missed something!"
"Like what?"
The demon paused and laughed with an evil sneer.
"Well, never mind that for now! But I may as well tell you poor Hodgy-dodgy is going to become a chain smoker and die of esophageal cancer before the age of 40."
With that the demon laughed again and disappeared in a puff of odorous yellow smoke. For a few minutes, the smoke filled Lotta Latte, to the consternation and confusion of everyone in the shop.