Chapter 8
Grant's Salvage yard was five miles from Wolf's Den and it didn't take Trubel long to find it.
The salvage yard was still opened for business, and once Trubel powered down her motorcycle, she grabbed a penlight from her saddlebag. She then walked through the open gate and entered the yard.
A small shack was about fifteen steps from the gate, and Grant (the owner to the salvage yard) immediately left the shack as soon as Trubel had gotten three steps into the yard.
"May I help you?" Grant asked as he approached Trubel.
"No thanks," Trubel told him as he stepped up to her. "I'm in no hurry to buy and get out. So I'm just going to casually look around and see if I can find what I'm looking for."
"And what are you looking for?" Grant asked.
"Motorcycle parts," Trubel simply replied.
"Which parts are you looking for?" Grant asked.
"All of them." When Grant shot her a curious look, Trubel continued to say, "I'm challenging myself to build or rebuild a motorcycle just from parts from a salvage yard, and I would like to complete this challenge without assistance from anyone. So if you don't mind, I'm just going to casually look around and see what all I can find without your help."
"I lock my gate right at five," Grant replied. "So if you find something to purchase, I would like for you to be at my register about ten minutes before five, and if you don't find anything to purchase I would appreciate it if you would leave about ten minutes before five."
"You got it," Trubel replied before turning to her left and entering a path between two piles of mangled vehicles.
Once Trubel was out of Grant's sight, she pulled out her crude map and followed it to the Dämonfeuer's lair to the far left corner of the salvage yard.
The lair was made from a long passenger train car that had been completely buried for nearly a century. When discovered eight years ago, a trench at both ends had been dug to access the train car's two entrances; however, both trenches were hard to see as they were blocked from view by piles of mangled vehicles and twisted metal.
Trubel was only told about the one entrance and she found the trench to that entrance after a six-minute search.
After dropping down into the trench, Trubel pulled out the collapsible sword from her right boot, extended it to full length and, as stealthy as she could, entered the train car.
When Trubel had crossed the threshold from trench to train car, a silent alarm sounded within the small shack.
Grant quickly ran to close and lock the gate and then hurried to get to the train car.
The train car had been partitioned off to create several rooms, and Trubel heard a girl's voice as if talking to herself at the opposite end of the train car.
Trubel's footsteps were barely heard as she slowly moved towards the opposite end, but in spite of that, Trubel heard the girl's whisper, "Quiet. Someone's here. It's probably just Dad or Uncle Peter. Dad! Dad! Is that you? Uncle Peter? Quiet."
Before Trubel could react to the girl, the girl turned quiet and what little light there had been was turned off.
Trubel stopped in her tracks and considered her options for a moment before calling out, "Hello? Who's down here?" Trubel was quiet for only a moment. "My name is Theresa. I followed my cat down here, but then I heard you. Are you stuck down here?" Trubel was quiet for another moment. "I can't see to help you, so I'll be back with the police."
"No!" Trubel heard the girl say with a slight unnaturally sounding echo before the light was turned back on. "Don't call the police. We're fine. We don't need your assistance either, so go away."
"How many people are down here?" Trubel asked as she collapsed her sword and stuffed it back into her boot.
"It's just me and my sister," and "None of your business. Go away," Trubel heard at the same time and in the same sounding voice.
Trubel continued forward slowly and when she entered the last partitioned room, she saw twelve-year-old conjoined twins who shared everything from the shoulders down.
"No, don't come in here," the right conjoined twin said.
"You're trespassing," the left conjoined twin added.
Trubel only hesitated for a brief moment from the sight of the conjoined twins before saying, "I'm here looking for my cat. Anyway, my name is Theresa, but everyone who knows me calls me Trubel. What are your names?"
"My name Brenda," the left conjoined twin said.
"And I'm Linda," the right conjoined twin replied.
"Brenda. Linda. Where do you two live?" Trubel questioned.
"You have to leave, Trubel," Brenda demanded. "You don't belong down here."
"Yes, well, neither do you," Trubel replied.
"People stare at us and point," Linda informed. "So we can't leave here."
"Are you telling me that you live down here?" Trubel asked Linda.
"It's none of your business where we live," Brenda told her.
"Brenda, I would like to help you," Trubel replied.
"We don't need your help," Brenda replied.
"Dad and Uncle Peter care for us," Linda added.
"Where's your mom?" Trubel asked.
"She's dead, now go away," Brenda told her.
"I'm sorry that you lost your mom," Trubel told her. "How long ago did she die?"
"Twelve years and one month ago," Brenda replied.
"She died giving birth to us," Linda added.
"Now go away," Brenda continued. "You don't want to be here when our dad or uncle returns."
"Why? What would happen?" Trubel asked.
"He's protective of us, and he sent a man to the hospital just before we moved here," Linda replied.
"And how long ago was that?" Trubel asked.
"I don't remember," Linda replied.
"We can barely remember people outside," Brenda added. "But we do remember that people were mean to us before we came to live here."
"Yes, there are people who will be mean to you, but your dad isn't doing you any favors by making you live down here," Trubel replied.
"Yes, well, we like it down here," Brenda replied. "Don't we, Linda?"
"We do," Linda replied.
"Be that as it may, if the police or a social worker from family services would find you two down here, your dad could be in a lot of trouble," Trubel replied.
"The police or the worker you mentioned won't find us," Brenda replied.
"And as long as we have been down here, you are the only one to have found us," Linda added.
"Regardless to that fact, I think I will need to talk to your dad about this," Trubel replied. "What is his name?"
"His name is Grant," Linda replied.
"And where can I find him?" Trubel asked.
Before anything could be said, Grant—while at the end where Trubel had entered—called out, "Girls?"
"Dad," Linda called out.
"Were you girls by the back entrance?" Grant questioned as he moved closer.
"No," Linda called back.
"We promised you we wouldn't," Brenda also called back.
"Had anything unusual happened a few minutes ago?" Grant called out as Trubel moved closer to that end's exit.
"Yes, they made a new friend," Trubel was the one to call out just before she pulled out the collapsible sword from her boot. "The people who know me call me Trubel."
Grant didn't respond and once Trubel extended her sword, Linda quickly demanded, "Why do you have that?"
"I have it in case I have to defend myself," Trubel replied.
"Dad, Trubel has a sword," Brenda called out at the same time Trubel spoke.
Everyone's attention was drawn to Grant—while woged as a Dämonfeuer—as he walked in.
"Grimm," Grant spat. "Brenda, Linda, come stand by me."
As Brenda and Linda moved, Trubel quickly told Grant, "I don't want to do this in front of your daughters, and if you are not the one I'm after then I don't want to do this at all."
"Wait. What?" Grant quickly asked in a confused tone.
"A Dämonfeuer is responsible for burning down several buildings in Twin Falls and the deaths related to those fires, and my sole purpose for being here in Twin Falls is to stop the responsible Dämonfeuer," Trubel replied. "I'm not after anyone who is peaceful or law-abiding. So for your daughters' sake, I hope you have a rock solid alibi that proves that you're not the responsible one."
Grant shifted back into his human form before saying, "That's news to me that those fires were caused by a Dämonfeuer. And I'm definitely not the one starting them. And I can't tell you where I was or what I was doing during the times of those fires either. I could've been here or I could've been out shopping or I could've been running errands of some sort."
"Mmm," Trubel let out while pursing her lips. As she collapsed her sword, she asked, "Your daughters told me that you and their Uncle Peter take care of them. Is their Uncle Peter a Dämonfeuer as well?"
"Peter is my younger brother and yes he's a Dämonfeuer," Grant replied. "However, I'm certain that Peter has nothing to do with those fires as well. And how do you know that a Dämonfeuer is responsible for those fires when it's plain to see that you haven't even laid eyes on the responsible person?"
"I got my information from another Grimm who lives in Portland, Oregon; although, I don't know where he got his information from," Trubel replied. "And regardless of where he got his information from, I trust him. If he's certain that a Dämonfeuer is responsible for all those fires here in Twin Falls, then that is good enough for me."
"Yes, well, the guilty Dämonfeuer isn't me, and I'm positive that it's not Peter either," Grant replied.
"Do you know of any other Dämonfeuer within Twin Falls?" Trubel replied.
Grant gestured towards her while questioning, "Trubel, right?" Trubel nodded. "Trubel, I would like to take our discussion away from my daughters."
"I'm good with that," Trubel replied.
Grant gestured towards the exit that Trubel was standing in front of while saying, "We'll go out this way."
Trubel nodded before leading the way into the salvage yard.
As Trubel and Grant walked away from the trench—in the direction of the entrance—Grant told her, "Your actions, Trubel, go against everything I've been told about a Grimm."
"I'm not your typical Grimm, and neither is Nick Burthardt," Trubel replied.
"Is Nick Burthardt the Grimm from Portland, Oregon?" Grant asked.
"He is," Trubel replied.
"Hmm? Is he a detective?" Grant questioned.
"He is," Trubel replied. "Have you heard of him?"
"Kind of," Grant replied. "Ariel—my late wife's cousin—came here from Portland, Oregon, about ten years ago, and she mentioned that she had a run in with a Grimm who also happened to have been a detective."
"Yes, I'm fairly certain that your wife's cousin was refereeing to Nick," Trubel replied. "And Nick is still a detective in Portland."
"How exactly does that work?" Grant questioned. "I mean, wouldn't being a Grimm and upholding the law be a conflict of interest?"
"Nick doesn't go after law abiding Wesen," Trubel replied. "As long as a Wesen is peaceful and is obeying the law, Nick leaves them alone, and I adopted that policy as well. Now as for as Wesen who commit crimes, Nick will arrest them and have the courts decide their fate; however, if arresting an unruly Wesen would do more harm than good or would expose the Wesen community then and only then will Nick approach the situation as a Grimm and not as a cop."
"That's good to know if I ever find myself in Portland," Grant replied. "Anyway, what is your policy on unruly Wesen?"
"Since I'm not a cop I don't have the luxury of arresting them and having the courts decide their fate or otherwise I would do that," Trubel replied. "So my approach to unruly Wesen will always be as a Grimm."
"Fair enough," Grant replied.
"Anyway, getting back to why I'm here," Trubel began. "Besides you and your brother, do you know of any other Dämonfeuer within Twin Falls?"
"I know of two other Dämonfeuers in Twin Falls," Grant replied. "Their names are Seth Sommers and Nathan Sommers. They're brothers and Seth dated Tanya—my late wife—back when we were all in high school."
"Do you know where I can find Seth and Nathan?" Trubel asked.
"They will be wherever Dwight Lyndall will be," Grant replied. "The two are Dwight's top two bodyguards/goons."
"And who is Dwight Lyndall?" Trubel asked.
"He owns a large number of bars and exotic dance clubs in and around Twin Falls, and it's rumored that he deals in designer drugs, but the cops can't find any actual evidence to make any drug charges against him stick."
"Let me guess," Trubel began. "Dwight's designer drugs are only for the Wesen community."
Grant shrugged before saying, "I wouldn't know, but I am interested in knowing why you think that."
"For the Kehrseite community, certain herbs or the mixture of certain herbs are harmless and are used to spice up people's meals, but among the Wesen community those same herbs or mixture of herbs are used as powerful drugs for certain types of Wesen," Trubel informed.
"I wasn't aware of that," Grant earnestly replied. "Although, that would explain a few odd events that I've witnessed over the years."
"Okay, well, if Seth and Nathan will be near Dwight, then where can I find Dwight?" Trubel asked.
"I don't really know, but each time he had been arrested, he had been arrested at My Corner of Hell, and before you ask, My Corner of Hell is Dwight's largest nightclub," Grant replied. "Kehrseites are welcome inside, but they are restricted to the first floor. Wesen are not restricted to the first floor, and Dwight has security posted at the stairs to make sure that Kehrseites don't reach the restricted floors. Anyway, it's definitely one of the places where young adults go and party on a Friday and a Saturday evening, and I've been in there twice myself."
"I didn't wake up this morning expecting to ask this, but here it is," Trubel began. "Where can I find My Corner of Hell?"
Grant slightly grinned before giving Trubel the directions to the nightclub.
"Okay, one last question," Trubel told Grant. "What kind of Wesen is Dwight?"
"I have never seen him woge, but rumor has it that he's a Ziegevolk," Grant replied. "Whatever he is, he has a way of talking people into doing his bidding."
"Ah, yes, he must have toads," Trubel replied.
"Toads?" Grant questioned.
"You're not very knowledgeable about other Wesen, are you?" Trubel rhetorically questioned.
"Okay, fine, I'll admit that I don't get out and socialize as often as I should, but when I do, I actually prefer the company of Kehrseites," Grant replied.
"Why's that?" Trubel asked.
"I'm not big on surprises, and too many unpredictable things could happen when a group of Wesen get together that—most of the time—I prefer not to be a part of; however, when I socialize with Kehrseites, I can pretty much predict how my night out will end with only the occasional surprises. Anyway, what about Dwight having toads?"
"When a Ziegevolk eats toads, the Ziegevolk will produce a certain type of pheromone through his or her sweat gland for a few hours that will enthrall anyone within ten feet of him," Trubel informed. "So if Dwight is a Ziegevolk, I can almost guarantee you that he's enthralling people when he makes direct contact with them."
"And that's why he is able to get people to do his bidding," Grant concluded.
"Yep, that's why," Trubel replied. "Anyway, thanks for your help, and now I would like to help you and your daughters."
"How so?" Grant questioned as he and Trubel were approaching the shack.
"Look, I understand why you are hiding your daughters in that… in that underground dwelling, but honestly I don't think you're doing your daughters or yourself any favors by living that way. Now I have traveled to many places throughout the world, and during my travels I have met a priest named Father Kurri. His father… his actual father is a Wildermann and his mother is a Murciélago, and when woged Father Kurri looks like a giant prehistoric bat that time had forgotten about. Anyway, Father Kurri runs a sanctuary in Everett, Washington, for Wesen that are considered outcasts for whatever reason. All you have to do is show up at Lifeboat church in Everett with your daughters and ask to speak with Father Kurri."
"I'll consider it," Grant replied.
"Okay," Trubel replied in an accepting tone. "Anyway, my business here is done. So, take care."
Grant gestured towards the gate while saying, "I'll need to unlock the gate before you can leave."
Trubel nodded before she and Grant stepped up to the gate.
Grant opened the gate and exchanged parting pleasantries with Trubel before the two went their respective ways.
Once Trubel got to her motorcycle, she pulled out her smartphone and dialed it.
"Spice & Tea," Rosalee replied after the third ring. "How can I help you?"
"Rosalee, hi, it me; Trubel," she replied.
"Trubel, hi," Rosalee delightfully replied. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Ttrubel replied. "How are you and the family?"
"We are well," Rosalee replied. "So where are you?"
"I'm in Twin Falls. I'm not sure if you know, but Nick had asked me to come here and stop a Dämonfeuer."
"I know about it," Rosalee replied. "So how's that going?"
"I'm making progress," Trubel replied. "However, the clues to the guilty Dämonfeuer are also leading me to a Ziegevolk. This Ziegevolk owns a large number of bars and exotic dance clubs in and around Twin Falls, and there's a possibility that the guilty Dämonfeuer works for the Ziegevolk. And I'm certain that the Ziegevolk is a toad eater, which is why I'm calling. I want to neutralize the Ziegevolk in the same way that you, Nick and Monroe did it eight… nine years ago with that lawyer."
"The way we did it wasn't easy," Rosalee replied. "The concoction has to be directly consumed by the Ziegevolk, and we got him to do that by injecting his toad with it without his knowledge prior to him eating the toad."
"I have an idea for that," Trubel replied. "So all I need is the recipe for the concoction."
"First off, do you have access to the Ziegevolk's sweat?" Rosalee questioned.
"What do you mean?" Trubel questioned.
"I actually have two recipes," Rosalee replied. "One of the recipes will permanently neutralize a Ziegevolk, but the crucial ingredient for that recipe is the target Ziegevolk's sweat. However, the second recipe doesn't require anyway sweat, and it will only neutralize a Ziegevolk for anywhere between four to eight months."
"You better give me the second recipe, because I don't think I can get close enough to him to collect his sweat," Trubel replied.
"Okay, I'll text it to you," Rosalee replied.
"Thanks, Rosalee," Trubel replied.
"No problem," Rosalee replied. "Take care of yourself."
"And you do the same," Trubel replied. "Bye."
"Bye," Rosalee echoed before the two hung up.
Trubel climbed onto her motorcycle, brought it to life and rode away.
In Portland, Oregon, Hank received a call from the Hillsboro Police captain. A Hillsboro officer had located Sheryl Westbrook's Taurus. It was parked in Dr. Terrence Windsor's driveway and after the officer had waited for backup, Rachel Galloway was apprehended.
In the common room, Nick's desk and Erica's desk were next to one another.
Once Hank had finished his conversation with the Hillsboro Police captain, he left his office and stepped up between Nick and Erica.
"What's up, Captain?" Nick question.
"I just got off the phone with the Hillsboro Police captain," Hank began. "One of his officers had apprehended Rachel Galloway at Dr. Terrence Windsor's home."
"Who's Dr. Terrence Windsor?" Erica quickly questioned.
"He's another genius who works for Eureka Labs; however, what I hear, he mostly works from home and commutes to work only when the need arises," Hank replied.
"Did Rachel kill Dr. Windsor?" Erica questioned.
"She didn't. The Hillsboro Police officer had found her before she could do anything," Hank replied. "Anyway, Hillsboro Police won't deliver, so you two will have to go get your suspect."
"No problem," Nick replied as he and Erica stood up.
"Actually you are faced with conundrum," Hank replied.
"How so?" Nick questioned.
"Unless you can come up with a plausible explanation as to how Rachel Galloway had given Professor Jeremy Knight and Dr. Beverly Cooper severe brain damage that doesn't involve leaving physical marks on the two victims or making them sick with a brain damaging sickness, a prosecutor won't even touch this case," Hank informed. "So you might need to approach Rachel in a different way."
"Yes, that thought has crossed my mind as well, and I'll will cross that bridge when I come to it," Nick replied.
Hank nodded before saying, "Good luck, you two, and I'll see you when you get back."
Nick and Erica nodded before walking away.
At Treeview Hospital, Kristy had looked into the policy on moonlighting and on volunteering her services, and although both weren't prohibited they were very much frown upon.
An hour after Nick and Erica had left their police station, Nick was signing the paperwork to take custody of Rachel.
A short time after Nick had signed the papers, Rachel was brought into the room while handcuffed.
"Ms. Galloway…" the escorting officer was only able to get out.
"It's Dr. Galloway," she quickly corrected.
"Of course," the escorting officer replied respectfully. "Anyway, meet your escorts to Portland. They're Detective Burthardt and Detective Espinosa."
"Dandy," Rachel sarcastically replied. "Perhaps one of you could tell me why an arrest warrant was issued for me in Portland."
"I'll be happy to, once we are in the car and on the road towards Portland," Nick replied.
"And once you sign this final document—saying that you have officially assumed custody of the prisoner—you can leave with her," the escorting officer told Nick.
"Right," Nick said before signing.
When Nick, Erica and Rachel left the police station, Nick was on Rachel's left and holding onto her left arm. Erica was on Rachel's right; however, she wasn't holding onto Rachel.
Once the three were in Nick's car, Rachel called out, "Okay, we're in the car. Now can either of you tell me why I was arrested."
"Certainly," Nick began as he slightly turned and faced her. "Professor Jeremy Knight and Dr. Beverly Cooper were each murdered by the same perpetrator and you are our prime suspect."
"Oh my God, Jeremy's dead," Rachel said in a staged shock. "I adore him. Ask anyone who knows us. So how can you think that I had anything to do with his death?"
"The person responsible for his death and the death of Dr. Beverly Cooper is a mentally impaired Triclops, and because of your mugging in Chicago a few weeks ago, you were left mentally impaired," Nick replied. "Also, I'm a Grimm."
Rachel involuntarily gasped from Nick's confession of being a Grimm, and when she did, she woged and showed her center eye. As she shifted back into her human form, she uttered, "Oh God. You're not here to arrest me. You're here to kill me."
"Given the two choices, Dr. Galloway, my preference is to arrest you," Nick replied. "However, unless I can show in court as to how you gave two people severe enough brain damage to cause their deaths without leaving behind physical injuries to both victims, your case will be dismissed in no time. So unless you would like to make a full confession that would satisfy a Kehrseite court judge and write down that confession on paper, I can't think of another choice, but to approach you as a Grimm."
"I'll do it," Rachel quickly replied. "I'll make a confession that will satisfy a Kehrseite court judge."
"I'm sorry, but in what non-Wesen world scenario could you have given two people severe enough brain damage to cause their deaths without leaving behind physical injuries to the victims?" Nick questioned.
"I… I hold several doctorate degrees; one of them is in chemistry," Rachel began. "I'll confess that I was conducting illegal human trials on Jeremy and… and that woman."
"There was no drugs or toxin found in either victim," Nick pointed out.
Rachel thought for a moment before saying, "Coroners only test for known drugs and toxin, detective, so… so I can confess to have used an unknown drug… an… an experimental drug."
"Any experimental drug you would name might fool most people, but it wouldn't fool another chemist and the judge will have another chemist examined whatever drug you name," Nick replied.
"I'll create one," Rachel quickly replied. "Please give me the time to create one. Please. I don't want to die."
"And I'm sure that Professor Knight and Dr. Cooper felt the same way about dying as you do now," Nick pointed out.
"I didn't want to kill them, detective," Rachel replied as if insulted by the implication. "In fact, I truly adored Jeremy and I will always be troubled by what I did to him; however, all Triclops lack impulse control when we sense a more intelligent and knowledgeable person within fifty feet of us. It's like being in a desert without water for days and then finding a small oasis. We have to have that knowledge. Since you have knowledge of Triclops, you must know that normally we can copy that knowledge without harming anyone. It's only the severely mentally impaired Triclops who will completely go into a drinking-in-the-knowledge frenzy and leave two or three people dead or severely mentally incapacitated before she… or he could regain control over that frenzy."
"Are you telling us that soon you will be able to control that frenzy and copy a genius's knowledge without harming that genius?" Erica questioned.
"Yes, detective," Rachel replied. "I had just begun copying Terrence's knowledge to myself when the cops showed up and arrested me. And in those few minutes before being arrested, I felt very close to my former self since the mugging. So I am certain that I would have left Terrence's house fully restored and without harming him. Anyway, getting back to the option of writing out a confession that will satisfy a Kehrseite court judge, please give me the chance to do so."
"Alright," Nick replied. "I'll give you a few hours to come up with a mock experimental drug that could explain how you accidently gave two people severe brain damage." Nick faced forward and started the car. "I'll take you to the spice shop. Rosalee might be able to help with that as well."
"Okay," Rachel said in a skeptical tone.
To be continued.