Goth Club
Henry Fitzroy wore black. He wouldn't blend but he wouldn't stand out either. Moving through the crowd was a struggle against distraction, everything felt more intense than usual. A whirlwind of sensory input heightening his need to feed.
But it wasn't his immediate concern. Coreen sat in a corner with her back to the wall. Shadows marred her eyes from lack of sleep. Combined with being tense and hyper aware. Not surprising for a woman that barely survived demon possession. Even if Astaroth hadn't abused her body and reputation, it would have traumatized her.
He pulled out a chair and sat across from her. It somehow made her more jittery. Although not sure how, he suspected she sensed him. Her experience might have had unexpected consequences or side-effects. No one escaped evil unchanged.
"Evening."
"Something's wrong." Coreen sounded more afraid than she had on the phone. "I see auras."
Why does it scare you? Henry wondered. "What do they tell you?"
"It varies. She lied to her boyfriend about going out tonight." She motioned at people in the room while she talked. "She's cheating." Her eyes darkened as she focused on a man. "He's a rapist."
"Do you know them?"
She shook her head.
Henry needed to check if her information was accurate. If it wasn't, she needed immediate psychological care. If it was, there was a predator he needed to deal with. "Wait here." He stood and walked toward the potential rapist.
Nothing stood out that suggesting violence. The woman dancing with him looked unconcerned. But human predators often blended with their intended prey. Using his ability to compel, he drew the man across the room to give them some privacy. Compelled to answer several questions about dating, the man revealed his intentions for the night. He had drugs in his pocket.
Not wanting to let the rapist, or Coreen out of sight, Henry brought the man to her table. Then found his phone. As a matter of necessity, he had Mike's number.
"What?" He sounded annoyed.
"I have a complicated situation." A euphemism for a supernatural problem.
"I have work to do."
Henry wondered if the attitude resulted from Vicki ignoring Mike's calls. "I found a rapist." Henry gave the club name. "You deal with him or I will."
Waiting with Coreen, he wondered how to deal with the bigger problem. How did she know? The possession was likely a result of Vicki using dark magic to save him. Her interest and research aptitude might indicate a latent ability. Possibly some type of survival response to exposure to evil.
Coreen removed a pen and paper from her purse. "You should ask him for details. Detective Celluci needs proof."

Vicki's New Apartment
Vicki Nelson sat at a small table drinking coffee and reviewing news articles on her laptop at 1 AM. The conversation her and Henry needed to have kept distracting her. She needed a solid way to approach ground rules without sounding as controlling as it was. The conflict between him and Mike was guaranteed to escalate. Not to mention how he would react.
Her cell phone rang. She checked the screen as she picked it up. "Hey." The conversation with Mike would be worse.
"Where are you?" It sounded like an accusation.
Was there an answer that wouldn't piss him off, Vicki wondered. "At Henry's." She didn't look forward to explaining the new apartment.
"We need to talk."
Vicki wondered if his attitude was because she ignored his calls or Henry said something. While sharing the details wasn't his style, territorial and possessiveness were. Resigned to the first argument, she explained where she was.
Only after the terse call did she wonder what the urgency was. It had to be bad if Mike was working over night. The media's description of the Charlie Arnaud case suggested the similarities between her and Sophie Lewis investigations were coincidental. But Vicki didn't have enough information to know for sure.
Minutes later, the door opened. Henry kept a key. Not surprising, but it added to the conversation they needed to have.
When a second set of footsteps entered with him, she thought of Coreen. That was another difficult conversation. Starting with what changed. Henry went to meet her because she hadn't wanted to come to his apartment. Too much had happened. Most of it, Vicki knew, was her fault.
"Did you take your medication?" He walked over to her.
"Half." She couldn't risk it affecting her ability to think or make her sleepy.
Henry set his hands on the back of her chair as Coreen approached. She claimed a chair across the table and sat. Everything from the look in her eyes to her body language was different than the day she came into the office convinced her boyfriend was killed by a vampire. They had both been different.
"What happened?"
Coreen spoke quietly without making eye contact. "I can read auras."
"Specifically sins." Henry explained what happened at the club. From his tone, he didn't have an explanation.
Vicki's first thought was to ask about her corrupted life force. They weren't ready for that conversation. "When did it start?"
"After…" Demon possession was a type of violation. Coreen's guilt mingled with shame and complicated by being unable to find a legitimate therapist familiar with her problem or a support group she could share the details with. A constant reminder made it worse.
Vicki wished she knew what to say. "How can I help?"
"I need to use it."
From her own experiences with the demon symbols on her wrists, Vicki understood. But circumstances were different. "How?"
"Keep working. I…" Coreen hesitated. "I have to do something."
Vicki wasn't sure that was a good idea. Not so soon. "The only case right now is my own."
Coreen nodded too quickly.
"I offered another apartment," Henry said. "She can work from here."
That added to the conversation they needed to have. Vicki had no idea what his finances looked like. While she assumed he could afford the added expenses, she needed to ask. But had no idea how. He gave new meaning to old fashioned.

Mike Celluci approached the door and hesitated. He needed information. Antagonizing Vicki wouldn't help. If he had any illusions about their relationship, they ended when he told Vicki he couldn't pick her up from the hospital. Mike suspected it emboldened Henry. The apartment supported the theory.
Resigned, Mike knocked. Henry opened it a couple minutes later. They stared at each other briefly. Then he stepped back and motioned Mike in.
He reminded himself he made a choice as he entered the apartment. The only reason the department granted an exception was the case directly involved Vicki. But it was going to escalate. The media already found out about the false accusations against her. It was a matter of time before the restriction leaked. Then reporters would start asking why a retired police detective with a solid record was being disrespected by the department.
The mood at the table as Mike approached reminded him of the rapist situation. Henry's explanation had holes. Coreen was involved somehow but she wouldn't answer basic questions or look him in the eyes. After what she went through, Mike couldn't push.
"Could you give us a minute?"
She nodded in a jerky motion and stood abruptly. More indications of a struggling survivor. With no idea what to say, he waited for her to walk away and then claimed the seat she vacated.
"What happened?"
Mike didn't know where to start. "Do you remember an Olivia Brown at the hospital? A nurse."
"Yeah."
He quickly explained the phone call conversation. "She traded duties and shifts both nights to be on your floor." Pause. "Did she say or do anything?"
"No." Vicki looked like she remembered something. "She asked about being a private investigator and the kind of cases." Pause. "Normal stuff."
"Did she ask for specifics?"
She closed her eyes. "No." Minutes passed. "Olivia said she was researching her family. I thought it was genealogy sites." Vicki looked at Mike. "What aren't you telling me?"
"The cult and cemetery thefts connect to various crimes." He hesitated. It sounded crazy. But after everything, he had a bad feeling. "They might be demon worshipers." With Astaroth possessing a priest, it was a matter of time before the problems started.