Small Victories
You had vacated the scene, taking multiple pictures and gathering as much data as possible to analyze that night. Shutting your motel room door behind you, you grabbed a beer and set to accomplish the first task of the night, which was to finally review that security footage. You were almost grateful that you hadn't yet, as this new set of information with the rock substance gave you a focus to view the video with. You plugged the drive into your laptop, hit play, and fast-forwarded until Howard entered the store. You also spotted Jonathon, from the police station. Howard accidentally bumped into him and Jonathon raised his arms in apology. A submissive personality. You made a mental note to interview him the next day. Nothing unusual screamed out at you, as Howard made small conversation with Scott and finished his purchase. A blonde woman entered the store and began to look around. Howard exited the store and she looked after him…perhaps just a millisecond too long. You zoomed in and screen shotted her face to run through the databases. Hmm…nothing. That only meant she hadn't been caught before. You redirected your attention back to the video and played the rest. Within two minutes of Howard exiting, she followed, not having bought a single item. Suspicious, but not concrete. The real question was whether she was part of the criminal duo, or if she was some sort of monster. Her eyes didn't give off the typical shapeshifter glare, so that was ruled out immediately. Before going further down that rabbit hole, you decided it was best to get a bit of shuteye. Tomorrow you would find out who she was and whether it was your kind of job. Though catching a couple of human killers did intrigue you.
You woke up in a fog. You couldn't remember the last time you slept so well. There was no arguing from the Winchesters and no pacing from Bobby, just silence and peace. You really could get used to it, but first things first. Your first interview of the day was going back to Scott's shop. He hadn't made contact with the blonde woman other than to greet her, but maybe he remembered a certain detail that the cameras just didn't pick up. Or perhaps, the universe would reward you and he actually knew who she was! Doubt it. Didn't hurt to ask though, right?
You again drove the beaten road to the store, almost a bit satisfied to see the cheery smile of Mr. Brenerman. "Two days in a row, well aren't I a lucky geyser." You exhaled and smiled in response. "Well, I felt bad leaving you with two cups of coffee, figured I owed you a mug." His smile was genuine and you could tell he was glad to have the company. Poor guy. He returned moments later with two mugs in hand and that smile still pasted on his face. "Don't tell my wife, but I'm just a bit too lazy to get the coasters out at the moment." You smiled. "You're secret is safe with me." He led you to a stained wooden table and you took a seat across from him. "So I have to be honest, I may have ulterior motives for my visit."
"Well, after the twenty minutes I talked to ya yesterday, I figured it wasn't for the coffee."
"Fair enough, although I did catch something on the tapes and was wondering if you had any information on this woman?" You pulled out the blown up screenshot you had taken of her face and slid the paper across the table. Scott pulled out his glasses and examined the picture further. "I do remember this young woman. While I can't give ya a name, I do recall thinking she was some sort of shoplifter. We always get at least one during tourist season. I was about to go confront her when she left my shop empty handed. Puzzled the hell outa me, excuse my language." You nodded along with his story. So she wasn't a local. You figured that was really all the information Scott had, but you stayed for about a half hour after to finish the coffee and have the good conversation that you promised. It may seem out of character, but you always had a soft spot for friendly old men.
You said your goodbyes and moved onto your next interview of the day; Jonathon. You stepped into the station to be greeted by an empty reception area. The Sheriff was probably busy and Jonathon was probably doing some grunt work. Out of habit you surveyed the room and caught a glance at the security cameras. Something was off. The normal dot of green light that indicated the process of recording was missing. Someone had turned off the security cameras. Or they were currently busted, but in your gut, you knew this minute detail was relevant. You stashed it in the back of your mind as Jonathon entered the room. "Agent Johnson! What are you doing back here?" You had clearly caught the man off guard. "Well, after reviewing some security footage, some new information has shifted the focus of this case. Do you think the sheriff would mind if I ask you a few questions?" Jonathon's eyes darted to the office door and he began to rub his hands on his pants. Sweaty palms. The real issue was whether this was from guilt or general anxiety. "Well, see we kind of had a disagreement earlier. I'm willing to answer your questions, but let's just stay out of his hair if you don't mind."
"If you insist." Jonathon nodded sheepishly and you led the way to one of the interrogation rooms. The two of you sat across from each other and he refused to make eye contact. "Jonathon, it's okay. I'm not here to bite. I just need you to describe your last meeting with Mr. Lader. I saw that you bumped into him on the day of his disappearance. Did he seem scared? Or different in any way? The smallest detail can help." You had to disarm him, he wasn't going to talk if he thought he was under a microscope. "Honestly, he didn't seem any different. We didn't talk much. Bumped into each other and then left. This is confidential right?"
"Of course, simply for the investigation. It won't even make it to the paperwork. Now, this woman was there that day as well, do you recognize her?" You took out the picture again and handed it to him. His lips quirked slightly to the right, an indication that he found the woman attractive. It could also be a sign of familiarity. You really hated grey areas. "I'm sorry, I don't recognize her. I wish I could be more help, but…"
"You're doing fine Jonathon. That's all I had. Thanks for your time. Hopefully you can fix things with the Sheriff." Slam! The Sheriff busted open the door."Well, you don't do it by sitting around and not doing your job. My apologies agent, Jon here has been neglecting his responsibilities and now he's making you do the same. This isn't gossip hour son." Jonathon tucked his head and practically ran out of the room back to the reception center. "Really, Sheriff, this was my fault. I wanted to ask him a few questions. I apologize if I kept him from his work."
"That's unfortunate. He'll get over it. I'm sorry if I came off harsh, this case has really taken me for a ride. The whole office is stressed and I guess we're just taking it out on the intern."
"I completely understand. Do you mind if I ask what exactly you meant by 'neglecting his responsibilities'?" The Sheriff tilted his head in confusion. "Boy's been distracted lately. Taking too many and too long of breaks. I can't tell you how many reports have been sent to voicemail this past week."
"Kids these days. Well, thanks again Sheriff. I hope you can work things out." He nodded and led you to the exit door. You had one more stop to make before turning in for the day to reassess the case.
You double-checked the file that now laid residence on the front seat of your Jeep. You confirmed the address and made your way to the last known location of the third victim, as the second and forth had unconfirmed timetables of their disappearances. It was beginning to get dark out which provided a nice cover to pull up behind the C grade restaurant that the address matched. There was a witness report in this file stating that James Reicht was last seen lecturing the busboy for smoking a joint in the alley way. Reicht was apparently the town librarian, a father figure to many of the local youths. At least that's what the character report stated. You stepped out of the Jeep and felt a few shards of glass crack under the heel of your boot. Right, what's a skeevy alley way without a few broken beer bottles? You carefully watched your step as you approached the dumpster where the conversation went down. Inspecting it at face value, nothing looked out of place, except the small pile of pebbles that lay underneath the right corner of the metal disposal, giving off a faint glow. There was no doubt in your mind that they would be the same substance found in Howard's statue and Scott's parking lot. You smiled a bit. The victims were officially connected and you had a lead, a small victory.
Again, Thunderstruck began to play and you answered your phone. The Sheriff, yet again, answered your greeting. "Agent, listen I know you were just down here but I'm gonna have to ask you to come down to our analytics building."
"Let me guess, something new throw you for a loop?"
"Am I getting that predictable?"
"Unfortunately yes, but in this case, every abnormality is evidence getting us closer to solving this thing."
"Great. See you down here soon." You clicked your phone off and again pocketed a sample of the rocks. Onto the analytics building…
Well, you could honestly say you weren't expecting this. Sheriff Jones had left by the time you arrived, but the doctor stayed to explain her findings. They had taken a small sample off of the statue and thoroughly examined it only to find small segments of Howard's DNA embedded in the rock. The woman could not find a single explanation for the discovery. Even you were a bit stumped. Normally you had a list for these situations; werewolves were wild animals, ghouls were grave robbers…etc. While it was clear that this was a supernatural happening, you had no idea which one or what explanation to give, but you had a hunch. "Mind if I perform a test of my own? I may have a theory." The doctor nodded and left you to do your thing. You took the latest sample from the dumpster and placed it under the microscope. Just as you suspected, tiny bits of DNA showcased within the stone. You didn't even need the blood comparison to know that this was James Reicht…These men weren't used as models for stone sculptures…these men were stone sculptures.
