A/N: Sorry for such a long delay. I didn't mean to keep this story hanging. I hope you can forgive me.
Disclaimer: see chapter one
Toronto, Ontario 2015
"Detective Solves Two-Year-Old Cold Case. Tom Braxton Sentenced To Life In Prison For First Degree Murder" screamed the front page headline. The case had been the bane of the Toronto PD's existence. It had been a murder case that had gone unsolved for two years, even with the advanced forensics that were available. No body, no crime and a murderer walked free. That is, until, Detective Alucard Raven got his hands on the case file. Though he was still new to Homicide, he was making a name for himself both inside and outside the precinct.
He was the modern day Sherlock Holmes or so the papers liked to call him. However, no one knew how Alucard was able to solve year old cold cases. The joke floating around the squad room was that he was psychic. Though, it wasn't so much psychic ability as it was telepathy. Alucard harboured a secret that only a select few knew about. Twelve others; all with the same secret as himself. He was a creature of mythology; existing only in books and ancient scrolls. There was only one human who knew his true nature; his Homicide partner, Scott Archer.
Alucard knew using his telepathy was cheating, but sometimes it was the only way to get a confession. He called it "Using the Tell Tale Heart". He focused on the memory of the murder and would enhance it. Ninety percent of the time it worked, sending killers into sniveling balls begging and pleading for forgiveness; the other ten percent just made the killer relive the adrenaline high. It showed Alucard that there were a lot of sick, twisted people in the world.
"How do ya do it, Raven?" someone asked.
"Do what?" Alucard asked back, his face buried in the morning paper.
The person on the other side hit the back of his hand against the front page causing Alucard to growl in annoyance under his breath.
"Solving two year old cold cases? You're making the rest of us look bad," the officer said.
"Just doin' my job, Hodgens," Alucard stated.
"So, what's your secret?" Hodgens asked.
Alucard flipped the paper down, his amber eyes glaring. He opened his mouth to say something, however before he got the chance, his cell phone started to ring. Alucard folded the paper up and placed it on his desk, which Hodgens took the liberty to confiscate and started reading. Alucard picked up his cell phone, hit "talk" and put the phone to his ear.
"Raven," he answered. "Hey, Chess. What's up?"
"I've got someone down here at the shelter that I think might interest you," Alias said.
"What makes you say that?" Alucard asked.
"He keeps saying he killed someone," Alias replied.
"On my way," Alucard said.
He hung up, grabbed his jacket and left the precinct. He jumped into his black, plain wrap sedan and headed off for the homeless shelter where Alias volunteered. When he arrived, Alucard parked out front, locked the doors and headed inside. He found Alias in the back with a man that looked like he had one too many drinks. He was tipsy, twitchy and was muttering incoherently. Alias looked up when Alucard walked up.
"What took ya?" he asked.
"Sorry some of us have to take the traditional mode of transportation," Alucard said.
Alias shrugged. "Anyway, you're here, so this guy's all yours."
Alucard took a hold of the man's arm and guided him out to the waiting car. The look that came over the man's face when they stepped outside gave Alucard the impression that the guy had never seen a car before. The detective sized the man up. He wore a three piece suit that looked like it had seen the better days of the late 1800's. Alucard unlocked the car, opened the back door and helped the man get in. When the man was situated, Alucard went around to the driver's side door and climbed in behind the wheel.
"W-what is this th-thing?" the man stammered.
"It's called a car," Alucard replied as he drove through heavy traffic on the way back to the precinct. "Ever see a car?"
The man shook his head. "W-we h-have car-carriages," he replied.
Alucard frowned, his suspicions deepening. "Where are you from?" he asked.
"Tor-Toronto," the man answered.
"What year?" Alucard wanted to know.
"1895," the man told him.
Technus, Alucard thought. "Well, we'll get this all figured out, Mr...?"
"Co-Collins. Noah Collins," the man replied.
"Mr. Collins," Alucard said.
He was going to need to have a chat with the tech support about this. However, right now his main focus was on this guy's admittance that he murdered someone. Alucard pulled up to the precinct and turned off the car. He got out, went around to the back and pulled Collins out. More than one person stared as Alucard guided the man to the interrogation room. He had Collins sit down at one end of the table while he took the other seat. Alucard picked up on Scott's thought pattern from the other side of the one way mirror.
"So, Mr. Collins," Alucard started. "Tell me about this murder you claim to have committed. Where did it take place?"
Collins swallowed nervously, looking around like a deer in headlights; eyes as wide as saucers. Alucard tilted his head to one side.
"Mr. Collins?" he asked. "Where did the murder take place?"
"Warehouse. By the docks," Collins replied.
Alucard hummed. No calls had come in about a murder by the docks. He poked around Collins' mind. The man's thoughts were wild, unfocused. However, Alucard did manage to gather that the man was indeed from 1895.
The portal must be acting up again, Alucard thought. "Who was the victim?" he asked.
"Dunno," Collins answered. "Some girl."
"Why did you kill her?" Alucard prodded.
Collins looked down at his hands which were shaking like a leaf in the wind. "He needs to pay," he whispered.
Alucard frowned in confusion. "Who needs to pay?"
Collins met his gaze, his eyes murderous. "Murdoch," he spat out venomously.
"Murdoch?" Alucard repeated.
"Detective William Murdoch," Collins clarified.
Alucard nodded. Portal's acting up big time, he mused. "Why does he need to pay? What did he do?"
"He murdered my father," Collins snarled. "Three will die and then him."
"And this girl was the first?" Alucard guessed.
Collins nodded. "Murdoch won't escape. Not this time. He won't get away."
"Wait one moment," Alucard said.
He got up from the table and left the room. Scott met him outside. Alucard gave him an exasperated look.
"Is he telling the truth?" Scott asked. "Or is he just delusional?"
"His thoughts confirm his story," Alucard replied. "He's telling the truth. Though, I have no clue who this William Murdoch is."
"Maybe Tech can shed some light on the matter," Scott suggested.
Alucard nodded in agreement. "He'd better," he said. "In the meantime, see if you can get an escort to take Collins to the hospital."
"Why?" Scott asked. "I thought you said he was telling the truth."
"What he perceives to be true," Alucard corrected himself. "He may be having a mental break and just making the entire thing up."
He began walking away. "So, how do you explain his attire?" Scott called after him.
"Obsession with the 1800's," Alucard called over his shoulder.
He headed out of the precinct and made the short trip around the corner to the apartment building where Technus lived. He rode the elevator to the penthouse. When the doors opened, Alucard walked up to the apartment door, placed his hand on the scanner to unlock the door and waited for the lock to disengage. Alucard opened the door and walked into the spacious apartment.
"Tech?" Alucard called out.
"Be right there," came the answer.
A minute later a young man with light brown hair, brown eyes and a goatee appeared from around the corner leading to the bedrooms. He wore a pair of jeans that looked like they had seen better days and he held a white t-shirt in his hand.
"What can I do for ya, Al?" Technus asked, heading for the kitchen.
Alucard watched his friend, looking at the glowing motherboard tattoo that took up his entire back. "I have a question," Alucard said. "About the portal."
Technus pulled on the shirt as he got himself a cup of coffee. "What about the portal?" he asked.
"Have you picked up any fluctuations recently?" Alucard wanted to know.
Technus thought for a moment. "There was a slight hiccup earlier today. But, it smoothed itself out without too much trouble," he explained. "Why do you ask?"
"We have a temporal problem," Alucard replied.
Technus appeared again. "What temporal problem?"
"I have a guy on his way to the psych ward from 1895," Alucard told him.
Technus frowned. "I didn't think the portal was acting up," he said.
"Well...it did. And, now I have a suspect to a murder case that took place one hundred and twenty years ago," Alucard stated.
Technus hummed in thought. "Maybe it's more dimensional than temporal," he mused as he walked over to the control table for the portal. "What's the guy's name?"
"Noah Collins," Alucard answered.
Technus typed something in on the holographic keyboard. "And the victim's name?"
"He didn't say. But, one name he kept repeating was Murdoch," Alucard explained.
Technus typed in the name. The computer beeped. "He's from a dimension parallel to ours; since there's no William Murdoch in our history," he replied. "He's still from Earth, with a similar history to ours, but..."
"Let me guess...we don't exist," Alucard finished. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "So, what would happen if this Murdoch guy met his fate too soon?"
"The consequences could range anywhere from nothing to a total dimensional collapse," Technus answered.
Alucard shook his head. "You're making my brain hurt," he said. "This is why I never dimension jump."
"Well, from what the computer says, this other world depends on William Murdoch," Technus explained. "So, if something were to happen to him...it could be deadly for the people of that world."
Alucard nodded as he made his way towards the door. "Thanks, Tech."
"No problem, Al," Technus said.
In a few short seconds, the detective was back on the ground floor of the apartment building. Alucard jogged across the street away from Technus' building on his way back to the precinct. He was almost to the station when someone ran into him. It wasn't hard to miss the old fashioned clothing. That only meant one thing.
"Hey!" Alucard yelled.
He bolted after the late century man, taking off down the street. Meanwhile, Technus looked up from his work on the portal when he heard a beeping sound. He turned to see the workbench computer fully alive. Letters ran rapidly across the holographic screen until the words: Detective William Murdoch flashed on the screen.
"Oh no," Technus said in horror. "No, no, no!"
"Stop! Police!" Alucard shouted.
However, the man never stopped running. Technus hurried over to the computer.
"Who is it? Who's the chosen one?" he asked.
Letters again ran rapidly across the screen. Technus' heart sank when Alucard's name flashed on the screen. The man from the past rounded a corner. Alucard didn't waste a minute and followed. However, when he rounded the corner, Alucard found himself in a completely different setting. The city had changed. Instead of cars, horse drawn carriages dominated the streets. Men wore three piece suits and top hats, women wore long dresses and fancy hats.
Alucard took a step back; his foot hitting on something. He looked down to see the man he had been chasing lying lifeless on the ground. Alucard backed away from the body, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the sounds of a gun being cocked.
"Police! Stop!" someone shouted.
The future meets the past...finally.
Reviews are welcome, flames are not