We're Coming and We're Going

Chapter 3, A Man Named Sparrow

Tala Nashoba hardly looked phased as the news was broken to her. There was an odd look of satisfaction to her face as she looked on as our forensics worked their magic on Mr. Sparrow's body. Her expression almost mirrored that of Koyaan's from earlier but not quite. Either way, she had scared Deb off with her callousness and she was truly starting to make me uncomfortable.

Her daughter stood at her side, a hand on her arm and a look of mild concern etched across her exotic face. She glanced towards me, offering a slight smile before gesturing for me to follow her. I hesitated before informing Masuka. As usual, I received a sexual remark. Masuka's eyes wandered towards Mehnit and raised his eyebrows. Not unusual for someone like him; he needs to get out a lot more. Perhaps that would be a problem considering the comments he makes that all revolve around porn. I felt bad for Mehnit, the new target of porn related jokes. She was pretty and a great person to be around, but something about her didn't settle right. She was similar to Koyaan and her mother in a way that I could not place it. Could she, like Koyaan, be like me?

"Dexter, I need to talk with you," she began and I felt a cold sweat start to run down my spine. A talk? Please say she is not going to start hitting on me. I began forming excuses to escape.

"Yeah, sure thing," I replied and readied myself.

"It's about Sparrow," I relaxed greatly. "He was a…cruel person. Not many know much about what happened between my mother and him. It happened before my brothers and I were born so what I've heard came from the grape vine."

I looked to Mehnit for a long while, thinking on her words. "What do you mean by that? Surely there are others who knew of them?" They are a strange family all right.

"No, there are not," she trailed off and bit her lip slightly. "What would you do if you had to tell someone something important but they probably wouldn't believe you?"

I was rather shocked about her sudden question and I was tempted not to answer her. The pleading look on her face made me think otherwise. She was a nice girl and was loyal to the ones she cared for; just like wolves do. "I would probably try. Never know what someone might believe."

Nashoba looked relieved at my answer and she sighed. "We come from a very powerful bloodline. My mother's brother is a Shaman of--one of the Native American nations." I didn't exactly see where she was going with this, but her hesitation made me curious. I listened to her explain about her mother's struggle with her brother when growing up; it was all rather boring. About halfway through her story things got a bit more interested. Sexually assaulted when she was in her teens and then linked up with the man named Sparrow.

Mehnit's story grew more bizarre as she described what she knew about their relationship. According to her there was little she knew, but the young woman had a lot of information to give. The time era she spoke of did not fit within the last two to three decades. I put that aside for the time being as she continued speaking of a tall ship and both wanting it. In the end there was a set up and Sparrow "mur-hurt" her badly. Murdering someone and hurting someone are two very different things.

"Dexter? Are you listening to me?" she asked after I guess I started staring off into space, lost in Dexter's Abyss of Dark and Dreary Thoughts.

"Mm? Yeah sorry about that. I'm listening." Quite intently now too. She knew far more than she was willing to tell me, but that would have to wait. The rest of her violent family had began the process of picking fights with Doakes, again. I glanced over my shoulder towards them before looking back to Mehnit. She was gone. It took me a few moments to find her amongst the hoards of cops that tried to break up the quarrel.

From where I stood, I could hear threats being volleyed back and forth like a demented ping-pong ball. I wasn't surprised to see the Nashoba family ganging up on the not-so-defensless James Doakes. I had to smirk at his struggles. I wonder who stepped on his toes this time?

As I watched them pass death threats back and forth, my thoughts drifted back to the enigmatic Mr. Sparrow and Ms. Tala Nashoba. I had heard the name 'Sparrow' before...it was probably one of the movies I took Rita and the kids to. All fiction comes from somewhere, right? Looks like I had my homework cut out for me tonight, and I doubt I will find a swashbuckling pirate for a solution.