Chapter 8:
"Will my nose fall off and be replaced by a wolf nose, Papa?"
That made him laugh.
Cesaire poked her nose. "I'd rather have you keep your nose." He laughed again.
She laughed, too.
"My new teeth have replaced my human teeth, Papa." Her fingers poked in her mouth, completely relieved. "I found them this morning at dawn!" she beamed.
"Aww…" he smiled at her, petting her head.
He was happy that she was no longer afraid.
"See? No need to fret, now. It's over now. And absolutely no one will notice either. No one will recognize your new teeth except you. This is your new secret, little one."
Valerie could feel it, too. It was obviously evident. It was like awakening in a new skin and she was happy it was over.
When she clamped her new teeth together the strength in her jaws seemed to heighten with every stretch and yawn. Her jaws could outmatch the strength of a hungry crocodile! They were to become her new tool.
She was glad to have them!
"Will the other gifts be painful, too?"
"What do you mean?"
She lifted her hands and lifted her sleeves. "Will I grow new hands and new feet too Papa? Will my bones ache? Will my change become noticeable?" she shrunk beneath her blankets.
He scooted closer, "No. No. No. Your new gifts will come step by step as a flower sheds its cocoon. Then you will become…invincible." He petted her head softly. "Don't worry my little pup, soon you will be a mature wolf just like me and you will learn how to track, stalk, and prey on smaller animals. It'll happen in time, baby. In the meantime you can enjoy your first months as a pup. As my pup."
"Okay, papa!" she kissed his cheek, gathering her cloak and basket. "So I won't have to worry about anything at work today."
Later That Day:
"My name is Sheriff Williams and this is my assistant Mr. Henson and we're here to have a private discussion with Madame Alice and if you have any questions or concerns then I would like you to visit me in my office or send me a letter through mail regaring her whereabouts. But if you would be so kind as to direct me to your employer's office then that would be most gracious."
Valerie cemented her shocked and frightened face with a fake smile and she nodded to him.
"Of course, b-but Madame Alice is not here right now."
He glared.
"Do you know where she went?" He opened a small notebook from his jacket pocket.
Panicking, Valerie bit her lip because she couldn't lie to him as she did to Mr. Bufkin! She had no idea where she went! Suddenly Ivy came up to the counter and wiped her hands.
"Hello, may I help you?"
"U-Um, this is Sheriff Williams and he's here for Madame Alice."
Ivy gaped. "O-Oh, well I'm sure she'll be back. She wasn't here the day before neither. Or the day before."
"Do you have any idea where she went?"
Of course they did! She was with her lover, but they knew they would be punished if Madame Alice ever found out they gave that information to the Sheriff. Unable to slither from their own web of lies, Ivy and Valerie looked at each other.
"She might be with her husband, Mr. Bufkin."
"I can you give you their address."
Valerie scribbled down the numbers and gave it to the Sheriff's gloved hand before giving him a quick smile trying to cement her growing worries. The Sheriff, glaring at both of them, carefully analyzed the address before pouting his lips and pocketing it in his jacket. But he wasn't done yet. He shifted his weight as if it was habit while he weaved his fingers together. Valerie could smell suspicion and ambition on him like fleas on a watchdog.
"Would you have a clue as to why she would not be here? I mean," he looked all around. "This is her bakery after all. And just because the bakery can practically make its own money it still needs constant maintenance. It needs to be governed by the owner of course."
"We are very responsible when she is away." Valerie smiled.
"I'm sure you are." He whispered. "If she ever returns give her a message for me. Thank you ladies for your hospitality and generously sending my message." He turned to walk away.
"What happened?" Valerie blurted out. Ivy looked at her.
She couldn't stop it! Her paranoia grabbed a hold of her brain and she began fear the worst! Did something happen that had involved her father again!? Was someone killed? Did someone go missing!? Valerie shivered as she thought of Father Solomon walking the streets of the city looking for them.
"What is your name?"
"Charlotte." She whispered.
"Ivy."
"I'll be in touch." He smiled.
The doorbell clanked as he walked out.
Later That Day:
"Carlisle! Carlisle! Everyone! Outside! You all leave early!" Mr. Mavis shouted. "There is an important announcement! You all leave early!"
"What's happening?"
"Not sure."
"Why are we leaving early?"
"We never leave early."
Suddenly all the workers stopped their labor and walked outside to the courtyard to see what all the fuss was about. The evening sunset had a gloom to it and Cesaire could smell the nervousness Mr. Mavis had on his person. Something had happened. Something important. Walking out like cattle the men read the piece of parchment nailed to a wall. Cesaire squeezed by, pushing and shoving. He couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't!
"No…" he whispered. "No. No. No. No. No."
Grabbing his pay and shoving past the herd of men and boys, Cesaire hit the street running. He looked at the sunset! Maybe it's still not too late! As he furthered down the street he witnessed his worst fear come to life! More constables were patrolling the streets holding their swords and crossbows, eyeing their citizens like mice. They walked together like chess pieces across the street and Cesaire camouflaged himself into the darkness, sneaking past their sight.
Unable to bury his fear, he ran to his apartment building and ran to their home! Speeding down the hallway he opened his door! His senses and fears all came to a slow beat as he saw his daughter Valerie standing in the middle of the room, waiting for him.
"Valerie."
"Papa."
He choked. "Y-You don't smell like blood."
"What's happening Papa?"
"After work I saw the announcement the Sheriff posted. A human fisherman was killed near the river bank early this morning." He pulled her into a gentle hug. "He claims… t-t-that a wild animal was the c-cause of it."
"Did you do it?"
"Did you do it?"
They asked each other simultaneously.
"What?"
"What?"
"I-I-It wasn't me, Papa."
Cesaire looked into her eyes and he saw truth in them. If she had become hungry then she would have the strength and capacity to kill something much larger than a woodland creature. He had feared she had tested her teeth on human flesh. But thank god he was wrong. Valerie felt the same thing too. She thought that her father had fallen back to his old ways and found a meal last night near the river. She hugged him back while he kissed her head.
"Madame Alice has gone missing."
"Alice? At the bakery? Where did she go?"
"She—She has a lover. That's where she might have gone. But she hasn't returned in 3 days and earlier this morning Sheriff Williams came—"
"The Sheriff!?" he growled.
"Yes, he came and told us to give her a message if she returned."
He snarled through his teeth. "But he did not… suspect?"
"No."
"He didn't ask you anything?"
"Only for my name."
"When you came home, did you have any reason to suspect that he followed you? Back here?" he looked all around, holding her tighter. "Maybe hiding outside our door?"
"No."
"Have you spoken about this with anyone else?"
"No. You are the first."
"Okay. You must speak of this to no one. Breathe not a word…"He kissed her head gently and he set her on her bed. Slapping the windows shut he paced around the room. "Things have to change around here, now."
"Like what?"
"You talk to absolutely no one outside this house. Shut all the windows and lock the doors when you return home. You must wear a different cloak every day. Put away your red cloak. Hide your scent and make no effort to help the Sheriff. You may see Ivy but do not talk to her about the murder. Stay low and out of sight from the constables." He peeked behind the window curtain. "We have to be careful now, Valerie. I feel we are no longer safe. If we didn't do it then something else committed that murder. Tonight. Tonight I will investigate the river myself. I want to memorize the scent and track it myself and you'll wait for me right here!" He held her face with both hands and kissed her forehead.
"But—"
"Valerie, don't argue with me.
"Papa!" she pouted.
"You know that I love you very much, Valerie. Ever since you were a baby, I've held you and protected you. You are my treasure, you're all I have left. Now that we're far away from home and now that you're grown… I'll give up my last breathe to keep you safe from the world. Because the world is a dangerous place that fears us and hates us. They won't touch you. Ever." He petted her head. "You're my baby girl."
Valerie felt him kiss her forehead one last time before he disappeared out the window and into the darkness of the night. A breeze blew past signaling his shadowy disappearance. Her bedside candle blew out. Pulling her knees up to her chest Valerie thought of ways that she could help her father but she felt useless because she was not as experienced as he was. He was a mature wolf and she was just a pup. Besides, if he could defeat an entire Wolf Hunting Army then he could endure anything!
She was relieved, but not convinced.
Meanwhile:
"He was a very quiet man. He never really spoke to anybody unless he needed to. I remember when he would come to work late and I would dock him a few shillings. Since he wasn't able to find work here, he became a fisherman like his uncle."
"So he didn't quite socialize with anyone here. He didn't go to the pub and bottle a few down?" Sheriff Williams listened to the man intently.
Whipping his pocket watch from his sleeve, he checked the time. Nearly a quarter past 6 and he could already feel the icy chill of the evening roll onto his chin.
Mr. Mavis shook his head, "No."
That's what he thought. Sheriff Williams couldn't bare the idea of hitting a dead end. Time was running out and he had to report to the Mayor in the morning.
"Can I have a look at your black books?"
"What for?" Mr. Mavis raised a brow.
"I need to look at the records of every single worker here. It might help me delve a little deeper into his social life and pave the way to his personal life." Sheriff Williams slipped his gloves off and walked through the lengthy aisles. "Would you have any reason to believe that he was a foreigner? An alien to the city?"
"What do you mean?"
The Sheriff paced, "Was he born in the city? Or outside the city? Usually, most of our suspects are immigrants coming far from the country to find work. For this case I must investigate both sides."
"I understand…" Mr. Mavis led the way to his office and pulled out volumes and volumes of books.
The Sheriff smirked. He had been hoping to see this. Walking forward Mr. Mavis gave him the books and he pointed to the marked dates on the spine written in inked pen. All of his employees were in those books. When they worked and when they didn't. What time their shift ended and what time their shift begun. But there were no addresses. Williams gave him a firm nod.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Mavis. I will return these to you to your earliest convenience."
"You're welcome!" he smiled. "But will I receive news about this, too?"
"You can read it in the papers, I assure you." Williams smiled.
Mr. Mavis bit his lip. "Wait."
Sheriff paused in his step, turning his head over his shoulder and he could see Mr. Mavis choke on his word. Like a hound catching the smell of a fox, Williams came face to face with the smaller man. Reading his eyes, he suspected their conversation was not over.
"Yes?"
Mr. Mavis looked behind Williams. Catching onto his play, Williams excused his standing constables. He moved them into his office where they would talk privately. Mr. Mavis lit a candle and sat on his chair taking out a bottle of rum and two glass cups.
"May I?"
"Yes, of course…"
He poured them a drink.
"Does this have to do anything with illegal smuggling, too?"
"What do you mean?"
Mr. Mavis scooted closer, "With my employees I mean."
"Do you have your suspicions?"
"Well…"
Williams firmed his jaw. "I need all the information I can get in this case, Mr. Mavis. Anything you keep from you can backfire upon you in the future, I assure you." He stepped forward slowly. "Is there anything you are keeping behind those closed doors, Mr. Mavis?"
The man was nearly sweating and the Sheriff gave him no room to squirm.
Mr. Mavis sighed. "There is… one employee of mine that I suspect of smuggling."
"Smuggling what?"
"I don't know."
"So why would you be suspicious of him?"
"He's just… an odd fellow who never really fit in like the rest."
"I see. Tell me more."
"You see the rest of my employees live in the lower class. I know all of them like I know my own sons. But you see, this fellow lives comfortably in middle class."
"Yes. And that concerns you?"
"It's just…"
"Mr. Mavis…" Williams pinched the bridge of his nose. "If this is about being concerned with your own welfare then I cannot help you."
"No. No, it's not that. He returned almost a month ago. He's new here. Well, actually he was here a couple months ago."
"So he returned?"
"Yes."
"What's his name?"
"Carlisle."