Chapter 9 A part meant for
While most of the town was run down, the apartments in comparison showed some hints of luxury. In most places they would be considered a mid-lower class place for people with big hopes to escape and with little likelihood of ever doing so. Otto being with the police made the process of being buzzed in quick despite the fear of letting in anyone, they could be thieves. The super led them to the vacant third floor but the higher the elevator went the more a strange noise began to escalate. Muffled at first, height added clarity to the noise which sounded like screaming, hysterical and nonstop.
Otto and the operatives raced towards the noise and found a room in the middle hallway that was open, the floors were covered in blood with Rose screaming in the middle and low whining heard under it all. Haku and Otto tried to calm Rose down while Zabuza removed the long butcher's knife from her bite mark covered hand. Nikki turned and saw a massive wounded dog, a stray mastiff with golden brown fur stained red especially round his ruby neck. She cradled it in a motherly embrace letting green fire blanket the dog. Haku was about to attack her but then the dog's flesh was healing. Wounds closed and the scarlet neck was healed, the stains had to be washed but now the giant dog just looked like he got into a more innocent mess than having a detective maim him.
By this time Rose stopped screaming and rushed out the room, nearly dragging Otto. She tripped and curled into fetal position, letting her brow hair fall in her face as she cried. The Super was gone, so the detective and operatives were left alone and decided to take the dog to the shelter. Rose in the car next to Otto calling for backup to look for and bring in any stray dogs, so that the next item on the list was unavailable. When they got to the police department Rose locked herself in a holding cell and the dog was taken to a shelter. Everything else would take time especially since the ghost took things at night, the case would have to be looked at from another perspective with the new evidence in the black box, and the town would have to be combed over for dogs in case Rose escaped somehow. Since the people who were stolen from had something to do with the missing class, whose bodies were being recovered, such as living in their houses or taking over family businesses such as the church Otto decided to look at what was known and rework his theories and plan of action. Winter's lack of light made the days short and with the recent robberies and sightings curfew would be coming soon, which meant the library had to wait. Otto decided to drive Haku, Zabuza and Nikki back to the university then have dinner with Rose. She was like an aunt to him and he knew that treating like a prisoner was not the way to make things better.