Strange Relations

Chapter 3

Dale propped herself back against the Impala, arms folded over her chest as she watched her brothers, it was still weird to think about the fact that she had brothers. They stood on the front steps of the mayor's residence speaking with her assistant. The woman was setting up a memorial service for the mayor since she had no living relatives.

She straightened as the two came over to the car. "Well?"

"That was a bust," Dean said.

"Hard to tell if the woman was acting like a demon or if she was always a raging bitch?" Dale asked.

Sam sent her a reproachful look. "Let's go pay Melvin Crook's wife a visit."

"The crispy critter?"

"Dale!" Sam's look was more stern this time.

She shrugged. "What? He was. Look, Sam, I get we missed out on all that sibling bonding growing up, but you don't need to scold me for every little thing. I'm grown up."

"Hey, if she didn't say it, I would have," Dean said with a smirk.

"That is what bothers me," Sam grumbled as he walked around to the passenger side of the car.

Dale climbed into the backseat. "He's dead, not like he's gonna care and I wouldn't say it in front of his wife. I do have some class. So just chill, Sammy."

"Do not call me Sammy," he answered in a surly voice.

"Fine, whatever." She settled back into her seat. Guys were weird, she thought as she slumped in her seat and watched the scenery slip past the window on the way to Melvin's house. So far the family business was boring as hell. It was a lot of research and talking to normal people, most of it amounting to nothing. Maybe her so called brothers were just nutso and monsters didn't really exist.

There was their buddy in the trench coat to consider. He did vanish into thin air. And how in the hell did he know who she was? She pushed the thought aside as they climbed out of the car in front of Melvin's home.

Sam smiled and they introduced themselves to a tired and worn looking Mrs. Crook when she answered the door. Once they were invited in and sitting with the grieving widow, it was time for questions.

"I honestly don't know what else I can tell you that I haven't already told the police."

Sam smiled. "We're just trying to help. Can you tell us if there seemed to be anything suspicious at all about your husband's death? Was he acting out of character before he died?"

She shook her head, then stopped, pursing her lips before she looked him dead in the eyes and answered. "Now that I think about it, he was acting a bit off the week before he died. I put it down to stress, you know work related or something of the sort. Maybe it was something else he simply didn't want to share with me. Oh lord, maybe if he'd told me, shared it with me, he'd still be alive!"

"We might never know, Mrs. Crook. Was there anything in particular you can remember, no matter how small, that may help?"

Her brows drew together in a deep V as she thought about his question. "He was very short tempered, that was unusual for him. My Melvin was a good-natured soul, always happy. He got along with everyone but the week before his death, he seemed to become angry about every little thing. He didn't want me to ask questions about anything." She stopped, taking a couple of deep breaths before she seemed to calm down. After a few silent moments, she looked at them. "One more thing, he ... smelled different."

"Different how?" Dean questioned.

"It's stupid, forget it." She flapped a hand in the air.

Dale placed her hand over the woman's and smiled. "You don't think maybe he was having an affair, did he smell of perfume?"