"Let's recap since we missed a day" Yolanda Halberd said as Tom sat back on her recliner "Last week we spoke of how you're dealing with Leya, this week I wanted to get to Mia"
Tom felt his heart cramp, this was the thing he hated about Halberd, she dug into the wounds and made sure you remember the pain, all to wrench out old ghosts and dry one anew, as she said.
"Its a sensitive subject" he had to warn.
"I know, but the sooner you face it, the sooner you can make peace Mister Snyders"
He sighed and closed his eyes.
"I know fair well how you loved your daughter, what do you do these days to remember her?" Yolanda asked.
"I try not to"
"That's a problem, you can't just brush off great things, do you talk about her? To other people maybe?"
"I, have recently brought her up, although I didn't want to"
"To whom?"
"It was a case I'm working, I needed to gain the trust of a suspicious person and brought Mia up"
Yolanda remained quiet looking at him, but sighed writing it down "Maybe you should tell people what a great person she was, all you're doing is saying how she died, making people pity you, but fail to ever hear Mia's life as she lived"
"It hurts to talk about her Yolanda"
"Why wouldn't it? But maybe if you spoke about all the good things in her life instead of telling people she passed away, she'll rest easier on your heart"
"That's the thing! She didn't pass away she was killed!"
"M... Murdered?" She asked.
"No, by an animal, a wolf"
"I'm so sorry, where did this happen?"
"A place called Keystone ancient forest, it was before they banned camping there"
She frowned at her paper, then looked up at him slowly, Tom realized the silence and felt her eyes on him, he looked over.
"What?"
"A wolf you say?" She asked.
"Yes why?"
"Thomas, I have time share, I'm also sponsoring many school field trips to that place, and I can promise you now, there are no wolves in that park"
He sat up "What do you mean no wolves? Its a wildlife resort and this is America, many open spaces of nature has wolves"
"No not that one, bears yes but black bear not even grizzly, that couldn't have been a wolf"
"I saw it with my own eyes Yolanda! Fired my pistol at it as it ran from Mia's corpse!"
Yolanda didn't know what to say, there had to be a logical explanation "Maybe... Maybe a stray, maybe it was a wolf that escaped from another park that just so happened to roam in there?"
"Yes, maybe"
She sighed and stood up, one side a flask of juice stood ready and she poured herself some, the old woman drank on it slowly but turned to Tom and leaned against her table.
"I feel, you need to make sure of Mia's death, find out about this stray wolf, then your heart will come at ease and you can let her go"
"You just told me she's a good memory?"
"And she is but your last moments with Mia was firing at this so called wolf, you're a detective, do some detective work and find out about any stray wolves reported around that time, doing your job will distract your mind, and on the end of the day you'll feel better because you did it for Mia"
He stood up "So this is some sort of homework assignment?"
"Pretty much, I'll phone that way and find out what I can, meanwhile you to what you do best detective, find out the truth"
He nodded "I'll, I'll give it a go, but I can't promise that I won't be looking down a bottle of Jack whilst I'm at it"
She was in her late sixties and her smile as warm as any grandmother "Of course Tom, its an ultimatum you use to cope with your shit... Use it"
He chuckled "Thanks Miss Yolanda, see you next week"
Outside he took a deep breath, despite the fact that Yolanda digs up old skeletons it felt good after he had a session with her.
It made him think of Angela, he was rather bit if an asshole with her even if he didn't try to, so he tried to phone her but the number was busy.
He climbed into the car and tried again, still busy, Tom started to worry, but for what? She was a grown woman and a detective on top of it, she can take care of herself.
The sun was low and this is the time his scaly contacts starts to roam the streets, might as well follow the cocaine lead now whilst he's in the car.
He set off into the concrete jungle known as Oklahoma, just driving, scanning, partially thinking of how Yolanda said that couldn't have been a wolf, the other eye he has watching for that distinct loner on the corner of streets.
In his old days as a cop he wasn't always the cleanest, turning a blind eye on drug dealers so they can easily make their money, in return they give him information about king pins, usually of rival gangs, he didn't care who they bust, as long as its a bust.
The stopped his car when the stars were out and walked, this is one of his usual streets, difference now he didn't wear blue, might as well keep ol Vicky a secret from the smugglers, he still had his Baretta for in case one gets a little too brave.
"Spike" he said and the young African American man turned to him.
"Man Snyders you'll give me a heart attack!" He said shaking his hand.
"Sorry, you know I also keep low, not only for me but you as well"
"Word man, I appreciate the mutuality"
"I'm looking for a girl, I presume she's on coke"
"Many girls come my way Thomas, you need to elaborate" Spike said lighting a cigarette.
"Blondie, apparently she's cute, I can't give more than that because she's even more illusive than you"
"Naw man! Really? I'm the king of scaly, although, thing is Thomas, my clientele works just as any, confidentiality is key"
Tom gave him a leer and he held his hands up.
"Relax bro, I know you so its cool"
"She's knew in town, I think, might be a recent client"
Spike brushed his chin "Well, a hundred bucks say I might know"
Tom lifted the bill in two fingers, Spike took it and scanned his surrounding "Now, Alison is a name I heard"
"Perfect, that's her"
"Blue eyes, she's about fifteen or sixteen, street kid, kinda"
"Nothing you just said falls in line, I have a twenty year old who worked for Monroe"
"What!? No shit!? It makes sense why the kid can afford the dope, she's a little taller than your average teen, a real woman at her age, I wouldn't be surprised if she fooled you"
Tom took out his notepad and wrote the new info "You got a location?"
Spike gave that usual chin brush and Tom slipped him another hundred.
"There's an apartment building close to Chinatown, east side, we dealers call it the bird cage, it looks like it, ring a bell?"
"Yeah, I know it, old run down paint worn flats"
"That's them, she's been seen there but I can't give a precise one, not even for a hundred bucks"
Tom pocketed his notebook "You're as reliable as ever Spike, be safe" he said and walked off.
"Is it true what happened to Moe?" Spike asked and Tom nodded over his shoulder.
"Poor bastard"
†††
Author's note:
And Tom creeps ever closer...
Action scene next y'all...
And a shocking reveal...