Murder & Gin

I winced at the thought of seeing her, given what became of her kit, but I suppose it was inevitable. I shoved both my paws into my duster pockets and padded out behind the larger dog.

"You son of a bitch!" I saw the punch coming but didn't bother getting out of the way as the doe slammed her fist right into my jaw.

My head snapped to the side as I ran my tongue along my teeth inside my maw, making sure she didn't knock any loose. I'd never met a deer or buck that didn't have a bit of oomph in their blows.

She grabbed the front of my duster and jerked my gaze back to hers. She was tall like most females of her species were, but she still had to look up at me as she spat the words into my face, "I asked you to find my boy, not his fucking corpse! Had your pathetic mangey ass worked faster, maybe he'd-"

"That's enough, sit down and let go of my partner before I cuff you to the chair," James snarled the words as Rita shot him a fierce glare, her brown eyes looking wet, but I felt her ease the grip on me.

"It's fine Rickson, let her get it out of her system. I get it," I rubbed my jaw as I spoke, seeing the hatred in her eyes double as they shot back to me with another jab aimed right for my muzzle.

Her eyes narrowed as she spat out at me, "Get it?! You don't get-" She grunted as I caught her fist in my paw, my teeth showing in a snarl as I halted her next blow.

"I gave you the last one, that's enough. I'm sorry, I know what it's like to lose someone, I think about my dead wife every fucking day, but I'm not your punching bag either, Miss Walkins," The words came out as calm and composed as I could make them while growling, feeling the doe try to jerk from my grip a few times during the spiel, then I released her as she withdrew back.

"We just want to ask you some questions, Miss Walkins," Rickson drolled the words out in his best sympathetic voice, but even I could feel the insincerity in it as if he just couldn't muster it anymore.

"Are you implying I had a paw in my son's death? And why is he here, anyway?!" She snarled and thrust a padded-finger at me.

I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off. "Isaac took it personally about your boy, so he's helping me find Stewart's killer."

"You expect me to pay by the hour on this as well, Mr. Convel?" She fired back at me, folding her arms over her chest, her sizable breasts showing through the snug dress she wore. Rickson was right about her being easy on the eyes, she was sleek and lithe like you'd expect from a doe, but had some curves to her figure from the transition to motherhood.

It really didn't matter how she looked, I'd not looked upon another female with hunger in some time and I had no intentions of starting now. I met her steely brown eyes with my blue ones and shook my head. "No, ma'am, our business is finished, I don't expect anything from you but what I'm already owed."

She clenched her teeth and I could practically hear her snarl as she spoke, "Owed? You didn't even find-"

"I was being paid to watch your husband, Miss Walkins, not find your fawn. I was already going beyond my job to look for him. Yes, you got the service you paid for, and-"

"And be glad I'm not slapping you with assault charges for hitting my partner. Now sit down, shut up, and answer the questions so I can get your ass out of my interrogation room," Rickson barked the words in an authoritative tone, slamming a paw down on the table.

Rita flicked her ears up, then hissed through her teeth before moving and taking a seat in the chair, crossing her legs as she rested her handpaw's on her lap. "Fine, what do you want to know?"

Rickson sighed and looked over the reports. "I just need to know where you were approximately..."

So it went. The questioning only lasted about half an hour and Rita seemed to have herself accounted for at every turn. She had witnesses that would show she was at work, and even had to run errands at the DMV. She claimed to have spent the evening at a local bar and once again, could produce several witnesses to corroborate it.

I rubbed at my aching jaw after the fact, walking with the larger wolf towards his unmarked vehicle. "You think she's playing it straight?" I spoke out curiously.

"I do. She's too keyed up, I could smell fake outrage a mile away, it's genuine. Though when I asked if she had any idea's on someone that might have issues, I saw the glint in her eyes. She's got something going on, you don't get that look without having made a few enemies, and I don't mean bitter ex-husbands."

With a nod, I pulled open the passenger door to the unassuming black sedan. "Yeah, I was getting that vibe too. That doe's made some enemies, but any that would go that far?"

"We'll go talk to her ex, then hit up the nightclub she went to. See if we can sniff out any regulars that might be able to get us some information." James gave me a nod as he tugged his own seatbelt on like I had done, then turned the engine over.

The wiper blades came on as the car pulled out onto the busy late morning street, the rain still coming down as hard as it had last night. The blades were turned to high which created a repetitive beat that almost synced with the jazz coming out of the radio. I closed my eyes, thinking about the situation I was in, the interior of the car smelling of cigarettes and coffee.

"Morning traffic is always hell in this town, and our boy's on the east side. It'll take me at least an hour, maybe two." The smoke-furred wolf grumbled the words as I nodded to them.

"I'm aware, I've been keeping tabs on him for the better part of this week after all." I opened my eyes to see a wall of red tail lights before us, an ear flicking from the occasional click of the police radio in the car firing off about various going on's, but it was low enough to not be overly obnoxious.

Several minutes passed like that before he broke the silence between us. "For what it's worth, sorry for jabbing you about your ex like that. I just-"

"I get why you did it. So long as it doesn't happen again, we're golden, James." I spoke out pointedly. I was still pissed about it, but it wouldn't do any good to hold on to it, and for better or worse, he was right. Hazel would want me to find this bastard, she was a very maternal wolf, which made it all the crueler she couldn't have her own pups. I had replayed in my mind over and over how things might have been different between us had it not been for that.

"So, tried dating any other girls since?" The question came out of nowhere a few minutes later and earned an angry growl from me.

"What are you, my shrink now? I didn't agree to this case for the small talk."

"Look, Isaac, we're stuck together until we figure this shit out, and playing twenty questions will strengthen our social bonds so I know you'll have my tail if things go south. I know that Baretta you're packing isn't just a showpiece."

I didn't act surprised at him knowing about the gun, it made sense he'd find the records of my purchase and up-to-date permit to carry it. I leaned into the seat, feeling the pressure in the small of my back where the holster was sewn into the back of my duster, a small cushion of padding hanging over it to keep it from digging into me.

"No, and I doubt I will. I've not had a female turn my gaze since Hazel, even before the accident."

"You just haven't met the right one, you'll sing a different tune when you do."

"Ha! You speaking from experience there, Casanova?" I barked a bitter laugh as I planted my boot on the dash and rested my elbow on my knee, looking over the wolf and seeing the glint of gold on his paw, a wedding band.

Rickson acknowledged my gaze without his eyes ever leaving the road, holding up his paw to show off the ring. "Yeah, third times a charm they say. Maybe this one will put up with my shit for more than a few years."

I snorted through my nose, "You must be a real bastard at home."

James frowned at that and grew quiet. I cut my eyes back to him, seeing I had hit a nerve, even his dead-looking eyes growing distant with memories. "I try to leave it at work, but it doesn't always stay at the office. Late nights, sometimes not coming home at all. It adds up, but I'll say I've never raised a paw to any girl I've been with."

"I get that, it's what made me and Hazel fracture. She never accused me of having a side fling, but I could tell she thought it after a while."

"It took me six years after my second divorce. Never again I swore, then I fell for that little badger we've got working in dispatch." He bumped the volume up a little on the police radio as my ear flicked, listening to the female on the other end reading off an address to a fender-bender that just occurred.

"A badger eh? I hear those are feisty." I actually hadn't heard anything, I was just making small talk at this point to keep him talking, I did find the whole thing terribly interesting.

"She's around my age, we have our fun, but it's more than just that. I think it's mostly, she gets it. She's knee-deep in the bullshit all of us have to deal with and the trauma that follows."

"Still, a badger and wolf? Pretty interesting combo there." I mused the words, rubbing my chin in thought. I'd only been with one other female other than Hazel, and she had also been a wolf.

James gave a shrug at the words. "Truth be told, I've never dated another of my species. I came from a mixed family. It wasn't instilled in me to avoid my own kind, it just wasn't a priority either. I just followed my heart and or cock, whichever had the greatest influence at the time."

I gave a snort at that last statement. "That sounds fair. I guess I just naturally gravitated towards others of my species. My parents were pure breeds when they came over to here, they were big about keeping the gene pool proper."

"That explains the fur, at first I thought you were just a really big fox, what with all that red. I'd say don't be afraid to appreciate other species, no need to limit your enjoyment. Even if you look and don't touch. I mean like that client of yours, she's dirty, but still easy on the eyes."

My eyes rolled at the last of the words, but he made a point. I just kept my blinders on when it came to non-wolves. I didn't have an issue with other species in any way, it just never had come up. "Rita huh? Yeah, she's got some dirt under her hooves to be sure."

"Speaking of hooves, she strikes me as the kind that would put on a pair of stilettos and walk on you for fun."

A laugh erupted from my throat at that. "Maybe she moonlights as a dominatrix or something at a club."

"You'd be surprised... There are two kinds in that sort of field. The ones in it for the money, and the ones that get deep into the shady parts of it. It always leads to trouble too." James' voice took on a serious tone as he growled the words.

"True... it is the world's oldest trade for a reason." I sighed and looked out the window as the water rolled down the passenger's side. We were moving at a pretty good clip now, and it wouldn't be too much longer.

"Anyway... this was a nice male bonding session, let's get our game faces on, it's almost showtime," James huffed the words as he pulled out a cigarette with practiced precision while still holding the wheel steady with his other paw. He then hesitated before tucking it back away. "You don't smoke eh?"

"Nah, not my thing, but my mother did. Go ahead, it's not going to bother me." I waved a paw.

The other wolf gave a nod before lighting it up and taking a pull off it, cracking his window to let the smoke escape as he sighed out, wisps of smoke drifting from his jaws. "You're alright, Convel."

I watched Rita's husband for the better part of a week, but always at a distance. I knew he was big, but I wasn't prepared for just how big he was until he came to the front door of his small home.

The door frame was purposefully wider, most likely to accommodate for the massive antlers he sported, being a moose and all. He stood easily over a foot taller than Rickson and the sheer mass of his form looked like he could benchpress the two of us at once.

"Reynold Walkins, I'm Detective Rickson and this is my partner, Detective Convel. We'd like to ask you a few questions if we may." James went right into it, not looking the least bit concerned over his size.

"Of course, detectives, please come inside." The moose spoke in a deep but friendly manner as he welcomed us in.

"I just made a pot of coffee if you'd like a cup," Reynold spoke out as I watched his head deftly shift from one direction to the other, navigating his massive antlers around various items in the house. It was a tight but cozy place and my nose twitched as I caught a familiar scent in it, one of a doe I'd recently been punched by.

"I'll take you up on that offer Mr. Walkins, black is fine," I said, grateful for the offer since all I'd had today was a small styrofoam cup's worth at the station.

"Make that two, and thank you as well," James chimed in as we eventually settled down at a small couch, the moose seated at a massive easy chair, a coffee table between us.

"First and foremost, I'm sorry about what happened to your buck, please accept our condolences, Mr. Walkins," Rickson opened with his token line and I gave a nod as I sipped on the brew, a medium roast, not at all cheap stuff.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, he was just a kit, not even a teen yet..." Reynold sighed the words, shaking his head before taking a long pull from his own mug.

"Have you spoken with your ex-wife since this happened?" I threw my own question out while speaking over the rim of the coffee mug. Rickson lifted an ear and gave a slight nod as if he liked my train of thought. We were both canines, after all, he no doubt caught the lingering odor of the doe in the house as I had.

"Yes, she came over distraught yesterday and stayed the night. I tried to comfort her best I could. She got a few good punches in before I could calm her down though." He rubbed his chin for emphasis and I felt my own ache slightly in recollection.

"You smell like she wasn't the only one hitting something, Mr. Walkins." Rickson fired the remark right off, even surprising me at how direct he was with it.

The larger male gave a heavy snort out of his snout before cocking a brow at the wolf. "Do you think I'm stupid, detective? I figured you'd smell it, and if I ran around the house burning candles and spraying air freshener, it would be even more suspicious. Yes, we fought and cussed at one another, took turns blaming one another, then one thing led to another. We both always used sex as a comforting mechanism."

"So you were expecting us then?" I threw my own question out there.

"Once again, detective. I'm not stupid, I knew me and Rita would be the first ones you came to. I don't take it personally, I know it's part of the procedure, and I can account for myself both at work and my downtime for the last several days if need be."

Of course, I already knew he could, he'd barely left my sight for the last several days, but no need to let him know that. James seemed to be eager to keep the formality going though and got right into the basic questions, asking him times and locations, etc.

Back in the car, I planted my boot on the dash, resting an elbow on my knee. "So, we've got a fitness instructor accounted for by both her job and co-workers, then a construction foreman that I myself can collaborate for."

"Right, and they seem to be sleeping together again." James gave me a nod, bobbing his unlit cigarette in his mouth as he spoke.

"Could have just been a one-off thing, but the scent in the house smelled pretty ingrained to me. I think they've been comforting one another for a while if that's the case."

"Well, me and my ex-wife had a few one-nighters to try to re-spark things too, it happens. However, was their kit the cause of the divorce? Some perfectly good couples just can't handle having kids and fall apart."

I clenched my jaw at the talk of couples having kits, looking out the window as I thought about it for a moment, then shook myself out of my own self-introspective thoughts. This wasn't about me or Hazel, it was about a dead kit. "Well, they both said it was a financial thing."

"Makes sense. Kits are expensive and a fitness instructor doesn't exactly bring the cash in, especially at the same level as a construction foreman would. I could see the disparity in who was pulling their weight more."

I lifted a padded-finger. "Unless said instructor was moonlighting as something more, maybe the whole stiletto heels commentary wasn't as far off the mark as you think."

James gave me a chuckle and quirked a brow. "You saying she might have been like a stripper or pro?"

"I think she's got too much pride to be a club worker, but a high-class 'escort'? I could see it, and it would be undue stress on the relationship, also something Reynold would never admit to if anything else, out of a bruised ego."

"An interesting theory, but how did you-"

"I told you, I follow up with my clients, that includes their bank records. She had several substantial 'gifts' coming into her account from various sources. I'm not saying she was, but there's some strong evidence there pointing towards it."

"You know, personally, I've got nothing against sex workers. Strippers, pros, cam girls, whatever... it's a job."

"That's a capital way to look at it, but it's not a matter of what she's doing, it's the people she interacts with. Even casual sex can give the wrong impression. A John she's seeing for a payday, could legit start to fall for her, and then we've got a new suspect. If said John found out she was starting to see the ex-husband again, well what could he do to really cause a rift?"

"Damn... that's just terrifying enough to be plausible. Seen a lot of people get themselves and others killed over sex, it would add up too." James gave a nod. "Might be worth looking into if you can get me those bank account records."

"I can do that, no problem." I gave a nod and rubbed my chin. "If this theory plays out, how much you want to bet she doesn't go to that bar to socialize?"

I took the time to print off the bank records I'd had my informant secure for me and we took a few hours going over things back at the station. Three particular individuals kept coming up with 'gifts' and Rita seemed to always spend or withdraw a reasonable amount of money when going to the nightclub she frequented.

That afternoon we found ourselves at the nightclub in question, a moderately upper-class establishment on the south side of the city named simply, 'Unicorn'. The pretentiousness was felt before even stepping in, with ornate pillars and meticulously tended plants.

It was clear this club catered to a certain class and we were not it, as the doorman had already turned to speak into the mic at his collar before we even made it to the entrance. He was a massive ox taller than me and shoulders twice as wide. I was used to being the big dog in situations, but it looked like today I was going to be the little guy in most of my encounters whether I liked it or not.

The suit the ox wore seemed to strain at his movements as he gave us a polite nod before going into his line, "Good afternoon gentleman, I'm afraid-"

"Cut the theatrics," James spat out as he flipped out his badge. "Detective Rickson and Convel. We've got some questions and we'll start with you."

The ox snapped his head up at that and his posture shifted to a more defensive one. I felt my own shifting as if anticipating something, but then he relaxed and tapped the earpiece in his drooped ear. "Get the boss up here, he's got, visitors."