“If any of this stuff matches up with the coroner’s report,” he waved his notepad in front of me, “you better believe you’re gonna help.”
“Good,” I told him. “Now let’s get out of here. I need to get away from this before it sucks me in again.”
I walked past Ben to the door and reached into my shirt pocket for my glasses. I looked back to see that he was following me then turned back to the doorway.
I turned back just in time to see a young man with long dark hair and the lamp he was swinging at me.
CHAPTER 3
I lifted my arm instinctively to guard my face, and the table lamp met it with violent force. The vase-like, imitation china base shattered and continued its arc, glancing against my forehead. The blow struck hard enough to stun, causing me to lose my balance and fall backward to the floor. A gash had been opened at my hairline, and blood immediately began to trickle down my face and into my right eye. I had deflected enough of the impact that I felt certain I wasn’t seriously injured, but my ears were ringing, and I knew I was going to have one hell of a headache.
In the same moment I was falling to the floor, I saw Ben’s large form flash in front of me as he took two large strides and slammed my attacker forcefully against the wall.
“You better get out of here,” the near breathless young man croaked. “I called the cops. They’ll be here any minute.”
Ben held the young man against the wall, twisting one arm up behind his back while pressing him into the painted plaster. With his free hand, he ripped his badge from his belt and shoved the gold shield into the attacker’s face.
“I AM the cops!” he shouted angrily. “Who the hell are you, and what’re ya’ doin’ here?!”
“I’m sorry, man!” The young man now seemed a bit more frightened as the realization of what he had done set in. “I didn’t know who you guys were. I came by to water Ariel’s plants, and I heard voices. I thought you guys were burglars or something. Really, man, I’m sorry,” he spoke frantically.
“You okay, Row?” Ben queried, looking back at me as I dragged myself from the floor and stood up shakily.
“A bit rattled,” I answered. “I think I’m okay. There always have been four of you, right?”
Ben cracked a smile and turned back to the young man who was still held firmly in place against the wall.
“So we know why you’re here,” he continued. “But ya’ still didn’t tell us who ya’ are.”
“R.J.,” he answered. “My name’s R.J. Does Ariel know you’re here? What’s going on?”
I looked at Ben, then back at the gory sight of the bedroom. He immediately picked up on my cue and maintaining his grip on the young man, pulled him away from the wall and guided him out the door into the hallway. I followed along, stooping to pick up my glasses, which had been knocked from my hands, then exited the room, closing the door behind me. While Ben still held R.J. in the hall, I went into the bathroom and found a washcloth. After running it under cold water, I wiped the blood from my eye and forehead and then used it as a compress on the gash and the rapidly rising welt.
“What’s going on man?” R.J. exclaimed as I came out of the washroom. “Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?”
Ben had him spread eagle against the wall and had apparently searched him while I was tending to my wound. He was studying what I assumed to be R.J.’s identification. He nodded to me and released his grip on R.J.’s shoulder. For the second time this morning, I was confronted with being the bearer of bad news. After a brief moment of indecision, I elected to treat it like removing a bandage and take a “get it over with quickly” approach.
“Ariel’s dead, R.J.,” I told him as he turned to face me, rubbing his shoulder where Ben’s viselike grip had been. “She was murdered.”
“She was what?!” he exclaimed. “No way, man, I don’t believe you. She’s visiting a friend in Chicago for a week. She can’t be dead.”
“I haven’t got any reason to lie to you about something like this,” I replied.
“He’s serious, man,” Ben echoed as he returned the wallet to him.
R.J. stared at Ben, then at me. I could see in his eyes that the reality was sinking in, but he was still desperately fighting to deny it. Ben had relaxed his guard, and I was tending to my wound, so when the young man bolted for the bedroom door, neither of us were prepared to stop him. He rushed past me and flung open the door, bursting into the room. He only managed to travel three steps into the horror before freezing in place. Ben and I were immediately behind him as he stared at the blood-soaked bed like a frightened child. The stunned silence was finally broken as his head dropped and his shoulders began to heave. I led him gently from the room as he buried his face in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
In the small backyard of Ariel Tanner’s flat, we waited for R.J. to calm down. I had the impression that Ben wasn’t necessarily convinced that he wasn’t putting on a performance for our benefit. Of course, Ben was suspicious of everyone, and that was one of the things that made him such a good cop.
Personally, I could feel the anguish exuding from the young man, and I seriously doubted that it was an act.
“When did this happen?” R.J. queried at last, wiping his reddened eyes with his shirtsleeve.
“Wednesday,” Ben told him. “Sometime after six in the evening.” He was holding a small notebook and ever vigilant, continued, “So, were you her boyfriend?”
“No,” he sniffed. “Just a friend.”
“You said you were here ta’ water the plants. I assume Miz Tanner gave you a key?”
“Yeah.”
“When would that have been?” Ben pressed as he scribbled more notes.
“Last Sunday. She was supposed to leave last night, and she asked me if I’d keep an eye on the place.”
“And that’s the last time you saw ‘er?”
“Yeah.”
Ben paused for a second as he turned to a fresh page, then tilted his head to look directly into R.J.’s face. “Mind tellin’ me where you were Wednesday night?”
“I was…” He started to speak and then caught himself. He almost visibly pondered his answer for a split second before continuing, “I was out of town on a camping trip.”
“Were you with anyone?”
“My dad. It was our annual fishing trip,” R.J. answered, then his eyes grew wide with sudden realization. “Am I a suspect?!”
“It’s just routine,” Ben told him. “But I’d prefer it if ya’ kept yourself available.”
“How long did you know Ariel?” I asked him.
“A couple of years,” he replied. “I was a member of…” he paused uneasily, “…a club she was in.”
“You mean you were a member of her coven?” I questioned.
He stared back at me with a shocked, almost frightened, expression. He reached up to his chest and fingered a silver Pentacle hanging about his neck as if he had forgotten it was there.
“It’s not what you cops think…” he started.
“Whoa,” I stopped him and jerked my thumb over my shoulder at Ben. “He’s the only cop here. My name’s Rowan Gant.” I held my hand out to him. “I’m a Witch too.”
“Rowan Gant,” he repeated my name as he took my hand and shook it. “The Rowan Gant that Ariel studied with?”
“Yeah,” I returned. “That’s me. I’m just here as a consultant.”
“Ariel talked about you and your wife all the time,” he continued. “She even had a picture of all you guys together on a camping retreat you took.”
