Zoology 101 Read online

  Now.

  “Does he need the hospital?” She addressed the paramedics who both nodded while the vet said, “I’m fine.”

  “I’d recommend it,” Ray said. “You most likely have a serious concussion, Dr. Brichert.”

  “I assure you, I’ll be okay.” He stood, wobbled just slightly. Gerri reached for him, touched his hand. And felt her bheast tense, hackles raised, snuffling around him. While his did the same to her.

  “Hospital,” she growled. “But we need to talk first.”

  He seemed hesitant, but sighed finally and nodded, letting her lead him a distance away, Ray and Kinsey close behind. Gerri planted a fingertip against his chest, feeling her bheast growl in answer.

  “You were at the crime scene,” she said. “And I want to know why.”

  He didn’t try to deny it, though as his shoulders sagged, tall, lean body hunching forward, she actually felt a little sorry for him. Her bheast echoed her reaction, though with a sniff of disdain for weakness.

  “Why did you run away?” She dropped her hand. “You realize that makes me assume you killed her.”

  He didn’t have to deny it for Gerri to dash that theory herself. As her bheast denied the very idea, he spoke.

  “Last night,” he said at last. “I knew something was wrong. Diane… had a connection to the wolves.” He drew a breath. “How much do you know?”

  “She was cubi.” It felt weird to speak the word, but Gerri did her best to sound confident.

  He nodded as though it was no big deal. “And half bheast,” he said. “Those wolves? They were her life.”

  “What did that make her?” Kinsey’s curiosity saved Gerri from asking what could possibly be an obvious question. Better the anthropologist than the detective in her mind.

  “We don’t classify ourselves that way,” Brichert said, looking confused, almost annoyed by the question. “There was a time when Diane was forced to use the affections of humans to feed her cubi side, something she and I discovered could be satisfied through her bheast.” He sounded sad.

  “You were lovers?” Gerri shuddered from the thought.

  “Not at all,” he said. “But I helped her find out how to feed her desires through her work.” He looked at the gate. “Through her ties with the animals she cared for.”

  The wolves. “I thought she was well known for her friendliness with her male coworkers?”

  Brichert shrugged. “She lapsed, from time to time. She was cubi. But those wolves were her family. She went too far with them, Detective. Bonded with them. That’s how I knew something was wrong last night. Diane left about an hour before I did. At about 10PM, they began pacing, growling and, finally, howling. When they fell still, they seemed grief stricken, lost.” His big hands spread wide before him, then dropped to his sides. “I left it until morning. I had no idea what it meant. But, when Diane wasn’t here—and she’s always here well ahead of me—and the wolves were still in shock…” the vet wiped his mouth with one hand. “I went looking for her. And found her car. And you.”

  Gerri’s body felt wound so tight she was certain she’d burst a blood vessel any second. She had to force herself to relax enough to speak through clenched teeth. “Who killed her?”

  “I have no idea.” Brichert’s words triggered a, Truth, from her gut. Asshole instincts. “I was trying to find out. When I saw you there, felt your bheast, I ran.”

  “You could have told me this then.” Gerri would have arrested his ass.

  “You were the dominant,” he shrugged. “I figured you’d attack me if I tried to interfere.”

  Dominant what?

  “I warned her not to bond so closely with the wolves,” he said. “That they needed to be returned to the wild. But she became so close to them, she couldn’t bear to let them go.” He sighed softly, sadly. “Diane said wolves were kinder than people, more trustworthy. I agreed with her. But it was still not in their best interest. Or hers.”

  “Could you identify the killer by trace smell?” Kinsey’s question made Gerri’s tension return.

  He shook his head. “Maybe, if I was full bheast. But, my mother was human.” He sounded regretful. Brichert turned to Gerri. “You should have that ability, being full race.”

  Gerri didn’t comment, her mind in chaos. But, the fact she stood there, staring at him, had an effect. He frowned a little, glancing around their tight circle, back to Gerri.

  “You did know you were full bheast?”

  She shook her head, mute. The first time she admitted anything openly to anyone outside their trio. It hurt.

  Brichert took a step back, almost colliding with Kinsey, sudden concern on his face. “I assumed you were sent by the Nightshade League,” he said. “Who are you?”

  ***

  ***

  EXT. – PARAMOUNT ZOO – NIGHT

  Kinsey felt Brichert’s reluctance, his sudden fear, and locked it down without thinking. He turned to look down at her, softening of his emotions doing nothing to erase his questioning concern.

  “Nightshade,” he whispered.

  She nodded. “Dr. Kinsey DanAllart,” she said, watching his eyes narrow then widen at the name. “That’s right. That DanAllart family.” Whatever that meant. Though, Kinsey was well aware her grandmother seemed to have some kind of influence with the Nightshade League. If she could use it to her advantage, damn it, she would.

  “A Nightshade, a vampir and a bheast who has no idea who she is.” He shook his head again, a confused wolf showing around him, brief and bushy before fading again. “Look, whoever you three are, I didn’t kill Diane. And I haven’t a clue who did.”

  “We really should get Dr. Brichert to the hospital.” The female paramedic looked concerned enough that when Gerri tried to protest, Kinsey held her off.

  “Don’t leave town,” the detective growled at him.

  Brichert just sagged further. “I hope you find who killed Diane,” he said. “She was my friend. And those wolves were her final legacy.”

  Gerri let him go, though she seemed immensely unhappy about the prospect. She was on her phone, muttering into it, the name “Mills” mentioned. She must have been setting up a police detail to meet him at the hospital. Kinsey discarded that fact from her mind, focusing on what they’d learned.

  “Gerri,” she said when the detective hung up on her call, knowing this would freak her friend out but having to ask. “Is he right? Could you sniff out the bad guy?”

  The wild look around the detective’s eyes almost made Kinsey giggle. Ray put one hand on the redhead’s arm and shook her softly.

  “I’m sure Kinsey meant it a little more delicately than that.”

  Whoops. “Sorry,” Kinsey said.

  But Gerri broke free of her own freak out and shook it off, her wolf appearing, bigger and brighter than Brichert’s. Indication of her full race status? Maybe.

  “That would be awesome, wouldn’t it?” Gerri’s voice vibrated with tension, with the edge of hysteria. “If I could just put my nose to work on cases and solve them with a sniff or two?” She laughed, shaky and cracking. “Fuck me.”

  Ray’s gentle touch seemed to help, despite Gerri’s discomfort. Kinsey held off using her own power on the detective. She needed to work this out for herself.

  “Best nose in town.” Kinsey’s open grin would either illicit a punch in the face—okay, not likely, but still—or a joke in return. It took a long moment for Gerri to make up her mind which.

  “You’re such a bitch,” she said, tension running out of her. “You know that, right, Kins?”

  This time, her smile was real. “You love me for it.”

  “Some days.” Gerri rubbed her face with both hands before turning and scowling at the gates. “Let’s see what I can smell, then.”

  The two security guards didn’t bat an eye as Gerri led Kinsey and Ray into the zoo, not even pausing to look at the guide map to show her where the wolves might be, or to ask permission. The reaction of the black-clad guards
told Kinsey their boss gave the detective full access, so there was that much to be grateful for. Kinsey’s sandals flip flopped over the ground with small smacking sounds as she trailed after Ray and Gerri, a bit creeped out by the dark zoo. Animals rustled in their habitats, the occasional night bird perched in trees and flying free around the location calling softly to each other. Kinsey had never been one with nature, preferring the quiet of libraries, the harsh reality of dig sites. Bugs and dirt she could handle. Mother Nature’s animals? Those she usually didn’t encounter thanks to big men with rifles who stood guard outside ruins.

  Gerri came to an abrupt halt after a five minute brisk walk that left Kinsey a bit winded and wishing she’d worn sneakers. She ran into Ray’s back, grasping her friend’s upper arms before apologizing with a smile, refocusing on the detective who stood, frozen and tense, in front of a large fence.

  Two wolves and two pups waited on the other side, staring back at her. Was it Kinsey’s imagination, or was Gerri sniffing the air between them? The wolves certainly were. As the detective drew closer, so did the lupines and their offspring, the smaller of the two adults limping slightly. That had to be the injured female.

  “Gerri.” Kinsey gently interrupted, hoping to maintain the connection Gerri seemed to have with the wolves but bring her back far enough she could communicate. Her bheast rose around her, separated from her, stepped forward. Towered over the fence as it passed through, easily three times the size of the wolves within. They didn’t shrink from the apparition, but it was clear they saw the approaching spirit and bowed their heads to it.

  Gerri exhaled softly, the giant wolf disappearing as she sagged. “Holy shit.”

  “Are you all right?” Ray stepped in, slipped her arm around Gerri’s shoulders. Kinsey almost hissed at her to back off, and then felt guilty. This wasn’t some experiment. This was her friend. She needed to get a freaking grip on herself.

  “They don’t know who hit Brichert,” Gerri said. “And the scent is long gone. Either that, or so familiar in this place, it’s masked by itself.”

  “You’re saying it’s an inside job?” Ray turned the detective away from the fence while the wolves stared at her, watching her with their eyes, pacing to the edge of the enclosure as far as they were able. Kinsey turned back as they left the area, to find the wolves and their pups still watching.

  “Maybe. Maybe not.” Gerri bent in half when they were finally around the corner and out of sight of the small family pack. Her shaking hands settled on her knees, shoulders rolling forward, long, red hair hanging almost to the ground. “I need a beer.”

  It was about sixty seconds before she straightened, Ray still rubbing her back. Before she strode forward, grim determination on her face.

  Fascinated despite herself, knowing compassion was a better reaction but excited by what might be coming, Kinsey followed, a tiny thrill of discovery warming in her chest.

  ***

  EXT. – PARAMOUNT ZOO to INT. – 9TH PRECINCT – NIGHT

  Gerri had never felt so out of control, so wound up, beat up, on fire.

  And yet, for the first time in her life, after looking those wolves in the eye, feeling her inner bheast connect with them, Gerri felt fully at peace.

  This was insane. Her booted feet carried her out of the zoo, past the two guards, into the parking lot. She ignored the fact Jackson was gone, marched to her car, jerking the driver’s side door open and throwing herself into the seat. The girls quickly joined her, slamming their doors behind them moments before she sank forward, forehead pressed to the top of her steering wheel.

  “No one says a fucking word,” she grunted past the knot in her throat. “Not a fucking word.”

  It was a silent ride to Kinsey’s. Her friends exited the car and she left them there, watching her drive off, like the wolves had watched her go. Gerri hated the parallel, fought against it while the bheast inside her growled and snarled in response.

  Told her to stop being a baby, they’d been together their whole lives. What was her fucking problem?

  Gerri gasped a breath around the contact and slammed both palms down on the steering wheel.

  “Fuck you,” she snarled at the thing inside her. “I have a god damned job to do. And you will mind your own fucking business until I’m ready to deal with you.” It grumbled, paced. “I mean it. Or we’re going our separate ways no matter what it takes for me to get you out of me.”

  Good luck, it whispered. Then fell silent.

  Gerri panted into the cool air of her car, realizing only then she was being honked at by drivers behind her, that the light in front of her was green, now amber. She rolled down her window as she sped through the now red light, giving the whole fucking world the finger.

  The precinct was as busy as always, no matter the time of day or night, though the homicide bullpen on the fourth floor was dark and quiet. Gerri counted on everyone being out, either on cases or gone home. She settled into one of the media rooms and began to review the DVD’s Honnor gave her, including the new one she found on her desk with Jackson’s handwriting scribbled on it, denoting tonight’s date and the time of the attack.

  Maybe reviewing vid footage wasn’t her best choice. Boring shit, for the most part, especially the night of the party. She checked tonight’s feed first, found the area in front of the wolf enclosure too dark to do her any good. Just shadows played out the events of earlier, a larger one pausing near the front of the caged in area, smaller one darting forward then disappearing into the night as the big one fell.

  Waste of time.

  The vids from the night of the fundraiser weren’t much better, just a bunch of overdressed people eating hors d’oeuvres and drinking champagne in the main promenade in the center of the zoo. Gerri’s mind left the job, wandered to the moment, in the zoo, when Kinsey suggest she sniff out the suspect.

  God damn it. Her stomach clenched all over again. Like some hound dog? Gerri shuddered, rubbed her eyes harshly. She wasn’t some critter. She was a trained and intelligent police detective. The bheast rumbled agreement while she snarled at it to shut the hell up.

  She was so deep into the beginnings of serious self-loathing she almost missed Diane Lane’s appearance on the video feed. When Gerri did finally clue in, she cursed softly and backed up the image to the point of entry. Diane was late, looked flustered. Gerri watched her make her rounds of the party, flirt with a lot of men.

  When she left the area, Gerri lost sight of her. The feed she had was only for the party location, not the rest of the zoo. But, what really kicked her in the ass, was the sight of Jay Pendleton waiting about sixty seconds before following Diane off camera. Right before the feed went dead. End of the DVD.

  But not the end of her questions.

  Son of a bitch.

  It was a fast, hot ride to the zoo. Gerri left her air con off, opening all four windows, letting the humid California night wash over her as she broke every speed and traffic law known to man racing back to the Paramount. When her Charger skidded to a halt outside the zoo gates, she practically flung herself from the driver’s side and stomped to the camouflaged door.

  After about thirty seconds of pounding, it opened, Honnor staring at her with a mix of anger and regret from the other side.

  “You know why I’m here,” Gerri said.

  He sighed, nodded. And let her in.

  They sat together and watched the rest of the vid from that night, the night of the fundraiser. From a new viewpoint, near the wolf cage. As Diane entered the feed of one of the side cameras, a much better view than the one Gerri had for the attack on Brichert. Jay Pendleton appeared a few minutes later, discarding his glass and his jacket, pulling Diane down onto the park bench.

  “I was just trying to protect Mr. Pendleton.” Honnor’s stiff anger was gone, replaced by shame. He didn’t seem so bulky and intimidating when he was admitting he was wrong. “Bernice is an utter bitch. She'd take him for everything he was worth if she found out. And the zoo. They’d
close the zoo.”

  Was he soft on the animals himself? “Did Jay Pendleton kill Diane Lane?”

  Honnor’s sad expression told her he didn’t know, but he worried.

  Time to ask the happy couple’s friends about those alibis after all.

  ***

  INT. – GERRI’S CAR – NIGHT

  Her phone rang the moment she was behind the wheel. Gerri had already watched Mills and Purcell cart Honnor off to holding. He might have been trying to protect his boss, but in doing so, he’d gotten in her way. Maybe the charges of impeding a murder investigation wouldn’t stick, but Gerri was willing to give him a headache from it, even if that was all he got.

  Principle of the thing, really.

  The screen told her it was Binks. She answered with her usual irritating nickname. “Binksy,” she said. “What have you got for me?”

  He didn’t even sigh. She’d have to find another way to tease him if the prod didn’t work anymore. “The LUDs came back on Diane Lane’s cell phone,” he said. “We weren’t able to get it functioning. Rain that night did too much damage for us to retrieve any info. But, the phone company came through.” He paused, the sound of paper shuffling reaching her across the line. “The last call she made that night was to Jay Pendleton. And he returned her call. Three times. No answer.”

  Gerri fired up the engine of the Charger and squealed out of the parking lot. “Thanks, Binks,” she said. “Just what I needed to hear.”

  “At last,” he said, quippy and sarcastic for the first time since she’d met him. “I’ve satisfied the almighty Detective Meyers.” But, there was no bitterness. “Happy hunting.”

  She grinned as she hung up the phone.