Harley~
Whoever said one can't survive on black coffee and the occasional cracking of the back was lying. I have always been a workaholic, it's true, and I work best when I am focused on a task. However, my stress and aggravation levels lately have been way too high, and I can do without them.
When I didn't even see, hear, or smell creepy Carl, the janitor, until he was breathing down my neck, I knew exhaustion and sleep deprivation had me slipping. Carl has always made my skin crawl, so of course, we would wind up alone in the break room.
"Burning the midnight oil again, sweetheart?" He asked pretentiously, propping himself against the water cooler.
My eyes rolled of their own accord. Carl was at least 20 years my senior. Though he is as big around as he is tall with a face made for radio, he has always been full of himself.
"Yeah, you know me, same old Carl."
He raised his bushy, unkempt eyebrows at me. "When are you going to give in and let me take you out?"
When hell freezes over and all the pigs fly to the moon, I thought. "I am dating someone, so the answer is no time soon. I am busy, Carl. If you don't mind, I need to get back to work."
I indeed wanted him to go away, but I hadn't meant to sound rude. At least he took the hint. Carl pushed up from the cooler and raised his hands in the air.
"Well, excuse me, Detective, I was just trying to show you a good time." He huffed at me before stalking off down the hall.
As if he had anything I wanted to see! After blowing Carl off and pouring my umpteenth cup of coffee for the evening, I return to my desk, sighing as I sink back into the chair. The coffee break hasn't helped; my head feels like it has cobwebs in it, and my back is stiff as a board. Still, I try to concentrate on the obsession that is ruling my life.
'Focus, Harley!' I scolded myself, rubbing my temples.
A quick glance at my watch makes me groan. I have been here for twelve hours! These late nights have been the status quo for weeks, ever since the media dubbed 'Anacapa Island stalker' made the scene. There has to be a common denominator between the cases, and I am missing it.
There's not one bit of a clear link between the victims, and no motive that I have been able to pin down. It's as if the men didn't exist until they wound up dead in my backyard. Given the evidence, I must consider that my sleepy little shore town has somehow wound up in the middle of a mob war. At least we have become a dumping ground for the casualties.
The murders have all occurred around the same time of night, near the docks, using the same 9mm semi-automatic pistol. The victims are all men between the ages of 25 and 40. All but two are 'entrepreneurs' who have questionable ties to organized crime, all shot execution style, hands bound behind their backs, one bullet to the back of the head. Dead! That's where the trail goes ice cold.
'Harleeeeya!' My wolf, Raelynn, pushes into my head.
'Yes, Rae,' I answered her with a deep sigh as I already knew.
'Can we please go now?! I need a run.' She dragged out the word need.
'Just a little longer, Rae,' I promised, knowing I was a liar.
She growls low at me and recedes into my mind, sulking. I hate to disappoint my wolf, but I have responsibilities here. "Rae, you'll be fine."
Goddess bless her, my wolf puts up with so much, and she doesn't let me forget it. From the start, Rae never wanted to live in the human world, but lately, she's wound even tighter than usual. I admit I too have been feeling like maybe it was time for us to move on. Call it intuition if you will, but it has kept us one step ahead so far.
Before my life turned into a never-ending episode of Law & Order, I had typed, signed, and sealed my resignation to hand over to Capt. Howard. Only I made every absconder's worst mistake; I have gotten attached. The year and a half I have spent here in LA is the longest time I have stayed in one place since leaving my father's pack.
"Harley, are you still here?" Captain Mitch Howard's deep voice has me looking up at him.
"Yeah, Captain, still here," I look back down at the file in my hand.
He sighed. "Go home, Harley. Get some rest, fresh eyes, and all of that. You should get some food too; I hear you growling."
It isn't my stomach he hears growling. "I just need a little more time, Captain. There has to be something here!"
"That's an order!" He gruffed when I didn't move on his original command. "You will find no one mentally and physically exhausted."
He just trump-carded my ass. I know when I'm beaten. Standing at my desk, I attempt to stuff the files into my backpack when my captain stops me.
"Just leave those there," he said fatherly. "It's for your own good I said. Get some rest, not continue doing what you've overdone here."
"Captain, I am fine." I object.
"Goodbye, Harley. If anything needs your immediate attention, I will call you. Otherwise, I will see you in twelve hours." He raised his eyebrows at me, so I knew he meant business.
My wolf is happy as can be right now. However, Rae shouldn't get too carried away. Thanks to my hyperthermias memory, I don't need the files. I smile and nod at my captain. As I step outside, the heat slaps me across the face.
Even at 10 pm, the heavy humidity has me hotter than Satan's house cat. Summers in LA are not for the faint of heart! I hurry across the parking lot and into my car. With a sigh escaping me, I start the engine.
'At least we have time for that run now,' Rae chimes in.
'It's still too early, Rae. The campers haven't gone to bed yet.' I pull out of the parking lot. 'You remember what happened last time?' I chuckled at the memory of my big bad wolf running like a scolded pup from an adolescent who was only trying to relieve himself.