Page 23 of The Raven
I’d already come tothe conclusion that LieutenantBrennerwas anasshole, but my assessment was confirmed when he ordered me to thestationand made me wait three fucking hours until he called me in for ameeting.
The time gave Nick and me an opportunity to review the case files piled on my desk. I’d rather have been at home trying to figure out how the fuck it was possible for Raven to be in my apartment, but there we were.
It didn’t take long for us toreviewBoogie’scase. No fingerprints werefound at thescene, nor was any DNA detected. Hardly surprising, I doubtedghostsleft behindforensicevidence. Maybe we should have called in theGhostbusters;they might have had moreluck.
Even then, I would have destroyed the evidence. Raven deserved her revenge.
There were no witnesses, either, but Nick had found security footage from a nearby garage that caught a shapely figure, wearing all black, following Boogie into his apartment. Having seen Raven in the light, it was undeniably her.
In the footage, the figure had their hood up, so it wasn’t possible to make an ID. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised. Scary films I’d seen always made out that ghosts were invisible in mirrors and photographs.
But hey, what did I know? Until two nights ago, I didn’t even believein ghosts.
I didn’t share my thoughts withNickas he rambled on about how wecould attempt to track the person down. And I certainly didn’t volunteer that the person in question was currently haunting myapartment.
Ziggy’scasewasn’tmuch better. Again, noforensicevidencewas leftbehind by the culprit.Witnesseshad been spoken to, but no one had seen anything other thanZiggydisappear into the alleyway while hissupposedbuddy left him to be slaughtered while he went to get his dick sucked.
“Roberts,” Brenner huffed, eventually deciding to honor me with his time.
Lucky me.
Letting out a heavy sigh and grimacing at Nick’s muttered, ‘good luck,’I grabbed the files and followed Brenner into his office, the stench of body odor hitting my nostrils instantly. Christ, opening a window wouldn’t kill the man.
Brenner walked behind his desk, hatred rolling off him in huge waves. As he sat, his gut pressed against his stained shirt, the buttons straining to hold him in.
He didn’t indicate for me to take the chair opposite him. Idroppedthefileson his desk and remained standing, crossing my arms over mychestas I waited for theass-chewing I was bound to get for my outburst the night before.
“I want an update on the investigation,”he said, glowering at me, thebags under his eyestellingme he’d had about as much sleep as I had these past fewnights.
“No forensics, nowitnesses, nothing to go on-”
“That’s not good enough,”Brennerroared, interrupting me andslamming his hands down on the desk.“I wantanswers!”
“What do you want me to do, make up theevidence?”
Mytemper frayed in a heartbeat.Ironic really, there was tons ofevidenceinRaven’scase, yet theprickwas only too happy to ignore it in favor of an easy life.
“Of course I don’t,”hehissed, his eyes flashing with indignation.“ButI wantanswers. I’ve got the wholedamntown terrified that we’ve got a serialkilleron the loose.”
“Unlessthey’re a Viper, I doubt they’ve got anything to worry about,”Ireplied, unable to stop my eyesrolling.
Brenner’s nostrils flared, his cheeks reddening. After a moment’s pause, the idiot opened his mouth. “You’re off the case,” he blurted.
“Excuse me?” I replied, my jaw almost hitting the floor.
“You heard. Everyone in this town knows you hate theVipers, and Iget it, I really do, I’m not exactly their fan,either. But you can’t remain impartial. You’re too close to the victim of last year’s Halloween-”
“Raven. Her name is Raven,” I growled, my jaw and fists clenching.
“See, this is what I’m talking about,”Brennerhuffed, standing up.From my periphery, the entire office next door had come to a standstill, watching thesceneunfold between me andBrenner.“You’ve never been able to accept that Mills wasresponsibleforkillingher.”
It took every ounce of strength I had in me not to launch across thetable and throttle theprick. It was only the soft tapping at the door that prevented me from doing just that.
“What?” Brenner bellowed.
The two of us continued glaring at each other asNickopened thedoor, poking his head in, but not daring tostepinto the lion’s den.“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I thought yououghtto know. There’s been another murder.”
“Who?”I said, my head whipping toNick.
