Dark Stranger

Avriel - Part 10

Thanks to @LifeOfAPentaholic for the picture with the flame edit.

Case 3 - "Dragonfire"

The third and fourth bodies were discovered in an alley behind The Last Bookstore. Chavez and Walker were assigned automatically and did their usual sub-standard job of evidence collection and investigation. Zass had organised with 'One Strike Investigation' to be notified if any further bodies came up with 'burns in combination with sharp force trauma' across the Police Band. So we were on scene shortly after the Police had left. Getting to it when it was still relatively fresh meant that Avi, Zass and I could examine the scene and get a better idea about the perpetrator(s) and the victim(s).

Kirstie had come back to check in with us too. Chavez and Walker were happy to wait for their reports and since she had been exonerated and reinstated, Kirstie was happy to let them wait while everyone took a good look around and got the lay of the land. Zass and Avi took the lead as Kirstie read the sketchy police report.

"The bodies were found here and next to that dumpster." She said pointing. "Both showed signs of burning and sharp force trauma. They were armed to the teeth and had this symbol on their clothing."

She showed us a picture and Avi nodded and said, "Ascalonians."

Zass smelled the air around the bodies and said. "We knew you were in the clear Avi, but it's nice to know for sure that we are looking for other dragons. This one smells completely different to you, almost like brimstone."

"What do I smell like to you?" Avi asked.

Zass flashed over to him and inhaled his scent. "More woodsy. There's the usual scale scent, but you have a definite odour of wood, vegetation, like that."

"What about the first two victims. Woodsy or Brimstone odours?" I asked.

"The first was like these two, there was more..." he paused as he ran his tongue across his teeth. "There was more sulphur in the mix." He nodded at me and said, "Good thinking Scott. This scene has that same sulphur tone to the scents. The second was more metallic." He looked for a word to describe the scent, "More like blood, but not copper or iron, I want to say gold, but that's crazy right?"

Avi sniffed the scene and frowned. "I definitely know who is responsible for the first death and these two, but he had an alibi for the female, so I was hoping I was wrong about all of them. But I guess I was hoping in vain. The female victim was the metallic scent right? I guess I have a sneaking suspicion who may be responsible now. But I can't turn either over to the Council."

The Council would be appeased if all the evidence was removed and the humans couldn't pursue an investigation at all." Zass stated.

Kirstie looked horrified. "I have just been reinstated Zass, do you really want to get me into trouble again by letting Avi here destroy more evidence on my watch?"

He replied. "No Kay Kay. But I have an idea of how Scott here can help us disappear the evidence. It wouldn't involve you at all and it would be in transit so your office wouldn't take the blame."

At our questioning looks he said three letters. "F.B.I."

I smiled and said, "Right. Four deaths, they will be expecting to get involved now." I nodded. "I can get false transfer papers to get the LAPD to send the evidence to their local offices and we can disappear it on the way if we know when the transfer will be. What you had in mind Zass?"

He smiled approvingly at what I had deduced.

"Can you ensure all the physical evidence is included with the other three bodies Kirstie?" Zass asked her.