Demonic Detective: Day One

Epliogue

Back in the police station, Hazal was tapping her fingers on the keyboard absentmindedly. She could feel gentle waves of curiosity and unrest from her coworkers, and she was just waiting for somebody to come ask.

It was Charlene who knocked gently on her door.

"Come in."

The tech came in sheepishly, her curiosity making circles around Hazal.

"Chief, I wanted to ask about that case of the murder on the beach. I saw that you marked it as solved? I didn't know we knew who did it."

"I had outside help." Hazal put her hands together waiting for any drop of doubt to come from Charlene. None came as of yet. "There was a witness that came through yesterday evening. They had seen the murderer sneaking into the campsite. The killer ended up being Ian Sylvano, one of our prime suspects. He was found dead in a dumpster yesterday, shot in the head. No doubt internal affairs of Miller's gang..."

Charlene nodded.

"So... not that Robin gal?"

Hazal chuckled.

"No, you didn't give out sensitive information to Chris' killer. But speaking of Robin, I'd like you to go deliver something to her today. Just leave it outside of the campsite. It's important."

Hazal tapped a styrofoam box on her desk. There was no encyclopedia on supernatural, but she was pretty sure a bloody steak would be to a demon's liking. She needed to get into the good grace of the demon, and she wouldn't want to step onto its territory so soon after their fight. If someone was getting into the widow's web, it probably wouldn't be Hazal. Charlie would be her replacement, and Hazal would make sure she'd stay safe.

"Did she ask for this?"

"No. It's just a gesture of good will."

Hopefully a bloody piece of meat delivered by a person the widow had already tried getting into its web would be enough of a peace offering.

"That's all, Charlie. You may go now if you'd like."

The woman hesitantly took the box, leaving the room.

Hazal shot a message to Angela, going out to the sidewalk to meet with her.

"And? Did you find the demon?" Angela asked without any pleasantries, appearing just a few minutes later from a back alley.

"I know where it is, more of less." Hazal said, lighting her cigarette. "But I'm not telling you just yet."

Angela scoffed.

"Waiting for it to kill before we strike? Do you at least know what it is?"

"A widow. No doubt about it."

"That at least gives us time. Just deal with it before it makes its first kill."

It was already too late, but Angela didn't need to know that.

Hazal nodded, blowing out a puff of smoke. She was hoping she was making the right call.

***

"Did anybody see Poke?" Elvira asked, sitting down between Jasper and Robin to get cloes to the fire. "I can't find her anywhere."

"We didn't see her either." Jasper nodded. "She's disappeared with some of her things. I think she moved on."

Her body was in a container, drowned deep underwater, too deep for any human without a specialized equipment to encounter. Her bag and personal items were divided between various garbage bins far away from their campsite. Her clothes and documents were being burnt in the very fire they were warming themselves with.

"Such a shame." Elvira sighed. "We're going to have to start going to the clininc for help again. I hope Poke is happy, wherever she is."

Robin said nothing, moving a passport burning under a log farther with a stick.

"Hey, Robin." Sarah called out, coming in from the outside. "There is a box with your name on the post near the stairs."

Robin furrowed her brow, going outside. She approached the post in question, finding a container with her human name scribbled on it. She opened it carefully. The meat inside smelled wonderfully, blood pooling on the styrofoam.

She raised her head, seeing the woman who had been there to examine the body observe her from the top of the stairs. Robin tilted her head, and the woman smiled, waving to her before turning on her heel and leaving.

Robin looked down at the box. A peace offering. 

Now that was curious.