The bar had still been quite wild. The sounds of drunken men singing sloppily and music blaring. Marceline had been sitting behind the bar, talking inaudibly to a few gentlemen. They had been making her laugh so hard, evidence of tears were on her cheeks. She hadn't noticed him walk in
He takes a moment to adjust to the new environment; it's always a lot to take in. He heads towards the counter and leans on his forearms against it, nodding at the men in greeting.
They don't see him, but that's fine.
"Marcie, evening."
She wipes her face, now flushed. " Good evening, Detective! I see they let you out." she smiled.
"The two only people to survive the Ripper under the same roof yet again," he says, grabbing an unwatched drink from the counter and raising the glass, to its owner's bafflement.
She smiled, and turned around to grab her glass, "Cheers to that, Detective." She raises her glass, touches his then drinks.
He delicately returns to the countertop and tries to ignore the death stare the little antic has granted him.
She noticed the man's demeanor and held a laugh. She grabbed his hand gently as if to say "Sorry", and he looked at her then turned his head at Spencer, "You're lucky." and he got up to converse with someone else.
Spencer watched the man leave, a small smile drawing at the edge of his mouth. What he says is just a mutter.
"I guess I am lucky." He sighed and spoke at his normal volume, "I've managed to talk to Miss Westenra."
She inhales deeply, "Is that so? And what of her?" She puts her hands on her hips.
"She has animal-like bite wounds all over, like a bat's, but larger. She's been seeing a frail old man with a pointy white mustache and pointy white ears. Dismissed enough to be distrustful of anyone with questions."
"A bat? Wouldn't she have, I don't know, rabies or something?" She talked to him from down the bar, as she refilled her drink. Ryn had been on duty and paid absolutely no mind to Spencer at all.
"You'd think so," he says, splaying his fingers as if he were holding one of the creatures. "But they were too far apart to be a real bat, and her symptoms do not correlate at all with rabies. Lethargy can happen in dumb rabies, which is 10% of rabies cases, but she sleepwalks, has vivid dreams loses time, and feels intense paranoia."
"Hm." she sipped on her drink, making eye contact with him. She winked before then breaking the eye contact. Ryn walked up to Marceline, whispered something in her ear, and then kissed her temple. He walked out the door without even acknowledging Spencer
He'd gone quiet and completely red at the wink, train of thought derailed. When he sees Ryn go, he snaps back into the present and turns his head to watch him walk away.
"He's- he's fine, right?"
"Yeah." she tucks her hair behind her ear, "Just had to see Jerry from upstairs." she sips on her drink, "And he doesn't like you, of course."
His face falls some, and he misses a drink in his hand.
"Well. He should get in line, I suppose. Who's Jerry from upstairs? Upstairs metaphorically?"
She laughed at his comment, "You don't want to make an enemy out of Ryn." she sipped, "Jerry is the inn manager, he's also like Ryn's best friend, but don't tell him I said that. You know how men are and their labels."
He nods, getting antsy in his seat.
"Well, if there's anything I could do to avoid that... If not, I'll just stand it like with the rest. It's fine either way."
YOU ARE READING
Crimes Against The Heart (Spencer Reid X OC)
Romance"Marceline Lyra Salden, at your service." "Spencer Reid," he says, "Detective Spencer Reid, actually. At yours." ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ +Spencer Reid X OC A weary detective strides into the dimly lit bar, his sharp eyes scanning the faces of the patrons...
