The Dire Choice (Otherworld Series #7)

Chapter 15- Shaw

"Senior Inspector Allen Gibson." He introduced.

The older cop was clearly flustered about having being caught munching on donuts, legs up on his desk. He hadn't given Shaw much thought once he first saw him, but when Shaw introduced himself as a Detective, things got going real quick. 

"How can I help you this day?" He asked, clearing his throat. Bits of the confection he had been eating were stuck to his moustache, his face was red, Shaw was starting to think that this man was one of those usual red faced fatso's that sat on their asses all day long, only counting money earned by their underlings.

"I've come inquiring about an old case." He opens his briefcase, removing a few photocopies of the newspaper clippings he had made.

"Bethany Lancaster. "

The cop didn't even get up, he simply took the clipping, perusing them with pig eyes. Shaw impatiently waited, hoping that the cop could tell him something more about the little girl to conform him suspicions about her. No werewolf called anyone 'Alpha', that was only a.....another species' special trait, and it was simply not possible for them to be out among humans, barely any of them were born anymore.

"I think I remember this girl. A very old case." The cop nods.

Shaw waits with bated breath, feeling like his head was going to blast open at any moment.

---

He is surprised to find Benjamin Lancaster sitting at the door, smoking a cigarette.

His little trip to the Police Station had been for naught. Using portals had tired him out, he was all but ready to sleep for a few days.

It had been the same story from the cops, Beth had been a weird little girl, people were afraid of her after the nun saw what she was, the police had her in custody for a few days before they sent her to another orphanage. She had stayed with one of the female superintendents.

Same complaints of over attachment to males, same complaints of calling all males 'Alpha'. Shaw was starting to have a bad idea about the little girl and the life she had been forced to lead among humans.

"Mr. Lancaster." He said, nodding at the guy.

The human male stood up, cigarette in hand. He was awfully tall for a human, and handsome, Shaw wouldn't have minded a little tussel in the sheets if the guy hadn't been his client, but he always kept business and woo-hoo seperate. It was better that way.

"I came to check up on your progress." He said, his intelligent eyes roaming around the dark circles under Shaw's eyes. The detective smiled politely, "By all means, welcome."

He went ahead and opened the door, the dusty air made him blush, a few glasses clinked from the little kitchen in the back, a meow sounded and as Benjamin Lancaster stepped in behind him, his cat, Eerie Jane came out from the kitchen to greet him.

"You keep pets in your work place?" Mr. Lancaster said when Shaw bent down to pet the cat.

Bradshaw froze turning slightly, "What pet?" He asked, anxiety building up in his chest.

"The cat. Right there." He pointed at Eerie Jane. The cat meowed as if saying 'Hi', but Shaw was shocked. 

Usually when his...human...clients saw him bend to pet the cat, they thought he was picking up a piece of trash or a rag cloth. It looked like a mess to them, the veil hiding the truth.

But Benjamin could see the cat.

Interesting. Shaw stood. "Her name is Eerie Jane. She comes around sometimes, when shes hungry or lonely."

He led the human male to his cluttered desk and sat in his chair, Mr. Lancaster payed no further heed to the cat as he sat in the chair opposite Shaw, checking the time on his watch and looking around the messy little room.

"Never bothered to check out your place before. " He muttered, his eyes tracing the wet splotches on the corners of the walls.

"It's a small place I've got, but its home."

"You live here?"

"Yes, occasionally, when I'm not travelling, doing my job." Shaw then sits ahead, ready to get rid of the other male, waiting to think about his discoveries.

"So, so far, I've spoken to the officials at the police station and the nun who took care of your sister Bethany. " He said, drawing Mr. Lancaster's sharp attention.

"What did they say?"

"That your sister had a weird habit of calling everyone-"

"-Alpha. " Benjamin said, his face paling a bit. "I'd thought she only called us that, I know of this information already. " His face screws up. "I've hired others before and they've found the same information. " He stands up, angrily. 

"I'm not paying you to retrace their steps. Im paying you to find my sister."

Shaw stands, warily. His face us tired, he looks older, older than he was a second ago. "I need to understand this case from the start Mr. Lancaster. Only then can I find your sister."

"That doesn't make any damn sense!"

"You want something that makes sense?" A vague feeling of annoyance comes into him. Benjamin Lancaster was a rash human who doesn't understand his work, calling him useless.

"The only thing that makes send right now. " He said, threatening, his voice a low growl. "Is that your sister was a Werewolf, or possibly a Direwolf. Bethany Lancaster was not a human."

The news is shocking. Benjamin Lancaster slowly sits down, his face white, his lips pursed. His eyes are sad, Shaw tastes the air, collecting snippets of memories.

Young Benjamin, standing out the door of his sister's room, being held back by servants as she screams. Holding his sister as their father throws a bottle to the ground in anger, a shard flying at him, cutting his cheek, the little girl getting aggressive, flying at the human, unnatural claws bared. And the last one, young Mr. Lancaster, holding Bethany's hand looking into her eyes and suddenly being wracked by a headache.

The last memory was so strong that it even managed to hit Bradshaw, making him fall back in his chair, clutching his head.

"I will see you tomorrow." The other male suddenly says. "I need time to process this. You will come to the Lancaster Mansion tomorrow to speak to our House keeper, she has cared for Bethany since she was brought to us."

Shaw nods, needing time to process things himself.

Mr. Lancaster looks at him sadly and weirdly before leaving. Soon all that is left of him is his dark brooding scent.

Eerie Jane climbs onto Shaw's lap. Her form shimmers, she is ethereal, his hand passes through her misty body before she controls it and becomes real again.

Eerie Jane had died seven years ago, an unfortunate car accident. Her soul had stayed, not fulfilled with life, still wanted to live and love. She was a ghost. An apparition.

Benjamin Lancaster should not have been able to see the cat.

Because only a human Introduced to the Otherworld could see the Otherworldly Creatures.

Benjamin Lancaster had been Introduced.

And Shaw had a feeling he knew who introduced him. He looked down at the picture of Bethany Lancaster, her mismatched eyes seeing through him, piercing him.

Only an ancient powerful being could conduct an Introduction. Not a little girl who called people 'Alpha'.

Bethany Lancaster....wasn't really Bethany Lancaster.