Rising Light

Chapter 13: The Bride

How Detective Jim Corrigan had been able to find a bar that allowed smoking in this day and age both impressed and annoyed Kate. Then again, it was New Orleans, where you were bound to find anything you wanted. Except for dancing when you were called on a case.

Kate went through the ME's report on the body as John examined the photos Jim gave them. It took everything in her not to snatch the cigarette from John's mouth and snuff it out. The cigarette bounced as he kept it balanced between his lips. "You were wise to call us in, Detective Corrigan. Spontaneous desiccation. Now, that is not something you see every day. Your mate here... he was mummified."

She took the photos and looked them over. The ME's report concluded the same thing as John, her own conclusions were no different. Though a desiccation that occured this quickly was not one of good magic.

Jim looked a bit agitated at John. "Dupree, John. His name... was Clement Dupree."

"Right. And you believe Detective Dupree was murdered because of a case he was working."

Kate set the photos down, focused on Zed, who hadn't taken her eyes off Jim since they arrived. Better to have her eyes on someone they could trust than pretty boy models working for her father. Not to mention, Kate could tell from the moment they came in Jim was a bit sweet on her too.

Jim leaned on the table. "Missing Persons. Three girls, same age. Dupree believed they were abducted, had this theory about... Blood moons?"

"The lunar tetrad. Four successive lunar eclipses six months apart. The last in the cycle is tonight. The blood moon," said John as Zed took a look through the case file.

"Dupree was killed the same night the third girl got took."

Zed held out a photo to Kate. "What is this?"

Kate took the photo and flashed her phone's camera on it. A faint scar appeared. "I think that's a brand." She looked up. "I need to see the body."

_______________

"You can put your back into it, Katie," John said as he lit another cigarette.

Kate pushed hard on the crowbar. Dupree had been put into one of the many New Orleans tombs and was sealed away from the elements. She answered, however, with a huff. "Maybe you should. Oh wait, those tar filled lungs can't handle it, can they?"

"Someone's a bit peevish."

She just rolled her eyes and kept pushing, listening in on Corrigan and Zed behind her. She could practically hear the smile in his voice. "Good to see you again, Zed. Been so long, I almost didn't think you were real. Glad I didn't dream you up."

The stone finally gave way. Kate whistled. "Why don't you take over, eh John?"

"How's about a bit of a hand over here, eh, big man?" John asked Corrigan.

The detective passed off the extra crowbar to Zed. Her eyes widened as Corrigan turned around. Kate joined her, curious. Something was off. One second Zed had a flirty smile and the next she looked as if she had seen a specter. Kate opened her mouth to question her, but John's voice caught her attention.

"All right, one, two, three..."

They knelt down to drop the stone marker. Dupree's body was wrapped in cloth as they gently pulled him out and brought him down to the cold ground. Dupree's head didn't get the same care and landed with a thud. Kate rolled her eyes. "Nice, boys. Super classy."

John shot her a look as he brought out a switchblade from his jacket. He made quick work of the cloth and shirt that separated him from whatever was on Dupree's chest. Next, he pulled out a small vial.