First Case, Part 1

First Case, Part 2

First Case, Part 3

Second Case, Part 1

Sheriff of InTween

Second Case, Part 2: Fangs for Nothing

The chair creaked as Edwin leaned back in it. His eyes looked forlornly out of the window, at the breeze making the trees sway. People walked by but they clustered with each other more often than not. Their motions more hurried than normal, and more watchful of their surroundings than they used to be. Despite their increased vigilance however, the day was sunny and bright. On the surface, it looked like a normal summer day.

Reluctantly Edwin dragged his attention back inside the Law Office, glaring at Burke and Phineas. The latter was sitting calmly in a chair, arms folded and leg crossed over the other. He kept up his air of polite disinterest but Edwin could tell he was getting irritated. The vampire’s long fingers gripped his sleeves and his jaw was clenched enough to show a slight tremor in the muscles.

Burke was building himself into a frenzy, stomping around the room and bellowing. Not that Edwin could blame him for being upset. A day after the discovery of the bull corpse, another ranch suffered a casualty. The cow was killed in the same way: messily and drained of blood. The ranchers and the townsfolk were getting anxious, especially since this time the ranch was much closer to the town.

To make matters worse, Phineas lacked as solid of an alibi than the night previous. The vampire had allowed his room to be searched afterwards and nothing he owned had been covered in blood or shown any kind of violent struggle. It would not have been hard to do some cleaning admittedly, but no signs of any kind of hasty cleaning or magical clearing had been found.

“Burke,” Edwin finally interrupted, “we’ve established that Mister Sable was not at the ranch in question. Nor did he visit the first one. None of the ranchers or their hands recognized Mister Sable.”

“Then where was he?” Burke retorted. The dwarf was red-faced and breathing heavily. “What’s he even doing here in InTween?”

“My business is my own and I owe you no explanation,” Phineas said icily.

“Besides, like I told you Burke, I have my ways and I can confidently say Mister Sable was nowhere near the ranch last night,” Edwin said before Burke could retort. “Besides, there are more than one kind of vampire Burke. If, and it’s a might big if here, a vampire is responsible for the killin’, it might be one not like Mister Sable here. The jaw marks are far bigger and you need big ole claws for that. Jaws and claws Mister Sable don’t have.”

“There-there are different kinds of vampires?” Burke asked, wonder and fear on his face.

“Don’t you think it’s curious that Mister Sable can walk around in the daylight?” Edwin replied sarcastically.

“Do not worry sir, my strength is very much reduced while in the sunlight. And as the good Sheriff said, I do lack the “jaws and claws” as he so poetically said,” Phineas said silkily with a smile that inspired worry.

The dwarf coughed before he belligerently shook his head, latching onto anything that would change the subject. “Fine, whatever. You say you got ways of knowing where he was? What’re they?”

“I don’t report to you Burke, you ain’t my Chief. You just gotta trust me.”

Burke’s explosive snort showed what he thought of that. “Looks like you trust the vampire more than you trust the people you’re supposed to be protecting. If you don’t do something soon Sheriff, we’ll have to take matters in our own hands.”

The chair legs slammed into the floor and Edwin rose from it, looming above the dwarf. “Don’t threaten me Burke. If you or any of your mates try to take ‘matters in your own hands’, that’s vigilantism and I won’t have it. I will toss you all behind bars faster than you can blink. Am I clear?”

Burke’s ruddy face paled at Edwin’s expression. “You better hurry and fix this then Sheriff,” he stammered. With one more glare at Phineas the dwarf left, slamming the door behind him.

“Well,” Phineas remarked, “he seems like a pleasant fellow.”

Edwin sighed. “He’s better under normal circumstances. Somewhat.” He turned and looked directly at Phineas. “I think you can tell I don’t like blaming innocent people for things.”

Phineas nodded. “So it would seem.”

“You gotta throw me a bone here. Tell me what’re you doin’ here in town. I’ll tell the folk and their suspicion will die down.”

The slim man looked calmly back. “Am I under arrest Sheriff?”

Another sigh. “No. Not right now.”

“Then I do not have to tell you, not right now. Besides, you claim you have “your ways” in keeping an account on my movements. Surely that would tell you where I am going.”

The Sheriff breathed deeply. “They tell me where you are, to an extent. I know where you weren’t last night, not the same as knowing where you were, or what you were doin’.”

Phineas fished out the card he received when he first met Edwin. He looked at it with professional interest. “Very clever by the way. A tracking spell on the card, buried beneath the light and flare spell. It is effectively masked by the latter two spells. However, if you made it more-strong for better tracking, then the subject could find it easily.”

Edwin raised an eyebrow. “You’re not mad?”

“On the contrary, I am rather impressed. It is an elegant design.” He slipped the card back into his pocket and smiled at the Sheriff’s surprise. “I will still hold onto it; it may still come in use.” He rose and brushed his sleeves free of imaginary dust. “Rest easy Sheriff, I am sure this business will conclude soon and your faith in me will be rewarded.” Then without another word he left, closing the door gently behind him.

Edwin sank back into his chair with a grunt of annoyance. He could press the issue and question Phineas without properly arresting him or bringing him on charges. He also knew one never confronted a vampire lightly, even if their powers were sapped in the day time. Then again, time was running out. He knew the townsfolk would not suffer these killings much longer, especially with a suspect so conveniently there. He had not been the Sheriff long and most of the town still saw him as an unknown character. Burke was loud and rash, but he was an example of what the rest of the InTween would be feeling.

A knock at the door made his head rise. “Cummon in,” he called.

The door opened and revealed an older dwarven women. She stepped into the office, closing the door behind her. Tanned and weathered from the sun, her blue eyes sparkled with intelligence and though she leaned on a cane, Edwin knew that was somewhat an act. He had seen her lift a crate of iron without any noticeable effort. “Hello Edwin, a moment of your time?”

“Of course, anytime you need me, your Mayor-ness.”

Hlyga Stonehead sat in the offered chair, hands folded on the Ram’s head handle of her cane. “I’ll cut to the heart of it. What’s going on with these cattle killings?”

Edwin went over his notes from both incidents, including the notes from the local veterinarian. The entire time Hlyga let him speak without interrupting, something he liked about her.

“So, what or who do you think is responsible? Some kind of blood hungry beast?” she asked.

He did not miss what she was implying. “Sure looks like it. Some sort of blood thirsty thing, eager to kill and to feed.”

“How long before the perpetrator turns to folk instead of cattle?”

“Can’t really say.”

Hlyga sighed and looked out the window. “The ranchers came to me this morning, all of them spooked. Can’t blame them, those livestock are their lives. Not to mention they are helping InTween with trade right now. Lots of beef and leather going out as exports.” She looked back at Edwin. “Some of the townsfolk are seeing me too. They’re getting scared.”

“I’m doin’ the best I can ma’am. Truly, I am.”

“I don’t doubt it.” She paused, carefully choosing her words. “You are sure this…Sable, is not responsible for the killings? That he is completely innocent?”

Edwin also took a moment to choose his words. “I am…almost completely sure he is innocent of the killin’s. Don’t yet know why he’s here, and I have a suspicion they might be related, but I don’t think he’s the one doin’ the slaughterin’.”

Hlyga nodded solemnly. “Alright Edwin. I trust you. We thought long and hard before we decided who we wanted to be our Sheriff. You have a long history. The people who like you have very good things to say.” A wry smile creased her lips. “The people who hate you all say some things too, the same things even. Things I don’t necessarily think are bad out here.”

“Thanks…I think.”

“Now, when you came here, I told you I would try to never tell you how to do your job. Just like how I hope you won’t tell me how to do my job.”

“I sure do appreciate that,” Edwin replied slowly. “I hear a but comin’.”

“Perhaps it may be best for everyone involved if Mister Sable was watched more closely.”

“Ma’am, I’m a big proponent of innocent ‘till proven guilty. We can’t just toss a soul into jail just because they’re a stranger and different.”

“I understand that, and I agree with that.” She leaned forward. “You have to understand that this town is different from where you worked before. People here think differently. We’ve been suddenly thrust into a bigger stage and a change in thinking takes time.”

“That’s why I’m here too ma’am. To help InTween become more accustomed to modern law enforcement and to make sure things transition as peacefully as possible.”

The pair stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Hylga tapped the floor with her cane. “You better get things figured out quick then Edwin, before people try to solve the problem themselves.”

Edwin smiled at the words. “You parrotin’ your cousin now?”

Hylga snorted. “There’s a reason why I’m Mayor and the head of the family Edwin, and not Burke.” She rose and started to leave.

“Mayor, do not tell me to throw an innocent into jail without a reason.” Edwin spoke softly, but there was no missing the conviction in his tone.

“Sheriff, don’t make me,” she replied with the same tone. Touching the cane to her forehead, she left.

Edwin watched her leave, the sound of her steps and her tapping cane receding into the distance. He rubbed his face tiredly, exhausted from what was said and what was not. He knew what he had to do, he also knew what he wanted to do. It was hardest when they were not the same thing. Despite the obvious signs of suspicion, his gut feeling was that Phineas was not guilty of the dead cows. He did not know what the vampire was up to, but he figured it was related to the killings.

The Sheriff walked to the back room and rummaged through trunks he had brought with him when he moved to InTween. He placed a few things in a rucksack and hefted it over his shoulder. After checking his watch, he set off down the street with a fast step. He would need time to set up his idea and he had just enough time to do it.

***

That night figures moved through the brush. Though they tried to move quietly, snapped twigs and rustled branches caused more than a little noise. “Will you lot be careful?” Burke hissed at his companions. “You want the whole town to hear us?”

“Easy for you t’say,” a human male replied. “Y’can see better in the dark. I can’t.”

“Just follow close then,” Burke grumbled. “And only shoot when we shoot.”

“How’d you hear there was a cow that escaped?” an elf woman asked, peering through the dark easily.

“One of the ranch workers mentioned it at the Watering Hole. Said they think they got all the escapees but there might be one missing.” Burke tightened his grip on his crossbow. “We already lost two too many. If that Sheriff won’t help, then we gotta help our own.”

“Shouldn’t we have asked the Sheriff to help?” the man asked.

“He wasn’t in the office,” the elf replied when Burke snorted. “I checked before comin’ out with y’all.”

“We don’t need him,” Burke said shortly and the rest lapsed into silence.

Eventually they came to a clearing and Burke held up a big meaty hand. “There she is,” he said smugly, pointing at a cow standing in an open field. “Now all we gotta do is grab the animal and take her home.” He took a step into the field and stopped when he heard a metal click. He tried to turn and bring his crossbow up but a heavy hand pulled him back into the brush and he fell flat on his back from the force.

“Drop your weapons you idiots! If one of you shoots me I’ll shoot you right back!”

“Sheriff?” Burke gasped, looking up at the irate man. “What’re you doing here?!”

“I should be asking you three that!” Edwin shook his head. “You almost ruined my trap.”

“Your trap?” the elf asked. “You set the cows loose earlier?”

“No, I bought a cow from Rancher Degol for a trap. I just had him tell his hands to pretend it was an escape in case someone in town was responsible for the killin’. I set this up farther out and left a trail to entice it from where I think it’s at. And you lot almost ruined it. I should drag you three back to town and to jail. I warned you Burke. What did I say about takin’ matters into your hands?”

“But Sheriff,” the man whined.

“No buts Torley. You shoulda known better than to listen to Burke.”

“Uh Sheriff?” The elven woman started to back away, looking over Edwin’s shoulder.

“No buts from you neither Malta. I ain’t haven’t it.”

“No, I mean,” her hand shook as she pointed past him. “I think your trap mighta worked.”