Chapter 1

Another night, another dead Quinn

Another body had turned up. Detective Geneva Beck parked her car on the main street and pulled the hood of her jacket over her head. The rain was pouring down as she exited the warmth of her car and quickly hurried into the alleyway. The street lights barely reached far enough into the night but the first responder’s squad car was parked in the alley with the headlights on to help light the scene. CSI and officers were scrambling like ants with a disrupted trail to cover the man with a tarp. The wererabbit field coroner, Dr. William Roberts, was speaking to a tall broad figure that had their back to her. They were in a dark rain jacket that read LVPD in large white letters. The figure nodded a quick staccato movement. When she neared the pair Doc Roberts’ eyes fell on her, his large white furred ears twitching, and the broad figure turned.

 Detective Dexter Rozales’ face was handsome in a boyish way with a long face, full lips, and a thin straight nose. The boyish quality was mostly from his lack of a defined jaw line and large curious eyes. She locked onto her partner’s piercing bright blues; his pupils were long and vertical like a cat’s. Fine blonde fur covered his face and went down his neck. Dexter Rozales was a werepuma.

 

“Nice of you to show up Beck.” His voice dripped with stinging sarcasm but his smile was genuine. When he smiled like this she could see the two sets of small pointed fangs in the same spot she had her regular canines.

 

“Only you could be cheerful at a murder scene,” she smirked at her partner before turning to the small round man. “Hey Doc.”

 

Dr. Roberts bowed his head slightly. “Hello Detective Beck. If you two will excuse me I have to get the van ready. You can examine the body while I’m gone just please don’t move him.” His wide button nose twitched before he scurried off. It was common for wererabbits to have Tourette’s syndrome.

 

“You know, not all of us can look like we’re happy all the time, mime girl.” Rozales leaned down and whispered in her ear.

 

“I’m a Quinn, not a Mime.” She said fiercely.  “What do we have?”

 

She followed him as he walked closer to the body. The man had been a Quinn, like herself. His skin was perfectly and naturally white with the colorful markings on his face all Quinns were born with. Specific marking belonged to certain bloodlines. This man had a bright blue diamond over his left eye, a black tear drop under the right, and thin black lips. A tragedy Quinn, how ironic. His ear length black hair was matted and plastered to his forehead. His icy blue eyes were wide with his final fear for eternity. Beck’s stomach turned. Rozales didn’t notice.  

 

“We got the call at about two thirty this morning. A drunk couple found the body while looking for some privacy.” His lips curled in amusement. “First responders got here in least than ten followed by CSI and Doc Roberts. Roberts says the body’s been here for roughly three hours though with the cold rain he could have only been here about half that.” He handed her a pair of rubber gloves and then bent down next to the body. “He’s got some extremely deep slash marks in his abdomen and on his chest.” A claw shot through the tip of his rubber glove as he moved his finger above the long gashes.

 

“Just like the last three.” Beck added quietly.

 

“Correct. He also had his vocal cords smashed but the pattern of the bruising makes me think it was caused by an object rather than a hand.” The claw retracted.

 

Beck frowned as she surveyed the black and purple neck. “What pattern?”

 

Rozales pushed the man’s shirt collar further down to give her a better view. “See how there’s no finger marks and it’s just a long thin line?”

 

She nodded.

 

“I think he may have been hit with something. It would have had to of been something narrow but heavy and solid enough to make that mark without breaking since we haven’t found any pieces of it.” He said.

 

She thought for a second; something heavy and solid but at the same time narrow. “Maybe a pipe or crowbar?” she suggested.

 

He nodded quickly. “Yeah, that’s an easy possibility.”

 

Beck stood and surveyed the rest of the lit part of the alley. “I don’t see much blood except what the rain has washed off of him but there’s not nearly enough here. Wounds like that would have this place covered, even with the rain.”

 

Rozales nodded again. “I was thinking this was possibly a body dump and not our murder scene which would fit with the others. I know He hasn’t left much for trace evidence but I thought I’d have them cover it just in case.”

 

She sighed. “With this rain I doubt you’ll get much of anything even if He had finally slipped up. That’s probably why He left him at this time. I bet He was expecting the body to be here a lot longer.”

 

“Thank god for horny couples I suppose.”

 

Fear finally rose in her chest, not that she’d let that show. Quinns were excellent at hiding their emotions, mostly due to their facial markings. This was the fourth murdered Quinn they’d found in the last two months. They’d already been over most of the obvious possibilities. Maybe this was a hate crime; perhaps Mimes or Clowns. Pierrots were typically too high class for something so violent.  

 

“Do you smell anything out of the ordinary?” she wondered.

 

He took a long deep breath through his nose and shook his head. “Not with this cursed rain. I just smell blood, garbage, and death.”

 

“Move it guys, time to pack him up.” Dr. Roberts was behind them suddenly, though Beck was sure Rozales had heard him coming with his sensitive cat’s ears.

 

They stood aside as Doc’s two large vampire assistants gently placed the body into a black bag and carried it to the coroner’s van.

 

“Thanks for coming out at this our Doc.” Rozales said in his deafening clear voice.

 

Dr. Roberts’ nose twitched and he shrugged his round shoulders. “Duty calls.”

 

It had already been over two hours since the first responder arrived and the rest of the team was trying to head out. By this time the end of the alleyway that led back onto the main street was crowded with news reporters. There was a reporter of every race present for every race had their own news station. Separate, but equal. That’s how most things in Los Velasquez were.

 

As the pair of detectives pushed their way through the screaming crowd they were bombed with question after question.

 

“Did you find another Quinn, Detective Rozales?”

 

“Is it the Clown Killer?”

 

“Detective, the people have a right to know!”

 

They kept their mouths shut, something you learned quickly while being on the police force, and continued to push toward Beck’s car. Once they were safely inside, she felt Rozales’ body relax.

 

“I need tea.” He sighed.

 

“Dora’s?” she suggested.

 

“Sounds great.”

 

They pulled into the small parking lot of an old fashion stylized diner. Old fashion as in the servers used roller skates and you could eat in the car if you wanted to. Beck personally hated eating in the car. They took their regular booth in the far back corner. It was the only booth in the entire place that they both could sit facing the door without being squished up next to each other.

 

A young Nymph waitress rolled up to their table. Her smile was bright and her skin had the slight sparkly transparent look that was typical of Faeries. Her hair was like a long river of corn silk that seemed to float as she skated to them. The small white name tag on her apron read “Aislin” but when she introduced herself she pronounced it like ASH-lin. Beck mentally rolled her eyes, Faery names.  

 

The detectives ordered one coffee and one tea. When the waitress rolled off to the kitchen window, Rozales gave Beck a wide stare.

 

She frowned. “What creep?”

 

“I don’t know how you drink that nasty stuff.” He said simply.

 

“It tastes amazing to me. I don’t know how you drink that nasty stuff.”

 

“It’s healthy and herbal! It’s good for your body!” his voice rose in volume as it normally did when he was mockingly outraged.

 

“Well coffee is good for my body.” Beck rubbed her tired eyes.

 

Rozales fell silent for a moment. It was an awkward feeling for her; she was the quiet one of the two. “You know it’s not good for you to stew about it, you’re not equipped for that like I am.” She teased.

 

“Karen has been getting on my case again lately.” He said quietly.

 

Beck groaned as anger exploded into her. “She’s so irritating. WHY?” she exclaimed exasperatedly. “I don’t understand, we’re partners and that’s it.”

 

“I know,” he said. “I’ve tried telling her that a hundred times but it doesn’t get me anywhere. She’s just being insecure.”

 

Aislin returned with their hot beverages. “Would you like to order?” Her voice sounded like tinkling bells and made Beck think of morning dew on leaves.

 

They ordered their usual breakfast of toast, eggs, and bacon and away she skated. Beck couldn’t help but watched her for a couple moments. “She just pisses me off.”

 

Rozales frowned. “The waitress?”

 

“No, your girlfriend.” She snapped pouring seven packets of sugar into her black coffee and then adding enough cream to make it nearly white.

 

“I’m sorry; I’m really at a loss of what to do. Every time I yell at her and bring her back to reality it only lasts a few months before she loses it again.”  He added milk to his tea and gulped down half the cup.

 

Beck wondered how the hot tea never seemed to burn his throat. “Maybe you should just leave her then if it’s going to be a constant problem.” There was no way in hell that she was going to suggest changing partners. She liked Rozales too much…loved him too much.

 

His pupils were beginning to shrink into slivers as the sun rose through the diner window. The surrounding buildings of the city looked old and beaten up with torn over hangs and severely faded business signs. Some of the windows were boarded up here and there while others were broken or so dirty you couldn’t see through them. Beck was sure the diner looked like the rest of these buildings but because it was run by Faeries, they changed what it looked like to your naked eye, as they did with their own self images. It was common knowledge that Faeries were only beautiful because that’s how they wanted you to see them.

 

“I can’t just leave her. We have a life together, bills we’d have to split up, and my car still isn’t fixed yet.” His voice sounded tired as he spoke the same excuses he’d been using for months.

 

Beck shrugged as she saw Aislin returning with their food. “Do what you want Dex, but you can’t complain about it being difficult when you’re the only one holding you back.”

 

Reviews

[knapp darko]

I really enjoyed this kept me hooked from start to finish and look forward to reading more. I love the way you use words and it paints a great picture keep up the good word and I really feel you will improve even more, the story is excellent and I look forward to reading more

[Rip the cowdog]

Niki, You have excellent skill at writing novels, I could see nothing wrong with your work at all. outstanding typing skills. The title of the book?/ Candy Colored Clowns. A Detective Dexter Rozales Series #1