1 - Out of the cold and into confusion

A Chapter by Wolfwind

Martin Winslow wasn’t used to the Chicago winters. In fact he hated winter, having grown up in Florida. But his career of choice had landed him in the windy city. Martin was a specialist in organized crime for the Chicago Police Department. Having only come to work for the 8^th precinct a few months ago, he hadn’t gotten used to the biting chill that Illinois winters could bring.

It was a Sunday morning and Martin swore the only thing on him warm were his hands, that wrapped around the large cup of coffee. Standing on a snow covered corner, Martin’s eyes were alert to the doorway on the large gated driveway, a block up the street and across the now quiet two lane road. They called it the Fortress. It was the home of Chicago’s most prominent crime boss, Julio Petronavich.

Martin shivered as a chilling breeze brought a fresh dusting of snow. If it hadn’t been for a tip that Petronavich was meeting with some mafia big wig from Sicily, he wouldn’t be freezing his butt off right now.

“Hey Mister,” Martin jumped as he felt a tug on his large over coat and turned around to see a young girl, perhaps twelve years old.

“You lost kid?”

“No.” The girl smiled brightly, her bright blue eyes and a lock of blond hair spilling out from her thick winter coat. Martin could see her cheeks were rosy warm and with the fur lined boots, her toes probably were too. He felt a bit envious.

Martin stared at her, “Is there a problem?”

The girl shook her head, “No. I was just wondering why you’ve been outside Julio Petronavich’s home all morning?”

‘Crap!’ Martin Winslow’s hair began to crawl. “Is there a crime in just standing and watching the snow fall?” Martin asked, hoping and praying this wasn’t some family member of the crime boss.

The girl nodded her head, “Yep…” She grinned and winked, “It’s called loitering.” Martin followed the girls pointing finger to a sign covered in snow against the brick wall of an adjacent building. At that exact moment a gust of wind knocked the snow off and Martin could see the no loitering sign.

The detective turned and offered a shrug of the shoulders and a warm smile, “I won’t say anything, if you won’t?”

The little girl laughed, “You’re a cop, huh?”

‘Holy Crap!’ Martin’s mind whirled a bit, wondering if this girl was psychic or something. He shivered a bit more.

Before he could come up with a workable answer, the little girl giggled, “I won’t say anything if you won’t?”

Martin forced a chuckled and nodded, “You got yourself a deal miss. Now, shouldn’t you been running on home? I’m sure someone’s worried about you.”

The girl’s smile melted and became a slightly down curved pout. “No, I don’t have a home. They died.”

Martin stood for a moment, caught off guard. “Well…where do you sleep?” The detective knew that he was supposed to be keeping watch on the Fortresses gate, but this young girl was concerning him.

The girl beamed a smile and twirled her arms in the air, “Everywhere and no where.” Martin raised an eyebrow and was about to say something, when the girl stared him right in the eyes and spoke, “I’m a spirit. Do you believe me?”

Martin grinned and patted the girls head, letting out a laugh. “Look Miss, it’s too cold out here for games and I’m rather busy. Go on and get back to where you should be, before you catch a cold.”

The girls next words brought Martin Winslow right back to where he had been watching all morning.

“I’m where I need to be. I’m going in there!” The girl smiled, eyes wide and bright, as she pointed to the home of Julio Petronavich.

Martin’s hair was now on end, ‘Who is this girl?’ His mind trying to recall her image from the countless photos he had memorized about the crime lords family. Nothing rang a bell in his head.

“How do you know him?” Martin boldly asked in an off the wall way.

The girl poked her eye around the edge of her fur lined hood, “You mean, you don’t know?” Martin could see the girl was smiling as she asked.

“I’m sorry miss, but I guess I don’t.”

The girl smiled, gazing over at the Petronavich estate. “It’s okay. The next time you talk to one of Julio’s goons, ask them who Abigail is. I’m sure they will be happy to talk about that…If they don’t pee in their pants that is.”

Martin turned away for a moment ditching his empty coffee cup in a garbage can and then looked back. Then he looked up and down the street and then turned to look back at the entrance to the Fortress. The girl was gone.

“Okay. That was different.”

Little did Martin know at the time, but it wouldn’t be the last time he saw the little girl over the next few weeks. When he did catch glimpses of her, she would always make eye contact with him and give a smile and wink.

It would be a week before Christmas that Martin had an opportunity to find out who the girl might be. During a lucky sting operation, the anti-crime team nabbed one of Patronavich’s goons trying to pawn stolen jewelry from a heist that had occurred in late fall.

Tommy Grovitz sat in the questioning room, handcuffed to the chair. He was smug through the entire interrogation, not letting anything slip about anything else. Martin walked up to the other two detectives.

“Is he talking?”

“Nope, that one is tight as a zip lock freezer bag.” Coreen Mcklusky replied.

“I’ll give it a go then.”

“Go for it.” James shrugged.

Martin stepped into the interrogation room and closed the door behind him. Tommy gave him a half grin and look that reeked of arrogance.

“You know, you’re only gonna make this harder by not talking Tommy.”

“F**k off. I didn’t do nothing”

Martin stared into the thugs eyes for a minute, ‘I wonder if he’ll actually piss his pants.’ As they hadn’t had any luck, he figured he’d bring up the girl’s name.

“So Tommy…I want you to think real hard and answer one simple question. You think you can do that?”

“You’re wasting….”

“Who’s Abigail? She said that one you goons might be able to tell me.”

Martin got a response that wasn’t like anything he’d ever seen in his entire career.

“A…a..Abigail!” Tommy’s eyes went wide as his skin turned a sickly color of white and his pants darkened with his own urine. “Oh f**k…Oh f**k…Oh f**k…”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. So tell me…Why’s this little girl been wandering around your bosses place?”

Tommy shot the detective a wide eyed stare. “The bosses place! She’s b…b…been there?”

Martin nodded, “Yeah, been watching you guys. Now tell me why?”

“Look! I’ll tell ya anything you want to know, but you gotta lock me away! Keep that girl away from me! If she finds out what I’ve and some of the other boys have been doing…We’re as good as DEAD!”

Martin spread his hands and motioned the man to calm down, “Now take it easy Tommy...”

“TAKE IT EASY?! You f*****g idiot! That’s Abigail! She’ll f*****g curse us! F*****g lock me up!” Tommy words came out with spits of saliva. Martin could see the man was truly terrified.

Stepping back from the table, Martin turned towards the door to bring in his partners. As he turned the knob and opened the door, he looked down. “Hey, how did you…” Abigail smiled and pushed passed him. Martin spun around to see Tommy scream and rock backward in the chair, it falling back and catching on the wall.

Abby looked back at Martin and winked, “I think he’s guilty…Don’t you?”

Tommy was in tears, “Please M…m…mistress….I’m sorry! We…we screwed up...”

Martin though about calling for back up, instead he let his curiosity take control. Stepping back into the room he closed the door and watched. The girl had stepped around the table and was holding the thug gently by the chin, making sure he looked right into her eyes.

“You’re right Tommy, you have displeased me and you’re not going to ever do that again.”

“N…no, never again M…mistress…” Tommy sobbed.

“I shall deal with you first and then deal with the others. After all Tommy…You were the one that broke code and got the others to go along with you.”

“I…I…know I did bad… Please forgive me!”

“I don’t know if I can Tommy…” Abby shook her head with a sad face.

“P…Please, I’ll do anything you want of me Mistress!” Tommy blubbered.

Martin saw Abigail turn to him and then looked back at the thug.

“Detective,” She asked.

“Yes?”

“Would you like him to write out a full confession? I fear it’s either that, or I’ll have to incinerate him for his sins.”

Martin shook his head in disbelief at what this girl was saying. “Look…Abigail. You can’t just kill him.”

Abby walked over to where Martin stood and motioned him close, whispering into his ear. “Yes… I can. Now, last chance, do you want the confession which will put him away for life or does he die?”

Martin’s soul shivered at the piercing blue eyes of this girl. ‘She’s dead serious.’ He thought.

“I’ll take the confession.”

“Great!” Abby smiled and spun around, skipping over to where Tommy still sat cuffed to the chair, his face filled with terror. “Good news Tommy! I’m not going to kill you! Doesn’t that make you happy?”

Tommy nodded in over exaggerated gestures. “Y…yes Mistress. Very happy.”

“Good. Now you’re going to tell the detective the honest truth about anything he wishes.” She leaned in close to the man, “If you should choose to lie about anything or fail to give complete honesty…This deal will be off…and I will be forced destroy you. Do you understand?”

Tommy nodded quickly, “Yes…M…Mistress.”

Abby smiled, “Good boy!” Patting the thug on the cheek, she spun around and skipped over to Martin, “Well, I’ll leave him in your care.”

Martin followed Abigail out of the room, “Hey, wait a second?”

Abby turned, “Yes Martin?”

Martin glanced back in at Tommy and then back at her. “I don’t get it? Why is he terrified of you? You’re just a little girl.”

Abby slowly walked back to the detective and met him eye to eye, “I told you before. Don’t you remember? I’m a spirit.”

Martin smiled and looked down and then froze. When his eyes slowly came back up to meet Abigail’s, she was smiling. “Now you believe.” She giggled, as she drifted down the hall with her feet off the ground by a good 12 inches. When she neared the door to the stairs, she turned, “Detective.” She called out, “Look up Abigail Fedarone on the internet.” Smiling, she turned and vanished.

Martin Winslow stood in the outer hallway for some time, his mind attempting to register what his eyes had just seen. Finally he turned, just as his partners came back around the corner from their office space.

“You get him to talk?”

Martin nodded, “He’ll give us what we want. I…um…I’m going to go and…um…go for a walk. Would you mind taking care of it?”

Coreen gave Martin a raised eyebrow, “You okay?”

“Yeah…Just allot on my mind.”

James patted him on the shoulder, “You go take your walk. We got this.”

© 2012 Wolfwind

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Obscured by the Shadows

Dude, this is awesome, and it is very creepy in the same way... I love how they are all scared to death of a little girl, Abigail, such a good twist xD... I can't wait to see what the next chapter has in store :3 be sure to keep me posted.