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Welcome back, my lovely reader~

Being a writer is my dream job but it has full-time hours and doesn't pay the bills. I want to keep writing these stories for everyone to enjoy and your support on Patreon or Ko-Fi helps make that happen. Supporters even get to see stories a week early to avoid all that pesky waiting. I also appreciate non-financial support like faving, voting, and following me here or on Twitter. Thank you so much for your continued support! Please enjoy the episode.

And with that out of the way...

NO SEX WARNING!!

Oh, are you still here? Good! So what the hell is this then?

It's a prequel to my Love & Lattes series! One of my lovely readers commented about wanting to see a noir-style story with the male lead of that story and so ya know what?

I've NEVER written detective/noir style before, this was quite an interesting(and challenging!) undertaking.

For context, it's not a genre I have ANY interaction with and this was done for fun, so take it with a grain of salt, and if you're a purist of the genre, I apologize in advance if I butchered it!

Oh! And you can more or less read this without ruining L&L, likewise, you don't have to have read L&L to enjoy this!

Okay, that's enough chatter, I hope you enjoy it! Let's jump right in!

--*--

Murder & Gin

I came home late, nearly midnight when I parked the car. I didn't bother getting the umbrella out, it was a short walk from my sedan to the front door of my empty home. That being said, it was pouring down, so by the time I fumbled to unlock the door in the dark to get inside, my ears and hair were soaked by rain. Maybe the umbrella would have been a wiser choice after all.

Running a paw over my forehead I pushed my wet bangs out of my vision, giving both my crimson ears labored flicks to dislodge the clinging droplets on my fur. I really should invest in a hat sometime, but given the duster I typically wore on the job, I didn't want to get any wayward commentary of Tommy guns and mafia jokes for sporting a fedora.

The house was deathly quiet like it always was, save for the sheets of rain pushing against the window panes. It was always silent like this, as it had been for the last three years. I reached to my paw and withdrew the wedding band, setting it on the small mantel in front of a picture frame.

I stared at the picture for a long moment, it was a younger, happier me, another wolf pushed up to me in a hug, her own paw outstretched with two padded-fingers out in a victory or peace sign. My former wife and late-ex, Hazel. It had been a little over three years since I lost her in a car accident. Granted, we were already separated by then, but that didn't mean much, given I never wanted the divorce or stopped loving her.

Her own wedding band stayed in my wallet, while I kept mine on my paw when out. I wasn't ready to try again and frankly, doubted I ever would be. I made note of the small pile of mail the cleaning service had left on the table as I made my way to the kitchen and brought out a small bottle of gin. I wasn't much of a drinking wolf, but after this last case, I was ready to take the edge off.

I had barely mixed the drink and brought the glass to my muzzle to take a sip when my cellphone buzzed in my duster pocket. My teeth clenched in a frustrated snarl but I set my gin and tonic down, reaching a paw in to collect it. The number on the screen was one that was recognized all too well, one of the local police sergeants I worked with, a jaguar by the name of McCreedy.

"Go ahead, Sergeant," I didn't bother hiding the fatigue or edge in my voice as I answered the call.

"Convel, I wanted to ask you about the missing kit you found tonight."

I gripped my drink and took a long pull from it before snarling into the phone, "I didn't find a kit, just a corpse. I already gave my statement to the officers."

"I know that's tough to deal with, Isaac. It's not something you ever can get used to, no matter how long you've done the job," His voice came out in a neutral tone of sympathy, if that were true he must have been the exception, he didn't sound the slightest bit off. Then again, that could just be McCreedy's way of dealing with it.

"We don't have the same job, I'm just a P.I, not a cop." I snarled back in response.

"Yeah, but you've still seen enough of the same shit we do, Convel. I know you get it. Anyway, come to the station tomorrow at nine, I've got some questions for you."

That made my ears lift. "Wait- Am I suspect?"

"When there's a dead fawn involved? Even my own men are suspects until I know otherwise, Isaac. But no, I'm not calling you down here for that kind of questioning."

"Fine," I responded and didn't wait on an answer before disconnecting the call and finishing my drink.

It was a typical case, a missing kit that had vanished from their school playground. The police were involved but the mother asked me to keep tabs on her ex-husband to see if he was more involved than he let on. He wasn't, but I managed to pick the trail up with some digging.

I felt myself flinch as I recalled how I found the little buck, his throat cut open. It looked like he'd been in that condition for a day or more. Pouring myself another shot of just straight gin, I took it down, letting the shock of alcohol calm my nerves before I put the bottle away.

Shutting the lights off, I moved to my empty bed, knowing that I'd be having nightmares tonight no matter what I did.

--*--

McCreedy thrust a solid black paw at me in greeting. "Morning Convel."

I took a long sip of the coffee from the styrofoam cup, the station's brew was the cheapest stuff they could find, and it tasted the part, but hey, coffee is coffee when you're coming off maybe three hours of solid rest. After a moment I pushed my own paw into his, the crimson fur clashing with the black as we gave a few firm shakes and parted grips. "Morning."

The big cat gave a jerk of his head to follow. "C'mon, this won't take long."

We moved through the station and I gave nods to the few beat cops I recognized. For fair or foul, when you're in the private investigator racket, you get to know the local police. You have to, given you're more or less doing everything from stalking to breaking and entering sometimes. Granted, I never told them about the more shady ones like the latter, but they knew, they weren't stupid after all.

I was led into one of the small questioning rooms, another wolf sitting at the table there looking over some reports. I saw my own was clearly there, laid out in the scattered pile of other various papers.

His coat of fur was more of a charcoal color, no doubt matching the habit he had, I could smell the smoke on his fur and clothes even from the door. My fur of course was crimson-red except where it lightened under my jaw and underside.

"This is our homicide guy, Detective Rickson." The Jaguar nodded and the wolf stood from the table, thrusting his paw out. He was bigger than me, and that didn't happen very often as far as wolves go. Sure, someone like a bear, rhino, or even some of the larger big cats like a lion, but not a fellow dog.

We shared pawgrips in a shake and I had to look up at him as he stared down his snout at me, his eyes green but they looked drained of life, faded like a kit's toy that had been in the yard too long. I could see he was sizing me up as my blue eyes narrowed and I broke the pawclasp.

"A pleasure," I drolled the words, looking bored, letting him see I saw right through him and didn't appreciate the analyzing.

"Apologies, Convel. When you're in the game as long as I've been, it's just instinct upon new meetings, it's nothing personal," Rickson spoke the words, his voice matching his eyes, sharp, cold, and a little dead inside.

"It's fine, let's cut to the heart of it, I've no patience this morning after a night of nightmares," I snarled and took another sip of the cheap coffee, letting the taste alone help jar my brain a little more.

The smoky-furred detective gave me a nod and slapped down the case file, the crime scene photographs on full display, including a nice up-close picture of the kit's throat. I snarled and averted my eyes, my brain all too happy to recall the live scene.

"So, how did you get involved with this, Convel?" Rickson's voice faded into an interrogative tone and I shot a glare at the Jaguar in response to it.

"It's in my statement," I snarled as I kept staring down the big cat in the room. "McCreedy, I thought this wasn't an interrogation?"

"Don't get your tail in a fluff, Isaac, it's not," Rickson answered before the cat even parted his jaws. "I think you slashed this fawn's throat about as much as I think you hung the moon in the sky last night. Just tell me yourself."

I pinched at the bridge of my snout and sighed before finishing off the coffee. I made a point to take my time as I tossed the cup in the small wastebasket then met the other wolf's dead-looking eyes.

"His mother, Rita Walkins asked me to get involved. Thought the ex-husband might have been involved in the missing kit's disappearance."

"Yeah, that deer is easy on the eyes, and-"

"I don't like your train of thought, Detective!" I slammed my paw to the table and snarled at him before holding my paw up. "I keep my dead wife's ring on me for a reason! I'm not interested in that kind of transaction, she paid me with a bank account."

"Dead, 'Ex'-wife." The other wolf cocked a brow in challenge.

"You son of a bitch!" I barked out and grabbed the other wolf by the collar, wrenching him forward on the table, spitting the slur at him, my spittle hitting his muzzle. He just looked bored with the display before McCreedy pushed between us.

"Convel, calm down! James, what the fuck are you doing?!" The jaguar snarled at him with a glare.

The wolf settled back into his chair, calmly adjusting the blazer jacket he wore and fixing one of the buttons that came free of his shirt beneath it. "Seeing how much passion the dog has, seeing if he's dead inside after the bullshit with, Hazel."

"How do you even know my fucking wife's na-"

"I pulled your file, Convel, of course, I would read up on your tail before you walked into this station." He snarled in response as McCreedy gave his own hiss and pulled back, straightening his own blazer.

"James, what's this all about?" The big cat spat the words out, shifting his gaze between the two of us as I straightened my duster with my own disapproving growl.

"My partner moved states, I don't trust any other cop in this station with the job. I wanted to make sure you had some fire in that belly of yours and weren't just a walking husk before I offered. I want you to help me find the piece of shit that killed this kit."

I was taken back by the words, but the logical side of my brain quickly put it all in order. It made sense, the ice-cold detached detective with the impassioned one. The quintessential good-cop, bad-cop scenario.

"No deal. I'm no cop and I've no interest in going through the academy or changing careers." I snarled and turned on the heel of my boot, starting out of the room.

"I'll see your fee doubled, it'll be as a retainer, can even get you regular work if it goes well."

"I don't need the money, I'm no fucking cop, Rickson!" I spat the words out, still furious that he brought Hazel into this.

"You think I don't fucking see it in your eyes, Convel?" He snarled out as he stood and put a paw on the picture I flinched away from. "This will eat at you, but you don't have the resources alone to find this son of a bitch. Help me find this bastard, for the damn kit's sake if nothing else. We've no idea if it'll happen again, and your help could make the difference!"

My paw rested on the handle of the door, glaring at the foggy glass pane in it for several seconds. It was the most the wolf had said in the whole meeting and he was right. My mind immediately turned to my ex-wife, what would she want me to do? We talked about kits, we wanted them, but she couldn't and it was just one more stress that added to our marriage and caused the collapse.

He knew what he was doing all too well, bringing her into this, getting me angry, and he sealed the deal with the next words he spoke, "What do you think Hazel would want you to do?"

"Punch you in the face, that's what she'd want me to do," I sneered the words as I turned back to them and pushed forward, slamming my paws to the table as I glared down hard at the photos.

I stared for a long series of moments then shot a glare up towards his cold dead eyes. "I know your tricks, and if you think you'll easily mold my attitude towards things in-"

"Scouts honor, all on the up and up from here, partner." Rickson showed his teeth in a predatory grin as he presented his handpaw to me.

With a snarl, I stood fully again, sizing him up myself now, then shoved my grip into his as we gave one good pump of a shake before each pulled away at the same time. "Fine, you've got me, but at two and a half."

"Ha! So much for it not being about money, eh?" The wolf barked the words out as he leaned back in the chair, pulling a cigarette out right there in the room and lighting it up.

"Principal of the matter," I snorted out dryly, McCreedy looking annoyed with the whole situation as he spoke out.

"You can't just decide this shit on your own, James."

"I just did, boss. You going to go hit the streets and find this bastard?" He gave the cat a bored look.

"Whatever, I'll look at the special budget allocation and see what I can do." McCreedy hissed the words and gave my arm a slap with his paw on the way out. "Good to have you aboard though, Convel."

"We'll see," I drolled out the door shutting behind me as McCreedy left the room, leaving me alone with the other wolf.

"So, I've been going over your statement, along with the crime scene details. The obvious first suspects are the parents, what do you think?" Rickson settled right into business, pushing out the various details over the desk including small reports on each of the fawn's parents.

"Right to it, eh? Not even going to give me a tour or introduce me to the guys?" I spoke the words with a bit of edge in my voice but moved over to the assorted pictures and documents.

"I said I'd be on the up with you. No more bullshit, Convel, I won't disrespect you by making a show of things, and you strike me as the kind of dog that wants to get right to things."

My ears lifted at that and I shook my head as I pointed to the small file about the parents. "I don't think either of them are involved. I've dealt with this situation before with missing kits, granted not that culminated into something like this... Most were found a day later or-"

Of course, my mind wavered to the ones I didn't find, then, of course, it moved to the idea of if something like this happened to them or worse. I felt myself pulled back as a paw slapped into my arm in a grip.

"Stay with me, Convel. You can daydream about the ones that got away later." The smoke-furred dog growled as he released my arm. "Though, I'd say best to not dwell on it, for your own sanity. Lament it when you're a gibbering mess in an old folk home and you're no longer being counted on. Right now focus on the good you can still do."

"Nice motivational speech, coach. I'll totally kick that winning field goal now," I drolled the words out but sharpened my focus once more, pushing those dark regrets to the side.

"Did you actually kick in high school?"

The casual question took me by surprise, this dog was all over the place, shifting from casual talk to business and back again so fluidly. It made me wonder if he were trying to psych me out again. "Yeah, both high school and college, it's what got me in, to begin with."

"Interesting, I was the quarterback. Two-time state champs, went on to win three bowl games in my university."

"Given your size, I'm not surprised. Scouts must have been clambering for your tail, what got you here?" I asked the question in a neutral tone, still not sure where this was going.

"Oh, they were, I had a few pro teams interested. The short version, something happened to my sister in my senior year, they never found the bastard. I knew what my calling was then."

"That's rough." There was an inflection of sympathy in my tone, but given the shit he'd said about Hazel, to goad me into this, that was the most the bastard was getting, not that I think he wanted condolences, this was probably just another way of feeling me out.

I gave a nod and tapped a padded-finger on the photo of the father, "I had eyes on him nearly the whole time. Even I could tell it happened a day prior. I'm confident he couldn't have slipped away long enough to do it."

He folded his arms, giving a nod and not seeming to have missed a beat with the shift of dialog. "Fair enough. There were no signs of any kind of sexual trauma either, this wasn't some sicko getting his rocks off that way. Still, why just kill a kit like that, even serial killers tend to avoid that sort of thing."

I shook my head in response. "Money, revenge, maybe they were-"

"What about your client?" He cut me off and looked right into my eyes.

I gave him a slow blink, then shrugged. "What about her? I took the job, but I didn't keep my eyes on her specifically. I followed up on her contacts like I do anyone I take a job like this from, but I can't rule her out."

"Going to charge her the full time since you 'technically' found her fawn?" He quirked a brow.

I clenched my teeth and felt a growl bubble up in my throat. "You trying to goad me again, James?"

"Asking a serious question, Isaac. When does the job end and it becomes personal? You've been in your field for a few years now, is this your first time finding a body?"

"No. I've had missing persons I looked for and found before, usually suicides though, and the signs were already pointing that way, so I was prepared. This was the first time I'd seen a murder though, to say nothing of it being a kit."

"Well, I've been in homicide for over ten years, all I can tell you is, don't trust any of them. You can't be sure what someone's values are, and even a mother would do her kit in if the motivation was proper."

"You have such a sunny outlook on life," I snarled and lowered my ears.

"Right back at you, big guy. Your eyes aren't quite as dead, but they're getting there," He growled the words and rose up fully as if to emphasize the 'big guy' jab, and looked down at me.

I looked away and shoved my paws into my duster, snarling as I processed things. He was right of course. The divorce alone rattled me to my core and darkened my outlook, then losing Hazel just brought everything down. I went through the motions, I did my job for the sake of having something to do, anything to keep from sitting there thinking about her. It's probably why I agreed to this nonsense to begin with.

"What are you playing at, James? Even a beat cop probably would serve you better as a partner than I would. Do you have some agenda with me I'm not aware of?" I quirked a brow and just laid it out.

"No, but I've known a few P.I's in my time, Isaac, and most of you can give me that insight without the taint of normality that it becomes from being your day job. I can do the heavy lifting, you just be my Watson as it were." He showed me a haughty grin as he shrugged.

"I'm not going to ask you questions just so you can go on expose's of how you deduced things for your own ego. This isn't some mystery novel where the reader needs to hear the who's and what's of who done it."

"Then I'll be counting on you to do your best and pull your weight. Let's go." The smoke-furred wolf pushed from the desk towards the door.

"Go where?" I asked both curiously and skeptically.

"Why, that doe in question should be here any minute now. We called her to come down to answer some questions," The detective hummed the words out, looking at the watch on his wrist, having to pull the baggy sleeve of the blazer away to look upon it.

I winced at the thought of seeing her, given what became of her kit, but I suppose it was inevitable. I shoved both my paws into my duster pockets and padded out behind the larger dog.

--*--

"You son of a bitch!" I saw the punch coming but didn't bother getting out of the way as the doe slammed her fist right into my jaw.

My head snapped to the side as I ran my tongue along my teeth inside my maw, making sure she didn't knock any loose. I'd never met a doe or buck that didn't have a bit of oomph in their blows.

She grabbed the front of my duster and jerked my gaze back to hers. She was tall like most females of her species were, but she still had to look up at me as she spat the words into my face, "I asked you to find my boy, not his fucking corpse! Had your pathetic mangey ass worked faster, maybe he'd-"

"That's enough, sit down and let go of my partner before I cuff you to the chair," James snarled the words as Rita shot him a fierce glare, her brown eyes looking wet, but I felt her ease the grip on me.

"It's fine Rickson, let her get it out of her system. I get it," I rubbed my jaw as I spoke, seeing the hatred in her eyes double as they shot back to me with another jab aimed right for my muzzle.

Her eyes narrowed as she spat out at me, "Get it?! You don't get-" She grunted as I caught her fist in my paw, my teeth showing in a snarl as I halted her next blow.

"I gave you the last one, that's enough. I'm sorry, I know what it's like to lose someone, I think about my dead wife every fucking day, but I'm not your punching bag either, Miss Walkins," The words came out as calm and composed as I could make them while growling, feeling the doe try to jerk from my grip a few times during the spiel, then I released her as she withdrew back.

"We just want to ask you some questions, Miss Walkins," Rickson drolled the words out in his best sympathetic voice, but even I could feel the insincerity in it as if he just couldn't muster it anymore.

"Are you implying I had a paw in my son's death? And why is he here, anyway?!" She snarled and thrust a padded-finger at me.

I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off. "Isaac took it personally about your boy, so he's helping me find Stewart's killer."

"You expect me to pay by the hour on this as well, Mr. Convel?" She fired back at me, folding her arms over her chest, her sizable breasts showing through the snug dress she wore. Rickson was right about her being easy on the eyes, she was sleek and lithe like you'd expect from a doe, but had some curves to her figure from the transition to motherhood.

It really didn't matter how she looked, I'd not looked upon another female with hunger in some time and I had no intentions of starting now. I met her steely brown eyes with my blue ones and shook my head."No, ma'am, our business is finished, I don't expect anything from you but what I'm already owed."

She clenched her teeth and I could practically hear her snarl as she spoke, "Owed? You didn't even find-"

"I was being paid to watch your husband, Miss Walkins, not find your fawn. I was already going beyond my job to look for him. Yes, you got the service you paid for, and-"

"And be glad I'm not slapping you with assault charges for hitting my partner. Now sit down, shut up, and answer the questions so I can get your ass out of my interrogation room," Rickson barked the words in an authoritative tone, slamming a paw down on the table.

Rita flicked her ears up, then hissed through her teeth before moving and taking a seat in the chair, crossing her legs as she rested her handpaw's on her lap. "Fine, what do you want to know?"

Rickson sighed and looked over the reports. "I just need to know where you were approximately..."

So it went. The questioning only lasted about half an hour and Rita seemed to have herself accounted for at every turn. She had witnesses that would show she was at work, and even had to run errands at the DMV. She claimed to have spent the evening at a local bar and once again, could produce several witnesses to corroborate it.

I rubbed at my aching jaw after the fact, walking with the larger wolf towards his unmarked vehicle. "You think she's playing it straight?" I spoke out curiously.

"I do. She's too keyed up, I could smell fake outrage a mile away, it's genuine. Though when I asked if she had any idea's on someone that might have issues, I saw the glint in her eyes. She's got something going on, you don't get that look without having made a few enemies, and I don't mean bitter ex-husbands."

With a nod, I pulled open the passenger door to the unassuming black sedan. "Yeah, I was getting that vibe too. That doe's made some enemies, but any that would go that far?"

"We'll go talk to her ex, then hit up the nightclub she went to. See if we can sniff out any regulars that might be able to get us some information." James gave me a nod as he tugged his own seatbelt on like I had done, then turned the engine over.

The wiper blades came on as the car pulled out onto the busy late morning street, the rain still coming down as hard as it had last night. The blades were turned to high which created a repetitive beat that almost synced with the jazz coming out of the radio. I closed my eyes, thinking about the situation I was in, the interior of the car smelling of cigarettes and coffee.

"Morning traffic is always hell in this town, and our boy's on the east side. It'll take me at least an hour, maybe two." The smoke-furred wolf grumbled the words as I nodded to them.

"I'm aware, I've been keeping tabs on him for the better part of this week after all." I opened my eyes to see a wall of red tail lights before us, an ear flicking from the occasional click of the police radio in the car firing off about various going on's, but it was low enough to not be overly obnoxious.

Several minutes passed like that before he broke the silence between us. "For what it's worth, sorry for jabbing you about your ex like that. I just-"

"I get why you did it. So long as it doesn't happen again, we're golden, James." I spoke out pointedly. I was still pissed about it, but it wouldn't do any good to hold on to it, and for better or worse, he was right. Hazel would want me to find this bastard, she was a very maternal wolf, which made it all the crueler she couldn't have her own pups. I had replayed in my mind over and over how things might have been different between us had it not been for that.

"So, tried dating any other girls since?" The question came out of nowhere a few minutes later and earned an angry growl from me.

"What are you, my shrink now? I didn't agree to this case for the small talk."

"Look, Isaac, we're stuck together until we figure this shit out, and playing twenty questions will strengthen our social bonds so I know you'll have my tail if things go south. I know that Baretta you're packing isn't just a showpiece."

I didn't act surprised at him knowing about the gun, it made sense he'd find the records of my purchase and up-to-date permit to carry it. I leaned into the seat, feeling the pressure in the small of my back where the holster was sewn into the back of my duster, a small cushion of padding hanging over it to keep it from digging into me.

"No, and I doubt I will. I've not had a female turn my gaze since Hazel, even before the accident."

"You just haven't met the right one, you'll sing a different tune when you do."

"Ha! You speaking from experience there, Casanova?" I barked a bitter laugh as I planted my boot on the dash and rested my elbow on my knee, looking over the wolf and seeing the glint of gold on his paw, a wedding band.

Rickson acknowledged my gaze without his eyes ever leaving the road, holding up his paw to show off the ring. "Yeah, third times a charm they say. Maybe this one will put up with my shit for more than a few years."

I snorted through my nose, "You must be a real bastard at home."

James frowned at that and grew quiet. I cut my eyes back to him, seeing I had hit a nerve, even his dead-looking eyes growing distant with memories. "I try to leave it at work, but it doesn't always stay at the office. Late nights, sometimes not coming home at all. It adds up, but I'll say I've never raised a paw to any girl I've been with."

"I get that, it's what made me and Hazel fracture. She never accused me of having a side fling, but I could tell she thought it after a while."

"It took me six years after my second divorce. Never again I swore, then I fell for that little badger we've got working in dispatch." He bumped the volume up a little on the police radio as my ear flicked, listening to the female on the other end reading off an address to a fender-bender that just occurred.

"A badger eh? I hear those are feisty." I actually hadn't heard anything, I was just making small talk at this point to keep him talking, I did find the whole thing terribly interesting.

"She's around my age, we have our fun, but it's more than just that. I think it's mostly, she gets it. She's knee-deep in the bullshit all of us have to deal with and the trauma that follows."

"Still, a badger and wolf? Pretty interesting combo there." I mused the words, rubbing my chin in thought. I'd only been with one other female other than Hazel, and she had also been a wolf.

James gave a shrug at the words. "Truth be told, I've never dated another of my species. I came from a mixed family. It wasn't instilled in me to avoid my own kind, it just wasn't a priority either. I just followed my heart and or cock, whichever had the greatest influence at the time."

I gave a snort at that last statement. "That sounds fair. I guess I just naturally gravitated towards others of my species. My parents were pure breeds when they came over to here, they were big about keeping the gene pool proper."

"That explains the fur, at first I thought you were just a really big fox, what with all that red. I'd say don't be afraid to appreciate other species, no need to limit your enjoyment. Even if you look and don't touch. I mean like that client of yours, she's dirty, but still easy on the eyes."

My eyes rolled at the last of the words, but he made a point. I just kept my blinders on when it came to non-wolves. I didn't have an issue with other species in any way, it just never had come up. "Rita huh? Yeah, she's got some dirt under her hooves to be sure."

"Speaking of hooves, she strikes me as the kind that would put on a pair of stilettos and walk on you for fun."

A laugh erupted from my throat at that. "Maybe she moonlights as a dominatrix or something at a club."

"You'd be surprised... There are two kinds in that sort of field. The ones in it for the money, and the ones that get deep into the shady parts of it. It always leads to trouble too." James' voice took on a serious tone as he growled the words.

"True... it is the world's oldest trade for a reason." I sighed and looked out the window as the water rolled down the passenger's side. We were moving at a pretty good clip now, and it wouldn't be too much longer.

"Anyway... this was a nice male bonding session, let's get our game faces on, it's almost showtime," James huffed the words as he pulled out a cigarette with practiced precision while still holding the wheel steady with his other paw. He then hesitated before tucking it back away. "You don't smoke eh?"

"Nah, not my thing, but my mother did. Go ahead, it's not going to bother me." I waved a paw.

The other wolf gave a nod before lighting it up and taking a pull off it, cracking his window to let the smoke escape as he sighed out, wisps of smoke drifting from his jaws. "You're alright, Convel."

--*--

I watched Rita's husband for the better part of a week, but always at a distance. I knew he was big, but I wasn't prepared for just how big he was until he came to the front door of his small home.

The door frame was purposefully wider, most likely to accommodate for the massive antlers he sported, being a moose and all. He stood easily over a foot taller than Rickson and the sheer mass of his form looked like he could benchpress the two of us at once.

"Reynold Walkins, I'm Detective Rickson and this is my partner, Detective Convel. We'd like to ask you a few questions if we may." James went right into it, not looking the least bit concerned over his size.

"Of course, detectives, please come inside." The moose spoke in a deep but friendly manner as he welcomed us in.

"I just made a pot of coffee if you'd like a cup," Reynold spoke out as I watched his head deftly shift from one direction to the other, navigating his massive antlers around various items in the house. It was a tight but cozy place and my nose twitched as I caught a familiar scent in it, one of a doe I'd recently been punched by.

"I'll take you up on that offer Mr. Walkins, black is fine," I said, grateful for the offer since all I'd had today was a small styrofoam cup's worth at the station.

"Make that two, and thank you as well," James chimed in as we eventually settled down at a small couch, the moose seated at a massive easy chair, a coffee table between us.

"First and foremost, I'm sorry about what happened to your buck, please accept our condolences, Mr. Walkins," Rickson opened with his token line and I gave a nod as I sipped on the brew, a medium roast, not at all cheap stuff.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, he was just a kit, not even a teen yet..." Reynold sighed the words, shaking his head before taking a long pull from his own mug.

"Have you spoken with your ex-wife since this happened?" I threw my own question out while speaking over the rim of the coffee mug. Rickson lifted an ear and gave a slight nod as if he liked my train of thought. We were both canines, after all, he no doubt caught the lingering odor of the doe in the house as I had.

"Yes, she came over distraught yesterday and stayed the night. I tried to comfort her best I could. She got a few good punches in before I could calm her down though." He rubbed his chin for emphasis and I felt my own ache slightly in recollection.

"You smell like she wasn't the only one hitting something, Mr. Walkins." Rickson fired the remark right off, even surprising me at how direct he was with it.

The larger male gave a heavy snort out of his snout before cocking a brow at the wolf. "Do you think I'm stupid, detective? I figured you'd smell it, and if I ran around the house burning candles and spraying air freshener, it would be even more suspicious. Yes, we fought and cussed at one another, took turns blaming one another, then one thing led to another. We both always used sex as a comforting mechanism."

"So you were expecting us then?" I threw my own question out there.

"Once again, detective. I'm not stupid, I knew me and Rita would be the first ones you came to. I don't take it personally, I know it's part of the procedure, and I can account for myself both at work and my downtime for the last several days if need be."

Of course, I already knew he could, he'd barely left my sight for the last several days, but no need to let him know that. James seemed to be eager to keep the formality going though and got right into the basic questions, asking him times and locations, etc.

--*--

Back in the car, I planted my boot on the dash, resting an elbow on my knee. "So, we've got a fitness instructor accounted for by both her job and co-workers, then a construction foreman that I myself can collaborate for."

"Right, and they seem to be sleeping together again." James gave me a nod, bobbing his unlit cigarette in his mouth as he spoke.

"Could have just been a one-off thing, but the scent in the house smelled pretty ingrained to me. I think they've been comforting one another for a while if that's the case."

"Well, me and my ex-wife had a few one-nighters to try to re-spark things too, it happens. However, was their kit the cause of the divorce? Some perfectly good couples just can't handle having kids and fall apart."

I clenched my jaw at the talk of couples having kits, looking out the window as I thought about it for a moment, then shook myself out of my own self-introspective thoughts. This wasn't about me or Hazel, it was about a dead kit. "Well, they both said it was a financial thing."

"Makes sense. Kits are expensive and a fitness instructor doesn't exactly bring the cash in, especially at the same level as a construction foreman would. I could see the disparity in who was pulling their weight more."

I lifted a padded-finger. "Unless said instructor was moonlighting as something more, maybe the whole stiletto heels commentary wasn't as far off the mark as you think."

James gave me a chuckle and quirked a brow. "You saying she might have been like a stripper or pro?"

"I think she's got too much pride to be a club worker, but a high-class 'escort'? I could see it, and it would be undue stress on the relationship, also something Reynold would never admit to if anything else, out of a bruised ego."

"An interesting theory, but how did you-"

"I told you, I follow up with my clients, that includes their bank records. She had several substantial 'gifts' coming into her account from various sources. I'm not saying she was, but there's some strong evidence there pointing towards it."

"You know, personally, I've got nothing against sex workers. Strippers, pros, cam girls, whatever... it's a job."

"That's a capital way to look at it, but it's not a matter of what she's doing, it's the people she interacts with. Even casual sex can give the wrong impression. A John she's seeing for a payday, could legit start to fall for her, and then we've got a new suspect. If said John found out she was starting to see the ex-husband again, well what could he do to really cause a rift?"

"Damn... that's just terrifying enough to be plausible. Seen a lot of people get themselves and others killed over sex, it would add up too." James gave a nod. "Might be worth looking into if you can get me those bank account records."

"I can do that, no problem." I gave a nod and rubbed my chin. "If this theory plays out, how much you want to bet she doesn't go to that bar to socialize?"

--*--

I took the time to print off the bank records I'd had my informant secure for me and we took a few hours going over things back at the station. Three particular individuals kept coming up with 'gifts' and Rita seemed to always spend or withdraw a reasonable amount of money when going to the nightclub she frequented.

That afternoon we found ourselves at the nightclub in question, a moderately upper-class establishment on the south side of the city named simply, 'Unicorn'. The pretentiousness was felt before even stepping in, with ornate pillars and meticulously tended plants.

It was clear this club catered to a certain class and we were not it, as the doorman had already turned to speak into the mic at his collar before we even made it to the entrance. He was a massive ox taller than me and shoulders twice as wide. I was used to being the big dog in situations, but it looked like today I was going to be the little guy in most of my encounters whether I liked it or not.

The suit the ox wore seemed to strain at his movements as he gave us a polite nod before going into his line, "Good afternoon gentleman, I'm afraid-"

"Cut the theatrics," James spat out as he flipped out his badge. "Detective Rickson and Convel. We've got some questions and we'll start with you."

The ox snapped his head up at that and his posture shifted to a more defensive one. I felt my own shifting as if anticipating something, but then he relaxed and tapped the earpiece in his drooped ear. "Get the boss up here, he's got, visitors."

I pulled out a picture of Rita and showed it to the bouncer. "You see this doe come through here a lot, yeah?"

"I see a lot of types come through here, hard to keep track of them all," He gave me a flat response as Rickson snarled.

"Yeah, and I see a lot of guys try to get cute, and then I need to drag them downtown, shove them in a cell for a few days to go through their history with a fine-tooth comb. You got time for that shit, big guy? Because I do." The larger wolf snapped his teeth together growling the following question, "She come here frequently or not? Yes or no."

The bouncer snorted through his nose before taking another look at the picture I held, then shifted his black eyes back to Rickson's. "Yeah, I've seen her around." The double doors slid open behind the Ox as he took a step to the side.

I was starting to see what kind of club this was when the doors opened and a tall lithe antelope stood before us. He wore an immaculate suit and his slender horns even seemed to shine in the neon lights as if polished. He was flanked by another bouncer, a very large and moody-looking ram that also strained his suit when moving.

Species exclusive clubs were not unheard of, and though legally speaking, didn't exist, it didn't keep the proprietors from making it clear who did and did not belong. An establishment didn't need to tell you they weren't serving you because you weren't up to their racial standards, they just had to make up any old excuse, even if it was the truth of the matter.

"Detectives, welcome to the Unicorn. I apologize for the hold-up at the door, I'm sure you understand we have our own security to worry about," He spoke the words in a suave accent, obviously quite accustomed to negotiation.

"Security against ones without horns on their heads or hooves in their shoes, yeah?" I fired back with a growl. This kind of shit always got my fur rubbed the wrong way, I'd never been one to be a bigot in any situation, so to see entire clubs practically reveling in it just left me furious.

"It's fine, Convel. Their business, their rules, I'm not here for any of that." Rickson held a paw up, then looked to the antelope in the suit. "We just need to ask some questions, can we come inside? I promise not to pee on anything to mark my territory," He quipped the words, showing his own personal annoyance at the concept of the place.

"But of course, we've nothing to hide. Let us go speak at the bar." The antelope hummed the words, not looking the slightest bit rattled by the accusations, in fact looking somewhat smug as he showed a slight grin while turning to lead us inside.

The neon haze of the club made my fur almost look purple or black at times as we walked. It was more a lounge than a club, mostly full of booths and tables with only a small token dance floor. Low bossa nova music played out of the sound system and only a handful of patrons seemed to be lingering about, which was a given since it was early in the afternoon. The few that were in the club looked aghast to see wolves trapesing through as if it were the most profane thing they'd ever laid their eyes upon.

The bar was as pretentious as anything else in the club, the whole countertop looking made of marble. The antelope directed us to some seats before casually moving around to the other side of the bar, the black light making his soft white and brown fur look as if it were glowing. "Contrary to my appearance, I also help out with the bar, can I make you fellows a drink before we talk?"

"You mind driving, Convel?" Rickson cocked a brow at me.

"Uh... sure, I can do that." I gave a nod of understanding.

"Southern whiskey on the rocks, splash of tonic in it," James spoke out the order and the Antelope nodded as he quickly made it and presented it to the wolf.

"I'll just take some water." I cut my gaze back at some deer staring at me, watching the couple quickly avert their gaze, as if they were worried they had been caught staring at the big scary predator.

"So you're the owner and also run the bar, eh Alphonse?" James spoke conversationally as he rolled the single ice cube around in the already half-finished cocktail.

"That's correct, though I don't recall giving you my name." The antelope took out a mug and filled it with hot water, putting a tea bag into it.

"We looked it up before arriving," I spoke and shrugged as I sipped my water, then followed up, "Tending the bar is a good move though, gives you more hands-on interaction with your other side of things, yeah?"

He looked between us and snapped his teeth together as he shifted to rest on his elbows, speaking softer between us. "Detectives, what is this about? It's obvious you know some things but you're not just shutting me down?"

Rickson sighed out as he finished the drink and thunked the glass down on the bar, the ice cube bouncing around in it a few times. "I don't give two flying fucks if you run an escort service, Alphonse, I'm a homicide detective."

"Homicide?!" That got the antelope's ears to lift rather high, his brown eyes looking shocked. "W-wait a second here, we don't have any kind of-"

"Take it easy, you work with us, and business as usual will be a reality. Give us the runaround and we'll have this place shut down faster than your horned-head can spin," I spoke the words in my best gritty cop voice as I pushed the two pictures of Rita and Reynold forward.

Alphonse put a handpaw to his muzzle in a gasp. "Oh, gods... don't tell me Rita and Reynold are-"

"You know her husband? Also, they're alive and well, it's their buck that's dead," James spat the words out bitterly.

He looked relieved, then shaken at the news that it was the fawn. "Stewy? Gods..."

"So you knew the whole family eh? This is the part where you spill it and we try to put the pieces together, champ." Rickson folded his arms, staring intently at the antelope.

Alphonse took a deep breath and leaned in closer. "Rita was, is one of the girls I work with. We're like a middleman as it were. We help the girls and the client find one another, we take a flat fee. We don't make them work, it's all voluntary and-"

"We don't need the work policies, we told you, we're not here for that. How do you know all of them?" I huffed out the words in almost a bark, my temper getting hotter now that we were starting to get somewhere.

"Rita and Reynold met while she was working. He was one of her regulars and one thing led to another. That was about eight years ago, she got out of the business shortly after but we stayed in contact as friends. They had Stewert a few years later, then about a year ago, things started getting tight on money. She wanted to get back to it and I had clients that were eager for her uh... dynamic."

"You mean a milf," James spoke out dryly.

"To put it in a more crass way, yes." Alphonse huffed out and poked his snout up.

Rickson gave a bark of a laugh. "Crass is my constant state of being, so what else?"

The antelope tapped under his muzzle. "Hmm... that was about a year ago. Reynold was furious, they argued and split a few months after she started working again. She kept the job going and has since then."

Alphonse gave a resigned sigh and shook his head. "They were such a happy family, I had several play dates with Stewart and my own daughter. I even tried to offer to help her out on my own, but she wouldn't hear it. That doe always had too much pride for her own good."

"Apparently too much pride for her fawn's own good as well." I sighed as I took another sip of water.

James gave him a hard look and withdrew the documents with information on the three suspects we had gathered. "Look Alphonse, I know in your line of work, it's about privacy, but we really-"

"No, this is more than business now. It's personal, I'll offer any help I can, for little Stewy and his parents." His tone had shifted to a more bitter one as he resolved himself. I could see the look in his eyes that said he was being fully transparent with us now.

"Neat." James slapped the file down with the information on the three in question and Alphonse looked it over.

"Huh... yeah, these are almost her exclusive clients. One of them is a bit of an oddity because I know him outside of the club, a predator to boot." Alphonse gave a nod as he skimmed the details over. "Goodness... with gifts like these, I should increase my fee."

"I'll be real with you, I'm surprised you have a connection with a predator, given this place." My words came out without even attempting to hide my annoyance.

"Detective, make no mistake we cater to a particular clientele, but that doesn't make me a bigot. I don't look at you or any other predator as lesser-"

"Who cares? We all eat fucking artificial lab-grown bullshit anyway now. Let's just stay on track shall we?" Rickson barked the words and thrust a finger to the three names, he then proceeded to give the static questions of who they were, the estimated times of the murder, etc.

"Well... given the time frame. I can assure you my spotted dog buddy is off this list. He was visiting family out of the country and is still away until next week. He was already on a plane a week before this happened I'd imagine."

"We'll follow up on that, what of the other two?" I tilted my head curiously and watched his frown deepen on his muzzle.

"Jackson works at a local investment firm and he's a nightly patron here, an elk about the same size as her ex-husband. I can't say for certain, but I've seen him every night non-stop for the last month. If he did this, he had to schedule some time for it. I'll write down the name of his firm or you can come back around seven and he'll be here."

"Sounds good, and what of this, Charlie Keller?" Rickson prodded and I saw that frown return before the antelope sighed and rubbed at the side of his head.

"Alphonse, what's going on?" I growled as I quirked a brow, seeing his teeth clenching.

"He's one I've always been concerned with. A deer like her, he's infatuated with Rita and has been for almost a year. He would bellyache to me at the bar when she wasn't around, or growl about how the other clients couldn't appreciate her. 'A doe like her needs a strong buck to take care of her, not some moose or elk', he'd say. I could only imagine how he'd lose it had he known about her also seeing a predator."

I shared a knowing look with Rickson as the wolf growled before giving a nod. "A species purest and obsessed? Fits the MO to me. When's the last time you saw him?"

Alphonse shuddered as if a realization struck him and huffed out in a drained tone. "About five days ago, he's usually in here every other day or so too. I never thought..."

"That lines up, Rita reached out to me about five days ago." I gave Rickson a grim nod.

"I need all the info you can give me on this guy, Alphonse. Convel, take down his full statement, I'm going to contact the station and put out an APB."

--*--

"No-called his job, friends and family haven't seen him or been able to contact him. Seems that buck just tucked tail and vanished," I sighed as I looked out the passenger's side window.

"Do you blame him? Part of this job is getting in the head of the guys you're hunting. You bet your tail if I just cut down a kit, I'm getting as far away as I can too!" James gave a nod as he tried to explain the situation, though I obviously already knew such things. It felt more like he was telling it to himself.

"Does it eat at you? The ones that got away?" I cocked a brow as I looked over at him.

"It's not something you get used to, Isaac, but just like a pro athlete, you have to accept you can't win every game, no matter how good you are." Rickson set his jaw and shifted his dull-green eyes at me at a stop sign. "I keep a small book of the ones I never find."

"Really? Just as a reminder?"

"That and every few years, I'll go over some of the cases, see if I can sniff anything out on slow days."

"That's admirable." I tilted my head curiously at the topic. "Planning to do that with this guy now that he's obviously flown?"

The detective barked out a laugh, "Fuck no! This mother fucker killed a kit, I'm going to keep him on my radar for years." He gave me a knowing look and shook his head before pulling from the stop. "Isaac, I'll let you know if I get any leads, but this is the hard part. We have to wait and let some of the other guys do their jobs, try to just get back to business as usual until I call you."

"Easier said than done," I growled to myself as I still could see the fawn's body every time I closed my eyes.

"I get that, it'll get easier as the days wane, not better, but easier." He pulled into the darkened lot of cars near the precinct, the old worn-out parking lights just barely beating back the inky wet pitch of the rainy night. He pulled alongside my own sedan that had a bright neon ticket on the window.

I gave a frown at the citation and he chuckled. "I'll get the boys to throw that one out, you were on police business after all."

"Thanks." I climbed out of the car, the rain still coming down even if it was just a drizzle now.

"Try to get some rest, Convel. I'll let you know as soon as I hear something and, thanks for the help today, it was good working with you." James showed me a grin as I shut the door and threw my paw up as he pulled away.

I sunk my paws into my duster and stood there for a long moment, staring at the little orange sticker on my window, the rain pattering down on my head before I rolled my eyes and moved to the back of my car into my tool bag.

Using a razorblade, I had nearly scraped clear the rest of the citation when I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. A crack of thunder filled the air which was rare in this part of the country and as if on cue, the rain picked up in tempo.

I left the partial remains of the sticker and slid into the car to get out of the downpour, withdrawing the phone and seeing an unlisted number. It had been a long day and I didn't have the energy to deal with anything else, but I answered it all the same, putting the phone to my wet ear. "Convel."

"Mr. Convel, it's Alphonse from the Unicorn."

My jaw set and I cocked a brow. "Alphonse, I believe Rickson gave you his card if anything came up, how did you even get my number?"

"You're in phonebook or search engine as it were, 'Detective'."

"Alright, I'll bite. What do you want?" He could hear the edge in my voice, but it wasn't like me having a private investigation business was a secret.

"I'd like to speak with you in person, at the Unicorn."

"This doesn't sound like police business to me, Alphonse, you asking me to leave Rickson out of it?"

"It is and isn't, but yes. Please come alone and don't speak of this to anyone."

"How ominous... Fair enough, give me half an hour." I disconnected the call with a sigh while pushing a wet paw to my forehead, slicking back the fur and hair. It was already after ten, but it's not like I had anyone at home waiting, better this than more nightmares.

--*--

It was nearly eleven when I arrived at the club, it was Friday night to boot, so a decent line of various patrons had formed even in the rain. I say various, but not a predator one to be had in them, which was unsurprising given what I knew the place was.

Ignoring the line I moved right up to the door bouncer which happened to be the same ox from earlier. The chatter of the waiting patrons dulled and I could hear various offpaw remarks from them about a wolf coming up to the front of the line.

Seeing me, the ox spoke something into his mic and the doors opened right up, the grumpy looking ram from earlier giving me a nod as he motioned for me to follow. I heard the jeers and shocked appall from the various onlookers as I walked right in.

"Nice to see bigotry is alive and well," I growled aloud, but I questioned if he could hear me, the soft lounge music had been replaced by the heavy thumping of more typical club music, the small dance floor crowded with patrons.

The low light and neon did well enough to keep my profile down, not to mention the ram being as big as me didn't hurt. Still, I caught several shocked looks as I did earlier when I and Rickson had come through.

This time I was led to a small office behind the bar, the ram giving me a nod as he held the door for me. Stepping in the room was just big enough for a filing cabinet, desk, and a few chairs. The door clicked into place behind me as I stood before the antelope from earlier, his padded-fingers pressed together as he sat there. "Convel, take a seat."

It was at this point I realized I was in the thick of it. I hadn't really processed things until I was walking through the club, but I wasn't the predator here. Most of the denizens in this club would sooner spit on me than offer help if I got myself into any kind of trouble.

Mentally shoring up my reserves, I took a seat on the small chair and rested an elbow on the desk, leaning back as best I could as I met the antelope's dark eyes. "So, what do you have for me, Alphonse?"

He drummed his padded-fingers on the surface of the desk, as if questioning his own motivation before jerking his gaze back to mine, the look harder, angrier, like it was when we had talked this afternoon. "Rita and Reynold, I consider them both dear friends. Stewy was like-"

"Look, I get that, and you're not even a suspect if you're worried about it. Real talk, I'm sorry for your loss, man. I'm going to have that fawn's image haunt my dreams for years to come, I get it."

"It's not a matter of being a suspect, Convel. Though I do appreciate that sentiment, some of your kind, they wouldn't bat an eye at a dead fawn like that."

"Most of the ones I know would, but I'm not here to argue that point in a club of patrons that hate my tail on principle alone." I gave a nod and met his eyes once more. "What did you need, Alphonse?"

"To hedge my bets," He sneered and pushed a small slip of paper to me with just a phone number on it. I took the paper and quirked a brow, saying nothing as I waited for him to continue.

"That's one of my old contacts. We had a bit of a falling out, but they may just talk to you, tell them you got the information from me, tell them it's for 'old times sakes', they'll at least hear you out that way."

"If you had a falling out, why would they give a damn?" I tucked the slip of paper into the inside breast pocket of my duster.

"Because they still owe me one, and they take their business practice seriously. They'll probably be happy to get the debt cleared anyway."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "C'mon Alphonse, we've got every cop in the tristate area looking for this guy. Do you really think your informant can do better than-"

"Yes." The antelope met my eyes with a hard look and the conviction in his eyes said he believed it.

Tilting my muzzle up I gave a nod. "Alright, I'll see what they have to say. Information costs money though, you willing to cough it up? This is already tantamount to charity work for me."

Alphonse scowled at the words and shook his head. "They wouldn't take my money even if I offered it, you'll have to work those details out with them. My debt will be expended just getting you to the table."

I set my jaw and snarled at that, but being in the business, I knew there were always paws to grease. "Got it." Rising from my seat I moved to the door.

"Isaac, if you find the son of a bitch, break his fucking knee for me." Alphonse hissed the words to my back as I lifted my muzzle.

"If I don't end up ripping him to shreds, I'll think about it." I pushed out of the office with a growl, stalking back through the club towards the exit, eager to be away from the place. The patrons must have picked up on my mood because none of them even made straight eye contact with me.

Stepping back into the cool wet night air, I gave the ox at the door a nod, seeing the line had barely moved, most of the same members in it giving a shocked look as I left the club as quickly as I had entered it.

--*--

It was nearly midnight when I parked the car at my home. I didn't bother with the umbrella, I had already gotten rained on enough today, what was a little more? Getting inside I shrugged off the duster, putting it on the coat hook, and found my paw already on the bottle of gin. I stared at it for a long moment, a little imported number from the east with heavy notes of cherry blossom. I was always a bit of a snob with my hooch, but It didn't matter if it tasted like sewage these days, I clearly was drinking for other reasons.

My eyes closed as I stood there, thinking about the day, thinking about my ex, and of course, thinking about that fawn. I realized I was growling and my jaw was set, my large teeth showing as I opened my eyes, they were burning. My handpaw was clasped so tight around the throat of the bottle it was shaking.

I wanted to just hurl the bottle across the room and howl in fury, she was right. I could have worked faster, I could have tried to do something more. It wasn't my job, but I could have saved that kit, had I just worked a little harder. Hazel used to console me during times like these, when I'd let someone down on a case, especially a kit.

Her voice filled my mind, even though it had been years now. Time had ravaged the memories, but I still could recall her words, even if the dialect and tone weren't quite the same. With a shaking paw and blurry vision, I slowly set the bottle down on the counter, uncurling my padded-fingers from it.

"Not tonight..." My voice sounded as shaky as the rest of me as I stepped back and leaned on the kitchen counter, wiping my paw over my face, clearing away the tears as I took a steadying breath. Losing my head wouldn't bring that fawn or Hazel back, nor would it bring that bastard in.

My gaze shifted to my duster and I shored up my resolve before moving over to collect the small slip of paper out of the breast pocket. I sat at my kitchen table and dialed the number on my phone, mentally preparing myself for whatever came next. Informants could be tricky to work with, especially ones that were getting called out of the blue in the middle of the night.

The phone rang, and then connected in the middle of the third ring. The first thing my ears were treated to was the sounds of a mechanical keyboard being typed upon, then a moment later a nondescript voice filled my ears, it was smooth but I couldn't place a gender on it. "Isaac Convel, twenty-nine, occupation private investigator, current address..."

I swallowed a lump in my throat as the informant sat there and read off everything from my bank account numbers to my ex-wife's social security number. Once they finished I heard a pause with more typing then a sigh. "Your cellphone shows you were in proximity with a particular antelope whose name you'll not mention, or this call ends and I hit your bank account for a grand for wasting my time, are we clear?"

"Crystal," I spoke out in a growled but subdued tone.

"Good boy. Alright, the chips are cashed in, that debt is cleared. You have my attention, call me Keys, now what do you want?"

"Well, Keys, I know your time is valuable, so I'll keep it brief..." I gave as quick of a summary as I could, but it still took a few minutes to explain everything.

"Interesting, very interesting. You found the bucks cellphone dumped too, so he's gone all-in on this flight, I like it." The voice sounded amused like they were happy to have the challenge.

"So, you'll help find the guy?" I spoke out, sounding a bit hopeful, this informant obviously knew their stuff.

"Help? I offer a service, Isaac. There is no charity here. Given your line of work, I'm sure you understand. I'll find your deer, but it'll cost you, and I'm not sending an invoice to the police department you're working with."

A growl filled my throat as I pushed a paw to my forehead. They already had my bank account info, they knew what I was working with. I wasn't hurting financially but I wasn't roosting on the biggest nest egg either. "Alright, what's the damage going to be?"

"Ten, and you're a little short on it." The nondescript voice fired back coldly.

"Gods! Ten grand?! Keys, give me-"

"You want the best, you pay for it, Isaac. Can you get me my fee or not? Sell a car, your house, I really don't care."

"Fuck..." I snarled and wracked my brain. Of course, I wanted this kit avenged, of course, I didn't want it to come down to a financial number, but was I supposed to destitute myself for a fawn I didn't even know?

An annoyed sigh filled the phone speaker as I sat there mulling over my thoughts, then Keys spoke out once more, "Look, I run cut-throat business Convel, but I also know the value of investing, especially in the capable types."

"What are you proposing then?" I spoke out curiously, a little relieved they hadn't just hung up on me.

"I'll give you the dead-kit discount. Eight, four now, and four upon delivery of the information. You're still short but-"

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't expect to fucking tap my savings to do the right thing!" I snarled back with a frustrated bark.

There was a long bout of silence, then the voice fired back icy cold, "You ever cuss at me like that again, I'll ruin you, Isaac. I'll see you sleeping in a cardboard box, do you understand me?"

My eyes widened and I gave a furious snarl, but the rational side of my brain screamed at me to shut up, this informant had my whole life pulled up right before their eyes, they could probably do it before I even got off the phone. "My apologies, won't happen again," I hissed out the words, the bitterness obvious in my voice.

"I'm not here to muscle you around and I see dead kit cases every day of my life, Isaac. Now if you'll let me finish what I was going to say." There was another pause then they continued, "Four now and I've got a few jobs you can do afterward to work off the other part. It's not illegal but you'll be getting underpaid as it were. It'd normally be six grand worth of work, but we'll call it even for the other four you'll owe me."

"Sounds as if I don't have a choice in the matter, Keys."

"You do, I can walk away from this and you can too, no gun to your head to do any of this, Convel. I'll even wave the five hundred fee for calling me."

"That's... very generous of you." I shook my head, why was this costing me money? Why wasn't Alphonse or Rickson eating this cost or the parents? Because I found the fucking kit, because I was the slow one, that's why. My teeth clenched as I growled out a response, "Fine, do it."

I heard a few keystrokes before they called out, "Done. I have my fee, I'll get to work. Give me a week."

"Alright, what if you don't turn anything up?"

There was a pause then a chuckle. "I'll let you know when that happens. Also, you can involve your buddies from the precinct, but you leave our transaction and relationship out of this, Isaac. If you peep a word of this to anyone, I'll find out, and... Well, you're a smart doggy, I'm sure you can figure out the rest."

The call disconnected and I spat out bitterly, "Son of a bitch..." Checking my phone app, my bank account was four thousand lighter now, a donation to the 'good doggy' charity. I gave a disapproving bark and shoved the phone into my pants pocket, glaring at the bottle of gin on the counter before stomping out of the kitchen to get undressed.

--*--

Rickson gave me an update a few days later, forensics found Keller's DNA all over the scene, from fur dander to prints. There was no doubt he was the one we wanted, but nothing had come up in the search for him. The other two suspects checked out as expected, and I kept my dealings with Keys to myself.

It was a late Thursday afternoon when I got the call, about six days since I reached out to the informant. I was at home with a cup of coffee when my phone started buzzing in my pocket from an 'unlisted number'. I knew right away what it pertained to and steadied myself before answering, "Convel."

Keys nondescript voice spoke out, mingling with the sounds of typing, "Alright, Convel. This is your first time doing things with me, so listen up. I've despatched a courier who should arrive within half an hour at your home. They'll have all the details."

"Alright, anything I should know or do to keep us square, Keys?"

"We'll talk more about the rest of that money you owe once you and Rickson bring this guy in. He's armed to the teeth, so I recommend you let the police apprehend him since this isn't a bounty run. Just reach out to your pal and get him the info, if they botch it or he runs before they get there, I'll have him tracked, it's part of the service."

"Part of me wants to go do it myself," I snarled out bitterly.

"You're an idiot, doggy. Your bruised ego will end up getting you killed, let the police deal with this buck and be satisfied you got a kit-killer off the streets."

'Maybe you should be satisfied and give me my fucking money back then,' I thought to myself with a growl but kept my snide remarks to myself. "Got it, I appreciate the help."

"Just doing my job, Isaac. I'll be in touch later." The phone call ended and I pocketed my phone with a sigh.

Looking down at my paws, I saw they were shaking from adrenaline and nerves. I wasn't sure if it was the tension of knowing I could resolve this, or working with someone that could end my life as I knew it if I misstepped. One thing was for certain, I would have to get it together, I still had work to do.

The courier arrived a few minutes later and I was presented with a plain manilla envelope full of information on Keller, even satellite photos of the current travel lodge he was staying in, along with a copy of an itinerary for a flight out of the country that was leaving in three days. My eyes widened at the realization he was going to be leaving the country, I had to get this to Rickson, now.

I was already climbing into my car when the phone call connected. "Convel, what's up?"

"Meet me at the station in twenty minutes," I growled as I pulled out of my driveway.

"Uh, it's my day off, Convel, I'm out with my wife."

"Not anymore, not if you want Keller." I spat out and disconnected the call, knowing he'd be on his way with that. By his own admittance, she knew how the job went, she'd be fine.

I had just gotten my car in park and started to climb out when Rickson's black sedan pulled up behind me. I recognized the badger in the passenger seat, I'd seen her a few times around the station, one of the dispatchers like he said earlier.

"What do you have for me, Convel?" Rickson spoke out as he climbed right out and was coming around the front of his car when I met him at the hood, slapping the envelope right down on the car.

"Plenty, but you need to get your people on it and fast, our buck is ready to fly out of the country in a few days." I watched him spread the information out over the hood of his car, looking it over with fervent intent.

"Isaac... How in the hell did you get all this?" He gave me a shocked look as he rifled through the papers, seeing the itinerary for the upcoming flight and already withdrawing his cellphone.

"I'm a P.I James, information is my business. Let's just say I know a guy and leave it at that." I gave him a nod and folded my arms.

The wolf met my eyes with his green ones, they looked a little sharper as he clicked his tongue in acknowledgment. "This couldn't have been cheap."

"You've no idea." I barked a bitter laugh and gave a shrug. "Just have your boys drag the bastard in and we'll call it square."

"I'll lean on the chief about kicking you back more for your retainer fee, but I doubt it'll cover... this." He snarled while he put his phone up to his ear. I gave his wife a nod as I turned and moved back to my car, for better or worse, it was out of my paws now.

--*--

A few days later I found myself at the station with Rickson and McCreedy, when I walked in the Jaguar showed me his teeth in a wide grin and shoved his paw right into my own in a firm shake. "Atta boy, Convel! I knew you were alright!"

I quirked a brow but shook his handpaw before we parted grips and I nodded at Rickson. "I take it you got a confession and all that?"

"It didn't take much, we had all the evidence we needed." The other wolf gave a shrug and spat out bitterly, "Took the kit at first as a spook tactic, but then figured if he cut out the 'problem' he could convince her to stick with him."

"That's fucked up..." I snarled and shook my head.

"Bets on the insanity plea coming up?" McCreedy spoke out conversationally as he looked between the two of us.

"A long shot to be sure, the judge is a mother that lost a kit of her own, she'll be a tough sell for that one." Rickson gave a shrug. "Whatever, it's the DA's problem now."

"So why call me in? I'm glad to hear about the resolution but you could have told me over the phone," I quipped back, cocking a brow.

McCreedy thrust a small envelope into my paws. "I and Rickson bitched out the Cheif, had to take a little more off the top than we had expected, but a bonus for your hard work. Also, maybe a little of the cash Keller was running around with got lost in transit." The jaguar gave me a wink.

I gave a snort through my nose and shoved the envelope into the inner pocket of my duster. "I appreciate it."

"You do good work, Convel, you sure I can't talk you into coming on full-time as my partner?" Rickson showed me a toothy grin.

"I'll pass James, pays better being a retainer like this when you guys can't handle it yourself. Besides, I hang out with you too much I might start smoking." I showed him my own grin as I thrust my paws back down into my pockets.

With a nod to the two, I made for the door. "I'll be around if you need me."

"It was good working with you Convel, I couldn't have done it without you," James called back as I tossed a handpaw up in a wave before moving back out of the office.

--*--

Later that afternoon I found myself at the Unicorn again, at Alphonse's request. It was still too early for the big crowds, so I only felt mildly hated for existing as I made my way through the club to the bar. The antelope was already there behind the counter along with Rita and her ex-husband Reynold at the seats.

I cut my eyes to the doe as she stood. "If you're planning to punch me again, aim for the other side of my jaw this time please, still got a bit of an ache from the last one," I drolled the words out dryly as I lifted my muzzle, paws still in my duster pockets.

The doe threw her arms around me in a hug and I grunted in shock at the display. "Thank you, Isaac, I know you can't bring him..." She trailed off and pulled back after a few moments, clearly wiping tears from her face before she set her jaw. "I- I know it's my fault, but at least now there will be some closure... I hope."

The moose put his arm around the doe and I nodded at him before meeting Rita's brown eyes once more. "Rita, you were just doing a job, it's not your fault you stumbled into a crazy bastard. It could happen as easily to a cashier or bartender."

"I've had my fair share of stalkers, it's true." Alphonse chimed in with a hum.

"Thank you for everything, Isaac. You didn't have to go as far as you did. We don't know all the details, but Alphonse says you went way beyond the call for us." Reynold thrust his massive handpaw out to me and I gripped it with a nod.

"You were right, Rita. It wasn't my job, but had I been a little faster, a little smarter..." I snarled and nodded at her. "We can all take a little slice of the blame cake, but none of us are responsible except the bastard in lock-up right now."

The doe shuddered at my words then gave a resolute nod. "Thank you... and I don't blame you in the least, Isaac. I was just... hurt and angry."

"Can you guys give me and Convel a minute alone?" Alphonse plunked down a glass of water on the counter as he nodded at me. Rita and Reynold gave the antelope a nod, then gave me another appreciative look before stepping away to a booth.

I took a seat and collected the water, taking a pull from it before meeting the antelope's eyes. I said nothing but cocked a brow in expectation.

"How bad was it?" He asked while dunking a teabag in a mug.

"Eight." I snapped back pointedly.

He winced and gave a nod. "I'd offer to pay it, but-"

"Keys would check your account the instant you did, yeah?" I gave him a knowing smirk.

"You do get it, you're a smart dog, Isaac." He gave a frown to me, then shrugged. "Look, if nothing else... I could start whittling it down for you, come by once a week or something, I could pass you a few hundred here and there from the tips of the night."

"Tell you what Alphonse. In this biz, contacts are everything. You keep me in the loop and be willing to pull strings if I need it in the future, and we'll call it even there. How's that sound?" I showed the antelope a toothy grin and thrust my paw out to him.

"I think I can work with that." He shared a grip with me, then moved his other paw up to clasp my fist while we shook. "And thank you... it means a lot, really."

I glanced back over at Rita and Reynold, then gave him a nod before pulling from the shake. "Glad I was able to help. Give me a call if you ever need anything or have a problem, and let those two know the same."

Alphonse gave me a smile before nodding and I turned away, giving the couple a parting nod before slipping out of the club to head back to my car.

--*--

That evening I found myself in my recliner, leaning back watching a hockey game while sipping on a gin and tonic. It felt like the first time I had been able to relax in weeks. I sighed and reclined the seat back, closing my eyes, just letting my ears fill with the noise of the game.

My phone rang, pulling me from the meditative state as I snarled and snatched it, glaring at the screen before my brow furrowed, seeing 'unlisted number' as the caller. Debts owed came to mind as I swallowed a lump in my throat and connected the call. "What is it, Keys?"

"Got the happy ending you hoped for, Isaac?"

"That depends on how the case goes."

"Fair enough. Check your bank account, I'll wait."

I snarled but did as I was told, fear starting to creep in on me as if I'd pull it up to see a big zero for my balance or something. My brow quirked as I saw it was only two grand lighter than before.

"What's up with that? I thought it was all cut-throat with you, Keys?"

"My fee for my regulars is only two, Isaac. You kept your cool, didn't go all hero on this guy, and get yourself in a world of shit. I can respect talent that has a level head. As I told you before, I'm all about investments."

"Sounds good, so what are you getting at?"

"You need information in your line of work, I need level-headed and capable types in mine. Let's scratch one another's backs if you get my drift."

I clicked my tongue as I mulled it all over, but it didn't take long before I gave a nod. "You've got a deal, so long as it's all on the up."

"I deal with criminals every day, Isaac, but rest assured, I'll not throw you any lines that aren't of the... mostly legal variety."

"Close enough, looking forward to working with you, Keys... and, thanks."

"Just doing my job, Convel. Also, can I give you some advice?"

"Shoot."

"You're good at your job, but don't let it define you. You won't do me or yourself any good if you're always uptight. Let your hair down, relax a little. I can tell from your bank statements you've not had a good time or gone out on a date in years."

"Yeah, well-"

"I don't care about the details or if you actually listen, Isaac. I'm just giving you my two cents. Do with it what you will." They didn't let me argue my own points and simply hung up on me.

"Son of a bitch..." I snarled at my phone before setting it down to finish my drink. I stood up, walking over to the mantel to look upon the picture of me and my ex-wife, my wedding band sitting in front of it.

"Well, Hazel... I hope you think I did the right thing..." I ran my padded-finger over the band I normally wore when I was out and gave a resolute nod. "You know what? I'll keep your ring in my wallet, but... I think I'll leave this one here with you from now on... I think that's fair."

I gave the picture a resolute nod and put my paws on my hips. Somehow, someway, I knew things were going to be different going forward. I had some new contacts, one who stood to vastly improve my career, not to mention the retainer gig with the police. Maybe good would come of it, maybe bad, but one way or another, change was on the horizon.

Fin

---

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