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Conall

"Mindy!" I bellowed, doing my best to keep from yanking down the orange, party lights I'd just strung. They'd gotten wrapped around my antlers somehow, and now, if I moved in the slightest, a good four yards of the bastards were going to be on the ground. "Mindy, a little help here!"

Other than the obvious, another reason I despised decorating was because - miraculously - your help always manages to disappear when you need them the most. I think everyone else who had volunteered to help get things ready for the Haunt had finished their tasks and gone. It was just me and Mindy. I peered around as best as I could, my eyes straining as far left and right as I could stand, but...where was she?

"Christ, Bambi," Mindy chuckled. I couldn't see her, but my ears had swiveled backward instinctively at the sound of her voice so she must have been right behind me. "I like the enthusiasm, but I don't think I'd go as far as ornamenting myself with the lights. Where would you plug them up?" I gasped as she playfully grabbed my tail and yanked it up. An oddly pleasant and painful pressure crept up my spine. "I don't think this receptacle has that kind of power..."

"Haha," I sneered, clearing my throat and bobbing my head. The lights clacked against the bone of my rack. "Help. Please."

"Alright, alright; hold still."

She managed to get the lights undone simply enough, but - just when I thought I could relax - she smiled, clapped her hands together, and then dropped the strand. I watched, stupefied, as - instead of just four yards - every inch of the line hanging was yanked off from around the basketball court-sized picnic area roof.

Fuck. My. Life.

Mindy just stared abashedly at her handiwork with her ears pinned down and her tail between her legs. "Oh...oh, shit." The sturdy little she-wolf seemed to sink where she stood, and she flinched as I looked up at her, a squeal seeping from between her clenched teeth when I made to pat her on the back. She relaxed when my big paw settled on her, and she blushed from embarrassment when I shook my head and eyed her worriedly.

"What was that?" I asked, stooping over to pluck the lights from the ground.

"Sorry," she sighed, crouching beside me. "I didn't think. I'll help you put them back..."

I dropped the lights as a sudden flash of anger bloomed in the pit of my stomach. "Not this, Mindy!" I made as if to touch her again, and - like before - she flinched instantly. "That. What was that?"

She dropped her head and stared at the ground. A soft breeze blew in off of the lake and ruffled her dappled-grey fur. Her strawberry-blonde hair blew across her face, and the sweet scent of vanilla was carried to me on the air. I melted in sympathy as she didn't say anything and just fiddled with the grass between her feet.

"It's...it's nothing," she finally mumbled.

"Mindy," I sighed, turning around and sitting in the grass. I watched the sun skitter across the crystal surface of the lake. "You say that every time."

I felt her eyes lingering on me, and she grunted as she sat down, too. "I...I know, but..."

"But nothing," I snapped. She jumped at my suddenly growling voice, and I made myself relax. "I don't understand it. How on earth can you put yourself through this? He's an asshole, Mindy." I gazed sideways at her. Her muzzle was curved down into a frown. "Why are you still with him after all of this time? After all of the shit he's done to you?"

She gave a faltering smile, and - like many times before when I'd asked the same questions - she spoke to me as if I wouldn't understand her reasoning, which I honestly didn't. "I...I..."

"...love him. I can't stand to lose him. Bah," I scoffed. Her face pinched a little in anger. I stared at her in earnest. "He doesn't deserve you, and you can do so much better." She bowed her head again, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She was so small in comparison to me, and, as she leaned into me and rested her head against my chest, I felt like I would smother her if I hugged too hard. After a few minutes, though, I didn't care. I wanted to give her the warmth and compassion she so rightfully deserved. After all, she wasn't getting it from Corbin.

Her Doberman boyfriend was the epitome of maleness, in more bad ways than good. Well, that was my personal opinion, but apparently Mindy had seen some miraculously sweet side to him that I didn't believe he had. From my experiences with Corbin all I saw was an overtly macho, arrogant, disrespectful, competitive, bad-tempered, and hurtful guy. As far as he was concerned he was the top rung of the ladder, and everyone else below him wasn't worth a second glance. Well, unless you had something he wanted or if he could gain something by knowing you. Oh, or if you had tits and a pussy. Don't get me started on his treatment of females.

Mindy was a prime example of his utter disrespect. She'd gotten a job as a health teacher at Emerald Bluff almost four years ago, took up coaching the track team a year after that, and - once she started hanging around the stadium more often - she immediately fell for Corbin; Hard, too. She'd do anything for him, and he took advantage of that fact once he had her firmly wrapped around his finger. The way they behaved with one another at school was...immature to say the least. On and off seasons they'd hold their team's practices at the same time just so they could hook up and make out beneath the bleachers like...well, like the teens they were supposed to be supervising. With them indisposed unrest festered between the football and track teams, and them sharing the field - or biding their unrest with one another while on the same field - led to quite a few fist fights and other altercations. The principal threatened to fire both coaches if they didn't start taking their jobs more seriously, and once they couldn't feel one another up anymore they found another way to get their rocks off: by competing with one another.

It worked for a while, but eventually Mindy began to outdo Corbin in the coaching field, and the track team started to bring in many more victories than the football team. Corbin would push his boys even harder, and in return Mindy would do the same with her group. In the end no one was winning, though, and the kids were suffering terribly. Fatigue, exhaustion, injuries, and unrest skyrocketed on both sides, and it got so bad that each team had a death-wish for the other. They were pointing fingers at one another for the agony they had to endure as neither side would let up.

Luckily, the captains of both teams came to an understanding and stilled the waters for a time. The competition was still unhealthy, though, but the fights stopped. With the old football captain graduated, though, I hope his replacement will keep the peace. When the track team elects a new leader for their upcoming season, I hope the same there, too.

The pain didn't stop completely, though, not for Mindy. Corbin got sick of her showing him up all of the time, and, from what she's related to me, he got abusive. At school they were fine, but the Doberman's bad side came out at home once the doors were closed. Still, she wouldn't leave him. She said he always apologized and treated her well for a while after that, but he'd always fall into the same destructive routine.

Thankfully there are some who understand hurt and can see someone suffering from a mile away. Sasha could tell something was up with his coach, and after a tear filled spilling of her guts, she broke down and told him what had been going on. Like me, he told her to break up with Corbin, but - also like with me - she said she loved him no matter his faults and that she couldn't. So, instead, as a means of coping with her pain, he suggested she do art therapy with me. When Sasha was younger and distraught about his body and homosexuality I taught him to draw to get his feelings out, and he thought Mindy would gain the same level of self-awareness that he had while probing around in his thoughts and emotions, pulling them out and putting them on paper.

She agreed and started coming to my house every afternoon for a few hours. Her artistic abilities were alright to start with, but even from the beginning the therapy worked wonders for her. After a while - and after she'd honed her talents - I thought she'd grown confident enough to finally end her relationship with Corbin, but, somehow, he kept pulling her back in then hurting her again. I don't think she ever told him about our sessions, but they became so frequent after a while that it was hard not for us to get close to one another. From watching her work, and from seeing her completed pieces, I knew she was craving for compassion and love and adoration; something that she was being neglected from. I ended up being the one to provide all of that for her, even though it was more out of pity in the beginning, but after a while it...it became sincere.

I honestly ended up falling for Mindy. I cared for her. Seeing her like she was now, hunkered over in sadness and frustration, it made me want to beat the living hell out of Corbin. I said he didn't deserve her, and I meant it with every fiber of my being. I'd be lying if I said her breaking up with the dog wouldn't leave me thrilled in a selfish way, but it was - no doubt - the best thing for her anyway.

"Why do you always say it like that?" she whimpered.

I wanted to say, "Because I hate it! Because none of it makes sense, and you should be with me! I'll never treat you so badly, and you know it, too! You know I care about you, and yet you never let the idea of me being with you show you how shitty your boyfriend is as a mate!"

Instead I just shook my head and didn't let a single word leave my lips.

We sat in silence for a while, her still reclining on me and my arms still wrapped around her. There was still a shit-ton of stuff to do to get ready for the Haunt on Sunday, but I couldn't pass up on the moment to be alone with her like this.

I barked a gasp of fright as she suddenly pulled away and stared wide eyed at me. "I forgot to ask! How's Sasha doing? Is he alright and feeling better? Have they figured out who did it yet?"

Be still my insanely beating heart. "Calm down," I sputtered, coaxing my fur back down on my neck. She took a few deep breaths. "And don't think changing the subject off of you is going to make me forget..."

"I know, I know," she jibed, rolling her eyes. Her ears and nose twitched in aggravation, but then her face melted into pure concern. "Is he though?"

I sighed and pushed myself up. The moment was over, so it was time to get back to work. "He's doing a lot better as far as I've heard. I've called a few times, but I've been relying on Lee to keep me updated."

"Hawthorne? The Australian Shepherd that Corbin puts into that heavy ass suit of armor?"

I chuckled. "Yeah. Anyway, apparently he's coming to the Haunt, so I guess he's recovered."

Her paw brushed against mine as she helped me pick up a section of the lights to hang again, and I blushed. She smiled at me, but her face become sullen as thoughts crossed her mind. "Do you think that's safe? What if something else happens?"

"I wouldn't worry about that too much," I said grinning in satisfaction.

"Why?" she asked, somewhat shocked. "I don't want anything to happen to him again."

I moved down putting up lights as I went. Being as tall as I am I didn't have need for a ladder, and I'd just hang the strands up on the nails from previous years. "It won't. This year the police department's going to be enforcing the Haunt." I watched her brows sink toward the bridge of her muzzle and shook my head. "Just watching and keeping the peace. There are no strict regulations or anything we have to follow. They'll be enjoying everything, too, but just being watchful and maintaining order with their presence."

"Oh," she sighed. "Well that's good then."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Speaking of which..." I pulled out my phone to check the time. "5:20; they should be here by now." I peered around, but Mindy and I were still the only furs around.

She looked around as well, clearly confused. "Who?"

I looked up behind us toward the lodge. "Oh, there they are." I waved to the two policemen who'd just pulled up, and one waved back while the other leaned casually - or sulkily - against their squad car. I carefully laid down the strand of lights in my hands and tugged Mindy along. "Come on. We'll finish later."

She eyed the policemen wearily as we approached. They were the same two who'd interviewed me after Sasha's attack: Rutger and Ridge, an odd pair. One a wolverine and the other a hare. Rutger bobbed his long, antennae-like ears and grinned, enthusiastically shaking my paw when I offered it to him. Mindy lingered behind me.

"Hey, guys," I said. "Thanks for meeting us out here so late."

Rutger sniffed and wiped his twitching pink nose, grimacing at whatever had come off on the sleeve of his uniform and then wiping it frantically on the butt of his pants. "It's no problem."

"No problem at all," Ridge rumbled in agreement.

"We'll go over the details inside once our supervisor gets here," Rutger said.

Ridge pushed himself off of the squad car and walked into the grass to stare out at the lake before us. His tufted, dark brown fur was tossed gently on a gust of warm air, and the short, stocky wolverine appeared quite contemplative as he gazed out over the expanse of glittering water. "The two of us, and most of the other officers who are going to be working the Haunt, know the layout of the park well enough, but we'll have to show the new guy around so he'll have an idea of the scope of this place."

Rutger grinned. "If he decides to show up, that is."

"Give him time," Ridge said. "He's coming clear from Athens."

Mindy bucked up and came to stand next to me. "Greece?" she asked curiously.

Ridge chuckled and grinned. "No, hon: Georgia." His impressively huge set of fangs caused Mindy to slink back behind me a little.

"Oh," she peeped.

"Georgia, Georgia," Rutger sang a little off key. "The whole day through, just an old sweet song, keeps Georgia on my mind."

"Keep your day job, Ray," Ridge said popping his beefy fingers out of his ears.

Rutger just smiled and twitched his nose.

We stood around for another ten or fifteen minutes waiting, and finally we were greeted by the sound of a vehicle as it screamed down the road in front of the Lodge. Turns out it was a Sport-bike, a wicked, sharp-angled thing that reminded me of an F-117 Nighthawk. It was shining and black with white stripes down the sides and a police crest emblazoned on the front, and the driver rounded the building, slowed, and coaxed over to us while leaning back and unbuckling his blacked out helmet. His leather riding gear, all black too, reminded me of SWAT attire, but it was much more skin-tight and streamlined.

He came to a stop, flicked his kickstand down, and slipped off of the motorcycle. He yanked his helmet off and sat it on the back of the bike, straightened his ruffled black hair a bit, and then he hustled toward us with an eager smile across his muzzle.

I think he was a Husky. He had similar fur patterns of black and white like the breed, curling tail as well, but he was a bit taller and stockier. Hybrid, maybe? As he approached I noticed his eyes were the same penetrating shade of vermillion as mine were, so he had wolf in him, too. His scent revealed the same conclusion.

"Hi, everyone," he greeted. He was a handsome thing. I think I was expecting a beat-ravaged, scar-toting, grumpy, pot-bellied detective type like from the movies. He was in great shape, and he didn't look any older than me. "Sorry I'm late. I dropped by the station in town to report in, and then I stopped to see some old friends. I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

"No, sir," Rutger piped soldierly. "Not at all."

The husky/wolf waved his paws in front of him. "'Eh, don't call me sir. The whole ranking thing has never settled right with me." He beamed and faced Mindy and I, thrusting out his paw. "Hello! You're Conall, right?"

I took his hand and received a firm shake, nodding. "Yes, uh..."

"Crowley," he said with his bushy tail wagging. "Detective Asher Crowley."

"It's nice to finally meet you," I said. "I'm sorry; I heard through the school that you were coming to investigate what happened, but everyone only referred to you as 'the special investigator.' I never caught your name."

He shrugged. "That's alright. Nothing like a proper introduction anyhow." He turned to Rutger and Ridge, and the odd partners straightened a little. "Come on guys," he huffed. "You're going to have to relax if we're going to be working together."

Rutger grinned cheekily. "Alright, that's no problem for me." He motioned toward Ridge with his thumb. "But you've got your work cut out for you if you're going to get him to loosen up."

Ridge grumbled and stared icily at his partner, but the hare just laughed.

"Alright," Crowley said clapping his paws together. "Let's get inside and go over the game plan."

Mindy stayed wrapped around my arm as we walked toward the lodge, but her curiosity was inching her out little by little. "I thought you were just going to be looking for the fur that hurt Sasha Clemmons? Why are you helping with this?"

Crowley's nose twitched slightly and his face scrunched up curiously, but then he smiled sweetly toward Mindy and she relaxed further. "I am going to be looking, miss..."

"Keller," she said. "Mindy Keller. Sasha's one of my best athletes, and a good friend to me." She was suddenly quite passionate. "I don't want him hurt again, Detective. You should be searching for his attacker..."

Crowley held up a firm paw. "Don't worry. Like I said, I will be looking, and I am; Trust me. Rutger and Ridge have told me this event is quite popular and that most of the town's inhabitants attend. I know from a reliable source that Sasha will be here, and, if the perpetrator is still around and is intent on harming him again, what better place is there to do it than at a chaotic, confusing, crowded event where everyone is in costume and it'd be simple enough to ambush someone out of the dark of the woods and then disappear without a trace?"

Mindy was a bit taken aback. So was I for that matter. He sounded like he was more or less using Sasha as live bait to lure the attacker back out again.

"Well," Mindy contemplated. "All of that chaos will make it just as difficult - if not impossible - to find the guy if he does show up, won't it?"

"Not necessarily," Crowley mused. He fiddled around in an inner pocket to his riding jacket and pulled out a plastic bag. There was a square piece of grungy looking fabric inside of it. "This," he said. "Is a piece of Sasha's denim jacket, the one he was wearing when he was attacked. Ridge was wise enough to get it as evidence upon visiting the Clemmons for their interview."

"Momma fox was going to throw it away. Almost lost it," Ridge rumbled.

Rutger opened the door to the lodge for us and we all tromped inside.

"It was fortunate," Crowley continued. "As, not only was Sasha's blood on the jacket, but..."

"The attacker's, too?" Both Mindy and I asked excitedly.

"Yes," Crowley nodded. "The benefit of having a Blood hound as an Evidence Analyst is that their impeccable sense of smell can pick out any distinguishable trace of foreign body fluids. She not only smelled Sasha's blood, but she picked up the scent of another's, too."

I beamed and stood a little straighter in excitement. Mindy ran into me as my antlers got caught against a door frame, and I growled at the unexpected shock that shot down my neck and made sure to keep my head low. "Can't you do DNA testing, then?"

"We did," Rutger said glumly. "It was inconclusive. A mixture of the sample not being properly stored, the blood decaying, and it being tarnished by Sasha's own blood and other foreign materials left it useless as far as DNA matching goes."

"Oh no," Mindy whimpered.

"But," Crowley interjected. "The scent is still there, both of the blood and of the attacker. Since, apparently, he was injured upon attacking Sasha - whether from the fox trying to protect himself or the culprit getting to overzealous and accidentally injuring himself..."

"Skin on the knuckles is easy to bust open in a scuffle," Ridge stated.

"Precisely," said Crowley. "Either way, with a station full of canine officers with great senses of smell, two distinctive scent samples, and a possible tell-tale injury to look out for - not to mention the size description we gathered from the security feed you provided, Conall - we have a very decent chance of catching this fool if he decides to show up."

Words could not express the breath of relief that left my lungs. I hadn't thought that so much had been gathered to aid in finding Sasha's attacker, but God was it encouraging knowing there was so much to follow. I held a lot of respect for the three officers before me, as - clearly - they were undoubtedly reliable and accomplished in their profession. Crowley had me thoroughly impressed. He had been looking for the culprit, and he'd already devised a plan to attempt to subdue him.

We all pulled chairs out from around a circular, wooden table and sat down. I'd set out a map of Lake Greenwood park and a schedule of the events so that the officers knew what would be going on where and when. Crowley took the map that I'd marked with the different goings-on and looked over it intently with his ears sharply perked, his scorching eyes probably burning everything into his memory.

Mindy squirmed in her chair and pulled her feet up, and she stared silently at Crowley until he felt her gaze and looked up.

"If this guy does try and hurt Sasha again, how are you going to protect him?" she asked in scrutiny. "Like you said, it's going to be almost impossible to tell who's who. How will you keep track of where he is?"

Crowley flicked his ears and smiled devilishly over the map in his paws. "I'll be close by at all times. Neither Sasha nor the attacker will even know it."

Both Mindy and I cocked our heads to the side in confusion.

"How?" she asked.

"Well," Crowley mused. "I'll just say that I like to dress up, too."