The echo of my words faded in the small room. Halvorson glared at me under bushy eyebrows with a scowl on his face.

“I told you to not spout this shit, I am supposed to believe that James started the fire in the building? And you pulled the young girl out?” Halvorson clenched his fists and breathed hard through his nose. “You do nothing but lie. Someday I will catch you in one and I will get to throw away the key,” he growled.

“Hey, I am telling what happened.” I said. The story I told him was a believable interpretation of the events leaving out the smoke demon and my flight from the building.

“I don’t want to hear any of that bullshit. How did you and the girl jump from the third-story window uninjured?” he asked.

A snort escaped through my nose, “I can’t speak for her but I think my ribs are cracked and there is this.” I raised my bandaged arm. “I would not call that uninjured.”

Halvorson waved a dismissive hand at my arm and frowned, “Falling thirty feet and being able to walk away is impossible.”

I shrugged and looked at him, “I don’t know what to tell you; I guess I’m a lucky man. That’s what happened.”

The frustration was clear on Halvorson’s face. He was right I was lying but he couldn’t prove it. “OK so you’re telling me James Keenan pushed both Mr. Magnus and Mr. Jensen over the rail in the confusion? I don’t think I could even push Mr. Magnus anywhere much less over a four foot rail.”

I looked down at my hands as guilt washed over me, “I didn’t even know his name; the older gentlemen. Is he the person that didn’t make it?”

“Yeah.” Halvorson said with a sigh, “He cracked his skull when they went over the rail. Greg is pretty beat up and has several deep burns but Mr. Jensen was rushed from the scene and pronounced dead at the hospital.” Halvorson cleared his throat, “I was there when James was first arrested a couple weeks ago and Greg outweighs him by at least a hundred pounds. I can’t believe James pushed both Greg and Mr. Jensen over the rail.”

“James had a blow torch that he was using to light the fire and used that to force them over.” I lied. “I ran up and tried to stop him and that’s when he turned the torch on me. The girl and I were forced out through the window.”

“What about the explosion? Are you going to tell me that this James had a bomb too?” Halvorson asked with a snarl.

“I have no idea what caused that explosion. It looked to me to come from the apartment above Rebecca’s, go ask them.” I snapped back. “I am guessing you already know that the explosion was not on the floor the fire started on so give it up.”

Halvorson slowly pulled out his chair and took a seat, “Alright, let’s go over this again.” he said in a low voice.

I clenched my jaw, took a deep breath and told me story again.

Halvorson grilled me over the details for another two hours and I deflected and explained away most of the holes in my story. He finally threw up his hands in frustration and stormed out of the room. The silence in the room descended on me as the door shut leaving me alone with my thoughts. Well not alone I guess.

That man’s death was not your fault. Maeve said in a quiet voice.

I know but I still feel like shit. We stirred up a hornet’s nest and someone died; not to mention the building that nearly burned down. My mind flashed through the night again looking for something I might have done or should have seen. I was not prepared for something like that. It was just supposed to be a simple snatch and grab.

We need to get out of here and look into what that thing might be. Maeve said. I felt her nervous energy building in me. Did you see it fly away before we hit the ground? It’s out there somewhere and I don’t think anyone else will be able to stop it.

I fidgeted in my seat as Maeve’s feelings got me riled up and I scowled at the mirror. “Hey either arrest me or let me go. I have to visit my friend in the hospital and I have things to do.”

I handed back the signed papers and nodded to the duty officer as he handed me an envelope with my things in it. When I turned around to leave, I nearly ran into Halvorson as he glowered at me.

“Hey Marty sorry I will pass on the goodbye kiss.” I said as I stepped back.

“Shut up wise ass, this is a homicide investigation now so back off. If you interfere in this investigation, I will drag your ass back here and lock you up.”

I primly smiled, “Oh Marty you say the sweetest things” I said in a falsetto voice, “So much so you changed my mind.” I stepped forward and planted a kiss on Halverson’s cheek, burned up a bit of energy and gave him a slap on the ass. I quickly stepped back, the look on Halverson’s face shifted from shock to rage. I turned and quickly walked out of the front door as a low growl grew behind me until the front door slammed shut behind me.

I ripped open the belongings bag took out my phone and dialed a number. You Call Me a Bitch Like it’s a Bad Thing by Halestorm played in my ear as I trotted down the steps into the morning sun.

The phone clicked and a woman’s voice answered, “Hey Mal, you out now?”

“Hi Taryn, yeah just got out, can you come get me? My car is still at the scene and Greg is in the hospital.”

“I know, he called me from the hospital and told me you were in jail.”

“How is he doing?” I asked.

Taryn sighed into the phone, “He is OK but I don’t think he will be able to leave for a while.”

I nodded and realized how dumb that was and said, “That’s what I thought, can you come get me? I want to get my car and then go talk to him.”

“Sure, be there in a couple minutes.” she said and clicked off.

I slide the phone into my back pocket and walked towards the street outside the county jail.

Did you have to call her? came a disapproving voice. I don’t think you should get her involved.

I looked back at the station and walked further down the street. She would rather pull out her piercings than miss out on anything. Besides, I had no one else to call. I told Maeve as I turned down a smaller street. The morning filled with the sound of cars and people walking to work faded slightly as I cut down a back street to where Taryn would meet me.

I know that but I still don’t like it, Maeve continued, Her judgment is still a little…

I noticed rapid foot falls but before I turned to look pain exploded in my head as something smashed into my skull. My knees buckled and I took some drunken steps trying to stay up right.

Mal, oh gods look out, Maeve shouted just as my face met the dew covered grass on the boulevard. At first I tried to see who was yelling at me and then my jumbled thoughts started to congeal again. I turned just in time to see a baseball bat swing down into my side and smack my ribs with a meaty whack.

“You burned down the wrong apartment asshole!” came a snarling voice above me. I covered my midsection as a heavy boot came whistling in blocking most of the blow. “I am on the hook for thousands and it’s all your fault,” he continued.

Another blow from the bat bounced off my shoulder and struck my temple. Pain erupted in my head again and my mind faded.

Damn it Mal get your head straight, Maeve snarled and pinpricks of pain started throughout my body as she took complete control. My vision tunneled and my already jumbled brain whirled at the sudden change but I settled back for the show.

I had still not gotten a good look at the guy beating on me but once Maeve snapped her head around and fixed the man with a glare that stopped him cold. He was dressed in baggy pants, old dirty sneakers and a ratty tee shirt. His hair was matted into greasy dreadlocks and his face was covered with scabs, some freshly bleeding. He could tell something had changed and he took a small step backward but then something hardened inside him and he brought the bat back up.

“I am not going to die like Jeff did, so I am taking you to him!” he shouted and brought the bat back down. The blow never made it down, I sensed the energy Maeve used to stop the bat in midair. With a surge she sent the guy flying back into a tree. He bounced off and collapsed on the ground, his bat clattering to the sidewalk.

Maeve got to her feet and stalked over to the guy, “Who the hell are you?” she asked with a strange feminine lilt. “And who the hell is Jeff?”

The man looked up at her with a terrified expression on his gnarled face and crab walked back away from her. “Hey, leave me alone man, I’m sorry, I didn’t have a choice. He told me I had to if I didn’t want to end up like Jeff. You burned him alive in that building last night.” he whimpered.

“Who told you?” Maeve snarled and with a burst of energy she mentally grabbed him by the throat and threw him against the tree again. His shoulder make an audible pop when he hit and a scream tore from his throat. My mind was still reeling and all of this happened around me in a whirlwind of thoughts, sights and feelings. The pain that surrounded me intensified and that snapped me out of my confusion.

“Oh God, oh God..... Please don’t kill me.”, his voice choked with pain, “please....” he trailed off as he broke down crying.

Rage flowed over Maeve and I grew light headed, the man gasped and clawed at his throat. “WHO... sent you?” Maeve screamed at the man and I realized what she was doing. For anyone that has not been in a coma for the last 40 years would instantly recognize what was happening to the tweaker in front of me. Like the famed Darth Vader, Maeve had stopped the air from moving in his windpipe and like all those unfortunate Imperial officers, he was helplessly clawing at an invisible hand on his throat.

Maeve stop, I told her as his face turned blue. STOP! I shouted and pushed forward to take back control. At first she fought me for control but I mentally gave her a slap and the man fell back to the ground gasping in a deep breath. The man laid on his back blood running from several scratch marks on his throat and heaved in breath after breath. I was now back in control and the pain from the beating I took returned as the bone deep ache that occurs when Maeve takes over started to fade. Since the first time Maeve took control we noticed that would start. First it feels like a light burning on my skin and then the deep bone ache begins. I remember having ’growing pains’ when I was younger and they are the closest thing I can think of that it feels like, except all of my bones throb at the same time. It fades quickly once I am back but it still sucks a lot. I took a deep breath, ignoring the terrified man on the ground; willing the pain away.

We will talk about that later. I quietly told Maeve and shame mixed with resentment passed over me.

I walked towards the guy on the ground, he let out a hoarse cry and tried to scramble to his feet. He stood up and I kicked his legs out from under him sending him back to the ground with a grunt.

I squatted down next to his face and used a little of my oxygen and quickly stopped the air in his throat. Let’s try this again.” I told him after I let go of his air. The panic was clear in his eyes but he nodded slightly.

“OK, so I assume you were talking about the fire last night, but I don’t know why you would try to kill me over that.” I said to him and looked around. “How did you know I was part of that situation anyway?”

He reached into his back pocket and I raised a finger and fixed him with a glare and he froze and a wave of terror made his body convulse.

“Slowly,” I told him as I pointed a finger towards his throat. With a trembling hand he pulled a picture from his pocket and held it out.

“I was told that the man in the picture would leave the police station,” he told me with a trembling voice. I looked at a dark picture taken at night but I could tell it was of me last night as the cop was walking me to his car. It looked like it was taken from a cellphone by someone in the crowd that was watching the fire. I turned my attention back to the tweaker with a raised eyebrow.

“So you decided that you would just beat me to death for the fun of it?” I asked him.

He urgently shook his head, “No.... he told me that if I didn’t sent you a message he would kill me man. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” I growled and that made him jump again. “Who told you?” The words came out with a snarl and Maeve surged forward again. I pushed her back again and looked the man in the eyes. “I am tiring of this. Now tell me who sent you.”

“Rabbit sent me man.” he screamed holding his hands up to protect his face. “He told me I owed him and it I brought you to him we would be even.”

I let out a sigh, “Who the fuck is Rabbit you nitwit?”

“He is the guy Jeff and I would cook meth for.”, he sputtered with a confused look on his face. Apparently I should have known who he was; doesn’t everybody?

“I figured that, you idiot,” I growled, “But that doesn’t look like you would have the skills to cross the street much less cook meth.”

He tried to shrug but winced when he moved his shoulder, “I just help, Jeff did most of it.”

“What’s Rabbits real name?”

The man flinched back, “I don’t know man, I think it’s Tim, that’s all. Please just let me go.”

I opened my mouth to answer when a battered old Subaru pulled up next to us. I turned towards it and the silhouette of a girl waved at me.

I turned back to the tweaker, “If I ever see you again I will not stop until you are dead. You got it?”

The man nodded several times and scrambled to his feet and ran off.

You’re going to let him go? Maeve asked in disbelief.

He doesn’t know anything. And for someone that was just talking about Taryn’s poor judgment you sure lost control back there. I told Maeve and that same shame welled up again.

I’m sorry he made me mad. He attacked us and he hurt you. Maeve said in a small voice.

All right, its fine let’s just get out of here and figure out what we need to do to keep it from happening again. I said as I stood up and I pulled the door open. I slide into the passenger seat and shut the door.

“What the hell was that all about?” Taryn asked.

I signed and rubbed the goose egg forming on my head, “Another complication,” I told her. "Let’s go.”

She put the car in gear and took off down the street. “You look like hell Mal.” Taryn said from the driver’s seat, a big smile on her face. “And you stink.”

I looked over with a raised eyebrow. I turned back to the road and settled back in the seat. “It’s been a long night and morning.”

Most people wouldn’t take fashion advice from the girl sitting next to me but I still valued her opinion. She was dressed in torn up black jeans with more skin than fabric showing, purple combat boots and a black Slipknot tank top. Her almost white skin had patches of color from a wide variety of tattoos that covered one arm and peeked out from under her shirt. Several piercings adorned her face and ears and a constant jangling filled the car from all the bracelets and charms she wore. She had very little makeup on but had what looked like Halloween contacts in. They made her ice-blue eyes cat like with vertical slits. Her long black hair was tucked behind one ear and when she turned to look at me I saw she had shaved off the hair on the other side of her head. Despite all of her efforts, Taryn was still a beautiful girl, her skin was smooth and clear, her body athletic and curvy in all the right places.

She tries but this punk rocker Goth getup doesn’t hide what she is, Maeve said.

Not completely, but you can sense more than a mundane human would. For them it gives her a buffer that helps most of the time.

Taryn Mercer is a girl in her early twenties and works for Greg and I on a part time basis, her college education in Computer Science has become very helpful as society has made the inevitable shift to the cloud and electronic data. Her skill at some of the less legal parts of programing has kept us ahead of all our competitors and she has become a vital partner. When Taryn first entered my life she looked like a runway model. She dressed like your average collage girl and kept her hair and makeup looking normal. The tattoos and piercings came not long after I met her and after she killed someone.