3. Emma

THREE

Emma

I steered the car onto the familiar gravel path leading toward Beth’s house. Beth sat beside me, her gaze flitting between the window and her phone. I got the sense she had something on her mind, but I couldn’t focus on her with Deva and Carol talking in the back.

"Maybe we should ask Daniel if he can talk to the police about what’s going on,” Deva suggested.

"But would knowing more really make us feel any better?” Carol asked.

I sighed. "At least if we knew if it was supernatural or human, we’d know exactly what kind of protection we need. I mean, should we pack potions or knives?”

Deva laughed. "Definitely spells, whether they’re human or supernatural. Maybe tonight Carol and I can hit the wine and make a few good potions, just in case.”

It was funny. Sometimes I envied the fact that Deva had moved into Carol’s house. They seemed to have so much time together. Then again, Daniel was definitely the person I wanted as my roommate.

Beth’s phone chimed, and she sighed as she read it. "Mind if we make a quick stop at the office?"

I stopped the car. "Something important?”

"Just some case notes I want to go over tonight.”

"No problem.” I smiled, putting the car in reverse and getting back onto the main road.

As we continued the short drive to the psych office, Beth tapped her fingers on her knees. There was something about the movement that made me think she might be nervous, and her expression said she had a lot on her mind.

"Have there been a lot of cases lately? I know I said I needed more time for wedding preparation, but I didn’t mean you had to do everything yourself.”

Her tapping stopped, and a smile played across her lips. "No, things haven’t been too bad, but I’m glad to hear you don’t mind helping with more cases. If any more come up, I’ll be sure to have you help.”

"Good." The last thing I wanted to do was put more on Beth’s shoulders when she already had so much going on.

"There’s always a need for Karma’s powers!” Carol said, grinning.

I slowed the car down as we approached the small, homey building nestled among a cluster of trees. The psych office was absolutely perfect. It was formerly a home that Beth had gotten for an absolute steal, with two stories, plenty of room for all her animals, great lighting, and lots of nature. If we were going to hunt supernatural bad guys from anywhere, I wanted it to be from here.

To my surprise, I spotted a car out front.

"Expecting someone?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light.

She shook her head. "Nope, but people have a way of finding me.”

I parked behind the sleek, black car, noticing that its engine was still running, Beth unbuckled her seatbelt, releasing an audible deep breath. "Here we go." She flashed me a quick smile.

We stepped out, the cool evening air brushing against my skin, and a figure emerged from the building. A woman in an elegant coat strode toward us, her posture poised but her expression frantic.

"Are any of you Beth Ari from Private Psych?" she called out.

My gaze slid over her. She was petite, tiny compared to even Beth, with short, dark hair, and equally dark eyes. Everything about her screamed money and elegance, from her button-down dress to her expensive shoes. So, I was sure she had money, but I couldn’t tell much else, other than that something was wrong. I guess soon I’d know if she was human or supernatural and what she needed with our psych business.

Beth nodded, stepping forward. "That's me. How can I help you?"

The woman took a deep breath, looking between us. "I need to hire you. It's urgent." Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched her Louis Vuitton bag.

"Let's talk inside," Beth said, motioning toward the office door. The professional edge in her voice reassured me that whatever this was, Beth could handle it. I’m sure the woman felt the same way. It was one of Beth’s best qualities.

The door swung open, and the soft jingle of a small bell announced our entrance. That was a new feature that Beth had added, and I liked it. It helped add yet another element that made this house feel more like an office.

The woman, who had been waiting outside, extended her hand as we stepped into the warmth of the office. I could still sense her tension, but she offered her hand like she did this often. It was the kind of confidence that someone in the business world might have, or maybe I was imagining it, trying to use my detective skills to figure her out.

"Trudy Durgin," she introduced herself with a warm, strained smile. Her grip was firm, and she had elegantly manicured nails.

"Nice to meet you, Trudy," Beth said. "This is Emma Foxx.”

"Ah, Karma,” she said, a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips.

"Yes,” I told her with a nod.

Beth waved us along. "Let's sit down and you can tell us what's going on."

We moved through the main room of the office, where a couple of cats lounged lazily on a windowsill, a mouse ran across Beth’s desk, and a bird fluttered in the rafters overhead. The animals observed our procession with mild interest, all of them enjoying the people we bring through here. A dog, some sort of retriever mix, lifted its head from a bed in the corner and thumped its tail against the floor, but didn't bother to stand. He, too, was new, but I think he would possibly be returning to his owner at some point.

"Ladies,” Beth said, looking at Deva and Carol. "Would you mind waiting out here while we meet with our client?”

"Of course not,” Deva said, choosing the chair at my desk to sit at, while Carol slid into Beth’s chair.

Beth led Trudy and me to a small room with three chairs and a low coffee table, just off the main room. Luckily for us, she had just finished decorating the space to give clients a more intimate place to talk. She gestured for Trudy to take a seat but left the door open a crack behind us, muffling the distant sounds of other animals housed in the adjoining spaces, but knowing that Deva and Carol would hear all about the case from us either way.

"Start from the beginning for us, please." Beth pulled a notepad and pen from her bag, her expression completely focused.

Trudy clasped her hands tightly in her lap. "I’m a half-fairy, married to a human. My husband is fully aware of the supernatural world, but mostly stays out of it. You know how humans can be.”

"Of course,” Beth responded, and I tried not to be offended by that. I guess I wasn’t technically a human anymore, after all.

She continued. "Two nights ago, my husband was attacked," she said. "He...he was bitten by something."

"Bitten?” I repeated, confused.

"Something?" Beth prompted gently, her pen poised above the paper.

"A werewolf," Trudy clarified. "I know how it sounds, but I assure you, it's true. The sheriff is trying to keep it quiet, along with those involved in supernatural crime enforcement. They don’t want to panic anyone, but my husband is very much human, or was, before he was bitten."

I leaned forward as Beth's hand moved quickly across the page, jotting down notes. I had the benefit of just focusing on her words, and they had sent my thoughts spinning. A werewolf? Was she serious? I had accepted so much about the supernatural world, but this was crazy. Wasn’t it?

And yet, Beth’s reaction told me that it was true. She wasn’t grilling her on werewolves, just writing everything down. Like the woman was telling her about a dog who bit someone rather than a werewolf. Was it that common?

"Did anyone see the attack happen?" Beth asked when she finished her notes.

"Only shadows and sounds," Trudy replied. "It was late and dark. Someone heard what was going on and saw shadows, but they took off in fear."

Beth flipped a page in her notebook, and her tone was gentle. "Can I ask you some more questions about the attack itself?"

"Of course." Trudy folded her hands in her lap, bracing herself.

"Where was your husband attacked?" Beth's tone was soft but probing.

"Behind the flower shop, Floral Fun," Trudy replied. "He was on his way to his car after closing up for the night."

"Flower shop?" I tried to picture the scene. Why was he there that late at night? Was he like me and just running around doing too much last-minute wedding preparation?

"Yes, he works there. Sort of.” Trudy's face pinched with the memory. "It's normally safe there. But that night..." She trailed off, leaving the horror unsaid.

"Does he work there often? Is it possible someone knew his schedule and targeted him?" I leaned forward in my seat.

The question seemed to puzzle Trudy for a moment.

"Actually, no." She smoothed the fabric of her skirt with her fingers. "He owns several businesses. But he loves that flower shop. It's his passion project. That night was the only night he worked there that week. Typically, he comes and goes there as his schedule allows."

"Could the werewolf have been, I don't know, crazed or something?" Beth asked. The possibility hung in the air between us like a dark cloud.

Crazed? I knew I shouldn’t ask too many questions. I didn’t want our client to know just how in the dark I was when it came to werewolves, but I was getting more and more confused about how werewolves worked. I’d have to get the full story from Beth when this meeting ended.

Trudy shook her head slowly, her expression unreadable. "I'm not sure. He didn't mention anything like that. Just that it... attacked."

Beth glanced at me. I think she saw my confused expression and decided to clarify, which I was really grateful for.

"Usually, the first few shifts are the hardest to control, so a werewolf can attack in a crazed state without knowing what they’re doing. The problem is that if they bite someone else, they can infect them, and they, too, become a werewolf," Beth said. "Those first few changes are tough, making the werewolf very dangerous, but it gets easier for them to control themselves after that. They learn to manage the changes."

"Really?" I looked from Beth to Trudy.

Beth nodded. "Yeah. With time, they can almost lead normal lives again."

"Almost." I tasted the word, thinking about what a 'normal' life meant when you had to turn into a werewolf.

"Yes,” Trudy said, emotion in her voice. "But things are never quite the same again.”

Her words hung between all of us. I guess now her husband would need to learn how to manage being a werewolf, so that he didn’t hurt anyone. Someone also needed to get the person who infected him off the streets. There were so many ways we could help Trudy, but I wasn’t sure what she needed specifically from us.

"So… what do you want us to do?” I asked.

Trudy’s dark eyes met mine. "I want you to find out which werewolf attacked him.”

Closing her book, Beth sat up straighter. "We'll do everything we can to help."

Trudy nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly as if relieved by the promise, but she didn’t get up. She sat painfully still, and it felt like we were all holding our breath as Trudy leaned closer, a look of pain painting her features.

"I can’t believe all of this is happening. My sweet Nam, bitten by a werewolf." Without further warning, Trudy began to sob, her next words coming out broken. "When the next full moon rises, he'll shift into one of them ."

She reached for a tissue from the box on the coffee table between us, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Gone was the elegant lady from a moment before. In her shoes remained a wife and a person, terrified for someone she loved.

"Hey, hey," Beth said softly, her professional demeanor giving way to concern. She reached between them, placing a comforting hand over Trudy's.

Trudy dabbed at her eyes. "It's all so much to take in. I thought we were safe from such things, living as we do… being good, civilized people in a small town. But I was wrong."

"I completely understand that feeling of being vulnerable and unsafe, but let's focus on what we can do now," Beth said.

"Yes, you’re right. There are things we can do now.” Trudy exhaled shakily. "There's a... a sort of cure. It suppresses the transformation." She clasped her hands together tightly, as if holding onto the last shred of hope. "But he has to take it every single day. Without fail."

"Sounds manageable." Women did it every day with birth control.

"Manageable, yes, but not without its price," Trudy said, a hint of bitterness creeping into her voice. "The cost is astronomical. And it will be needed for the rest of his life."

"Is money an issue?" Beth asked.

"No," Trudy conceded, a weary smile touching her lips. "Thankfully, we have the means. But others might not be so fortunate. That's why I’m here with you instead of at my husband’s bedside. It’s too late for him, but not for others."

Beth leaned forward, intent on Trudy's face. "You want us to find the werewolf responsible to protect other people?"

Some small part of me expected her motivation to be more driven by a desire for vengeance.

"Exactly." Trudy's eyes were resolute now, the tears dried. "I want you to find this creature before it attacks again, before more lives are thrown into chaos. Before more people are infected. Will you do it?"

"Consider us on the case," Beth said firmly, and I nodded my agreement, responsibility settling on my shoulders. We were going to catch a werewolf.

"Three people," Trudy said with a tremble in her hands. "In the last few months, three victims, including my husband."

Oh, wow, so all the recent attacks were werewolf attacks? That was unsettling. I think I could handle a crazy human a lot better than a werewolf.

"There shouldn't be any more. This has to stop," she continued.

"Don’t worry," Beth said. "We’ll figure this out.”

"Thank you," Trudy said, relief washing over her face as she clasped her hands together tightly. "Thank you both so much."