3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Since the accident was listed as a minor fender bender, I didn’t really need to attend the scene but it was on my way back to Connor’s so I figured I might as well. Besides, it had given me a good excuse to end the awkward conversation with Liv. Seeing her vulnerable had somehow made me feel icky. I thought of her as one of the true unstoppable forces in the world, and being confronted with the fact that she had a heart was uncomfortable.

Liv had found and wielded four gemstones that used to belong to the archangels. She’d resisted their pull for centuries, maybe even millennia, but she had become vulnerable to them after a powerful air witch had unleashed their power. In my eyes, Liv was strength personified and not someone to trifle with. I treated her like a mountain: a solid, immovable force. Knowing she actually had some warmth in her cold black heart unsettled me.

I shook my head to clear it. I could see the accident up ahead; it looked like more than a minor ding, so whoever had reported it had definitely underplayed it. I groaned. At this rate, I’d never get back to my perfect Christmas.

I sighed then pulled myself together. I’d chosen to be a detective and sometimes that meant missing time with loved ones. I consoled myself with the fact that I was out in the world, doing good; that was more important than snaffling an extra gingerbread, even if it didn’t feel like it right now.

I parked safely off the road, got out and lifted the first-aid kit from the back of the SUV. It was icy as heck, and I slipped and slid my way to the scene. A large red truck had smashed into the back of a blue sedan and was currently resting on the boot of the smaller vehicle. Both drivers were still inside, which not a good sign. I called for an ambulance as I scrambled forwards.

I nearly landed on my ass a couple of times. The problem with snow in the temperate rainforest is that the second it’s followed by a tiny drop of rain it becomes an ice fest. I should have grabbed the cleats that Sidnee had insisted I buy; now I knew why she’d been so pushy. Live and learn – or not die and learn.

I gave in and pretty much skated to the vehicles; I was a decent enough ice-skater, I just didn’t have blades. I looked in the sedan first. The female driver was in her seat, belt still on, obviously dazed. Thankfully there was no one in the back seat. ‘Hey. I’m from the Nomo’s office. Are you alright, ma’am?’ I asked.

She looked up at me slowly and blinked. ‘Yeah. I just need a moment.’ I looked her over but couldn’t see any visible wounds except for a red mark on her forehead. She was definitely in shock, maybe concussed. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Anna Lee.’

‘Okay, Anna. Did you call in the accident?’

‘Yeah.’ She winced. ‘Charlie isn’t going to be thrilled about this.’

‘Your husband?’

She nodded and sighed. ‘He only got the car back from the mechanic a week ago.’

‘I’m sure he’ll be happy that you’re fine – this could have been a lot worse.’ Like, a lot worse. I was glad there wasn’t any need for a body bag. ‘Okay, Anna, I’m going to check on the occupants of the other vehicle. You sit tight – the ambulance is on its way.’ To support my point, sirens filled the air.

I slid back to the truck. The driver was still in his cab, also alone, and I rapped on the window. Frank Wakefield, the town drunk, looked up at me. I narrowed my eyes. Had he been drinking? He was on the banned booze list and if he had been drinking I was going to grab Lenny and Larry Grimes and knock their heads together for selling him ’shine.

As Frank rolled down his window I sniffed the air for the tell-tale scent of alcohol on his breath. Nothing. ‘Hi, Frank. Are you okay?’ I asked, checking him over for injuries. A huge gash was dripping blood down his face.

I rifled through my first-aid kit to find a wad of gauze. ‘Here, press this against your forehead until the bleeding stops.’

He took it and, after wiping his eyes clear, pressed it to the gash. We both knew it’d heal the second he shifted so nothing else was needed for now. I studied him. ‘Frank, I have to ask. Have you been drinking?’

‘No, Officer Squirrel! I’m dry. I swear.’

‘Bunny,’ I corrected stiffly, unsure if he was taking the piss or if he’d just remembered I had some sort of rodent-related name.

He flushed. ‘Right. Bunny. Sorry. How did you get a name like that anyway?’

I stared at him for a beat. ‘I once angered a bunny spirit, so I agreed to take the name to appease it.’

He gaped at me. ‘An angry bunny spirit?’

‘A wraith,’ I elaborated and his eyes widened. Enough tall tales. ‘What happened, Frank? Please don’t ruin my first Portlock Christmas.’

‘It was an accident. I hit the ice and couldn’t stop sliding even though I tried.’ His voice was sincere and I believed him.

I nodded. ‘Fine, I’m going to take your information and the other driver’s and we’ll deal with this after the holidays. Is your truck driveable?’

He crunched his brows together. ‘I – I’m not sure. I haven’t tried to start it. I’m a little woozy just now.’

That was no surprise with such a wound on his head. ‘We’re going to get the other driver out and looked at by the paramedics. You can see them, too. I’ll try to reverse your truck off her car. If it’s driveable and the paramedics think you’re okay, you can go on home. If not, you’ll have to hang around for the tow truck.’

‘Okay. Thanks for believing me, Officer Bunny.’

I gave him a quick smile. Supernat senses were a gift most of the time and I knew he wasn’t lying. I could smell he hadn’t been drinking, so there was no need for a breathalyser. I was relieved that our town held its own and refused to give liquor to a man who couldn’t resist it; at least now I didn’t need to tell the Grimes’ brothers off.

By the time I’d finished checking on Frank, the paramedics had arrived, taken the woman out of the car and checked her over. She had a lump on the side of her head where she’d banged into the side window, and a possible mild concussion. While they went over Frank in the ambulance, I tried to reverse his truck.

The engine started, which was a good sign, and the truck rolled off the car. I parked it a short distance from the scene of the accident and returned to the ambulance.

Frank had shifted and healed his wound, so he was good to go home; I had his details because I’d booked him before. I let him set off whilst I wrote down Anna Lee’s details. Unlike Frank, her vehicle couldn’t be driven, so I called the tow truck and put out cones to alert other drivers. It was very quiet: everyone was home enjoying their feasts with their friends and families. Lucky ducks.

It was time I was with mine. Situation dealt with, I climbed back into the Nomo SUV and headed back to Connor’s – and to the best Christmas ever!