Essex [the bad familiar]

11: a bad parroty

Sandelene, if given the option, wouldn't answer her phone for the next week if she could've gotten away with it. She did use it, however: had to call the insurance company, then Ronnie to apologize for the smell and warn her about keeping the trash lid locked so curious animals didn't investigate. As to the rest, a bird got in. It wasn't a real lie.

That's what they all say, the thing called Essex had crowed in her ear.

Margery had left a slew of messages; the last and only one she'd listened to instructing her to disregard what he'd said twenty minutes ago. He wanted her back at the museum. She didn't have the time to deal with him, at least not yet: between a creepy bird demon and a visit downtown to the police department, the day was bad enough. She didn't need the pain of having her ear chewed off again about damages, and she'd gotten enough dirty looks to last a lifetime walking through the bustling police station. Sure, this may have been a freak accident, but there'd been two, two, officers of the law laid out when they were alone and in her vicinity.

After she'd given her statement agreeing that yes, maybe there was a connection, yes, maybe the man from the museum was stalking her, she inquired of Officer Peabody and Captain (she'd been very careful to get that right) Saltz. 

The talk had not gone well from the start, when she'd gotten squirmy under the hardened eyes of the investigating officer and said, "If only I could get the men in my love life to go down that fast."

Officer Tori Yen sat back in her chair as they'd finished up. "The Captain would like to speak with you," she said with a very long sigh. "Tomorrow afternoon at his apartment."

Sandy tilted her head. "At his apartment?"

Tori's dark eyes rolled. "He suffered a head injury. You think he's coming into work?"

"So if he's not working, is it mandatory?"

"He's always working," she said, clicking her pen. "God knows what he wants from you." 

"He did hit his head," Sandy supplied with a sheepish smile quickly gobbled up under Tori's wolfish glowering. 

*

Not fair, the bird crooned the next day, settling on the rail beside his mistress. Sandelene had just exited a corner store and had taken the road along the river to stop and think about her meeting with Saltz when the demon had soared down from above and settled on the guard rail overlooking the river walk. Officer Peabody didn't get a house visit. I'm not even allowed in your house.

Sandelene had a very strong suspicion he was lying about what command a witch had over her familiar. She was quite certain that one, the demon-expelling spells and smudge sticks she'd rubbed around her bedroom were highly ineffective when it came to Essex and two, he was lying last night when he claimed that her spirited, 'get the fuck out from under my bed what the fuck do you think you are, some kind of bogeyman? get out!' was 100% effective in keeping him out of her apartment.

What was most unsettling about Essex was the fact that he seemed to be enjoying his newfound freedom. He wasn't just being evil, pouring blood down the walls or making her stomp on her pets. He was thinking and scheming and that wasn't how demons were supposed to work. Not the haunting variety, at least. She couldn't be sure what was going on, but she was vaguely certain that he was planning it.

 "Neither of you requested to see me," she huffed, leaning against the rail beside the bird. She pulled open the bag swinging from her left hand and opened it. "Look in there. Two cards. Two stupid 'Get Well Soon' bears. I'm being perfectly fair."

The handsome little wretch of a predator leaned forward, one bright eye making the assessment. When he leaned back, ruffling his wings, he clicked his beak dismissively. Well, that sure proves me wrong. You want to sleep with them both.