Sleuth

History

Sheriff Hale drank her fifth cup of coffee and leaned back in her terrible rolling chair at her desk. The screech of the rusted hinges was the most noise the silent station had heard in hours. She had been reading, sorting, and organizing the files from the Grayson Sleuth for the past eight days. At first, her search seemed to have been a useless effort on her part, and she was in the midst of giving up when she found something interesting in the family history files.

Fifteen years ago, Meredith Redd was murdered by 'Hunters' as the were-bears called them, on the east coast when she went as a negotiation liason for the Grayson Sleuth. She and her five year old son had traveled together, as she thought it would be a fun occasion to spend time with young Jarren.

The pair had been missing for three days before the Reik Sleuth Alpha, Alpha Darrence Reik, reported their disappearnce to Alpha Logan Grayson. By the time Alpha Logan Grayson, his wife Benny Grayson, and Liam Redd found them, Jarren's mother was dead, skinned for her pelt, and Jarren was physically and emotionally scarred.

Other than a sad story, Sheriff Hale would have filed the Redd folder away except for the one hand-written sticky note on the back flap of the folder. In loopy, elegant scrawl, the words 'Not Hunters?' was written, as if the ex Alpha Logan Grayson had thought that the murders were commited by someone else. Intrigued, Sheriff Hale had made phone calls to stations from the area where the murders were committed and had the case files emailed to her. She also made one phone call to Scottlin Reik so that she could interview him about the visit the Redd's had made. She was meeting him in thirty minutes. Meanwhile, she scanned through the files mailed to her from the other stations and found the coroners report on Meredith Redd and the Medical Report on Jarren Redd.

Meredith Redd died of severe hemorrhaging all over her body and shock to her immune system. The M.E. reported that she must have lived for a day or two after her skin was removed, exposed to the cold air, diseases, and vermin. Jarren Redd was admitted to the hospital with severe chemical burns and trauma to his olfactory systems, two broken legs, and minor cuts and bruises. The five year old had been able to tell them that on the way to the seminar, he and his mother had been jumped, bound, gagged, and drugged with what was later determined to be chloroform. While his mother was being drugged and skinned, a constant application of chloroform or amonia had been applied to his face via rag. That inhalation of chemicals had been devestating to the young bears sensitive system and the doctors deduced that he would have reduced olfactory abilities if he ever recovered the ability to smell at all.

Sheriff Hale had no idea that the young man was suffering from the affliction and she doubted anyone else knew, as the report had been sealed in a child abuse investigation until recently. Sheriff Hale had questions for the Redd's but thought she should ask Scottlin for his information before she went to possible suspects.

At eight o' clock, Sheriff Hale left to head to the local diner for coffee and breakfast with Scottlin Reik.

He showed up promptly at their arranged time of eight thirty and the two ordered pancakes and more coffee.

"So what did you need to ask me?"

"How old are you?" she wanted to date this before she attempted to ask him something that may have happened before his time.

"Thirty-one" he replied.

"Oh... you're older than I am..." that came as quite a shock, especially because she had become accustomed to the young age of Alpha Grayson.

"Yes, my face can be deceptive" he said with a laugh. The waitress came by and placed the large breakfast plates in front of them.

"Alright, good. Fifteen years ago, a woman named Meredith Redd visited your home town and your Sleuth to do some sort of seminar, do you know the events surrounding that?"