Howl - Chapter Nine

Howl (A Werewolf Story)
Chapter Nine: Fatherly Concerns

The florescent lights gave off its daily flicker, halting Vincent’s hand motion until the lights wigging came to a steady stop.  He looked up and smirked, placing the 8 of diamonds over the 9 of spades.

“Just like clock work,” Vincent muttered, brushing back his slick gelled dirty blond hair as he searched through his deck for the next usable card, gunning for a win at his game of Solitaire with only going through the shuffled deck 5 times tonight, 7 being his record.  When crime wasn’t as much of a problem in a quiet woodland town you had to come up with your own entertainment to pass the time until the end of your shift.  Gloria had an ample amount of romance books to keep her company while Terry brought his portable DVD player, his action and horror shows to keep him warm in the night.  It sounded like he was watching some kind of monster flick, hearing some unearthly roars and snarls mixed along some horrific screaming.

“Hey Tubby,” Vincent called over, a nickname the Precinct gave Terry for his unhealthy weight.  Terry grinned and nodded, having gotten use to it.  He had the safest job anyways, minding the prisoner cells.  Like there was ever anyone causing trouble this late in the summer.  “What the heck are you watching tonight?”

“An old horror classic, “An American Werewolf in London.”

“A horror classic?” Gloria joined in, holding her current love book against her chest.  “Wasn’t that movie directed by the guy who did Animal House?”

“John Landis, yeah,” Terry exclaimed, slapping in hands and pointing to her like she had just one a prize.

“Wouldn’t that make your movie a comedy?” Vincent questioned

“Well there are some comedic elements, yeah.”

“Awful lot of screaming for a comedy?” Gloria joked, returning to her novel.

“Comedy directors can do horror too, you know,” Terry argued.

Vincent chuckled; enjoying the meager interaction with his fellow officers before they are went back to their own little world.  “Well can you do us a favor and turn that down.  We’re trying to work here.”

Terry scoffed, “Oh sure, work.  Like any of you guys are doing anything important.”

“Just for once I wish we were,” Gloria pointed out.

Vincent had just unveiled his 7 of clubs as the faint sound of a revved up engine outside got closer and closer, already guessing that another bad night was coming.

“Look busy, everyone,” Vincent called out, laying his needed card on table, searching once more for the next valuable care, “Tom’s here.”

“Must be about his daughter again,” Gloria muttered; her eye glued to the book.

“What, again?” Terry bellowed, turning down his movie knowing that when the Sheriff made his visit like this he was in a real nasty mood.

“Don’t worry, Tubby,” Vincent said, waving his hand over his little cubicle wall, “Tom and I will take care of this.  Always have.”

At the moment Sheriff Tom bursts through the Precinct doors, heading immediately to Vincent’s desk.  Vincent looked up, placing his deck neatly at the top corner.  Tom was really red in the face, but wasn’t sure if it was anger or from exhaustion.  He was sweating like a pig in a sauna.

“Should I get the two slackers off their duffs or is it just Patricia again?” Vincent asked, grinning.

Tom sighed, not really in the mood for Vincent’s usual rebellious demeanor, but he was the one he could trust when it came to locating people.  “Can it, Vince.  I need you to help me track someone…and yes, it does involve my daughter.”

“She skipped school again, Sheriff?  You know if she keeps this up she’s not going to graduate this year.”

“Vince,” Tom snapped, “you going to help me or not?”

The Precinct went silent; even Terry’s movie went on pause.  No one was really sure how to respond to the Sheriff’s sudden tirade.  Whenever Patricia went missing Tom always seemed to have a cool head despite his obvious contempt, and normally she would always turn up fine with the two of them exchange some words and hugs.  Tonight though they could all see the anger and desperation in his eyes, as if this wasn’t just about Patricia running off again.

“This someone,” Vince finally spoke, “why is it related to Patricia?”

“Vince,” Tom spoke, taking a deep breath to calm his frustration, “Please just bear with me and get on that computer of yours.”

After a second moment of silence Vincent finally nodded his head, getting up from his desk and heading around his main office where Vincent does most of his tracking expertise in.  Gloria and Terry sheepishly went back to their book and movie as Tom shut the door behind him, giving him and Vincent some privacy.

“So you mind telling me how serious this is, Tom?” Vincent asked as he brought up the search program.

“I might have just made an ass of myself,” Tom replied, “but I rather be safe than sorry if I knew more about this guy.”

Vincent began to laugh, Tom rattled by his sudden behavior.  “I see what this is about.  The wily wolf of yours snagged her a boyfriend and you think she might be out with him tonight.”

Please don’t use those metaphors on me Vince Tom thought, rolling his eyes. It’s bad enough how close you are to the truth.

“Now not to take her side but don’t you think you should let the two lovebirds have some peace now and again?”

Tom frowned.  “Not if she doesn’t tell me about it.  It was bad enough she just told me she’s been talking to this guy.  Its worse that she just took off to see him and he may not be who he says he is.  Plus the fact that I can’t seem to reach her on the cell is making me jump off the dead end for any means of locating her.”

“I still think you’re going a bit too far with this,” Vincent pointed out, “but ok.  Just promise me that if the guy is a gentlemen that you’ll go easy on him.”

Right now I’m more worried if he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“Check under the screen name Creamywolf.”  Vincent turns his head and makes an awkward face.  “That’s the name he uses with Patricia online.  Also match it with Devlin; don’t have a last name.”

Vincent smirked and then focused on the computer screen as he typed in the name and any background information he could add.  “Any chance you know which city or state he lives in do you?”

Tom eyed him, Vincent automatically getting the answer.  “It might take a while to sort through all this; both names are becoming quite common nowadays.”

“See if you can add that he’s 19 with brown hair and kind of a meaty face.”

Vincent groaned, wishing Tom had told him this bit of information earlier, halting the current search would freeze up the computer.  It did freeze for a few minutes, causing Tom to pace the room.  “You think you wanna try giving her a call again?” Vincent suggested.

“Doubt that will do any good now,” Tom muttered, taking out his phone anyways ready to hit the speed dial for Patricia.

It’s too late anyways.  The full moon is up; she’s probably lurking around some other town’s forest looking for this guy.  Why the hell is she this trustworthy?  For all she knows this Devlin guy is just some horny idiot looking to get lucky.  And if he is a werewolf…and my daughter…God I don’t even want to think about it.

“Search has brought it down to twenty possibles.”

Tom lunged behind Vincent’s seat and gazed at the screen, sorting through all the possible entries.  Some of them barely looked anywhere close to the picture Patricia had of him, most of the entries living far out in the east coast.

“Stop!” Tom shouted, tapping the monitor screen for Vincent to back track.  He pulled up the last Devlin, Tom grinning as he recognized him immediately.  “That’s him; that’s the boyfriend.”

“Devlin Holtz,” Vincent read off.  “Born in 1988, lives in a small town…looks like it’s a long trip, maybe eight hours, nine at the least…”  Tom was already beginning to head out the door, having writing down the name of the town and address on his notepad as Vincent continued on.  “He currently lives with his parents, Greg and Donna Holtz; just graduated from high school and currently works at a office supplies store…Hey Tom!”

The engines were already firing up by time Vincent rushed out of the Precinct after him.  Luckily the hard-headed boss stayed to listen to whatever else Vincent had to say.

“Look, there’s no priors or arrest on this guy; his squeaky clean.  You know you might just be running into this for nothing.  I know she shouldn’t have thought this through a little better but, come on man.  Something tells me the worse this guy is going to do is crack a bad joke.”

“Thanks, Vince,” Tom said quietly, almost inaudible over the strain on the engine; the old rust bucket needing to be taken in for a check up soon.  “I really mean that; I don’t say it often.”

“Just remember you’re out of your jurisdiction when it comes to arresting anyone down there, ok?  Don’t suddenly turn this into a manhunt.  Patricia always come back.  You know that right?”

I know…but if she really has found another werewolf out there this is going to be a whole new ball game in keeping this tight.

“Just do me a favor, Vince.”

“Yeah,”

“You hit me over the transmitter if you hear from her, ASAP.”

Vincent nodded, backing away from the vehicle, no longer chaining Tom here.  Tom nodded back as he cautiously backed out of the parking ground, kicking up gravel and dirt as he sped out onto the highway.  Vincent only shook his head.

“What was that all about,” Gloria called out, peeking out of the front door with her romance novel still in hand.

“Nothin’,” Vincent replied, waving his arm in an amusing jester.  “The Sheriff’s just having another irrational family meltdowns.”