AS DAMIEN LOOKED UP A RAINBOW OF LIGHT FELL UPON HIS FACE, BLINDING his eyes. A soft footstep behind him caught his attention, and suddenly someone covered his eyes.
"Is the coast clear?" a voice asked.
"Looks that way," Damien replied with a smile.
The light returned. Damien turned away from the stained-glass window to face his uncle, who was obviously happy to see him.
"You should stop by more often," he complained, but Damien knew he was only joking. "It gets lonely around here. You know, it's really very quiet."
"Well, after all, it is a church," Damien returned, and they walked outside into the sunlight. Damien pulled his jacket around him tighter and glanced across the street. They both stood in the parking lot watching the traffic go by before Damien could work up the courage to speak.
"I got some news for you," he said, "and it ain't too good."
Father Damien looked at him, and his face immediately fell. "Let me guess," he said. He shook his head. "Then again, I don't have to. I already know." He sighed. "What is it this time?"
"There's this lady I met at the police station," Damien explained. "Her name's Leslie Laws. She's going to have a baby on Halloween. I suppose you can figure out the rest."
Father Damien just stared at him. Damien noticed with some surprise that his uncle was just as mystified as he had been. In response, Damien sketched the figure Mulroy had shown him in the air.
"Recognize this?" he asked.
Father Damien watched his hand move. His look grew resigned and he crossed himself. "Yes, I've seen that my own share of times. The blood ritual symbol. It means sacrifice. Is this what they're after? This woman's baby?"
Damien nodded and sighed, his breath showing in the air. He stared at the cars passing obliviously by. "That's what I've been told. I gave her my number and yours at the church. Somehow I have the feeling we're both going to be getting a call from her very soon."
"One call I'd rather miss," Father Damien said, and they started off across the parking lot together. [Note--I'm pretty sure he means, "One call I'd rather not get."] "So how does she strike you?"
"She's really scared about it," Damien replied. "Who can blame her? I mean, if I was told Harvey was going to be kidnapped and cut open I think I'd pretty well freak out also."
Father Damien nodded. "I know what you mean. Sometimes it gets to me, I start wondering who in the world could possibly do such a thing--even Luther seems beyond this--but I guess there are even worse people out there than we can imagine."
"Met this weird detective guy at the station," Damien said, in an attempt to change the subject for the better. His uncle looked at him, frowning. "Don't worry--I really doubt he's a Mabarak type." Though that didn't necessarily mean anything--he hadn't thought Mabarak was the Mabarak type. "I think he's a little out there, y'know what I mean? He babbles a lot and keeps changing the subject. Name's Mul--Mul-something. Mulroy."
"You sure do have a thing for detectives with M names."
"Yeah, I know. I'm a regular M magnet. You know, I believe I'm really starting to hate that letter. Is this an omen or something?"
"You never know."
"There was this other guy there, too," Damien went on. "I think he's a rookie. At least, I've never seen him before. I can't remember his name but it didn't start with an M and he was working at the front desk."
"Really! And Officer Jones didn't mind?"
Damien laughed softly at the mention of the policeman he and his uncle always met shuffling papers at Haley's new post. "I doubt that too! Hopefully he's out getting some well-deserved air--or else just airing out, you know what I mean?"
They both laughed at that. "Yeah, I think Officer Jones was about due for some hard-earned vacation time," Father Damien agreed. [Note--Father Damien is not the sort to often use a word like "Yeah." I think he'd more likely say, "Yes."] "Lord knows how many terrible papercuts he's sustained in the line of duty!"
Another round of laughter. They were cut short, however, by the sound of someone politely clearing their throat behind them. Turning, Damien recognized Mulroy as he stepped forward, a bag slung over his shoulder--What's he doing carrying that? Damien wondered--tipping his hat at them.
"Father Damien? Hi, name's Mul--"
"I know," Father Damien replied holding out his hand. Mulroy reached forward, then pulled back and held out his other hand. Left handed, Damien thought as they shook hands. I should have noticed that before. [Note--Mulroy is one of only two stated lefthanded characters I have--the other being Matthew "Puck" Benteen, also of the D4D series.] "Pleased to meet you. Are you working on this Scorpio case?"
"This Scorpio case. This Scorpio case," Mulroy mulled, looking thoughtful. "This case. I've probably worked on every one they have." The other two exchanged a look that said What? "Though I can't admit to actually solving any of them."
Damien was still too busy thinking over that "every one they have" line to reply. [Note--Mulroy's role in everything becomes crystal clear in what's been written so far of The Scorpio Murders--so just sit back and wait.]
"I was just wondering," Mulroy went on, "I mean, I heard that you worked here--work? Is that what you do all day? Jeez, being Catholic you'd think I'd know--I heard that you worked here and I was wondering if you've had any past experience with Scorpio, but then again, that's kind of obvious, right?" He put his hands in his pockets and looked skyward, seemingly forgetting all about them. He stood that way for a moment or two before Damien began to get fed up and coughed into his hand. The detective instantly snapped out of his reverie and looked at them.
"Right?" he echoed himself, as if he'd never stopped talking. The two looked at each other again, and Father Damien answered while his nephew covered his eyes and walked away several paces.
"Yes, I have," he said. "Enough so that I recognized this blood ritual symbol of yours. Tell me, was there any other graffiti or anything? Something that might definitely connect Scorpio?"
Damien knew he was looking for the M sign. Mulroy only laughed.
"Believe me, this is Scorpio. If you need any more proof--" He opened the bag and held it out.
"Uncle, don't look in there--" Damien warned.
Too late, Father Damien stepped forward and peered in, and they both clearly saw the horrified look that passed over his face. "Mother of God!" he exclaimed, crossing himself again. [Note--FD also would be unlikely to make such a comment.] "They left this?"
Mulroy nodded, though the priest wasn't looking at him, and pulled the bag back. "You know, I always find it kind of strange that these guys claim to worship this guy whom they call the Great Goat, yet they kill these things. Then again, in the Bible there was the Holy Lamb, and then Abel went off and killed his best sheep--"
"Lord!" Damien cried, raising his hands. "Where do they get them? Could You just tell me that?" [Note--Dami is apparently addressing God here, hence the capital "You."]
Mulroy only looked at him, then shrugged and looked at the sky again. "Keep in touch," he said, as if to himself. "I got a feeling these guys are getting braver every day. And Halloween's not too far away, you know. Devil's Night is in just a few days. I'm in the phone book under James Mulroy--or more like, Mulroy, James." He started walking off down back to his car, talking to the air. "I just hope they don't toilet paper my bushes again like they did last year--just because it's Devil's Night doesn't mean that you..."
"I understand you now," Father Damien said apologetically to his nephew, who still stood gaping after the detective. "But don't let him get to you. Like you said, it seems he's a little bit 'out there.'"
"Yeah," Damien snorted. "Just like--"
"Wow! You want me to help you?" Dino Garris started jumping up and down like a happy six year old. [Note--have I ever said that Dino is a character I rather wish I had never introduced into this series?] "This is great! Just like in all the movies--the hero and his faithful sidekick--going off into the clutches of danger to defeat the forces of evil! This is great!" [Note--my very belated attempt to try to explain the novel's title. Even so, it doesn't really fit like most of the other titles do.]
Damien rolled his eyes. He hadn't really wanted his hyper friend to come along, especially on a case as grim-sounding [sic] as this one, yet knew he'd be heartbroken if left behind. "Calm down, Dino. Like I said, we're not really sure if anything's actually gonna happen. Most definitely not like last summer." Last month, his head reminded him. [Note--as far as I can recall, D Is For Damien takes place in late August/early September, and Sidekicks takes place around late October, of course.]
"Yeah, but you have to admit, wasn't it cool?" Dino enthused. "It had the makings of a pulp-fiction novel! Or a movie! Magical relics, crooked cops, bloodthirsty cults, secret tunnels--now that was my idea of a summer vacation."
"Yeah, but not mine," Damien muttered under his breath. It didn't matter to him if Dino had heard or not; more than likely he'd already have forgotten all of what had been said in the past five minutes. "So, you with me or not?"
"What, are you crazy?" Dino screeched. "Of course I'm with you! All for one, and one for all! Heigh-ho, here we go!" He jumped up and pretended to swordfight his shadow.
Damien rolled his eyes. Of course something was going to happen. With Dino around that was a given.
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