"Yes,” I told her with a nod.
Beth waved us along. "Let's sit down and you can tell us what's going on."
We moved through the main room of the office, where a couple of cats lounged lazily on a windowsill, a mouse ran across Beth’s desk, and a bird fluttered in the rafters overhead. The animals observed our procession with mild interest, all of them enjoying the people we bring through here. A dog, some sort of retriever mix, lifted its head from a bed in the corner and thumped its tail against the floor, but didn't bother to stand. He, too, was new,but I think he would possibly be returning to his owner at some point.
"Ladies,” Beth said, looking at Deva and Carol. "Would you mind waiting out here while we meet with our client?”
"Of course not,” Deva said, choosing the chair at my desk to sit at, while Carol slid into Beth’s chair.
Beth led Trudy and me to a small room with three chairs and a low coffee table, just off the main room. Luckily for us, she had just finished decorating the space to give clients a more intimate place to talk. She gestured for Trudy to take a seat but left the door open a crack behind us, muffling the distant sounds of other animals housed in the adjoining spaces, but knowing that Deva and Carol would hear all about the case from us either way.
"Start from the beginning for us, please." Beth pulled a notepad and pen from her bag, her expression completely focused.
Trudy clasped her hands tightly in her lap. "I’m a half-fairy, married to a human. My husband is fully aware of the supernatural world, but mostly stays out of it. You know how humans can be.”
"Of course,” Beth responded, and I tried not to be offended by that. I guess I wasn’t technically a human anymore, after all.
She continued. "Two nights ago, my husband was attacked," she said. "He...he wasbittenby something."
"Bitten?” I repeated, confused.
"Something?" Beth prompted gently, her pen poised above the paper.
"A werewolf," Trudy clarified. "I know how it sounds, but I assure you, it's true. The sheriff is trying to keep it quiet, along with those involved in supernatural crime enforcement. They don’t want to panic anyone, but my husband is very much human, or was, before he was bitten."
I leaned forward as Beth's hand moved quickly across the page, jotting down notes. I had the benefit of just focusing on her words, and they had sent my thoughts spinning. A werewolf? Was she serious? I had accepted so much about the supernatural world, but this was crazy. Wasn’t it?
And yet, Beth’s reaction told me that it was true. She wasn’t grilling her on werewolves, just writing everything down. Like the woman was telling her about a dog who bit someone rather than a werewolf. Was it that common?
"Did anyone see the attack happen?" Beth asked when she finished her notes.
"Only shadows and sounds," Trudy replied. "It was late and dark. Someone heard what was going on and saw shadows, but they took off in fear."
Beth flipped a page in her notebook, and her tone was gentle. "Can I ask you some more questions about the attack itself?"
"Of course." Trudy folded her hands in her lap, bracing herself.
"Where was your husband attacked?" Beth's tone was soft but probing.
"Behind the flower shop, Floral Fun," Trudy replied. "He was on his way to his car after closing up for the night."
"Flower shop?" I tried to picture the scene. Why was he there that late at night? Was he like me and just running around doing too much last-minute wedding preparation?
"Yes, he works there. Sort of.” Trudy's face pinched with the memory. "It's normally safe there. But that night..." She trailed off, leaving the horror unsaid.
"Does he work there often? Is it possible someone knew his schedule and targeted him?" I leaned forward in my seat.
The question seemed to puzzle Trudy for a moment.
"Actually, no." She smoothed the fabric of her skirt with her fingers. "He owns several businesses. But he loves that flower shop. It's his passion project. That night was the only night he worked there that week. Typically, he comes and goes there as his schedule allows."
"Could the werewolf have been, I don't know, crazed or something?" Beth asked. The possibility hung in the air between us like a dark cloud.
Crazed? I knew I shouldn’t ask too many questions. I didn’t want our client to know just how in the dark I was when it came to werewolves, but I was getting more and more confused about how werewolves worked. I’d have to get the full story from Beth when this meeting ended.
Trudy shook her head slowly, her expression unreadable. "I'm not sure. He didn't mention anything like that. Just that it... attacked."
Beth glanced at me. I think she saw my confused expression and decided to clarify, which I was really grateful for.
