The Wolf Under My Skin

Uninvited guest

“What kind of a house is this?” She asks, after I open the door. The best of its kind, my dear. The best of its kind.

“What type of a woman wouldn’t sit still and be quiet for just a few minutes?”

“Wait, did you say a few minutes? A few minutes? You were gone for an hour! Only a dead woman would stay still and be quiet for that long”

I shake my head in utter dismay. I can’t believe she’s still got some guts after everything that’s happened. I untie her, crazy decision I know. But she’s no good to me tied up. I help her up, her legs are shaky like a two year old’s. I’m even surprised she let me support her, she is shivering.

“Are you cold? I ask

“Who wouldn’t be? There’s no heater in there? It was freezing”

I laugh

“You’ve got a lot of guts for a woman, you know that?”

“I’m not denying that” she sniffles.

“Come with me, let’s get you some place warm”

I take her downstairs to the fireplace, make tea and cover her with a huge blanket, she sits silently in front of the fire, sipping the tea at intervals. I stand there and watch.

“Did you make this?” She raises the mug, indicating the tea

“Sure, why?”

“Humph, I’ve tasted better” she put it to her mouth again. Okay, I feel like skinning her alive right now. I make the best tea. At least, that’s what I tell myself. I’ll let it slide, I go to sit with her.

“Hey, that’s a little too close for comfort, what are you? A pervert? Give me some room”

“Okay, that’s all you had to say” I move about a feet away from her

“More!” She says without looking

“Are you kidding me?” She looks at me, nods her head

“Okay that’s good”

“Finally, look I just wanted...”

“I’m not in the mood for a conversation tonight, mister. I’d rather just get laid.” She says, bluntly

“What the hell?” My jaw drops.

“What is this? Some kind of brothel to you?” She shrugs

“Jesus Christ, woman. You’re unbelievable! You know what? I’ve had enough of this, soon as you’re all warm and strong, please get the f*ck out of my house?” I feel frustrated. I can’t stand this.

“I didn’t bring myself here in the first place, I’ll leave when I wanna leave” is she serious? She does have a point but f*ck her for that. I go over to where she’s sitting and drag her up.

“Hey, careful! Don’t break my wrist, what kind of hospitality is this? Help!” She keeps hitting my arm as I drag her across the room and throw her out, then I throw her clothes after her, she can keep mine.

“And stay out!” I yell

“F*ck you!” She yells back and packs her clothes. She angrily walks to the gate and kick it open. God! What a disaster! She’s gone. Well, good riddance. I’ve had enough crazy for one day. God I haven’t slept a wink since last night, been babysitting that ungrateful girl all night long, I need to sleep. Who can stand such a person? I close the door behind me and walk up the stairs, I am so tired. I go to my bed but go to the window and open it first to let the fresh air enter my lungs whilst sleeping. And then, I crash into the bed like a tsunami and that was that. I only remember smiling as I drift into wonderland.

***

~William’s POV~

“There’s something off about my friend, Jack” I say to Stan.

“What do you mean “there’s something off”?” He asks

I use my hand to wipe my face and reply

“He seemed a little too honest with me and way too open, the Jack I know is a self-isolated person, he doesn’t talk much, not even to me”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“What? That he kidnapped the Mayor’s daughter?”

Stan’s jaw dropped “No! I wanted to say ‘people change’, how long has it been since you last saw him?”

“About four years?”

“Exactly! A lot of things can happen in four years, you had better calm down with your investigations, don’t pry on another man’s privacy if you don’t wanna lose your badge”

“With the kind of pressure I’m facing, I’d risk anything”

“Even losing a friend’s trust in you?”

“I won’t lose his trust, I’m only trying to protect him, and by the way, I smelled female perfume on him, and in his room, I know female perfume when I smell one, I’m gonna head into town tomorrow and see if I can come up with something similar, then I’ll head to the Mayor’s for more investigation” I say

Stan pats my shoulder

“Some people aren’t worth risking the trust of a good friend for, always remember that Wills”

“What has gotten into you? This is a life we’re talking about, Stan. What does the Police stand for if not this? In situations like this, we have to keep everything else aside, even our own families, because the person you think you know might actually be the suspect” I explain

He heaves a sigh

“Okay I understand, I was a little too emotional there. I’m sorry”

“Don’t worry about Jack, he’s not a suspect... not yet” I assure him

“Okay”

“Go get some sleep, you look stressed”

“Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow then, don’t overwork yourself, okay?”

“Sure thing, partner. Say hi to the misses for me” he gives me a thumbs up, I smile as he leaves

***

The next morning, as soon as it’s bright enough, I dress up and go to the town’s mall to further my investigations, the scent from Jackson’s house wasn’t a very familiar one, smells like one o those fancy perfumes but I’m sure it’s female, luckily for me I never forget a scent, not even the one from my dying father eleven years ago. I enter the mall and head for the part where deodorants are sold, it’d be a lot of work but I’ve got time on my side.

***

Two hours passed, and I still don’t have any luck finding the perfume with the same scent as the one I got from Jackson’s place, by the way, all the ones I’ve perceived are starting to make my head ache, how do people use this stuff?

“Wills?” I hear from behind me, I turn to the familiar voice and it is a sight to behold! My long-time crush, Rose stands in front of me with a look of surprise and wonder.

“Oh my God, it really is you!” She runs towards me and throws herself on me, I almost trip from her weight but I immediately balance myself, would be embarrassing if that happens. This is somebody who was always neglecting me or my feelings for her in our school days, and here she is hugging me as if I am a lover, and for an awkwardly long time too, I hold her closer, we both stay in the position for a while, her thoughts or reason for this is what I can’t decipher, but mine is mostly because of the tingling feeling her b**bs are making me feel, they’re very full and she squeezes them on me without any care in the world, this is a moment I don’t think I will ever forget...

“Wills? Hello?” A finger snap brings me back to life and I am still lost to the feeling of breasts touching me, all along I have been holding different deodorants to my chest wishing it were the breasts of the beautiful woman still standing about three feet away from me with the same look of surprise and wonder. I can’t believe how much I just lusted over her in just a minute, now I feel embarrassed and I blush. I manage to wave her.

“Wow, it’s so good to see you” she starts walking towards me, I immediately start pinching myself just to make sure this is real, I am not ready to c*m on myself or my pants over just a fantasy or my wild thoughts. She stops in front of me and gives me a brief hug from the side, like a friend should. Not like we are anything more.

“Wow, you’re so good-looking now, have you been working out?”

I blush again

“Not really, just home exercises and jogging for about five miles everyday to stay fit” I lie, don’t judge me, you would do the same, and she is also my crush so.

“Wow, five? Five miles? Isn’t that like a lot?” She sounds truly amazed.

“Yep, and that’s just...” and then Stan comes by with the super fat, sugary donuts I told him to bring along when coming to the Mall an hour ago, like can the Earth just open up and swallow me?

“Hey Wills, I brought the donuts, just the way you like ‘em, extra vanilla, with cream and sprinkles...” I try shushing him but he doesn’t get the signal

“... and the hamburgers are in the car, you should really cut down the junk food though, you could get obese and start looking all...” he stretches his hand out to me with the delicious-looking donuts, which I will have to turn down because of Rose.

“Um, Stan... now really isn’t the time for...” I use my eyes to say the rest, finally he gets the point

“Oooh, I’m so sorry, I forgot you told me you were on a diet, yeah I’m so sorry about that, let me take that for you... oh well, I guess more for me then” he laughs sheepishly, I feel like crying but he crazy things we do for love.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, where are my manners? The name’s Stan, officer Stan” he stretches his hand for an handshake, finally.

“Stan, meet Rose. Rose, Stan. Rose is a good friend of mine from high school”

“Nice to meet you, officer Stan” she replies

“I guess I will leave you two to do your thing, I’ll be in the car” he winks. God, I’m gonna kill the guy

“Well he is an energetic young man, are the donuts for the workouts?”

“I had no idea he was bring them, he keeps forgetting” I quickly defend myself

“I guess you’re officer Williams now? Who’d have thought, you were such a p*ssy then”

I laugh reluctantly

“I don’t know if I should say thank you that or not but yes, I am a policeman now”

“Are you here with someone?” She asks, peeping into the deodorant store as if to find the person.

“What? No! Why’d you ask?”

“Weeell...” she points to the deodorants I have been carrying since we met.

“Oh...” I quickly put them into a cart

“... not really, I’m... uh... I’m working on a case”

“Okay then. I hope you solve it early, maybe we can grab a cup of coffee when you’re done?”

I am dumbstruck

“Oh yeah, yeah sure, yeah I’d really like that”

“Okay, here is my number, call me” and she leaves, she is like a model with every step

I hear a whistle of admiration from behind me, it’s the deodorants seller.

“Damn, she’s hot” he says, with a very annoying look on his face

“Don’t even think about it” I warn, then I remember my donuts with Stan. I reach to the car and meet him sitting so innocently, I get in the driver’s seat.

“Please tell me you didn’t finish the donuts”

“Oh come on, I’m not THAT bad, they’re right there” he winks again, I sigh

“I knew I could count on you, you devil. And stop with the winking, it doesn’t make you less ugly”

“Ouch”

“I’m still on the case, couldn’t find anything useful...” I say with a mouthful of donuts

“...hmm these are good”

“Aren’t you going about this the wrong way?”

“What do you mean?” I ask

“I know you have a great sense of smell and all, but all you had to do is go to the Mayor, ask him the kind of perfume his daughter mostly uses and then try it out, don’t you think that’s wiser?”

I smirk

“You think I didn’t think of that? I’m trying my possible best to avoid the Mayor directly, the man makes me sick”

“Well it is HIS daughter’s case you’re working on, how possible can that be?”

I sigh

“I guess it’s inevitable...” I look at him

“...thanks, partner”

He smiles

“Sure, drop me off by the office, let me see if I can dig something up about this case, the longer it takes to solve it, the more sickening it’s becoming for me”

“You have no idea” I daydream about Rose

***

After dropping Stan, I drive to the Mayor’s house, a very nice mansion, big and luxurious, kinda reminds me of Jack, except it’s not in the woods. After a very thorough security check, I go inside and find the man I dread the most, sitting on a large couch with a bottle of whiskey in front of him and watching TV. He doesn’t even look bothered about his daughter’s disappearance.

“Good morning, Mr. Mayor” I greet

“Well, well, if it isn’t my least favorite person in the whole world, come to give results?” He says without looking at me

“We’re still working on it, sir, I only need to ask you a few questions”

“This is interesting, okay... shoot”

“Sir, what type of perfume does your daughter use?”

“The best, and only the best” he proudly answers

“No I mean the brand, like the brand name, what brand is her favorite?” I take out my note to jot down

He turns and looks at me sternly

“Officer Williams, you upset me with your ignorance...”

“I mean no offense, sir I just...”

“A reputable and respected public figure like myself memorizing something as trivial as a woman’s perfume brand, you should ask me if I even remember my own birthday, or my anniversary even...”

“Sir, I mean no disrespect, it’s only important that we...”

“Ask her mother, she’s in the garden, maybe she could be of better help”

“Oh, thank you, sir”

“Tony!” He calls the butler, who arrives in a matter of seconds

“Yes, master?” He answers

“Take our guest to see my wife in the garden and please make sure he doesn’t break anything on the way” I feel insulted. Who does he think he is?

The butler bows and goes before me

“Right this way, sir” he beckons and I follow

We enter the garden and it is a beautiful sight, huge and filled with nature, paradise certainly couldn’t be more beautiful.

“Please wait here, while I let Madam know of your presence”

“Sure” at least somebody has manners in this place. He leaves and comes back in a minute

“The Madam will see you now” and he gestures for me to go further.

I see the Mayor’s wife sitting tinder a beautiful tree, she looks elegant in every way, even for a woman in her 40s. I never have been a regular face to people like these, I mostly dodge cases dealing with people of high status but I guess Karma is a b*tch. She holds a white handkerchief which is a little soaked, I thought it was sweat until I see how red her face is. I guess she must have been crying. My observations point true when I see her eyes, I pity her

“Mrs. Mayor?” I stand a feet away

“Oh come off it, I don’t like being called like that...” she sniffles

“... have a seat”

“Thank you ma’am” I sit

“I’m so sorry you had to see me like this, I wish I was in better mood”

“Your husband seems okay”

“Jacque? Not really, he just uses Whiskey to cover up his pain, I wish it was that easy for me, I tried it once and almost set the whole house on fire” she laughs in between tears, I smile

“So have you found my daughter?”

“We’re still looking, ma’am. We will find her, I promise, even if we have to search the whole state”

“Okay, so what brings you here?”

“I actually come to ask you a few questions which could help us in our investigation”

“Okay, I’m all ears”

“What brand of perfume did your daughter wear the most?”

“That would be White Flower* she absolutely adores them”

“Was it the same one she wore on the day she went missing?”

“I’m sure of it, she rarely leaves the house without spraying it all over her, we called her the White Flower girl” I jot again. Then my phone rings, it’s Stan.

“Sorry ma’am, I have to take this” she nods

“Talk to me”

“Wills, one of the girls says she’s ready to talk” my eyes widen

“That’s good, I’ll be right there” I look at the Madam

“Thank you so much for your cooperation, ma’am. I can assure you that we’ll find tryout daughter soon”

“Oh, thank you”

“Here’s my card...” I give her my card

“... please call me if you remember anything that could be of use to us in the investigations”

“Okay...” she collects the card. I leave. That went well

***