Caleb realized while he was in the police academy that looking young in this line of work would not be a bonus. It doesn’t help that he doesn’t have the ability to grow facial hair. A little bit of scruff would easily add five years to Caleb’s appearance. Little do his male coworkers know that they’re casual beards and mustaches are something that Caleb is actually envious of.

Caleb’s appearances like most other purebreds is quite feminine. His bone structure is fine and delicate and his body shape is best described as being dainty. Caleb can easily switch his gender if he ever so feels the need.

“How old are you? If you don’t mind me asking?” Sophie blushes as Caleb turns his attention back to her with a scrutinizing glance.

“Older than you.” He states this obvious fact, but after a moment’s consideration adds, “Younger than Marcus.” He turns his eyes up to the led sigh above the doors indicating which floor they’re at.

“I guess age isn’t very important to you guys since you live like forever.”

“Is there something you’re trying to find out specifically about me because I’d prefer if you’d just get on with it and ask whatever it is instead of making small talk.”

“Oh, um, no, um…” Sophie squirms at his directness, “Y-you see, I was just-”

The elevator dings at that moment and the doors open up to reveal a world of white. Caleb decides to ignore Sophie’s awkwardness and walk into the penthouse to face his husband instead. He’d rather take an asshole over an idiot any day.

Marcus’s style is seemingly both simple and rich at the same time. Everything in the room is white and sleek. Caleb almost feels the need to put on sunglasses or switch his vision to be spared the blinding effect. The white tiles reflect the led overhead lights dangling from white

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cords. The hard expanse of tiles are broken up though by a large white rug underneath the white and glass coffee table in front of the white couch. The penthouse’s layout is mostly open so from the elevator is directly the living room and behind the living room is a large kitchen cordoned off by only a long island with a row of white bar stools pushed along its side and a small sitting area with books and games tucked away in white ottomans. The bedroom is the only room discreetly hidden behind a sliding white wall.

“Hello?” The only thing in the room not pure, snow white is the female lounging on the couch. She’s fair skinned with blond hair and blue eyes and wearing a white robe and white undergarments.

Caleb grimaces at the sight of her, Marcus had always had cheap taste in familiars, preferring the ones that met his high standards of beauty rather than choosing any of actual substance.

“Good afternoon.” Sophie smiles cordially as she takes her place next to Caleb trying not to feel awkward about arriving in someone’s home unannounced.

“Where is Marcus?” Caleb directs at the woman lying on the couch.

She scrutinizes him for a second, but then smiles and sits up in interest, “You’re another purebred.” Caleb just stares at her making it clear that whatever things she is imagining are not going to happen. “He’s selecting a bottle of wine from the hidden room behind the kitchen.” She pouts at his stiffness.

“I’m detective Free and this is detective… Caleb.” Sophie realizes right then as she’s introducing Caleb that she doesn’t know his last name, but she tries to not let it falter her, “We’re here to ask Mr. Marcus a few questions.”

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“‘Mr. Marcus?’ Well, that’s quite formal.” The devil himself steps out from a door disguised as a wall holding a dark green bottle. He steps behind his kitchen counter and stops to uncork the bottle of wine and get glasses for it. “Caleb, my oh my, last time I saw you was near twenty-five years ago. And you come with a gift I see.”

Caleb rolls his eyes in annoyance, “The only gift I brought was pictures of a corpse.”

“A yummy corpse or a gross one?” Marcus pours his wine into two glasses and walks over to the rest of them and hands one of the full glasses to his familiar.

“Well, considering she used to be your familiar I’d say the latter.” Caleb hands Marcus the folder with the crime scene photos.

“Ouch.” Marcus replies sarcastically, but when he looks at the photos the jest falls from his face. “Oh, poor dear, she got all knocked up and murdered.”

“Can you tell us her name and if she had any family?” Sophie asks.

“Hmm, name…” Marcus taps his chin, “Can’t seem to recall it. She was a rather annoying familiar. I didn’t keep her for long. Kept wanting me to turn her into a vampire despite all my hypnosis.” He turns to the girl by his side and smiles, “Hayley here is much more well-mannered.”

“I don’t suppose you’d know the father of the child?” Caleb asks.

Marcus laughs, “Well, I can assure you it wasn’t me.” He flips to the end of the pile of photos and notes with a frown that in it the deceased is missing her enlarged belly. “Speaking of children though have you heard from your brother?”

“No, why?”

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“I’m surprised you don’t know, councilman Arthur is nearing the end of his life. It’s been hypothesized that your mother might be taking his place and your brother her’s.”

Caleb crosses his arms, “And?”

Marcus raises an eyebrow and grins devilishly, “And… I think this new generation will be very interesting. After all our children will be growing up in a age where they don’t have to hide.”

Caleb inhales slowly to calm himself, “I think times can change very easily and it will be many years before we have our children.”

“We’ll see.”

“If that’s all you have to say about your dead familiar then we’ll be on our way.” Caleb steps forward and takes the file of pictures away from him before turning to leave.

“Um, thank you for your time.” Sophie adds before hurrying after Caleb.

The elevator doors close on the image of Marcus smiling quite cruelly in Caleb’s direction drinking from his wine glass while his familiar Hayley curls herself up to him.

“So…” Sophie starts and stops in the silence of the elevator ride.

“Go ahead and ask.” Caleb gives her permission to annoy him.

Sophie though isn’t one to overstep her boundaries when she knows it’s none of her business. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Hmph.” Caleb smiles and looks over at her appreciating the space she decided to give him, “We’re all required to produce two offspring. So, yes, I have a brother that I have met only a handful of times.”

“Required?” Sophie frowns.