Read Detective Docherty :: Third Wheel

Ares casually walked up the stairs, taking in the rich smells of the cooking below. He used to love butter chicken. He reminisced on the flavorful foods he used to eat when he was human. His watch went off just as he approached the door. Ares paused to turn the alarm off. He heard voices coming from inside the office. He sniffed the air—he smelled Alexandria and Docherty. They were laughing together. Ares felt all the hairs on his arms rise. He was half an hour early, and the two of them were having their own private party. He contemplated leaving and returning in twenty minutes, but he would not be so easily deterred.

He opened the door and found the Detective and Alexandria bent over Snow's aquarium. What he saw next shocked him to his core. Inside the aquarium swam a scuba diver with bubbles coming out of his mask. Ares stood, opened-mouthed, in the doorway.

"Why it's perfect! Just the thing the tank needed. I dare say Snow seems positively fascinated! Look how excited she is, the dear ol' girl. Ha ha."

Snow was indeed following the little diver around, nibbling at his plastic fins.

Alexandria giggled. "I just thought your mermaid could use a little company, you know? She looked so lonely in that big tank by herself."

Ares caught something then, something that surprised and puzzled him. Alexandria did not catch it, but Ares felt it. He sensed a change inside Docherty, an emotional response to what Alexandria had said. Ares tilted his head and regarded the Detective with a furrowed brow.

Docherty wore the tiniest hint of a frown. He was looking at the aquarium with glazed eyes—tears? But then, just like that, he looked over to the door and snapped out of it.

"Oh, I say! Ares. Come in, come in! So good to see you! We weren't expecting you for another half hour. You are ever punctual, my good man!"

"Thank you, Detective. Good to see you as well." Ares tried to hide the uneasiness he was feeling.

"Ares, you've got to come here and see what Alex has surprised me with! It's the most delightful little contraption. Absolutely brilliant."

Ares stepped over, feigning surprise, "Oh, I see you have a new tank decoration." Ares avoided eye contact with Alexandria. He stared instead at the monstrosity inside the aquarium. That was it. If she wanted to play hard ball, he was game. He stared daggers into the little diver.

"Wh-what do you think, Ares?"

"How nice of you to get the Detective such a—thoughtful gift," he said, trying to hide his disdain.

"Oh, thank you." She smiled tentatively.

"Ha! Look at her go for those little fins! Looks like our little girl is going to get some exercise for the next few days, eh? Ha ha!"

"Perhaps we should get going. Traffic being unpredictable, I think it's best we make our way to the airport," Ares said, wanting to put as much distance between himself and the tacky diver as possible.

Ares knew it was foolish, but he could not help feeling betrayed. How could Snow do this to him? Was she going to succumb to Alexandria's false charm too?

He would win her back; he'd think of something. Snow was the closest thing he had ever had to a pet.

"You are ever dedicated to the job. That's why I pay you top dollar, eh, Ares?"

Ares held back an eye roll.

Docherty smiled and continued, "You are right, though. Traffic in Toronto is entirely unpredictable. Let us be off then, shall we?"

"Great. I can't wait to see the two of you in action," Alexandria replied, smiling.

Daniel Skipper, or Dan Skip as he had insisted on them calling him (Ares felt there was something to be said about people who nicknamed themselves) was waiting for them at terminal one in his oversized black Hummer. Ares figured he was trying to impress them, and he hoped he had squashed that when they arrived in his limo.

Ares had to call his driver after they had all stepped out of the office and Docherty realized he did not own a car. The Detective suggested public transport, but Ares pointed out that it would take too long and decided to call Yusuf.

After a painful ride, during which Yusuf complained about the rheumatism in his left shoulder and Alexandria suggested a holistic cream she used and several herbal remedies he might consider, Ares was relieved to be out of the limo—until he was in the Hummer with Skipper.

Ares attempted to lose himself in the business of the terminal: taxis fighting for space, people climbing in and out of vehicles, and luggage littering the curb. Despite what others might think, Ares enjoyed watching the chaos of mortals. It calmed him, though remaining calm was a struggle with Dan in the car. Daniel was droning on about his planes, his wealth, and the exaggerated amount of important people he knew to Alexandria and Docherty (Dan and Ares had silently agreed to ignore each other) as he drove them down the back roads.

Ares peered out across the runways, admiring the beauty of the airport lights. They reminded him of stars or pixies and he looked forward to the day he could see spaceships landing and taking off with as much regularity as the planes he saw now. He knew nothing about flying, but he appreciated the craft. Dan Skip appreciated it too, it seemed—it was just a shame he had not better educated himself on the subject, because Ares was pretty sure that "aviational" was not a real word.

"Here we are," Daniel said, smiling to Alexandria, who sat beside him in the front. Ares was the first to get out.

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Published by Raven's Hollow Art and Publishing

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.