Adelmo was staring into his parents‟ trunk at the exact moment this guy was staring at the bodies of Frank and Delia Devereaux.
The voice of the man kept echoing in Adelmo’s head, "don’t even know how long I was standing there‟ over and over until-
“Is it true there were strange, bloody markings on the wall, Detective?”
Now the reporter was interviewing one of the detectives on the scene, who just smiled tightly.
“I’m not going to give out specific information about the investigation at this point in time. We just want to encourage anyone who has any information about the crime to contact the New Orleans Police Department.”
The detective quickly stepped out of view of the camera and pointed to the producer firmly, who looked at the reporter and drew his finger across his throat in a gesture to end the feed.
“This is Cindy Carlton, Eyewitness News.”
The cameraman shut off his video and the detective angrily stormed over to the producer as Adelmo slipped away, walking toward his car, listening to the angry voices.
“...can’t give out that kind of information...you can’t suppress the news, detective... Dagnabbit you can’t go around interviewing people before we do...”
When Adelmo got to his car around the side of the building he sensed something strange. He looked down and saw what appeared to be a drop of blood on the pavement next to his tire, then another about four feet from there. He followed the drops through the weeds around to the back of the building and stopped in his tracks.
On the back wall of the building was what looked like a bloody paw print underneath an odd, crescent shaped symbol, as if some sort of bleeding animal had drawn a picture with one paw while leaning against the wall.
“I said get that tape around this whole damn parking lot! And get these people out of here!”
It was the voice of that angry detective. The place was becoming a circus, with more news crews and people from the neighborhood showing up to see what happened. Obviously, no one had seen this, yet. Why hasn't anyone come back here yet, anyway? Adelmo wondered. Are you blind? It’s as plain as the nose on your face!
Adelmo took out his phone and snapped a picture of the odd markings, then hurried back to his car just as the policeman who stopped him initially came walking around the side of the building with his partner, unrolling yellow police tape.
“I thought I told you to get outta here!”
Adelmo raised a hand. “I’m leaving.”
He got in his car and backed out, easing his car slowly past the police cars and onlookers. He pulled across the street and watched as the two policemen sectioned off the side of the building with the “do not cross‟ tape, waiting for them to see the blood trail and follow it around to the back of the building.
But they didn't.
They taped off the lot to where Adelmo had been parked on the side of the building, but never saw the blood trail Adelmo had discovered.
Adelmo suddenly realized he hadn't seen the blood at first. He had... sensed it.
Smelled it.
He stared at the two policemen across the street who were now guarding the side of the building from looky-loos.
“Just tell her you’re picking up an extra shift and come by. You think I tell my wife I'm playin' poker?”
Adelmo heard their whispered conversation from across the street.
And I smelled the blood in the weeds.
Adelmo gunned the engine and tore down the street.
When he arrived at the store, Lana was waiting outside, talking on her cell phone. He paused before getting out of his car and tried to hear what she was saying.
Nothing. He rolled down his window. Still nothing.
Maybe he was imagining things back at the grocery store.
But when he got out of the car and approached Lana, he tried to sniff her before he got too close. All he got back was an odd look. When he got close, he could smell her perfume, but so what? It wasn't anything like back at the grocery. Anyone would have smelled her perfume up close. Isn't that what it’s for?
“Sorry Lana. I was...some people in the grocery store near my house were...”
“The murders?” Lana suddenly forgot all about how Adelmo had acted when he pulled up. “I heard about it on the news! They think it’s a cult or something!”
“Well, I don’t know about that.”
“Oh my God, Adelmo! Is that why you’re late?”
“No, no. There was just a lot of traffic. I didn't see anything.”
Lana looked disappointed he had nothing juicy to tell. She followed him into the book store after he unlocked the door.
“Can you watch the front? I’m going to finish the inventory in the office.”
“I finished it yesterday,” she said brightly.
“Right...well, watch the front, anyway, please. I have some other stuff...” he trailed off, leaving her curious, since Adelmo usually liked to do all his paperwork behind the counter. She knew he loved being surrounded by the books out front, but the tiny office made him claustrophobic.
“Are you all right?” she asked, but Adelmo had already closed the office door behind him, which she also found strange, since he rarely, if ever, closed the door.
Adelmo sat down at the desk and took out his cell phone, pulling up the picture he’d taken at the store. Something about the crescent-shaped symbol reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite place it.
The paw print would be easier.
He went out into the store, ignoring Lana’s curious expression, and found the book he was looking for. He walked back into the office, making her even more curious. As soon as the door closed, she came around the counter and headed for the aisle where Adelmo retrieved the book, checking the other book titles.
In the office, Adelmo sat down and opened the book, “Wolves: Truth vs Myth.”
Adelmo quickly flipped to a page with pictures of wolf paws from all over the world, and the corresponding tracks they would make against various surfaces.
“That’s weird.”
The print from the wall matched that of a European wolf, which was odd enough.
But the print was at least three times larger in scale. He could tell from the bricks in the wall. Or was it his imagination?
“Maybe I need a better picture.”
Adelmo had a 35-millimeter camera and a darkroom in the basement, and he briefly considered going back and taking a few pictures, but then thought better of it, remembering how the policeman had looked at him after finding he hadn't left the crime scene. He didn't want to get himself in any trouble.
If he wasn't careful, they might think he had something to do with what happened.
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