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“Yeah. I heard the driver blaring on his horn, and that’s when I ran back to the store and hid inside.”
“You didn’t call for help?”
“I did!” I hotly insisted. “I called 911 and they hung up on me, and when I tried to call back, it was busy.”
“I’ll need your phone number to verify your call logs.”
“Uh. Sure.” I recited it, and he wrote it down in his notebook.
“So after you hid in the shop, did you look outside at all?”
“I did, but I didn’t really see anything. Mostly heard people screaming and stuff.” Then because it made me sound callous, I added, “I didn’t know how to help them.”
“You did the right thing. Chances are you would have been killed, too, if you’d gotten involved.” He glanced at the window in the door and wandered to it, staring outside. He glanced back at me. “The officer you spoke to last night said you claimed the assailants were short, naked, and hairless and that a man with a scythe took them out.”
I offered a weak smile. “Blame my panic and shock for seeing things. Most likely I assumed them hairless because they wore hoods.”
“And the man with the scythe?”
“Probably someone with a baseball bat.” My lame excuse, to which I added, “The mist made it difficult to make out details, and my imagination went a little wild. Sorry. I must have sounded so crazy.” In the light of day, and upon reflection, I changed my story. Let them think I’d misspoken due to shock.
“It’s strange how the only fog reported in the city happened on this street.”
“Very odd,” I agreed, especially since I’d not seen it.
“Anything else you’d like to add?”
I shrugged. “I wish I could be more help.”
“Me, too, because, as of now, there are four killers on the loose. I’m surprised you came in to work knowing that.”
Shit. It hadn’t even occurred to me since I’d seen scythe dude mow them down. I needed a quick and plausible answer. “Most crime tends to occur at night, and quite honestly, a crime like this is like lightning. It rarely strikes twice in the same spot.” A terrible answer but he gave a nod.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. He wrote on the back before handing it over. “Here’s how you can reach me. I’ve put my cell on the back. You can call it any hour of the day.”
My nose wrinkled. “I’m sure if I recall something important it can wait for office hours, or I can leave a message.”
“Think of it more as in case of an emergency. Say, like those assailants return. Could be they’re part of a larger gang. They might look to eliminate witnesses.”
My eyes widened. Did the sewer aliens have friends who’d want revenge? What if there were more? All things I couldn’t say aloud. “Um, do you think that’s a possibility?” I squeaked.
“Until we know more, I’d tread with caution, Ms…” He paused.
“Butler. Sadie Butler.”
He smiled. “Thank you for your time, Ms. Butler.”
“Of course, Detective. Again, sorry I couldn’t be more help.”
“Call me if you think of anything.” His parting words as he left.
Me? I went to the back and slumped hard into a chair.
Had he believed a single word of that bullshit? A detective was trained to spot liars.
Guess I’d find out if they came back to haul me off to the police station.
The day passed without my arrest. Enzo returned from his lunch, looking pleased. I inventoried until three and then left while daylight reigned.
