Chapter 7

"That did not go well." Merlin was saying as he laid flat on his soft sleigh bed, Paula standing beside staring down at him. "I don't believe you convinced me to tell dad about everything. We both knew he would freak out."

"Stop alright. He must know about all this. There are other vampires in town who deserve safety and hiding will put their lives at risk."

"That's right. I am sorry." Merlin slapped his forehead and turned away on his face. Paula fidgeted uncomfortably with her fingers before speaking, "I am sorry, for messing up the first case. But—"

"Yeah don't worry about it. I went way out of nature with the business. You don't have to do this and I know this obsession will wear off from me as well. I will apologise to Heena and talk to—"

"Wait. Who said anything about killing the business? We are not quitting this. I want you to meet someone, our first client. His name is Tarun." Paula narrated the whole story Tarun and his mystery stalker. "At first I too thought he was delusional but after—" well, some more experience with him, I don't think he was. I believe it's worth a check out."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go." Merlin readies to get out of bed but Paula stops him. "We can't go now. You need to rest and it will be morning soon. And we have to wait for night."

Next night both Paula and Merlin were sitting inside their sunlight resistant car at the dead of night, outside Tarun's house but not exactly outside his boundary walls. It was discreet. Every once in a while Tarun would come to his bedroom window and nervously wave at them and Paula would glare at him and direct to go inside.

"I didn't see anyone." Merlin said, just then there was a rapid knock on the window.

"Yes?" Asked Merlin, sliding down the glass on the face of a middle aged man with bushy hair and bright green eyes which sparkled even in the dark.

"Who are you? This is a private property." Said the man with his heavy voice and hard glare. He was both taller and more muscular than either of them but, he was no vampire and that was a relief.

"Sorry man. You see our car broke down and we are waiting for help to arrive." Merlin said. The man looked somewhere between confused and suspicious.

Paula was having none of it.

"Do you live here?" She asked.

The stranger's eyes traveled to her and paused for a giant second before smiling through his teeth.

"I sure do. This is my house right there." He pointed to the house behind him. "Not to be intolerant but I don't feel comfortable with you guys staying out here, make me feel paranoid. Do you want to come in and wait?" He offered.

"No that won't be necessary sir. We will be out of your hair in a minute." Merlin said and he nodded and left.

"Let's get out of here. Park somewhere else and we can keep watch without this car. It's going to be night for a while." Paula drove off.

"Are we going to ignore the fact that he was actually a werewolf?" Asked Paula.

"He is the stalker, isn't he?"

"Definitely. They are fast, like us, that's why Tarun never sees them go."

"Wow, they are making him paranoid, programming him to be a werewolf. They are going to convert him. Do you think he knows who we are?"

"Come on Merlin, we won't be that good of an investigators if, for one moment we believe he didn't instantly smell us." Paula pulled over at the end of the street and got out of the car.

Both of them, staying close to the wall and under the shadows, approached Tarun's house and knocked on his door.

Tarun cane out looking, sleep deprived and tense. He was ready to complain when Paula pushed him inside and Merlin closed the door behind them.

"What's going on?" He asked, sounding all panicked and  fumbled.

"We know who is stalking you. It's the robbers. They are planning to rot your house. This gang follows the probable victim for months before robbing them and then kill them." Merlin said in a threatening whisper and Paula pretended to look through the windows for any perpetrator.

"Really? But why?" Asked Tarun, his throat dry and voice shaking.

"I don't know man. You caught their eye or something is all I know. But they are definitely after you." Said Merlin.

"So what do I do?" Tarun slumped down on the chair beside him and held his head in hands. Merlin walked over to place a hand on his shivering shoulder, "For once you can go to the police but they have already blown you off so it will waste more of your time that you could use to run as far as possible."

"Or you could stay and wait for them to take you." Paula said from the other corner of the room. She had her hands crossed on her chest and was partially leaning on the sofa.

"No. No no no no. This can't be happening. Where will I go?" Tarun cried.

"Don't worry about that. We will help you get to a safe place. Do you have any family or friends here or anywhere?" Asked Merlin.

"I—No I don't. I dont have anyone."

"That's great— I am sorry. I mean, it's good we don't have to worry about anyone connected with you. It will be easier."

"I don't have a boss. He is a good man. Invites me to his family function."

"This is your best deal. You have to make some excuse. Tell him you are going on a world tour or something. Another option is fatal and we are just investigators. We can't do much more."

Tarun thought for a long minute and then wiped off his tears, bracing for a hit.

"Okay. Thanks for helping your two. I have to sell this house."

Merlin and Paula exchanged a look and nodded. "That will be alright." You have a day or two safe in this town and till then, come live at our work space. We can keep an eye on you and arrange other stuff."

Next few days went by extremely hectic, from keeping Tarun safe to arranging his travel to another corner of the world, Merlin and Paula were both on wheels at work.

The night Tarun finally left, they went home and found Simon waiting by the kitchen bar.

"You two have been busy at work. I am impressed." He said, sipping the blood out of a wine glass. That was all he said before gulping down the whole of the drink.

"Dad are you alright?" Asked Paula.

"Yes I am good.."

"Then why are you drinking this much?" Asked Merlin.

"I don't want to get into your business kids but you need to stay out of werewolf's business. They don't appreciate us interfering. With vampire hunters in town, together the better."

"But they can't go around converting humans to werewolves. That's not how it works." Snapped Paula. Simon left his seat beside the counter and said, "Some things are better left untouched." And he left. Merlin and Paula stared at each other, lack of words choking something down the dead heart.