Chapter 22 The Findings

"You know, I've looked at your work and it's outstanding." Lucky said to Damien. "Do any work at the hospital?" Lucky asked, watching to see if Damien squirmed under pressure.

"No." Damien answered.

"You don't work for the hospital when you have time off from here—working with me. With us, trying to do right by the national laws for cryptid beings?" Lucky asked.

"No." Damien replied, looking his boss in the eyes almost with a smile.

Lucky sat up straight in his office chair.

"I admire the honesty of people but when it comes to something such as a werewolf, honesty is extremely hard to come by." Lucky said. "You see, a werewolf is a liar. It will tell you what you want to hear and before you know it, you're stuck in a corner with no way out and what you thought was the neighbor next door becomes the werewolf next door that you've been borrowing a cup of sugar from for years only to repay it back in full five pound bags because you know you're going to need it again. You're happy with your neighbor and your neighbor is always happy with you. Too jolly when you think about it. Do you get what I'm saying?" Lucky asked.

"No." Damien responded. "I guess to sum up what you're saying is, I'm fired."

"Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. Point blank, how do you get the angles in your photographs? You have to be in the middle of confrontation to get the shots you produce. And don't give me the sarcastic, I'm just that good, answer." Lucky demanded.

"Mr. Rival." Damien began.

"Lucky is fine."

"Lucky, I'm just that good." Damien said, sure of his ability to take meaningful photographs.

"I know that's not what you want to hear. "

"Did you kill Jan?" Lucky asked.

Damien shifted his body a bit causing Lucky to take notice.

"Why would you ask that? I've only been on the job a little while." Damien said.

"Makes you the brand new kid on the block. No one knows you. Yet." Lucky answered, trying to be careful to not talk himself into a hard situation.

"We were going on a date. I left early. Dr. Zack knows it. I came back later to pick her up—I've already told the cops my story."

"You oughta hear what the cops think, Damien." Lucky said. "And another thing, the hospital search has your face all over it."

"Ain't no cops contacted me about my second job." Damien said, catching himself too late.

"So it is true?"

"Ok. Ok. I work in the morgue." He said without lowering his head in shame for having just revealed that he wasn't being truthful.

"You do more than that, don't you?" Lucky asked feeling that he was finally making a breakthrough.

"I don't know what you mean, Lucky" said Damien, his voice deepened.

"I believe you do? The hospital basement is filled with death. It's amazing no one has caught on to it yet."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're photo and photo equipment was found amongst the pile of bodies that are stashed there. How do you keep the odor of death down? Why hasn't anyone but you ever gone to the basement? It's a mess that should have been discovered months ago." Said Lucky, amazed that his company photographer is so easy going with the conversation.

"Can I leave now or are you gonna call the cops? If you think I'm a werewolf they're going to leave me in your custody anyway. So no matter how you look at it, we're stuck with each other." Damien said.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do."

"I could have opened the dungeon, right, Lucky? And let what you keep inside out. And then shut it up after all was said and done but I didn't because I didn't kill Jan. You've got a maniac on the loose that's capable of getting past you in your own business. That's not good. Boss." Damien said sarcastically.

"Isn't this place supposed to be closed until the cops finish their investigation? Why do you have me in your office at a crime scene?" Damien asked, getting up.

"Because I wanted to get your reaction to everything that's been going on." Lucky said, standing too.

"It's been a long week. Can I go now. Matter of fact, don't bother. I know where the door is." Damien said, walking casually to the office door.

"I know you're up to something Damien. That's why I'm not firing you. You can have a few days off but I want you back, recharged and ready to work. "

"Ah, the old keep the enemy close deal." Damien said turning around to face Lucky before leaving the office. "In that case, I'll be back before you know it. With all of the bodies at the hospital plus the new ones from earlier in the week, I'll have my work cut out for me. I just may take a leave of absence from the hospital now that you know what else I do. Sorry for not putting it on my application. I didn't know that this was a need to know kind of company."

"I need to know that I can trust you but if you're pulling high profile hijinks just to get the picture, I don't need that kind of attitude working for me. That type of boldness gets people killed." Lucky said.

"People like Jan. Huh? " Damien asked.

"There's a maniac on the loose Damien. He can get past my employees with ease. If I were you, I'd lay off the pearly whites and keep my eyes open for anything strange. Or anyone."

"But Lucky, there's only three of us here now and that means—"

"I have you." Lucky said, watching Damien as he leaves.

"Hey Lucky," Damien said as he walked through the office door.

"What?" Lucky asked.

"The wall behind her desk."

"What about it?" Lucky answered.

"Nice family." Damien said, closing the door and leaving without waiting for a reply.