Cara Rousseau

in this country, the animals have the faces of animals their eyes flash once in car headlights and are gone

[cara-rousseau]

The M&M Case

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  "Goodness, have I offended your backside? I didn’t think those had feelings." Chuckling, he then opened the bag to see if there was anything else he could find. "What color even was that M&M?"

Hearing Cara comment on what she must think was an apparently foolproof way to “find a killer”, Ray instantly waved a hand and corrected her. “Nono, it’s never that simple, Cara, We must watch for anyone who buys it. Serial killers don’t look different from other people. If anything, they look more normal. And no, that does not mean we are looking for your average Joe strolling down the street with a full can of Axe floating in a cloud behind him. 

"Unless, of course, your sense of smell can pinpoint the exact person it comes from. Will the perfumes combine with the body odor to create a distinct scent?"

[cara-rousseau]

"Yes, they do have feelings and according to them, you're a dick." She laughed, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. She spun a small curl as a perplexed look started to stretch to every inch of her face. "I dunno, does the color matter much? I think it was orange but I'm not sure."

She continued to spin curls while listening to Ray rant. His fixation on the concept of normal intrigued her, but as soon as she heard the word "axe", she was making fake gagging noises. "Listen, I know it's a bit hard to believe, but you could have it so much worse. You know what perfume's fucking horrible and stays on forever? Anais Anais. To humans, doesn't smell like much. But ugh, in animal form, it's actual murder to the senses! I get that it was going for a rosy scent but it smells so putrid..." She mused, looking back to day's past and trying to find a way to untwist her expression. She closed her eyes, humming to herself.

"Have you ever heard of this thing called animal intuition? I know you're one of those serious logical guys, so maybe you don't believe in it...But it's real. I can sense some fucked up things in animal form. Give me a line up and I can sniff out the dude, trust me."

[cara-rousseau]

The M&M Case

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  "Can’t smell it," Raymond mumbled, feeling a little jealous that he couldn’t instantly change his sense of smell to see anything. Average rang in his head, and Ray quickly hit the side of his head, not realizing that Cara had come over and eaten an M&M.

"Cara!" he instantly snapped, his tone becoming harsh. "A professional does not snack on the job; this is evidence.” Tempted to pull her mouth apart and fish the M&M out of her esophagus, he held up a hand, but instead held a finger up in the air.

"Important evidence that clearly matters to this case. You could have just swallowed a critical piece of this puzzle and now it will travel into your stomach and then be broken down for sugars in your digestive tract, which will either convert into energy or become shit and exit through your gluteus maximus.”

[cara-rousseau]

Cara stepped back, raising both her hands between the two in a mocking defense stance. "Ey, I was just peckish. Calm down a bit. What are the odds that you'd find DNA on that one M&M I just ate? The other ones probably have the same amount. It's not a big deal." She said, rolling her eyes around like planets fleeing the sun but still enslaved to its pull. She wasn't even going to bother with faking a polite tone. "If you didn't want me to eat your food, why are you waving it out in the open? Some instincts just can't be suppressed."

She stayed quiet for a while, glancing at the bag while gritting her teeth. "And never, ever refer to any part of my body in Latin ever again. My buttcheeks are still recovering from whatever you just said." She muttered in a hushed whisper before letting her body slide down to the floor and leaning unto a wall.

"Moving on to more important things...I'm damn sure that if we can find the perfume, we can find the person. Maybe we could go around to the perfume store and ask if they have any suspiciously serial killer-looking customers?"

[cara-rousseau]

The M&M Case

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  Ray turned when she asked, staring back down at the body. All he could smell was the decaying scent and the dried blood, but when a beagle trotted over, nose twitching, he couldn’t help but give a small chuckle from the huge clothes it dragged along with it.

Sitting there for a long time while she sniffed, Ray looked around the room instead, for what he could see. Spotting one brightly colored package over on a side table, he walked over and, pulling a handkerchief to handle it out, observed it. 

"Are these M and-" A sneeze interrupted his sentence and he heard a thump as Cara became human again and spoke her conclusion. Quickly turning while holding onto the package, he nodded. "Yes, yes… that could help. Do you mean the victim wore something fancy, or the killer? And then was it perfume or cologne?"

[cara-rousseau]

Cara shrugged. She scratched behind her ear a bit, trying to come up with a good answer. As far as she knew, colognes were a type of perfume. It was needless to distinguish to do. But the musky dusk scent in the air answered for her. "It smelt more like cologne than anything. It's one of those really expensive but shitty colognes. Probably imported from Italy." She mumbled, sniffing again.

"I don't know if you can smell it, but it's pretty bitter." She added, then turning around. "I don't think it was the victim, though. Otherwise the entire place would smell like it. It's a foreign scent." She darted her eyes around the room, looking for something more aesthetically-pleasing than the corpse. 

She then looked to Ray, about to ask what he thought, then noticed a bag in his hands. "Are you snacking on the job? Seriously?" She laughed, taking one and popping it in her mouth. "Mmm, dark chocolate! I didn't even know they still sold these here. Where'd you get them?"

[cara-rousseau]

The M&M Case

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  About to ask if there was anything, Ray remained silent when her finger went up. Then smiled when he heard that she could make a good Beagle.

"That works very well, yes. They’re good hunting dogs, one of the best senses of smell out of all dog breeds. Better at ground than air scents, though." Shrugging, he turned a corner and then another sharp turn followed soon after. "But you don’t have to change, if you think it would be easier. Just remember I have no problems picking you up to get out of somewhere. I hope you aren’t the squirmy type."

Opening the door, which was unlocked, the scent instantly hit his own nose. It smelled to be at least a day old… so this body had been here a while.

Legs brutally torn off and nowhere to be seen, Ray though that was a place to start.

"Have you got any idea where the legs could be? That might be something to track, if this person has a scent."

[cara-rousseau]

"Me? Squirmy?" Feeling her ego quickly punctured, she inflated her chest in a show of confidence. Unfortunately, she already was making the sounds of a dying balloon. "Pssht- Pshhhht-. Please, I turn into worms for fun. It's just that I don't like blood much." She mumbled, still standing with her arms around herself, feeling herself breathing. Was her breathing always that stilted?

"I'll get right on it." She nodded, already taking off her coat. "Don't look, 'kay?" She said as she started to turn, nose first. The transformation was complete in record time, and she wagged her tail proudly in approval, before catching it.

"Oh, fuck."

The stench was already overpowering. Necrosis, bacteria and...Gucci cologne? She approached the corpse, eyes shut. The cologne was not the victim's. She sniffed further up, finding that the victim didn't seem to be wearing any perfume it all, unless sweat counted as such. She sat back, now turning her attention to his clothing. It didn't smell like the victim either. Or maybe it was tainted with death? She sneezed back into human form and grabbed her jacket.

"Can't say much about the legs, but smells like someone around here is fancy."

[cara-rousseau]

The M&M Case

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  "It pays, and you get very used to it, sadly." Examining the picture again, he wondered who these people were. "It’s not actually that bad a walk, so hopefully we can get there without being seen. I wonder how long ago this happened…" Putting the photograph and business card into his pocket, Ray grabbed his coat and gestured to Cara.

"Let’s go, we have a paying crime to investigate and this one will be a good first case. Straightforward and clean. Find the killer, and avenge the death. Simple." Closing the door behind them both, he turned on his heel and began a brisk pace down the sidewalk.

"Is there anything you think that can help us track a person down? Like, turning into a dog and sniffing out the killer?" he asked, trying to lighten up the dreary mood she was in after seeing the photo. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to show her without warning.

[cara-rousseau]

"Some things you just never get used to, though." She mumbled to herself, still visibly shaken. For as long as she could remember, everything about blood troubled her deeply. The acidic taste, the glutinous texture and worst of all, the clinging smell that followed anyone within a kilometer of a corpse. Even small cuts could get her wary about coming close to someone. Still, she nodded.

She started chewing on the edge of her thumbnail. "And, yeah, about that. How do I tell you this...My animal repertoire, if that's even what you'd call it- Is starting to get smaller. I haven't turned into a lot of animals in a long time and I kind of forgot how to turn into them. So no huskies, no german shepherds, no boxers, none of those really big threatning muscle dogs." She explained in a slurred and rushed tone, trying to make it sound as less awkward as possible. She raised a finger before he could say anything back.

"But- I make a mean Beagle. Good enough?"

[cara-rousseau]

The M&M Case

The days following the visit to the bookstore passed wistfully. Cara’s intuition started to peck at her throat, gnawing at her nerves. She would do the same everyday, look up at the ceilling, get angry when a tack fell on her then debate whether or not to rant at Ray about it. She was eternally biting on her lip, as evident by a cold sore that developed at the end of her smile. God, when was some poor guy gonna get maimed for her to eat up some of the reward?

"Excuse me, m’am. Is this Inspector Irwin’s office?"

With a quick swivel, she turned around to meet the man at the counter.

She raised her voice to a high pitch, gesturing for Ray to come over. From where she was sitting though, it seemed like he was preoccupied trying to fix the clipboard again. She rolled her eyes. “Why, yes it is! How can I- I mean, we- help you, my good man? Murder, sabotage, robbery, scandal? We’ve seen it all here, right, Ray?” 

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

Ray was busy trying to fix the clipboard, a little bothered at how disorganized it was from him taking stuff down before Cara arrived. He then never actually finished cleaning it off. 

But then Cara called to him, and he saw that there was a person standing there. He hadn’t seen this person, so he stepped over and held out his hand.

“Inspector Irwin, how can I help you?” 

"I am merely looking for assistance. The police are refusing to take up the case and, well, I’d rather not find this person myself. They’ve been… brutally mauled."

Ray sighed, wishing they could be a bit more specific. “Well, I suppose we can take it up. Where can we find this body?”

Holding out a couple pieces of paper, the person gave a wave. "Just come over if you’re going to take the case. I’ve got to get to work before I’m late… and well, you know. Anyway, thank you so much." Quickly departing and closing the door, Ray looked at the address, then the photo included.

"Well, there you go. Take a look at the photo. Surprised they found a place to print that." Showing Cara the picture, he turned and smiled. "Looks like we’ve got a very interesting body to investigate."

[cara-rousseau]

The man in the picture was brutally disfigured to the point that Cara for a minute wondered if i was even a man. The head, concealed by a clumsy photographer's thumb, was surrounded by a halo of brains and blood. The scene was dyed crimson, not that one could stare at it long enough to determine the hue. And while the cut open chest and gut were a grim sight by themselves, the bottom was the true gem in a crown fitting for Tarantino. And while Cara was able to keep her wits together for most of the picture, seeing the torn ligaments was the final strike.

"That's disgusting, put it away. Fuck."

She stepped back, covering her stomach by crossing her arms. It was almost as if the corpse was there, putrid, poignant...maggot infested.  She gagged.

"How can you be smiling about this shit? Ugh. Are we gonna take up the case? Doesn't he have to pay you first?"

[cara-rousseau]

The M&M Case

The days following the visit to the bookstore passed wistfully. Cara's intuition started to peck at her throat, gnawing at her nerves. She would do the same everyday, look up at the ceilling, get angry when a tack fell on her then debate whether or not to rant at Ray about it. She was eternally biting on her lip, as evident by a cold sore that developed at the end of her smile. God, when was some poor guy gonna get maimed for her to eat up some of the reward?

"Excuse me, m'am. Is this Inspector Irwin's office?"

With a quick swivel, she turned around to meet the man at the counter.

She raised her voice to a high pitch, gesturing for Ray to come over. From where she was sitting though, it seemed like he was preoccupied trying to fix the clipboard again. She rolled her eyes. "Why, yes it is! How can I- I mean, we- help you, my good man? Murder, sabotage, robbery, scandal? We've seen it all here, right, Ray?" 

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  Ray looked to her as they walked back to the office, giving a smile that he hoped didn’t look too worn out. “Is there something you need to go back to get?” He remembered that he hadn’t actually seen the new shipment Viktor mentioned previously. Making a mental note to see it at a later time, he waited for Cara’s reply.

Ayala, on the other hand, was putting away the children’s books near the door when she heard the thud of his head on the glass, and him wondering aloud where Cara was from. Standing up and walking over to him, she tilted her head.

"…Did Ray not mention it? You know she’s from Porto Alegre, right?"

[cara-rousseau]

She turned around, only to see Ray forcing a scribbled-on smile. Cara shrugged, deciding not to mention the fact that her partner looked like he just got run over by a truck. She always did have a strange sympathy with roadkill. For peace of mind, she smiled back brightly. "Yeah, but I think it's gonna be a while before I can scratch together enough cash to buy anything so..." 

Viktor turned around, raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Porto Alegre? In Brazil? You tell me this now?" He mumbled as he started to shuffle around the bookstore, trying to pick up everything as fast as possible. He stumbled over himself more than once. He tumbled about with about ten books in hand, trying to put them all in wherever they fit in a desperate attempt to finish as quickly, then he ran over to the basement door. "I'm shutting off the heating to save energy so if you're coming, bring a coat. And if you're going to go get one, bring me coffee. Or tea. Or anything hot. God, wait, is there more than one Porto Alegre? What if there's one in East Timor or some other country along those lines? When did I become Ray's personal search engine?"

e

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

Ayala was watching Cara’s eyes as she stared at the books she and Viktor had already thumbed through. The smiling policemen were always the best, and that one intro… gosh, that was something to read for years to come. She could probably recite it from memory at this point.

Meanwhile, Ray gently closed the door as Viktor wandered off to the counter, already looking groggy. Sighing about the fact he had put so much weight on his best friend, he quickly came out as well and saw Cara sitting on the floor. Walking over to her, Ray muttered, “Let’s go.” 

Ayala watched as Ray interrupted the conversation on Cara’s end, and Viktor on her end. Smiling, she walked back to the counter as well, waving him off. “We’ll close right after they leave. Why don’t you lock it behind them and I’ll start counting?” 

[cara-rousseau]

Cara hesitated, looking at the book and back again. She quickly checked her pockets, came up with nothing. Odds are that Ray wasn't going to pay, and it was social suicide to ask if she could pay later so early into their meeting. She dusted off her clothes and curtsied as she turned for the door, waving goodbye. "We're gonna come back again, right?" She asked as she took a step out, turning to Ray.

Viktor helped Ayala out with picking up some of the books, but couldn't help letting the nervousness eat at him. "I just don't know what to do with him, Ayala. I'm happy to help but he expects me to somehow just make info materialize into existence. It would be easier if I knew where that Cara girl was from but still..." He commented as the two walked off and he went over to the door. 

Taking his sweet time with the lock, he stared off into infinity, leaning against the glass. "Doesn't guarantee anything." 

[cara-rousseau]

private-eye-ray:

"All books are manufactured here and approved by the government. All have the scarlet seal and are carefully selected." Smiling, she looked up at Cara, then sighed. "Still, there’s always the wish for outside literature. Bet you miss the books in Porto Alegre, right?" Looking back to her magazine, she wondered what was taking Viktor and Ray so long. Could they not find what they were looking for?

Ray, on the other hand, was not assumed the slightest. Giving a mock punch on Viktor’s arm as he stood up, doing the same as well. “I swear you’re sick, though, with the coughing and flushed face. Don’t push yourself, now. We don’t want another cold to spread throughout the place.” Then hearing his comment, he sighed. “All right, will do. I’d say I’d get Cara to send it over, but it’s about her, so I’ll get it myself while leaving her to figure out a trial case of some sort. Either way, if you’ll be staying down here, I’m going. I’ll see you later, old chum.” Grinning, he walked up the stairs to leave. 

Cara laughed sardonically, putting the book she had beside her. "Well, they were definitely more daring. And a lot prettier sounding." She mumbled, stumbling over a bit as she got up, almost tripping on her own boots. She waved her arms dramatically and gestured at the column of books next to her. "Look at all these! A Complete Anthology of Falkland's Financial Secretaries. The Evolution of the Legislative Assemly. Or try this crown jewel, All You Need To Know About Your Local Policemen."

She burst the book open, finding a collage of pictures of happy men and women in uniform standing next to children. Not helping, not instructing, just standing there, wooden. The entire situation depicted ended picaresque by accident. "'All you need to know' is damn right, if we knew anything more we'd get shot or something." Blushing red, she slid back to the floor and shrugged. "Yeah, Brazil isn't heaven; I'm not gonna deny that...But at least people are upfront about being assholes, you know?"

Meanwhile, Viktor turned off the light behind him, following Ray. He sighed deeply, making a mental note to cancel all appointments and spend the night down there. He walked up to the counter, sitting down. "Ayala, is she buying anything? We may need to close up early tonight. Have to count all the money in the next half hour." He called out, drowziness already stalking him.

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  Ray sighed and sat down next to him, watching him rub his head and say how useless he was before muttering his snide comeback. 

"You’re older than me, stupid." Then before he could get yelled at, he continued, "And I’m sorry for not being much help, like you, said I don’t know how stuff is organized down here or what you keep down here. You don’t keep any other records? Scientific ones? Ones that talk about experiments, if any?" Sighing, he hit the filing cabinet with his head, only causing it to hurt. "Ouch! Christ, I’m too used to doing that on my chair back at my office. Dammit." Rubbing his head, he groaned.

Ayala watched from the counter as Cara poured over the books, and looked out the window. There was nobody outside that she could see. Feeling a little worried about this girl, she reached across the desk for one of those new political magazines. They were always interesting, because she still didn’t know as much about this place as Viktor did. It was always interesting to learn then talk about with him later. But she kept looking up, just to look at Cara. Then came the question.

"Uruguay?" Ayala felt her head fill with memories of that name, the couple books she’d brought over on the ship-

"No, our shipments don’t come from there. Sorry."

[cara-rousseau]

"Shit."

She sniffed at the book again, wondering if she got the wrong scent. "Could have sworn it smelt a bit like Montevideo." She thought, letting out a huff. She passed the pages, skipping to the end, hoping to find the publisher. Nothing. She went back to the beginning, looking for the author, nothing. If the book had ever had any proper identification, it was long gone.

Knowing then that her mission was going to be much harder than first planned, she looked up. "If you don't mind me asking, where do you get all these books though? The guys upstairs aren't exactly known for just donating books to the poor and all..."

Meanwhile, Viktor sat on the floor, snickering at Ray. "It's a miracle you've made it this long without it falling on your face and giving you a concussion. Would it really be that difficult to organize your notes like a normal person? Obviously it's affecting your coordination." He bit his tongue, knowing he was about to mention age again. With a fake cough, he jumped up upright and started looking through files again, trying to scare the temptation away. "Okay, okay. I have files here going all the way back to 1967 at earliest, but I need you to specify where I need to look, or we're going to be stuck here for months. And we're not getting any youn- I mean, we're wasting tim- Oh, fuck it just get me the information I need and I'll get you the information you need as soon as possible."

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  "Colleague, then,” Ray muttered in a snarky voice while he was pulled away from the cabinet. He watched as Viktor arranged everything again and his eyes drifted up to the shelves above, where he kept the history books from every year. Goodness, he sure kept those clean, they were still glossy. Although, he was pretty sure the insides were covered in highlighter.

Hearing the question, he felt his face pale. Shit. It had been neglected on the application and she’d neglected to mention it. Well, maybe it wasn’t her fault. No, it was hers. “…I would be lying if I said I knew.” Giving a sigh, he pinched his nose. “Jesus. Give me a moment, maybe she mentioned it.”

Ayala sighed. This young girl was getting impatient. Apparently she couldn’t keep her hair on. Quickly turning on her heel, she walked into a smaller, slightly lighter section and pulled out a few books. These were the only real animal books. Their sketches should be enough. And there might be a book about the jungle somewhere in the young readers section next to it. Tossing the two cardboard books over, Ayala slipped into the next aisle to see if her assumption was correct. There were a couple. One about the jungle and another on fishing. Making a wise choice and only taking the one about the jungle, she stepped out of the aisle. “Here.”

[cara-rousseau]

Viktor ground his teeth. "Honestly, Ray? Now? Now of all times? I know that your age is getting to you but most people start showing Alzheimer symptoms at 65." He grumbled, shutting the files with a bang and letting his body slide down to the floor. He rubbed his temples for what seemed like hours, exasperated.

"And you can't just go up there and ask her, because that will be suspicious. Ugh." He added in a sigh. "Can you just go on about your day and call me later? With actual information for me to look up? There must be hundreds of Cara Rousseaus in South America alone, and obviously you aren't going to be much help here."

In the mean time, Cara reviewed the books she had been given. She said thanks, but the word hung in the air and never made it to another soul. She was too immersed to care. She sat on the cold wooden floor, hunched over, steadily surveying all the pictures. She had hoped for something better than plain old sketchbooks, but the quality was surprisingly good. The lines were crisp; the texture was palpable...She got closer to the pages, smelling them, then she raised an eyebrow. "So you guys have books from Uruguay too?"

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  Giving a grin as he took the keys with a jingle, Ray chuckled as he inserted them into where he knew it had to go before quickly rushing down the stairs, knowing Ray most certainly would not be too far behind. But whenever a book fell, his call had to be answered. Leaving the door open the slightest crack, Ray jumped the last couple steps and strolled up to the first cabinet. Ah, the smell of dusty papers. Nothing like those glossy fakes upstairs. 

"Let’s see… if she gave her real age, which is 22, she was born in this year…" Pulling open the right drawer, he flicked through the certificates. In her case, he wondered if there even was one.

The door slamming upstairs, Ray extended the keys outward with a free hand. “Hope it’s not too much for your lady friend upstairs to distract her. If your suspicions are correct, she might not be able to contain her if Cara really is with the other side.”

Upstairs, Ayala was busy pulling her over. “That’s the closest thing we have to a vet book, I’m afraid. Veterinarian books are only issued if you are officially applying for the field, and you pick them up here. And don’t worry, I don’t think you’re on his bad list for dropping a book.” Grinning, Ayala went over to the new arrivals near the center of the store.

"There are plenty of others. I can guide you anywhere in the store. If it’s the human body you’re interested in, there are other textbooks, or psychological ones; but only Intro To Psychology. Official ones are only if you’re applying for the field. But of course, this is all old news to you."

[cara-rousseau]

Viktor took the keys and twirled them around on his index finger, narrowing his eyes at the other man. "I prefer the term colleague. Her gender has nothing to do with the situation at hand, so get your head out of the gutter." He muttered bluntly.

"You really have no idea how to look through these, do you? Allow me." He scoffed, before pulling away Ray's hands from the files. He hastily put the files Ray had taken out back in their place. Then he turned back around, adjusting his glasses. "Place of birth?"

Cara, on the other hand, was having none of it. There was something awry going on, and she had to put a stop to it. Whatever it was though, she wasn't sure. Animal intuition only stretched so far. All she knew was that she refused to play along. 

"Trust me, I have no interest in the human body. I just need animal books, please. This shouldn't be that difficult to do, considering that someone here is a fan of sealife." She gagged on the sound of the word sealife, filling her mind with thoughts of the skyline to try and mask her disgust.  "There's gotta be something about that around here somewhere. Even if it's something shitty like Felines for Idiots or Merfolk Monthly."

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  "I’ve been trying. That was my part here today. There has to be a record on Cara Rosseau. Anything we can find. Just get Ayala to distract her for ten minutes. That’s all we’ll need downstairs, right? She turned into a bloody horse in my office, causing that dammed file cabinet to fall over, Viktor. She’s the real deal in that form, but I need something on why.” Looking over, he sighed. “Just, quickly, get the message to Ayala, and I’ll meet you down there. Deal?”

"Ah…" Porto Alegre. Was that in the most recent textbook edition? Hmm… Yes, I think so. As a docking port for ships. Only briefly mentioned. “Yes, I’ve heard of it. Only very little. Docking port for ships.”

Standing up on a small stool, she reached for a Birds, Bats, and Bees Biology textbook. “And I’m afraid we only sell textbooks and novels that are newly released and standard edition.” Stepping down, she held out the book, emblazoned with the government seal. “There is nothing old here.”

Nothing that you’re allowed to see, anyway. 

[cara-rousseau]

Cara opened the book, skimming over the first few pages. Chapter 1: Living Beings. Chapter 2: Their Environment. Chapter 3: Anatomy. Fairly mundane, albeit some of the pictures were a tad too graphic for her taste and she had to turn her sight away more than once. Chapter 4: Reproductive System. She stopped, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. It wasn't usual to see the reproductive system so early in a textbook, much less in chapter four. She continued skimming. Chapter 5: Mating Rites. Chapter 6: Attractiveness. Chapter 7: Self-image.

"Isn't this a 9th grade sex health book?" She laughed in jest. Then she looked down again and glanced at an uncomfortably detailed picture of a human penis. "Oh, fu-" And before she knew it, she had dropped the book to the floor. Where it banged against the wood with a thundering thud. 

Viktor heard the thud loud and clear. A thought flashed through his head like a bolt of lightning. He started to fidget through his pockets. Taking out a key ring with about 20 keys, he handed it to Ray absent-mindedly. "Ja, ja. Go on before me, I'm gonna go talk to her a second. Don't make a mess of anything." 

He slid in silently to where the other two were, smile already brimming. He bent down and grabbed the book, dusting it off before carefully putting it back where it was from. Without so much as a glance to Cara, he turned to Ayala.

Cara watched the entire scene unfold without feeling a part of it. She was a mere audience member to a silent film. Luckily, she could read lips.

"Ms. Ophir, could you direct our newest guest to the new arrival section?"

She raised a finger, speaking up. "Oh, it's cool, I just need-"

"No, no, I insist! Please, we have a plethora of informative and law-abiding books for you to look at fresh off the boat! I'm sure my colleague would be happy to help you navigate through our ocean-like collection." He brushed past Ayala slowly, whispering "Make sure she's preoccupied until I come back" before humming off a song on his way to Ray. And with the same quickness with which he had entered the conversation, he was off.

Cara looked over to Ayala, wide-eyed. "What's his issue?"

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  "Yes, but, think of the potential!" He almost wanted to give a dramatic arm swing, but then realized he’d probably knock some books down and gather a small crowd in their corner of the bookstore. "Anyway, it’s just, well, a literal fly on the wall! Or a bird! And lose that blush, you look like you’re two. But then again, you always do." Giving a laugh, he sighed then, solemnly, and turned to see where Ayala and Cara were. Nowhere to be seen, he turned back and closed the book. 

"I don’t want to close the store. You know that. If anything happens, and I suspect it, just remember. A fly on the wall." Hearing a buzzing nearby, he leaned to make sure Cara was still with Ayala. Good, she was. No shame, then.

Grabbing it from the air, the buzzing stopped instantly. “A simple little fly.”

Ayala noticed that her figure was getting smaller. This place was obviously unnerving her. “Did you grow up by the ocean or an accident at sea? I can’t imagine why you’d have such a reaction now, considering this place hasn’t bothered anyone before.” She reached up to pull down a book from the shelf that Cara might like, then froze.

"You also never told me what you wanted, by the way."

[cara-rousseau]

"I'll lose the blush when you lose the mortician look." He replied in a split second reaction, his tone turning condescending. "Your love of puns is deeply disheartening. Is this what this is all about? Puns? Who's the toddler here no-" He flinched at the buzzing, and was caught off-guard by his sudden capture of it. Still, he scoffed. "Wow, amazing reflexes. You've been binge watching those karate movies we shipped in last month?" He mumbled sarcastically, rubbing his temple. He breathed in deeply, taking in as much air as he could and then releasing it, along with the building frustration.

"You're completely missing the point, Ray. That ability is only helpful if she's on our side. How are we supposed to know if she is? Did you background check her? How much info do you have on her? You didn't just hire the minute she showed she could turn into a bunny, did you? I need you to promise me that nothing will go wrong. If you can't guarantee me that, one-hundred percent, I'm sorry to say this but...We can't have her here."

Cara heard some faint banter nearby, wondering if it was about her. It was definitely about her. She didn't know whether to be worried or amused, and before she could decide, Ayala asked her a question. "I was, actually. I was raised in Porto Alegre, with the ocean by my bedside. But that doesn't really have much to with it, at least I'd like to think so. It's just that...I've always had a close connect with animals, and nature in general. That, and it's just all extremely tacky."

She looked up at her, smiling sympathetically.

"Okay, I'll ask for something that should be easy since this is my first time. Anything on birds? Some old vet books you have laying around?"

[cara-rousseau]

private-eye-ray:

Leaning behind the magazine as well, Ray stared him down, trying to be to the point. “Well, she’s my new partner. Shape-shifter. Excellent one at that. I don’t believe I’m going through a midlife crisis. Perhaps you should get checked out for one yourself; you brought that Ayala into your store without a second bloody thought. Are you sure you didn’t keep any good self-help books?”

Peeking over the magazine, he saw Ayala talking with Cara. Getting back down again, he sighed. “Look. Just showing her where I go for info, in case she gets worried when I leave, you know… it’s not too bad, so long as she doesn’t find the basement, right?”

"I would love to think so. All of our books are government-approved, so the public can read them at their leisure and know all about the history of our nation, and the world, and any facts they need to know." Tourguide voice on full blast, Ayala quickly ushered her away from the view of Viktor and Ray, down an aisle of textbooks on the history of the city. "And no, it wasn’t my idea. If you ask me, it’s been there ever since I arrived here. God knows how long it’s been, then."

Viktor sighed deeply, and noticing that Ayala and Cara had moved elsewhere, dropped the magazine. "Regardless, I'm not going to just turn a blind eye to this shit." He hissed, stomping his foot down. A boyish blush peeked through his cheeks, he started laughing in an attempt to mask his double standard.  "You and I both know that Ms. Ayala is a completely different situation altogether. She's a nice woman; she didn't have anywhere to go and she knows how to keep her lips sealed. Now, I'm not saying that your acquaintance isn't a catch; I'm sure she is. I'm just stating the fact that we cannot afford to let people into our circle."

He quickly grabbed a book from behind him and opened it on the first page. His finger strolled down to the middle of it, to a small stamp plastered in crimson. "See this? That's our official seal. We just got the government recommendation and I refuse to lose that just because you suddenly decided to come out of your social shell. I've worked years for this, and most of that time alone. Wise up, Ray, I expect this sort of thing from Eli, not you."

At the other side, Cara was becoming increasingly uneasy. No matter where her eyes darted too, she saw a harpoon, an anchor, a cadaver. Past the point of pastiche or parody, it was such a blunt statement that she felt chills run down her spine. She hugged herself, looking at Ayala with worried eyes. "Can't you do something about it? That thing has got to be scaring customers. It's giving me hunting eyes. It looks so young too...It's fucked up. Way, way fucked up." 

[private-eye-ray-deactivated2017]

  "Brilliant save," Ray muttered, glancing over his shoulder at Cara, hand extended before she turned to Ayala to speak. Oh dear. This could either go very well or very bad.

"Anyway, a new shipment is always nice. Pray, tell, what came in today?" 

Ayala, on the other hand, turned to the new arrival. She was finely dressed, at least. That was admirable. Realizing Viktor had ditched the open textbook faster than the eye could see, she quickly stepped over to slide a bookmark in it and shut the massive tome, and closed the highlighter. 

"It’s fine, he easily gets a little spooked. Dropped a book yesterday and he freaked out. Of course, he only got scared because the book was dropped." Giving a confident smile, Ayala extended her hand. "Ayala Ophir. What’s your name and what book can I get you?"

[cara-rousseau]

Viktor got closer and whispered, more loudly than he has expected. "We'll get to the shipments in a moment. For now, please explain who is she and why is she here." He muttered quickly in a huffed tone, picking up a political magazine to prevent the other two from reading his lips. "You better not be going through your midlife crisis because I had to get rid of half of our self-help books."

Cara glanced over to Ray, trying to figure out what the two were discussing but rapidly went back to Ayala. "Ah, I see! I understand, loud noises get me all the damn time. I relate. And it's nice to meet you, Ayala."

Upon being asked the million dollar question, she hesitated. She bit her tongue. Most people weren't that excited about books, would it be suspicious to start singing high praise about 20th Century zoology books? How contemporary did she have to go? Previously she had just used sketch journals... "Do you guys have a nice selection?" She glanced around the bookstore a bit. Of all the themes possible, they just had to go with nautical. Humming a short prayer to her fishy brethren, she smiled in spite of herself. "Was the huge dead swordfish your idea?"