Investigation: The Job
By: Prpl_Mage

-”Hal, I got a job for you.” Escaped, no rather boomed out, from the captain’s fleshy lips. 
-”Whatcha got boss?” Henry called back without raising his head from the difficult page of crosswords in the paper. In all honesty it wasn’t the difficult page but it was difficult enough for Henry. 
-”Stop chewing that pen you dolt; and take the report.” Captain Beiler grunted back and waved it annoyingly before his face. 
-”Fine, if it will get you off my back cap'.” Henry said reached out to grab the paper, missing at first but then grabbing it.
-”Just do your job will ya?” The captain said with a sigh as he lumbered back the way he came, berating someone else on the way. 
Henry sighed himself and slowly folded the paper and put it on his desk. Moving to Spring Valley to become a police officer had seem like a fine idea at the time. But he was starting to regret it for each day in service. 
He spit his pen onto the desk and looked at the paper he received: it was blank, no wait it was upside down. It said “Vampire sighted at impound.”
Henry managed to let out all his frustration with an audible groan heard all the way to the water cooler at the far end of the office, even starting old John. 
He hoped it wasn’t an actual vampire again. That would be too much paperwork, but knowing his luck he grabbed both badge and weapon from the drawer. 
-”Anyone tagging along for a vampire sighting?” He called as he passed his colleagues’ desks, some looked up, other away. 
-”I got your back Hal.” Izzie said as she pulled her coat. Or the name wasn’t exactly Izzie but that’s close enough.
Henry gave her a thankful nod and offered her a cigarette before popping one himself. 

-”Are you waiting in the car or coming along?” Izzie called as she crushed the cigarette butt under her boot.
-”Just a sec.” Henry mumbled back and took one last drag before stepping out the driver’s seat. 
-”I think we have our suspect up ahead.” Izzie called, hand naturally resting on her holster. 
-”Nah Izzie, that’s just Carter.” He said pointing with another cigarette in hand.
-”Yeah ****, you’re right. My bad.” She said embarrassed and loosed her shoulders.
-”Izzie, don’t apologize unless you shoot someone.” He said with a mocking grin while greeting the elderly citizen. 
After a typical lengthy and unproductive conversation with the clerk at the impound, the pair was finally pointed in the direction of the alleged vampire sighting. The lack of panic and commotion was a friendly sight but deep down Henry knew this was probably the result of the Shifting Alley spewing more and more strangeness into people’s lives. 

-”That’s a vampire” Izzie said and quickly armed herself, eyes locked at the lanky figure strolling between the cars. Besides the pointy ears and the fangs it could’ve been any old man from the neighbourhood. 
-”Shoot on sight or try to talk it down?” Henry asked bored and flicked his cigarette to the ground. 
-”Let’s give diplomacy a go.” She said, although not showing any sign of lowering her gun an inch. Henry grunted in approvement and strode up to the car blocking his passage.
-”I’m Inspector Lambright, you are trespassing on human territory. Would you kindly remove your presence from the area?” It wasn’t his best act of friendliness but it was good enough for a vampire. Or was it?
-”They must all die!” The vampire hissed, turning his emotionless rubbery face towards Lambright who moved his free hand to the holster while holding the cigarette in the other hand. 
-”Don’t do nothing stupid now you hear?” He urged the creature, but it made no pass at him, just kept looking around the cars.
Izzie moved around the other side to flank the vampire, her gun raised, the very figure of caution. 
-”So why are you here? If I may ask?” Henry continued but had to walk to keep up with the vampire who was clearly preoccupied with something else. 
-”I’m killing those nasty felines.” The vampire said, his face still nothing but hollow eyes and no expression. In fact it was strange that he managed to mouth words at all. 
-”Um, any particular reason for that?” He asked, getting the feeling that this was not so much a threat to the people of Spring Valley. Maybe their cats sure, but they could do with some fewer poop machines around. 
-”The cats conspired against my father and killed my brother and framed me for it.” The vampire continued, showing a very slight smile as his eyes locked onto a tail in a barrel ahead. 
Before Henry had the chance to interfere the vampire launched himself at the creature and stabbed it with a stake. Izzie aimed her gun but Henry get her a sign to stand down. 
-”Are you done now?” Henry asked indifferent as the vampire buried the body in trash.
-”I believe that was her.” The vampire said and shrugged. “I’m Bert Reginald III Rapscallion by the way my good man.” 
-”How did you even get into town?” Izzie asked as she approached.
-”Well, there were some younglings who asked me to follow.” He stopped and pondered for a moment, or at least that’s how Henry perceived it since the face showing nothing. 
-”However, they wanted me to kill someone for them…” He finished and shrugged, at least one gesture the officers could understand.
-”Do you remember what they looked like?” Henry asked, grabbing a notepad to scribble down useful words and doodle.
The vampire shook his head. “No, they both wore hoodies, covered their faces well.”
-”Do you remember who they wanted you to kill?” Henry continued, doodling a terrier in a hoodie. 
-”Afraid not, I must’ve lost focus when I spotted the vermin and followed it here.” The vampire replied with what could be interpreted as an apologetic tone. 
-”I guess the case is not completely closed then?” Izzie asked her superior who sighed.
-”It is for today. Join us in our car and we’ll get you back to where you came from.” Henry told the vampire as he put the disappointed notepad back in his pocket. 
-”Much appreciated.” The vampire replied and fell in line. 
Unfortunately the car had been towed which meant yet another long tedious conversation with the clerk of the impound before they went on their way. They dropped him off and watched him enter that unstable street before suddenly vanishing from view.

-”A job well done.” Henry said and shrugged.
-”Man that place is weird, we should probably seal it up or something.” Izzie said.
-”Yeah, unfortunately the new mayor has the police putting together safety protocol for Goblim attacks.” Henry said and lit yet another cigarette, and not his last for the day. 
-”Goblim attacks? But they live peacefully in the forest, what could possibly make them attack us?” She said bewildered while accepting her second for today. 
-”Hell if I know, but that lady fits right in this place.” He replied while getting back in the car,