Part One: In Which Moris Klaw Awakes to a Bloody Murder
Daniel Tapert grabbed the brandy from the shelf and walked over to his desk. He was positive he was next, they should have left well enough alone. But Samuel was convinced that they could get more money with his plan. Why had he listened? He couldn't go to the police, they were just as likely to throw him in jail as they were to laugh at his insane story. Not that the police could help, not with what the papers were saying had happened to Samuel and Bruce... No, Daniel was doing the right thing running away.
As soon as Thomas arrived with the money, the papers, and the car, he would be leaving California for good. Maybe he would go to Europe, there was that château in France his parents use to take him when he was young, it was long past time he should visit.
The door creaked open behind Daniel, he turned around, relieved that Thomas finally arrived, the brandy glass still in hand.
“It took you long enough Thomas, do you have all the papers I asked for? Thomas?”
Inside the open door stood a large hulking man in a trench coat and a hat, a slight purple hue softly shimmers off his skin. The man methodically lurked towards Daniel.
“I...no, you don't need to be here. I am leaving! You can tell him I am going away. I won't be any trouble at all. It was Samuel who came up with the plan. He and Bruce forced me to do it.... I please, I will give you anything you want....”
The glowing man continued forward, unphased by Daniel's pleading.
“Please! Just.... leave me be!” Daniel drops to his knees, begging for his life.
The man's hands fit around each side of Daniel's head, in one quick motion he twists Daniel's head around, killing him instantly.
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Moris Klaw's eyes sprung open as the dream ended. His head rested on a small velvet pillow in the library where Daniel Tapert's maimed body had been found. Moris' long gray hair and grayer shaggy beard stuck to his skin from the hot sweat of the dream. Even after having dreamt of thousands of murders, Moris could not keep himself from sweating. The body heat of the victim just rose too much for it to be stopped, especially when the victim was such a coward as Mr. Tapert.
The police officer who stood over him started to question him with impatiance in his voice. “What did you see Mister Klaw? Do you know who has been committing these murders?”
Moris scowled at the young man, “There was once a time that men of justice and power respected the seers, Agias of Sparta was never rushed and he had to deal with a Spartan general. Kindly let an old man reconnect with things before interrogating him. If my daughter were here she would not take kindly to such insults, be glad you only have to deal with an old man like myself.”
Moris lifted his head from the sterilized pillow on the floor and motioned for his black cane. The police officer quickly moved to grab the cane from the desk and handed it to the old man. Moris Klaw slowly stood up, his old bones creaked and cracked until he stood completely upright then moved to a slouching position resting on the cane.
“A purple glow gives away your man. But he is well beyond the care of any police. I will give your case to an old friend of mine who specializes in such matters.”
“Your friend commonly deals with glowing men?” the grinning officer asked.
Moris hit the officer's fingers with the dragon head of his cane. “This is the kind of smart mouth antics that would leave you in terrible pain if my daughter were here, instead she is off on an important errand for me. She is retrieving the... ah what do you care, you don't respect your elders at all. The glowing man is too strange and strong for the police. Which means you will have to employ one of the masked men to take down the threat... You are going to need the Green Lama.”
