The Night Beat

it. Be Mommy’s precious puppy and act like a K-9 cop.”
    “Why?”
    “Because there are humans around and I don’t know if we’re being watched.”
    Ralph gave me a grumbling growl but trotted over and started sniffing. He wagged the “all clear” and I opened the driver’s door. To my total lack of surprise, the keys weren’t in the ignition. “Bite me.”
    “Happily, but I thought we were waiting for a better time.”
    “Ralph, you have hidden depths.”
    “Supposedly. Where’s what we’re looking for?”
    “I’ll get it. I was hoping to take this car with us, though.”
    “Why?”
    I didn’t have a great answer. Sentimental value. Prosaic City P.D. property. I didn’t want Jack to get it. “I don’t want Jack to get it.”
    “Remind me to run if we break up. Uh, are we actually dating?”
    “You are so cute. To think I’ve missed it all these years. I don’t know, do that growl-thing again.” He did. Didn’t change a thing that he was in wolf form while doing it. I was ready to go, in any form requested. “Yeah, if we live through this, we’re dating.”
    I popped the trunk and got out of the car. Ralph trotted around back with me. “You know, the growl-thing, as you call it, is part of the overall werewolf mating ritual and dates back to the first known werewolves --”
    “Ralph, honey, did Maurice suggest this topic as the way to go in the ‘getting to know you on an intimate level’ chit-chat category?”
    “No. He said to shut up.”
    “Listen to Maurice. He is your friend.” I breathed a sigh of relief. The bag was right where I’d stuffed it. I pulled it out and took a quick look. Bunch of scrolls, whacked out pseudo-guitar, a book, a knife, bag of marbles, an ancient record player complete with vinyl only a desperate DJ could love? Check. Hideous little statue that still made me shudder? Double check. “It’s all here.” And someone needed to help me figure out what this stuff was for and why it was important. “Can you hotwire a car?”
    “Yeah, but I have to go to human form to do it.”
    “Okay. Make it so.” I went back to the driver’s door and held it open.
    “What part of I’ll be naked didn’t you catch?”
    “None of it. I’ll cover you, so to speak. Sure, I’ll be staring at you the entire time, but I promise, I won’t let anyone else see.” I was kind of jealous that way.
    “How would you manage that?”
    “Big bag, I’ll hover so I don’t miss anything, and so on. Hurry up, I want to miss the minions, if you know what I mean.”
    “I thought you said humans were around.”
    He had a point. “Okay. In boy!”
    Ralph glared at me, but jumped into the car. “Now what?”
    “Hunker down, do the change, hotwire the car. Really, are you sure you’re Special Ops?” I got another glare as he did as requested. I got in, put the bag on the seat between us, and closed the door. “You know, you have a great butt.”
    “I’d be flattered if you were telling me this when I didn’t have my face right by where everyone’s feet have been.”
    “Why’s that?”
    “I can still smell him.” The way he said “him” -- snarling and with fangs clearly bared -- I knew who he meant.
    I sniffed. “I can too, but it’s faint.” I sniffed again. The scent was getting stronger. “Ralph, hurry up.”
    “I am, but why?”
    “You’re not smelling him from the car.” I looked around but I couldn’t spot where Jack was. However, the scent of him -- him mingled with the Adversary -- was getting stronger.
    This being a police vehicle, it didn’t have power windows. While Ralph did the slowest hotwire ever, I made sure they were all rolled up and I locked the doors. This was absolutely no protection against anything determined to get us, let alone a major minion, but, like hiding under the covers, it made me feel better.
    Right when I was going to suggest running like crazy the car caught. I flipped it into reverse so fast Ralph’s head slammed into my lap. “Go to wolf form.” It was all I could do to keep both hands on the wheel. That growl-thing was worth its sound in gold. Plus he had cool hair. And a truly awesome butt. But I needed my eyes on the road.
    Ralph grumbled as our tires screeched and I got us out of there. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw a big SUV pull around the corner just before I turned a different corner. “I think they saw us.”
    “I hope they didn’t see me naked.”
    “Don’t whine to me. You’re the one