The Night Beat

friend’s name Hitler?”
    “No!” Benny sounded shocked and outraged. “I may be a fence, but I don’t consort with the major minions! Sure, I have to take merchandise from lesser minions, but they’re just regular folks trying to make a living.”
    “Nice cover you have,” Ralph snapped.
    “I’m a realtor by day, fence by night. If you two are looking for a cozy love nest, I can fix you up, special deal for my friends in Necropolis Enforcement.”
    “Uh huh, I’m sure.”
    “No, really. You drove past it on the way up to my place. It’s on the market, cheap.”
    Ralph and I exchanged a look, I turned the car around, and drove to Nero’s place. “This it?”
    “Yeah.”
    “No ‘for sale’ sign.”
    “This is the Estates. We don’t do ‘for sale’ signs. That’s what realtors are for.”
    “Who’s living in it right now?”
    Benny sighed. “Nero. I know, I know, he’s bad news. But houses without tenants don’t sell. Even if said tenants decorate hideously.”
    “What about Ishtrallum?”
    “Oh, he doesn’t know. His house is higher up on the hill. Besides, he’s not home a lot. His business keeps him busy twenty-four-seven sometimes. And he’d be unhappy if he knew I’d let Nero stay in the house. You know how it is, the boss doesn’t like the employee to look like he’s doing as well or better.”
    “Currently I like Ishtrallum a lot more than Nero.”
    Benny snorted. “Who doesn’t? But Nero had the money and all beings need shelter and the chance to earn a living.”
    “Nice,” Ralph said with a growl. “But that doesn’t tell us who cast that spell on you.”
    “Or why you faked us out the other day.”
    “I didn’t. I don’t spend my time looking at the Enforcement duty rosters. You were a hot babe with a great-looking dog and an expensive car. Pardon me for giving it a shot on the personal and professional level.”
    “I knew you were petting me to butter her up,” Ralph muttered.
    “Actually, no. I really love dogs.” I looked at him in the rearview mirror. He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a normal guy with abnormal vision. It’s a tough life sometimes, but it’s never boring. Terrifying, yes, but not boring.”
    I sniffed. No lying. Fear, but he was right to be afraid, and I didn’t pick up that the fear was directed towards us. One last question. “Why don’t I recognize you? And why didn’t you recognize me? I’ve been in your place before, the fence side of your house, I mean.”
    Benny leaned forward and examined me. “Years ago, right?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Okay. Well, for me, I also have a spell that alters how I look when I’m fencing. It keeps me safer that way, and also means no human clientele will realize I’m also their realtor. For your part, it was at least a decade ago and you weren’t the officer in charge. This Sunday you weren’t in a place I’d ever associate with Enforcement, and you weren’t talking about police business.”
    It made sense. I looked at Ralph out of the corner of my eye. “What do you think?”
    Ralph sighed. “He’s telling the truth.”
    “Of course I am!”
    “Benny, that’s a rarity for us right now. But, since you seem to be on the side of right, we have some things in the bag on the front seat that Cotton Mather said you appraised.”
    “Probably. I’m considered the top appraiser on at least three planes of existence.”
    “Super duper. Take a look-see and tell us what, exactly and in specific detail, we’re carrying.”
    We were still in front of Nero’s house. Well, the house Nero was claiming was his. I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel.
    “Vic, why are we still here, burning time and gas, but not road?”
    “I’m not sure where to go now.”
    “I thought you wanted to get to the University.”
    “I might.” I looked over my shoulder at Benny who was rummaging through the bag, grunting, whistling, and muttering. “But if we have a reliable source -- and we think that we do -- we don’t really need to go.”
    “What about getting these items into some sort of safe place?” Ralph asked. “I don’t want them falling back into minion hands.”
    “You got that right,” Benny said. “Good lord, and I mean that to cover all the options, but there’s a lot of Armageddon in here.” He looked at both of us. “And some nasty things for werewolves, too. You two are at risk just being in the same vicinity as this idol.”
    “Idol, totem, statue -- no matter what you