FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

~ Chapter 19 ~

Zephrys Shipping was actually part of a larger company, Hughes International, owned by one Marcus Hughes. Unlike the warehouses that were located in an industrial park by the river, railroads, and power stations, the headquarters of Zephrys was located downtown in one of the dozens of skyscrapers littering the skyline.

I pulled Becky's car into the underground parking ramp. Becky didn't let her car go again without a fight so I promised to work on it when I got back.

"Not one scratch, brat!" she had yelled as I had gotten into the car that morning.

"How can you tell!?" I had shot back.

It was a few days since I had went to see Officer Wilkes at Chesim. I stuck with my cover story about being a student at the Crestview School of Law studying unsolved crimes - not necessarily solving them, but the procedure involved. As part of my own initiative, I took it on myself to get some hands-on experience. Since this one seemed pretty much closed, it wouldn't pose too much of a challenge.

"Um....hi," I greeted an orotund suited man standing at a panel of screens. He was more usher than security guard and gave me a quick once-over glance with pale eyes. "I have an appointment with Mr. Hughes at 1:30?"

"Name?" the guard punched something up on one of the computers.

"Caleb Trevino."

"I.D. please?"

I handed him my driver's license and he gave me an elevator card.

"Take the bank of elevators on the left and go up to the 21st floor. Zephrys Shipping will be located to your right when you step out - then take another right down that hallway. You'll see it."

Zephrys Shipping's main office was spliced with translucent blue walls that filtered the afternoon sun coming in from a wall of windows. A lady behind a white desk buzzed me in through the glass entryway. She politely and professionally directed me through a small office space towards a waiting area in the far back, separated from the main area by a roomy, walled walkway. I sat and waited.

When the door opened I wasn't sure what to expect. I certainly didn't expect there to be an almost imperceptive darkness compared to the halogened waiting area. I thought my eyes just needed to get used to different surroundings.

"Caleb Trevino?" Mr. Hughes asked. He stood taller than I thought, with emerald eyes saturated against his velvety midnight fur. His black-panther-muzzle smiled at my acknowledgement, but I felt little amity. "Please, come in. Have a seat."

It wasn't my imagination. Mr. Hughes' window shades were closed. Heavy drapery of a deep mahogany shaded the edges. His whole office seemed claustrophobic compared to the rest of the spaces I had seen.

"Most people have that reaction," Mr. Hughes had said while walking towards his desk, an impossibly long distance from the door. He hadn't looked back towards me since his initial beckon. "I find it homey, but I can understand the initial trepidation. Doesn't really help my 'Friendly Boss' image, does it?"

I wasn't sure if I was supposed to respond to that, so I shut the door behind me and took a seat across from him. A deeply laminated wood desk separated us.

"So you're interested in the homicide that took place in one of my warehouses a year ago, is that right?"

"Yeah," I self-consciously glanced around the room feeling genuinely out of place, "I want to thank you for taking the time to see me."

"Think nothing of it. I'm glad to help," Mr. Hughes bared a toothy smile. "You want to know what I can say about the whole incident, correct?"

I nodded.

"I will freely admit that security at the time wasn't as well kept as it should have been, unfortunately. I looked into it personally as soon as I heard what happened. As you can understand not only is it bad policy to allow such holes to get as big as they did, but the worst possible outcome happened that could have been prevented by proper maintenance."

"So the holes got fixed, then?" I asked. He felt practiced in his answers.

"I personally oversaw the overhaul of the security system."

"Did you change security companies, then?"

"No," Mr. Hughes said, shaking his head. "We don't out-source our security. We have our own department - headed by my son Remy, actually - that takes care of everything. We offered a tour and inspection of the new systems by the mother of the victim as part of the settlement, but she declined the invitation. I'm sure I'm allowed to at least say that," he chuckled. He drank some water from a glass on his desk and licked his lips with a large, pink tongue.

"So what happened to your son?" I asked.

"Part of the settlement, I'm sorry," Mr. Hughes shrugged, "but he's been reprimanded. Don't worry about the system, either. We're dedicated to make sure something like that doesn't happen again."

I felt a little dizzy in the room. My vision never got used to the dark-but-not-dark room and a scent of... of something set my nerves on edge. Mr. Hughes' eyes seemed to glow with an emerald fire that burned through me and I wanted to get out of there quickly.

"You should have something to drink," Mr. Hughes poured a glass of water for me from an icy, sweaty, glass pitcher. I drank and my insides instantly cooled. My nerves still felt on fire, but at least my stomach felt less acrid.

"You look like a cornered rabbit," Mr. Hughes laughed again, "Haven't I proven that I don't bite?"

"Sorry," I apologized, "I'm just not used to a place this... luxurious." I hoped he didn't see through my lie as well as it felt like he was sizing me up for an afternoon meal.

"Ah, I'm sure, what with being in college and all. I perfectly understand. Where was it again?"

"At the, um, law school," I mumbled, my brain partially frozen.

"Ah yes. Studies going well?"

"Yeah, I guess."

There was an awkward pause as I nursed the last of the water.

"Well it was good meeting you Mr. Trevino," Mr. Hughes got up towards the door, politely as a lion escorts a mouse, and led me blinkingly back into the waiting room. "I hope you are able to use anything I said, and feel free to call again if you have any more questions." He turned back to his office as I took what felt like the first breaths in ages; "Say 'hi' to Officer Wilkes for me if you get around to meeting him."

As fast as I could go without running out of the building, I retraced my steps, exchanging the elevator card for my I.D. and drove away with the hairs on the back of my neck still standing.