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September 8 | Sunday Night
It was odd seeing hands the size of mine trembling, but they shook as I tore the reports, notes, and photos from the crammed envelope.
Aurie picked up a fuzzy sepia of a brunette with swollen eyes, a split lip, and a neck that was mottled with bruises. She dropped it and rubbed her hands together as if trying to rub off the ugliness. Her feet danced past scores of other beaten, battered women.
I selected a report and read out: "Subject, name redacted, states she heard her daughter—age fifteen years—screaming from inside the house. Subject entered the home and found the accused, Mr. Darcy Cyprian, having carnal knowledge of the juvenile without consent."
Mys expelled vapor. "That's enough. Don't do this."
"Nahin, I don't think it is enough," I said. "See, that's from the seventies. Things were a bit different back then. Hell, they considered domestic abuse like therapy for husbands. Might've colored the report a bit, so let's jump to the present day. How about this?"
Launching to my feet, I smacked another report with the back of my fingers and waved it for them to see. "Subject Yalina Ravani." My voice cracked, and I swallowed a burning lump in my throat. I didn't need to read the report because I knew it by heart. The words were in my head, whether anchored to this sheet of paper or lost to the cold case files storage room.
I recited from memory, "Ms. Ravani states the accused hired her as a tutor, but she soon discovered he wasn't a Louisiana State University student. She freely admits they had a consensual relationship for two months. During that time, the accused allegedly became progressively more controlling and abusive.
"Subject has no police reports, but she produced medical records for lacerations and bites, a broken arm, and sustained concussion from three separate incidences. Manufactured, no doubt, because she heals as quickly as I do, but that goes to show you how desperate she was to get away from him.
"The accused, Mr. Cyprian, denies the relationship. Subject presented video evidence of him breaking into her home, for which the police were called. The accused suggested he mistakenly entered the wrong unit after a night of partying with friends. Nothing was stolen and no one was harmed, so Ms. Ravani was persuaded not to press charges.
"Subject relates that when her family became aware of the toxic relationship, they made arrangements for her to leave the country for her protection. However," I said, my voice climbing, "Mr. Cyprian intercepted her at the airport, kidnapped her, held her against her in an unknown location, and subjected her to repeated sexual assault over the course of several weeks."
I took a deep breath. "Yalina Ravani tried to poison herself, something our lycanthropy has trouble repairing. Darcy had no choice but to bring in an experienced Supernatural physician, and Yalina was able to escape. Fortunately, she survived, but there's your suicide victim. He's trying to give you my sister's body."
