#Lore24 – Entry #289 – Sentinel City by Night #15 – I Want a New Drug
From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator
“At least my time in Sentinel City hasn’t been boring. Barely a week and a half gone since Dollface was whisked away by Conway’s team to wherever they took her and I’ve already got another “official” case. Since the last one, I’d learned Conway was actually Sokolova’s childe, so it wasn’t really a surprise when I got the call from the Prince regarding SCPD needing a consult at a murder scene. Walsh would be waiting for me.
Really hope I’ll get some cases that don’t involve grisly murders one of these nights. Still, work’s work.
Old Taurus is running like a dream now; hasn’t driven this good in years. Probably should keep it on a regular maintenance schedule…
Anyway, found the scene pretty easy, nightclub called Paragon on the north end of town, plenty of badges blocking off the scene. Spotted Emmerson’s car a couple blocks away on my way in, but didn’t see her skulking around outside when I got there. Could smell the blood in the air soon as I was shown inside by the uniforms on guard; it was thick. Walsh met me outside the main dance floor where the killings happened, introduced me to the detective in charge on this one from the local precinct, one Grover Blumenthal. He was on the young side, put me more in the mind of an accountant by the look of him, but at least he wasn’t outright hostile to me coming in on the case. Guess he hadn’t had time to get jaded, cynical, and territorial yet. He was also “in the know” as far as my reasons for being there.
The CSIs were hard at work on the dance floor and a few dozen witnesses were being interviewed in another room off to the side. Dance floor was a bloody mess; doubt a bomb could’ve done it much better. Just a quick look told me there were at least four victims here based on the number of left hands I counted. Took a moment to steady myself as I took it all in; all that blood stirred the Beast, made me hungry. Guess it had been a couple nights since I’d had a proper meal.
Looked almost like an animal attack; shredded flesh, limbs ripped off, chewed on, blood splattered everywhere. Several people had been taken to the hospital who had survived the assault. Suspects escaped, bloody footprints headed toward the emergency exit, disappeared into the night once they hit the wet alley and the steady rain that had been falling since yesterday. The absolute brutality was impressive; didn’t figure regular humans could pull off something like this without a weapon of some kind. Ghouls could, perhaps, given enough time to season; a Fiend’s war ghouls could definitely do something like this, but they’d have spooked the crowd before they got too close. Lupines could also make a scene like this, but they tended to avoid known vampire cities unless they were looking to stir up trouble. As I asked about witness descriptions of the incident, Blumenthal read off some of his notes; these were young men, sounded like regulars on the club scene, known to spread around recreational drugs when they came out to party; then they freaked out and started tearing people apart. Descriptions weren’t tracking with a lupine attack; I’m no expert in their ways, but I do know they have a way of fogging mortal memories when they change into their wolf forms. Handy that.
Wasn’t about to touch these bodies with my second sight. Level of violence and the horrific deaths they’d suffered meant several sleepless days for me if I did. Did take some time to look over the scene with my aura perception, though, and it paid off. Hidden in one of the meat piles was a very faint magical aura. Went for a look, saw a little red vial mixed in with the gore. Pulled the detectives over and let the humans catalog the evidence as they would before I had my closer look. Stuff looked like blood, but it was too bright, too red, almost glowing. Vial was the kind that slipped into some kind of injector device, which hadn’t been found yet.
Given the aura on this stuff, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Assumed it was some kind of drug, maybe, but I wasn’t about to shoot up with it to find out. Blumenthal seemed a little more intent on watching me than the scene, and when I asked him about it, he seemed a little embarrassed, said it was the first time he’d ever worked with one of my kind, quickly corrected and said he’d meant a PI. Smooth cover. Maybe the kid had potential.
Speaking quietly so as not to be overhead by anyone who wasn’t clued in on me, I let them know that I’d sensed something supernatural about the vial, the kind of thing that really didn’t need to get out. Knew somewhere I could get it analyzed, if they’d see me, and figured it was probably the best lead for me to take while they handled the cleanup detail. Not getting any arguments, I tucked the vial in a Ziploc and then into my coat. I’d have to go through the proper procedures, might take a couple nights, but it looked like I’d be visiting the Tremere chantry. That was sure to be an experience.”