FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

*AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a new series that features Detectives Leo Lowenstein and Jay Shannon Jr., originally from my series "Notches on the Headbord". *

Detective Jay Shannon Jr. had experienced one of the longest days of his life. At age twenty-four, and with only a year and a half as a detective, he had just help with the apprehension a deadly, ruthless serial killer. Many cops might go their entire careers without encountering such a creature as Isaac Burwell, killer of ten females. Jay hoped that he would never meet another beast like that tiger again. Burwell's icy disposition, his admission that he didn't feel an ounce of remorse for what he did, even going so far as to say that if given the chance, he would have killed more females--it was the most reprehensible, disgusting things he'd ever heard another creature say. As horrible, wretched and repugnant as he viewed Burwell, he couldn't help but feel sorry for what he went through as a child. No one deserved that kind of treatment.

But that was all behind him now. Driving in his car, he followed his new partner and senior detective Leo Lowenstein out of the downtown area and to the quieter, tranquil area of the suburbs. The scenery gradually changed from buildings and shops to front yards and homes built decades ago. The sun was barely hanging up in the west when Jay pulled up right behind his partner's car along the sidewalk. Opening his door, he saw the powder blue house that was the Lowensteins'.

"Well," said the leopard, closing his car door. "This is home. What do you think?"

"It looks peaceful around hear," observed the jaguar.

"Very low crime around this area," stated the leopard. "Come on inside, I want you to meet my family."

Jay followed Leo through the front yard and onto the front porch of his house. Unlocking the front door, the two cats were instantly hit with the smell of cooking meat and other dishes. It smelled absolutely divine to the jaguar.

"Honey," yelled Leo, putting his coat on the hall tree. "I'm home!"

Putting his coat on the hall tree next to Leo's, Jay observed the large Star of David hanging in the entryway along with some words written in the Hebrew alphabet below it.

"What's that say, Leo?" asked the jaguar.

"It says, peace be unto all those that enter our happy home," read the leopard.

"That's nice," said Jay with a smile.

Ayala Lowenstein, wife of Leo came out to greet her husband, giving him a kiss on the cheek. The female leopard hung on her husband, hugging him tightly.

"How was work today?" she asked.

"Oy vey," uttered the leopard, rolling his eyes. "Don't even get me started."

"Is this the handsome young man who's your new partner, Leo?" asked Ayala.

"Ah, yes," said Leo, having his wife let go of him. "Ayala, this is my new partner, Jay Shannon Jr. Jay, this is my lovely wife, Ayala."

The jaguar extended his paw politely, much to his surprise, the female leopard took hold of him, kissing him on the cheek. "Welcome to our home, Jay!"

Though the gesture was unexpected by the jaguar, he found Ayala to be genuinely friendly. He also noticed something unusual about Ayala's accent. "Excuse me, Mrs. Lowenstein, but might you be from Israel?"

"Oh, yes!" said the female leopard. "I came over here for college and that's when I met Leo!"

"I was her favorite thing to study in college," joked the leopard.

Jay couldn't help but snicker at the remark, and Ayala gave her husband a shove for what he just said. "You're so terrible! In front of our guest, too!"

Leo just brushed off the criticism. "Say, where's Eli?"

"In the living room playing his Xbox," Ayala informed him.

"Always with that meshuggina video game console of his," said Leo, shaking his head.

"He's just a boy, Leo," argued Ayala. "Besides, you spend quite a few hours on that Xbox too!"

Putting a paw up to Jay's ear, Leo whispered, "And I'm pretty damn good at Call of Duty, I might add."

"You boys go out to the living room," said Ayala, heading back to the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour."

Leo and Jay went out to the living room where Eli was indeed playing his Xbox. Jay looked around, seeing that the living room was stuffed with shelves full of books, just as he expected when his partner mentioned being a voracious reader. The living room's furniture consisted of two couches and a recliner that Jay just knew was "Leo's chair". If he was anything like most father's, he had a chair designated as his very own that no one else was allowed to sit in. Realizing this, he sat on the couch that faced the television, much to his partner's approval. Clearly the jaguar's detective skills wee coming along nicely.

"Hey," said Leo, sitting down in his chair and raising the reclining part. "Eli, come say hello to our guest!"

Eli, the thirteen year old son of Leo and Ayala, paused his game and went over to shake the paw of Jay. The thirteen year old leopard had a bright, sunny disposition about him. "Hi! I'm Eli. What's your name?"

"I'm Jay Shannon," said the jaguar, happily shaking the young leopard's paw. "Your Dad tells me you want to be a comedian."

Leo clarified what he rreally meant. "By comedian, I meant the boy's a world class smart-ass."

"Dad!" protested the boy.

"It's okay," said Jay. "Believe me, I was a world class smart ass when I was thirteen too, Eli."

Eli laughed at Jay's confession. "You like video games, Mr. Shannon?"

"I sure do," said Jay. "And you can just call me Jay, okay?"

"Okay!" said Eli, happy that an adult wasn't talking down to him.

"Where's your sister anyway?" inquired Leo, picking up that days paper and skimming through it.

"Studying with her friends," said Eli. "Mom said she'll be home in time for dinner."

"What's she studying?" asked Jay as he rested his feet on the coffee table.

"She's a freshman in college," said Leo, putting his reading glasses on. "She's hoping to eventually go to law school and get her license to practice law."

"Yeah," said Eli, resuming his spot on the floor and unpausing his gaem. "I bet if she becomes a criminal defense attorney you'll never speak to her again, right Dad?"

Jay chuckled at the boy's comment. Leo pulled the paper down from his face, glaring at his son. "See what I mean? Always a smart ass, that one!"

Relaxing in the living room, Jay watched young Eli playing his video game, impressed with the boy's skill. He and Leo struck up a conversation about some of the news articles the leopard was reading in the paper. The conversation ranged from local politics, the weather, and even sporting events. Jay was surprised to learn that his new partner was quite the basketball enthusiast, having played in high school, but was unable to make the cut in college. Jay remarked that he hadn't played sports in college, but was the quarterback on his high school football team. Jay was happy to find that Leo was also an avid fan of football, though he preferred professional football over the college level. The leopard declared himself a proud fan of the Indianapolis Colts, having even gone to a few of their games over the years.

The front door opened and Jay turned his head, seeing Leo's eighteen year old daughter Miriam was now home. The young female leopard put her book bag by the hall tree then headed to the kitchen to briefly talk with her mother. Heading out to the living room, she went to her father, her arms opened wide.

"Hi, Daddy," she said, giving her father a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, sweetheart," said Leo, kissing her back. "Miriam, I'd like you to meet our dinner guest and my new partner, Jay Shannon Jr."

Miriam had not taken notice of the jaguar until her father had mentioned his presence. Standing up, she was about to shake paws with him, when she got her first good look at the jaguar. Her mouth drooped open, taking in the sight of the young, tall jaguar. Jay's mouth also drooped open. Miriam was a very cute, smaller leopard wearing blue jeans and a sweater. She fluttered her eyelashes as the jaguar smiled, completely taken with her. This display didn't go unnoticed by Leo, who was now covering his face with his paws, whispering, "oy vey" repeatedly under his breath.

"Hi," said Miriam softly. "I'm . . . Miriam."

"I'm . . . Jay," said the jaguar, giving her a look that let her know he thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Dinner's ready!" called Ayala from the kitchen.

Leo wasted no time in getting out of his chair, nudging Miriam to come out to the kitchen. Jay wasted no time in following the female leopard. In the kitchen, Ayala had placed her famous brisket in the middle of the round table. Rye bread, garlic red potatoes, roasted asparagus, and of course, Leo's favorite blueberry Maneschewitz wine. The head of the household breathed in the savory scent of all the wonderful food his wife had prepared, his mouth unable to stop watering.

"Looks lovely as always," said Leo, sitting down at his place at the table.

"Yes," agreed Jay. "I'm sure you're a very good cook, Mrs. Lowenstein."

Everyone found their seat, and Leo proceeded with the blessing. Having been raised Catholic, Jay bowed his head and crossed himself, silently praying to himself as Leo recited the ritual meal prayer in Hebrew. Though Jay couldn't understand a word of what was being said, he admired how close the family seemed to be.

"There," said Leo. "Now, as our guest, I'll carve you a nice, juicy piece of meat, Jay."

Leo carved the roast as Jay and Miriam smiled at one another. Leo tried to control his emotions, knowing that it would be bad manners to stab the jaguar with the carving knife, which had crossed his mind briefly. Cutting the juiciest section of the brisket, he passed it off to Jay, who politely thanked him. The jaguar was told by Ayala to not worry about being modest in the portions of food he took, as it was customary for the guest to be allowed to eat as much as they wanted. Jay piled the garlic red potatoes and fried asparagus on his plate. Taking a piece of rye bread from the basket, he reached over and picked up the bottle of wine, pouring himself a small glass.

"You ever have that before?" asked Leo, hoping that the jaguar wouldn't develop a taste for it, lest he deprive the leopard of his favorite spirited beverage.

"Actually, no," admitted Jay. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not much of a drinker."

"That's good," said Ayala. "A very good thing to look for in a husband, Miriam."

At the mention of a potential husband for Miriam, Leo dropped his fork and knife, feeling like he was going to lose his appetite any moment now.

"I've never even been drunk once in my life," Jay confessed. "I don't like that stereotype of the Irish being a bunch of drunks."

"Oh, don't worry, Jay," reassured Ayala. "Leo's best friend Hugh is Irish, and he's the greatest guy in the world, right Leo?"

"Oh yes," said Leo, taking a bite of brisket. "Although he might not help the stereotype you're trying to break, seeing as how he now owns an Irish Pub."

"Can I have a glass of wine, Dad?" asked Eli with a smirk.

"No," said Leo bluntly. "Not until you stop being a smart-ass."

"Huh," said the boy, dejected. "I guess I'm gonna die sober then."

Jay chuckled at the boy's knack for humor. He might have been a smart-ass like his father said, but he was certainly entertaining. Jay looked over at Miriam, who was busy cradling her head with her paws instead of eating. He smiled warmly at the female leopard.

"Miriam," said Leo, giving his daughter the evil eye. "Eat your food. Your mother went to all the trouble to cook it, after all."

Wanting to ease the tension, Ayala tried to initiate a conversation. "So, anything exciting happen at work today, Leo?"

"I'll say," answered the leopard before taking a sip of his wine. "Jay and I caught a serial killer."

Miriam and Ayala both put paws up to their mouths, stunned to hear such news. Jay was also stunned, but for an entirely different reason. Growing up in a police officer's home, his father never, ever discussed the events of his day at work. It was an unwritten rule in the Shannon household never to talk shop at the dinner table. This was certainly a new experience for the jaguar.

"A serial killer, Daddy?" asked Miriam, still stunned. "How many people did he kill?"

"Ten females," said Leo, taking another sip of wine. "Oh, the chutzpah of that one; thinking he could get away with those brutal murders!"

"How did he kill them?" asked Eli, completely captivated by his father's story.

"He either broke their necks or suffocated them using his paws. He's a strong one, that tiger."

"What's he going to get for a prison term?" asked Miriam.

"Life without parole," said Leo, the disgust in his voice obvious to everyone at the table. "It was contingent upon his making a full confession. The DA thought that the families had a right to know what actually happened to their relatives. Some of those girls had been missing for years."

"Well, I'm glad that he's not getting the death penalty, even if he did do all those awful things," stated Miriam.

"Now, how can you say that?" asked Leo, shaking his head. "If you were a police officer like me, you'd think differently. After seeing dead bodies for all these years, I think murderers ought to be put to death."

"Jay," said Ayala, looking at the jaguar. "You're being awfully quiet about such an important case in your career."

"I'm sorry," apologized the jaguar. "It's just . . . I'm not used to hearing police talk at the dinner table. My Dad, he never talked about that sort of thing with my mother and siblings."

"Well, where do you stand on the death penalty issue?" asked Miriam.

"I agree with you," said Jay. "I don't think a civilized society should put someone to death."

"Wait a few more years," said Leo with a scowl. "You'll change your mind about that."

"Maybe," said Jay, consciously avoiding pushing the issue any further. He held his glass of wine up, hoping to change the subject. "I do like this wine."

"There's one thing we can agree on," mused Leo, finishing off his glass of wine. "Pass me that bottle, would you, Miriam?"

Miriam passed the bottle of blueberry wine over to her father and again locked eyes with Jay. Ayala caught sight of this and smiled at the two before looking over at her husband's patently obvious disapproval. She sighed, hoping that Leo wouldn't say or do anything to upset the pleasant evening they were having.

After dinner had ended, Jay said goodbye to everyone, thanking them for the wonderful meal and hospitality. Ayala gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lowenstein. You have a lovely family."

"Your welcome," said the female leopard. "Please, we'd love to have you over again, right, Leo?"

"Right," said Leo, still unhappy about the way his new partner was acting around his daughter. "I'll see you in the morning, partner."

"Yep," said Jay. "See you then."

"Hey," said Eli, running up to the jaguar. "If you're online Saturday night, you wanna play Call of Duty with me?"

"Sure thing," said Jay, giving the teenage leopard a brotherly noogie. "I'm gonna kick your butt too!"

"You're on!" laughed the leopard.

"Jay," said Miriam. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too, Miriam," replied the jaguar, lightly holding her paw. "I hope to see you again.

"Me too," said Miriam with a smile as she fluttered her eyelashes.

Everyone said good-bye to the jaguar before he walked out the door. Miriam went over to the couch, waving good-bye to him through the window and cradling her head in her paws, still looking out the window even after Jay's car was long out of view.

"What a nice boy," said Ayala. "I'm sure he'll make a good partner for you."

"Yeah," sighed the leopard, putting his arm around his wife affectionately. "But I have a feeling I'm going to be calling him something other than partner one day."

"Like what?" asked Ayala.

Leo stared at the obviously love struck Miriam as she continued looking out the window.

"My guess is I'm going to have to call him 'son' before too long."