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Confessions of a Dragon: Chapter 6

New Beginning â€" The Proposal:

Looking back at Freddie, "You need to tell all this to the police. They have nothing to go on, no real leads. This information will break the case wide open."

He stares right back at me, "No way man! I ain't staying nothing to those pigs! Even before what happened to Mary, I don't trust them. Them cops beat me up too many times. And not that there is a nut on the loose. He or one of friends will do me in before I get to tell anything. Cops stick together... always. I hear the stories of people found hanged in their cell, so called suicides. I'm not going to end up like that."

We argue for nearly 30 minutes, but nothing I say would convince Freddie to go to the police. Not even explaining about going into protective custody. He does not trust the police at all. But I got an idea. So I told him to wait while I talked things over with Ted.

Leaving him to think, I walked to the adjacent room, barely fitting my dragon frame through the doorway. Built for humans, it is a tight fit for me to walk through. I can go on all fours just as easy as I can upright, and fold my wings tight against my body. All this I need to squeeze myself through.

Ted stands there, snickering at my antics. "Gee Ted, they should really put a double door here." The room itself is rather small, well with me in it. Along one wall, monitors and recording equipment lines it. The pictures shows Freddie in several angles, recording our little interview. I turn to Ted, "Got all of it?"

"Perfectly," he reply. "Of course none of it when can bring to the investigators much less use in court. We have to convince Freddie to go into protective custody."

I shake my head, "You saw me try. He is dead set against it, quite literary. But I do have an idea."

Ted gives me one of his famous "Oh, and what that might be?" look with an eyebrow raise up high. Humans have such great range of facial expressions. One can read them like an open book without them knowing if one is attune to it.

"Well, I can provide plenty of protection," I reply.

Ted gives me a skeptical stare, "Rigghhhhtttt. How you propose to make that work?"

I calmly answer, "Hear me out. Freddie has a lot of knowledge gleamed from years of living on the streets. I suggest hiring him as a consultant, using his contacts and knowhow to not only catch our killer, but also clean up the underworld. I got a feeling he would help bunches. After being so helpless in Mary's demise, not able to rescue her from that terrible fate, I feel he will be eager to help as long as the police directly involve in it. So, what you thing?"

I can see Ted processing that idea though his expression blank. He is good at that when he does not want people to figure what he is thinking about. "Hmm, it is worth a try. In fact, I can see it working. A brilliant idea actually." Then he teases with a wink, "Yes, sometimes a dragon comes up with good ideas. Not only a good way of protecting him, but could get a lot of information. All we have to do it to convince him to take the offer. Leave that to me."

Ted faces the door leaving back to the main interrogation chamber. He, of course, pass through it much easier than I and closes the metal door behind him. I make myself comfortable in the cramp space, watching the monitors, still recording the events. Peering closely to one of the LCD panels, I see Ted approaching the witness. He extends a hand in greeting.

"Don't worry, I am not a cop. I am the head of security here at this facility. My responsibility includes the dragon, as who you just met. Yeah, he is scary but he is really a good fellow despite his, well, his looks. But we all should not judge a book by its cover as it were." Ted pulls up a chair and sits. "In fact, I was quite intimidated when I first saw Alex even though I did not show it. I did kept my hand near my gun, not knowing what would happen. Not everyday that one gets to meet a dragon. A charming enough fellow once you get to know him."

Freddie runs his fingers through his hair, wet from sweat from spilling his guts (not literary) moments before. "I don't know what to say. He is indeed scary I can tell you." The witness gives a nervous laugh. "Of all the people I met, he is by far the most scary. A dragon, a living breathing dragon! I would never believe I would met one in a million years. I was so scared, I almost peed my pants. I thought he was going to eat me." He points to the two slabs of meat on the floor, the ones I left after chomping that side of beef with my jaws.

I chuckle a bit watching the two exchanging their "war stories" on the monitor screens. Humans on my world are much more used to dragons. But even then some are still afraid of us. So I can imagine how they feel seeing me for the first time. It is a shame I was so harsh on Freddie. I really didn't want to do that. Scaring them like that is a talent I often wish I didn't have to make introductions so awkward.

"Yeah, he can have that effect. With all those claws and fangs, you don't want to have him as an enemy," relates Ted. "Much better to have Monty as a friend, much better indeed. Which bring me to the proposal. Since you refuse to go under the police protective custody, Monty came up with the idea of hiring you on as a consultant. That way he can extend his protection over you. No one, and I mean no one, will mess with you. Not the cops, not the murder, no one."

"That is an interesting offer. I want to catch Mary's killer badly. Maybe I can help. But no cops," Freddie replies after thinking for a few moments. "What am I to do?"

Ted lays it out, "First we get you cleaned up and then assign a room for you to stay in the dorms. In the morning, we can start fresh. Meanwhile, we have three more witnesses to interview. Oh, I assume you will not reveal anything about Monty to anyone, right?"

Freddie nods, "No sir, I will keep quiet about him. Not that anyone would believe me anyway. I'm not one known to tell tall stories but I don't think anyone would take my word for it. So the secret is safe."

"Good, follow me then." Ted takes Freddie, our new consultant, to get freshen up. While they leave, I get ready to finish interviewing the last of the potential witnesses. The floor needs cleaning from the dried blood on the ground (from that side of beef, not from the witnesses. I am not that bad). Good thing I found a mop and bucket from a nearby closet. The meat I put back on the cart hid in the corner with a tablecloth draped on it. While I don't believe I will need it for the rest of the night except to consume after the interviews. Beef is tasty, even raw.

The rest of the interviews went by fruitless. Well, for the murders anyway. Got the usual other crimes. Those will go to the police and hopefully they will act on them. Not really my concern as I am highly focus on finding that dirty cop.