Chapter Three: Don’t Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

And the days keeps on worryin' me

There's a hellhound on my trail, hellhound on my trail

Hellhound on my trail

~Hellhound On My Trail, Robert Johnson

After a long car ride that lasted for about 24 hours, the duo reached Shadowhelm. Both were bone-tired and just wanted to rest, to say the least. Just as they were pulling into town, they heard a loud slam! Rex looked back wearily from the driver’s seat and remarked “Well, whaddya know, a magic gate.” In his defense, he was tired and simply wanted to rest.

“We need to find Wulfric and talk to him. We got some information, but I feel like he didn’t tell us everything he knows. Not that I find that suspicious, but people tend to talk more when they have someone in front of them rather than on the other end of the line,” Brynn suggested.

“Agreed,” Rex nodded, “You talk to the guy and I’ll have a little tête-à-tête with the body he mentioned.”

Brynn sighed, “I’ll need your help in talking to him, Rex. We’re in this together, remember?”

Rex nodded. This wasn’t the first time something odd had turned up - well, it was the first time he’d had to deal with something like this specifically.

Soon, they were parking the vehicle in front of a large house, a sign that read ‘Blackthorne Estate’ when a scruffy-looking man approached the truck and knocked on the driver’s side window. Rex reluctantly rolled down the window as Odin sat up, ready to protect his master. Rex had to admit, this wasn’t exactly what he had expected, but it wasn’t altogether unwelcome.

The man breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the pair and their canine companion. “Greetings, you two… or rather, three. I’m glad you got here safely,” he smiled. There was something about him that was just naturally welcoming, though neither Brynn nor Rex could quite put their finger on it.

Brynn, a natural-born leader, was the first to address the man, “As are we. You must be Wulfric.”

The man nodded. “I have to say, Miss Frost, you’re quick as a whip when it comes to deductions. Then again, I do suppose that that is part of your job.”

Brynn nodded. “Yes sir, indeed.” She got out of the vehicle first, followed by Rex and Odin. “One thing you should know is that I am also one to get down to business as soon as possible. Rex and I are admittedly both tired from the drive, but we aren’t letting that stop us.” She chuckled softly.

“Well, that can’t be the worst thing in the world,” Wulfric chuckled back and motioned for them to follow him inside. Wulfric led them to a crackling fireplace and Odin instantly curled up by the fire, while Brynn and Rex sat in comfy armchairs flanking it on either side.

“Oh, man, that is comfy… better than a stiff truck seat any day of the week, I’ll tell you that much.” Rex tried to sit up but couldn’t help sinking into the chair as he felt his worries wash away even for a moment. He looked over at Wulfric. “Do you understand medical jargon?”

Wulfric sat down in a chair as well and shook his head, “Not much. I do hate to take you out of your element, but the less jargon, the better. Unless your partner can translate, in which case you may use as much jargon as you like.”

Rex nodded and leaned forward, clasping his hands together and setting his elbows on his knees before he spoke further, “The pictures I saw were… quite interesting, to say the least. Mostly dismembered limbs and the like, but I did see one case that resembles what you’d told us you found. A body torn to pieces, though the face mostly remained untouched. Whatever is doing this goes for the gut - quite literally, as a matter of fact.”

A small gasp reached their ears, accompanied by the clattering of a tea set or something similar. Wulfric looked up and saw his wife, Emilia, holding a tray of tea and dainties. “Wulfric, you should have told me straight away that they were here,” she sighed and leaned forward to set the tray down.

Wulfric reacted nonchalantly and simply chuckled. “Well, you know me, I like to keep you on your toes.” He looked at Brynn and Rex and smiled proudly. “Detective, Doctor… this is my lovely wife Emilia. She’s the current matriarch of House Blackthorne.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you both,” Emilia said before looking down at Odin as she sat next to her husband. “Oh, and who is this cutie?” she asked. Odin, being a very well trained dog, looked up at Rex for the okay, Rex nodding and saying “Go on, boy. Go say hi.”

Odin got up and padded over to Emilia, laying his head in her lap now that she was sitting. The tiny woman chuckled softly. “Aren’t you a good boy?” she remarked, looking up at Rex. “Does he have a name?” she asked the medical examiner, who was sitting directly opposite her.

Rex just smiled. “Odin. I tried to convince Brynn here to get two parrots and name them Huginn and Muninn but that didn't work,” he said, chuckling.

“Well, you certainly know your Norse mythology, sir,” Emilia went on to remark. “Odin is the perfect name for a canine companion like this one.”

Rex smiled - not entirely like the goofy one he had worn when he first saw the case files that lead them to this moment, but one like it - and chuckled, “Thank you, ma’am. He’s a good dog, I can assure you of that. He’s not only my protector when I need it but also one of the best sniffer dogs on the force.” He smiled softly and looked at his canine companion, who was groaning in relaxation.

Wulfric piped up after a moment of silence, “Why don’t we head upstairs after we finish our tea, and my wife and I can show you to your accommodation?” He smiled, just as a crack of thunder sounded before looking out the window. “Doctor, I think it best to get your effects inside as soon as possible. As I understand it, you would have come with many important things?”

Rex nodded, finishing his tea quick enough that it didn’t look odd - or rude, for that matter - getting up to follow Wulfric outside to his truck. It didn't take long for the two men to unload and bring everything inside. Rex smiled and followed Wulfric up a set of stairs. At the top was a long hallway with large rooms on either side. “Pick whichever room you like. Or rooms, if that’s more to your liking.”

Rex chuckled and took his and Odin’s belongings to one room while Brynn did the same for one of the rooms across the hall. Soon they were settled in their rooms and falling asleep, lulled by the call of Hypnos.