Chapter One
“I’m just saying that it’s not my cup of tea.” Star West exclaimed getting out the battered Ford.
“How can you not like the X-Files?” Her brother asked with astonishment as he grabbed their bags from the back seat. “It’s a cult classic.” Star rolled her eyes and zipped up her coat.
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.” She pointed out, wrestling with the wind that had swirled her dark hair in to her face making it impossible to see. “I watch it.” Sam gave her a disapproving grin.
“Only because of Mulder.” Star felt her face heat up. “I’ve seen you drool over him.”
“Whatever.” She muttered, walking towards the motel office.
“Star hold up.” Sam’s shout made her turn and she saw his dark eyes lock onto the alley across the street. There was yellow crime scene tape across the mouth of it, sealing it off from the crowds of onlookers. Two uniformed policemen were ushering them back whilst trying to keep the camera crews at bay. “Book us in.” Sam told her dropping the bags onto the sidewalk. “I’m going to take a peek.”
“Sam!” Star shouted angrily. “You’ve just drove eleven hours straight. You need some sleep.” He waved her off.
“I’ll be fine.” She watched him cross the street and let out a frustrated growl. Since the mass murder of the Backwater family back in Benson Rapids, Sam hadn’t slept. She knew he was having a hard time with it. He had been friendly with two members of the family, but he couldn’t keep this up. They had laid more ghosts to rest in the past few months then in the past two years. He was wearing himself out and her along with it.
Star struggled over to the Manager’s office and muscled open the door. It was painted bright red with dark mahogany imitation furniture. A balding man in his fifties stood at the counter. “Hi can I have a room with two single beds please.” Star said putting the heavy bags that held most of their personal belongings down.
“How many nights?” Star thought about it. They were supposed to just be passing through, lying low, but she knew what Sam was like when he was on to something.
“A couple.” She eventually answered. “What happened?” The man took her I.D. that she slid across the surface towards his waiting hand. She had been in enough motels to know the drill.
“A man was killed last night.” He studied the I.D. Card. “Rumour has it, he was mauled to death by some kind of animal. All chewed up.” Star loved small towns, the gossips did half their job for them.
“You have many animal attacks round here?” She asked casually as he handed back the key to the room and her I.D.
“First one. We don’t even have bears!” The man continued to gaze out the big window at the alley as Star heaved the luggage along the walkway and unlocked room 27. She showered, ordered out and was watching some daytime T.V. nonsense on cable when Sam reappeared.
His mass of dark hair had grown longer disguising his model like cheekbones. Star knew he was running on empty just by the look on his face. “Well?” She prompted when he flopped into a chair.
“Jay Leno, thirty three years of age was walking home from Peggy Sue’s…a bar.” He elaborated in his rough raggered tone, “when he was attacked and ripped apart by what the authorities are calling a wild animal.”
“But you don’t think so?” Star asked with a mouthful of pizza. Sam shook his head.
“There’s no history of animal attacks in this town. And there’s no zoo in the vicinity. It was no fucking animal.”
“Why would they say it was?” Star pushed the pizza box towards him and he gratefully accepted.
“Scared? Who the hell knows? He lived alone and worked at a designing company on Main Street, I’m gonna go call on the company owner. Apparently he and Jay were best buddies.”
“No you’re not.” Star got to her feet and physically restrained him before shoving on her boots.
“Star…”
“Don’t Star me. You’re exhausted and hungry. I’ll go talk to the boss while you eat and grab some sleep. It’s not up for discussion.” She told him when he tried to cut her off. “I won’t be long.”
“But how are you even going to get there? You don’t drive.” He said smugly, thinking he had her.
“I’ll walk.” Star told him opening the door. “It’s why God gave us legs.” She teased before the pizza box was hurled at her.