Hunter got word that Lady Mackling was ok. She was just startled and bumped herself into the tub from the shock and slight fall. They would be keeping her overnight at the hospital just in case even against her orders to let her leave. It gave the group an unsupervised run of the place that they were not going to waste. They worked with those still on the grounds to find out what they could about this individual they were looking for. Garrett Johnson, the security manager for the Mackling estate. He started as a regular guard over 30 years ago when they first built the house. He outlasted everyone else who worked there, eventually earning himself his position as the head of security. He didn't work with a firm as their security was all private by the Mackling Estate. It was mentioned he took his job very seriously and stepped up when her husband passed making sure that not only did the officers provide protection but also a sense of comfort.
Any leads on the grounds were exhausted. Their next option was to track down Garrett himself. His home address was with the employee records. That was easy enough for Adam to get since they gave him access to everything while they were working there. With that tidbit of information, the group split for the night. Hunter and Juliet would head into town to track down and speak with Mr. Johnson. Adam and Hanson would hold the fort back at the manor in case something else decided to happen while they were gone.
Hunter was loaned a car to take. One of the sleek black luxury cars that Lady Mackling uses to protect her limo when she travels. They had an armada of these vehicles so lending out one was no issue but it put Hunter's vehicle to shame. The seats felt rich against the skin. The engine was quiet both inside and out. Just going to get off the estate, the ride was smooth. Once they hit the highway and started hitting higher speeds it almost felt like the car could fly. The slightest touch of the wheel and the car would react. This machine was specially made, to high specs, just for her.
The dark roads were illuminated by the headlights as the in-vehicle GPS took them to their destination. They could see the city light illuminating part of the night sky but it was a long way off, a couple hours at best. Hunter came prepared with a thermos of coffee to make sure he stayed up. Juliet watched as the fields of crops faded while she started to doze off. Her mind wandered off before she finally fell asleep in the rich leather. The street lights didn't affect her when they hit city limits. The slow turns rocked her in her seat but still didn't disturb her. The last couple of days have been rather taxing. For her to steal as much sleep as she could was the best idea. She couldn't remember if she had a dream in that short time before the car came to a stop a block away from Garrett's house.
The entire street was compact homes, with not much floor space per floor but two floors with full basements. Juliet was nudged awake with a soft voice, "Wake up, we're here." She straightened herself up trying to bring everything into focus. She could hear the car door open and close as Hunter got out and stretched himself. She followed behind him as he moved to the sidewalk walking with purpose. He was looking at a piece of paper as they went to double-check the addresses.
He hit the steps up to the house they were supposed to be at. He skipped steps getting to the door and ringing the doorbell instantly. He looked back, waving Juliet to stay at the bottom of the steps while he handled this for now. The person who opened the door was not the person they were looking for but his roommate. Hunter laid on his charm telling the man that they were looking for Garrett to see if he knew anything about what happened this evening, "We just need to ask him if there's anything that he may have seen that contradicts or supports what we already know."
"He did mention it was a weird day at work. He said he was going to head to his normal spot for a while."
"Where might that be?"
"It's a little bar about four blocks down and one block east. It's called Raise The Bar."
"Thank you, I appreciate your help."
He left with a nod heading back down the stairs. "Ok, we're bar hopping until we find him." The directions were good. They found the place easily enough. It wasn't too lively but they were in the right spot. Hunter took one last look at the photo. Not a smart idea to have it hanging out while looking for the person. The last thing they want to do is scare him off.
The inside of the place is warmly lit. The walls have a wood paneling over them that looks like it's the inside of a rustic cabin. There's a digital fireplace going, keeping the area pretty warm. It's a small bar that caters specifically to those who come in with a high level of service. The man working behind the bar greets the two as they come in, "Welcome, if you come show me your IDs, I'll be glad to take care of you." Hunter waves him off, "We're not here to partake. We're looking for someone." He quickly scanned the area finding who they were looking for. He was sitting in the corner looking over a glass half full of brown liquor. "Actually, I will have one drink."
He walked up to the bar, got his wallet, handing over the ID and a card. "I'll start a tab while I'm here." Juliet walked up behind him to whisper in his ear, "Do you think that's a good idea? Drinking on the job?"
"If I can get him talking I'll do what I can."
The bartender accepts the ID taking the card behind the counter. "What would you like to start?"
"I'll take the rest of the bottle you served him."
He pointed to Garrett sitting in the corner still looking at his drink. With a nod, the half-empty bottle comes across the counter with a glass full of ice. Hunter took it making sure his eyes were still locked on Garrett. "Juliet, stay close but at a distance in case he tries to run for whatever reason." She accepted her orders, taking a seat nearby. Her eyes are going to be locked on the back of Hunter's head as he sits down with Garrett. He puts on a face as he slides his glass on the table, "Mind if I freshen your drink?"
Garrett looks up with a tired look on his face. Some of the sleep wears off as he recognizes Hunter's face. "Uh, sure. Thank you." Hunter refills his glass before his own letting the liquor pour over the fresh cubes. They both nod their glasses before taking their first swig. Garrett makes no face while Hunter winces at the swill this man chose. "Hmm! Smooth."
"You get used to it." Garrett shook his glass again before having another sip. "You're the contractors who were hired, right?"
"One of them, yea."
"Crazy day today, huh?"
"Yea it was. That's partially why I came to find you. Just need to get your side of it then we can call it done."
He jostled his drink before taking another sip. As he exhaled in the enjoyment he spoke up, "I'm afraid I can't be much help. I was gone when everything happened. I only heard about it second-hand after it had happened. I'm not looking forward to the report I'm going to have to do tomorrow."
"The good news is we've already compiled most of what you need. Like I said; we only need your side of it."
Hunter pressed just a little bit as he looked over his glass at Garrett. He insisted though, "I told you, I'm not going to be much help." He was going to do this all night but Hunter didn't have the time to deal with it. "Garrett, we have you leaving in your car on camera while the commotion at the main house was going on. That's almost two hours after your shift ended. What were you doing during those two hours?"
"I still don't know what you mean."
Hunter set his now empty glass down on the table letting the ice clink against the side. "Don't lie to me. The boy you've been sitting with is one of my people. He has you on camera driving out the front gate at 6:55 in your car. Your people identified it as yours."
"They must be mistaken. I was not there."
Garrett finished his drink grabbing the bottle for another. Hunter leaned back in his chair looking him over. He knew full well that he was lying. He had him cornered but not caught yet until something got his eye. "How did you get that bruise on your arm?" He pointed down to Garrett's right arm which was laying on the table. It was a sharp purple bruise in an almost perfect circle with a bit of a teardrop shape to it yet. "Oh, I must have knocked it on the door of the hut."
"Really? Weird that you ran into a door. Or did the door run into you?"
He tried to laugh it off as an attempt at a joke but Hunter was not having it. "Maybe I need to be blunt about this. We have you on the ground, Garrett. Well after your shift was over. What were you doing there?" He put his glass down, eyeing the exit. "Don't try running. I have one person in the bar and one outside waiting if you do." It was a bluff but convincing enough that Garrett settled back into his seat. His eyes were still darting around looking for any option to get out of this. Hunter kept pressing him though, "This is easier if you just be honest with me."
"You're not in charge of me."
He turned aggressive quickly. He started taking a defensive tone along with a matching stance in his seat. His face was flushed red but not from the drink, but from anger. "Garrett, work with me and I can work with you."
"She'd fire me."
"Lady Mackling?"
"...yes..."
Now he was getting somewhere. Taking down that first layer is the hardest. After that, he should just spill everything. "Why would Lady Mackling fire you? You've worked with her for almost 30 years." He shut up again but it all began to come out through his body language. "You care about her don't you?" He could only nod. "More than the others who work there." He continued to nod. "After her husband died you tried to take his spot, didn't you? Or rather you wanted to." Right again! It quickly all came together. "Well, then I guess my last big question would be are you a chameleon or a shapeshifter?" Garrett showed him his hand as he changed it to an African-American skin tone. "Shapeshifter, that's why she thought she was seeing the ghost of her dead husband."
Hunter leaned back looking at the broken man before him. What were they going to do with him now? Lady Mackling will need to know. It's undeniable that she will fire if not kill him when she finds out it's been him "haunting" her. His own integrity won't let him lie to save his skin. At this point, it's creepy at the actions he has taken to try and gain her attention. Hunter worked on his last glass while he let Garrett calm down and cry himself out. He kept quiet, not disturbing the other patrons, except for Juliet. She was off-put by the sight of this man crying in a corner.
Hunter collected his card from the bartender while he worked with Garrett to try and get him out of there and back home. He managed to get him outside where the cooler air could help him breathe a bit better. "So, what are you going to do?"
"We have to tell Lady Mackling what happened. She'll be the one to decide what happens from there."
He turned around dejected, finally realizing the consequences of his actions. Juliet stayed by Hunter's side while he paced around in front of the bar for a bit. He mumbled to himself trying to make sense of it. The two could only watch as he worked himself and down in the small space he allowed himself. Since their job was done they just let him be for a bit. "Garrett, are you going to be able to get home ok?"
"Yea, yea. I'm just around the corner."
"Ok, we're going to go."
"Ok…"
He let out a sigh as he continued to pace around. Hunter tugged on Juliet's shirt, "We need to go." She hesitated, "But…"
Hunter only shook his head, "We should leave him be. Our job is done." It was the boss's orders now. The two turned away walking back down the short street to get back to the car. They could still hear him pacing in his spot. He started to work himself up again as he got louder, "No, no, no, no. No! No! No! No!" His feet hit the pavement harder, sounding as though it was getting closer. Hunter stopped looking back to see this man charging at him. Something metallic in his hand caught his eye, invoking a response from him. "Weapon!"
Hunter's voice rang in Juliet's ear forcing her to turn around. Her arm started to sting as she watched Hunter slam him to the ground with one arm across his chest. The item skidded across the pavement ringing out as it went on its own way. "If you're going to take her away from me then I'll take her away from you!" Garrett got up from the pavement as Hunter stepped back giving himself room. His focus was on Garrett scrambling around looking for his knife. As it was lost in the dark he focused on just using his own fists. He tried to throw a punch but the alcohol slowed him down. Hunter ducked to the side landing a quick stunning shot to his mouth.
He fell backward again trying to figure out what happened. "Juliet, are you ok?" Hunter looked back at her as she was trying to figure out what just happened. "Yea. I'm fine." Her hand was instinctively over the wound that had been inflicted. In his rush Garrett managed to get past Hunter, sinking the blade across her upper arm. Just enough to break the skin but not deep. It had started to bleed through her shirt and down her arm. Hunter took notice of it quickly.
The fight wasn't over though. Garrett got back to his feet, finding his knife again. He could try and run. But now he was just stuck even if he did try to get away from the madman. "Juliet, I want you to run. I'll catch up."
"But…"
"I said run!"
She could feel the collar on her neck bite at her neck. He was very serious about this, for her safety. Garrett came at them again. Once more, Hunter grabbed him, throwing him off the main street into an alleyway. This way he couldn't move left or right. It was going to be a head-to-head fight now. Hunter could hear Juliet's shoes on the pavement as she made tracks away. Without having to worry about her he could focus on the main problem. "I'll kill you!" Garrett's voice echoed between the brick building as he took another lunge forward. Hunter didn't give him the chance to get very far. He leaned back letting Garrett take his full arm's length. Once he came to a stop Hunter grabbed his wrist and twisted the metal from him.
The groan he let out showed the pain but he was still trying to fight. Even at the odd angle he still tried to use his other arms to take a swing at Hunter. They connected but didn't have the power behind it to stop him. One swift punch to the gut toppled Garrett backward and down to the ground yet again. He wasn't going to get another chance to stand. Hunter took to the ground with him pinning his arms with his legs. With both hands, he covered his mouth with his palms. "You can attack me all you want, but you attack my people…" Garrett could feel the sting of cold metal that wasn't there before. Before his eyes, he could see the reflection of gold rings with blood-red rubies. They weren't there before. Where did they come from?
He struggled and fought but started to feel strange. He gasped as he tried to breathe but with every exhale he could feel more and more of his life being drained from him. His skin went pale as his eyes lost focus on the man atop him. He flailed his legs trying to get him. His forearms joined trying to do anything.
Juliet took off in the direction of the car. She made it a few blocks before turning around hoping to see Hunter behind her. The only thing she saw was the street lights from the section of the street with the shops. He told her to run but she also felt that she couldn't leave him behind. Against her orders, she turned back running as fast as she could. She got to where they were turning down the alley to see Hunter on top of Garret. She flinched covering her mouth as she watched Garrett's legs and arms flail under him. She stepped back around the corner still keeping an eye on them as his legs slowly began to lose power, quickly coming to a stop. She heard the ungodly hiss from the alley as Hunter sat up panting.
He ran his fingers through his hair straightening himself out. With a grunt, he got to his feet wiping off the dirt from his pants. As he shifted to the side Juliet could see Garrett's face pale in the light, almost as though he had the life sucked from him. Her heart stopped as Hunter turned around immediately making eye contact with her. She could feel her blood run cold as his eyes pierced right through her. He stayed in his spot pointing to her, "What did you see?"
She froze as she swallowed hard, "N-nothing! I came to make sure you were ok." His arm dropped as his shoulders still moved with his breathing. He cracked his knuckles as he started walking towards her. Just the air from him forced her away from the wall to the center of the sidewalk until he was face-to-face with her. He grabbed her arm where she had been injured looking at it. It was still bleeding but had already started to seal itself, "Are you ok?" He asked. His voice went from a stern question to a soft concern.
Before she could answer his hand cupped her cheek bringing her nose to his. She stuttered out a yes. Once the words left her lips met hers. The shock got her but she quickly fell for the charm. She closed her eyes until he broke it bringing her chin to his shoulder. "I was worried for you. I don't want to lose you. Not like this." She rested her head against him at his words. This was a very different side of him she hadn't gotten to see.
His hand went back to her cheek as he leaned himself up. She could feel the warmth of his hand with a mix of cold metal she had never felt before from him. She tried to look at what was so cold but no matter how hard she tried she could never quite get a good look. Hunter let out a hefty sigh, "We should head back and wrap this up, don't you think?" She couldn't argue with him on this, "Please, I want to be done with this."
He led the way for a while keeping his hands in front of him. The car was waiting for them right where they left it under a street lamp. It started up with a purr idling quietly. Hunter took the quick chance to text Hanson to let him know they were on their way back. They would discuss their last step upon his return. Hunter's hand went to Juliet's face again. He caressed her cheek with his thumb as he looked at her with that look from before, the one of concern. She could feel that cold sensation on her cheek again. She rolled into his warm hand catching the glimpse of a jewel. He didn't wear rings though. Why did he have so many? She went to open her mouth but he beat her to it, "Shh, sleep." His voice echoed in her head. "Sleep, Juliet." Her eyes got heavy as the seat took her in getting her comfortable. She didn't even know she was out.
She awoke as the car came to a stop in front of the guest house they had been using as a base. The porch light had been left on for them to see along with the main entry light. Still in a daze, Juliet managed to get herself out of the car. She didn't remember getting to her bed as she fell asleep for the night.
Hanson and Hunter stayed up for a few more hours finalizing their reports to Lady Mackling. From what Hunter had found out from Garrett; Garrett had been causing these incidents in an attempt to drive Lady Mackling to despise her husband so he could win her courtship. In the morning, the two would search his home and find journals he had kept about her, the poetry he had written for and about her, along with an album of photos he had taken at events on the grounds with her. The man had an obsession with her. It all stemmed from the fact that she helped him get back on his feet after falling on rough times. He had latched onto her as his reason for living and it quickly overtook him.
He worked hard to gain her approval using his position to watch her without suspicion for years. Once her husband died, he used that as a potential chance to get closer but it ended with his demise in an alley instead. Everything was presented to Lady Mackling the next afternoon after her return. She didn't share her decision or next steps with the group but compensated them for their time giving them a formal apology for her rudeness during their investigation, her distrust in their ability to solve this case and a personal apology to Juliet for her words and actions towards her. She officially dismissed them with her gratitude.
Hunter, Hanson, Juliet, and Adam were able to return to their office for their regular break time after a job. They sat back, collected themselves, and got ready for the next deal to come across their desk. Something kept nagging at Juliet but she could not figure out what it was though.