Mephistopheles, Morgaine's Familiar
Episode Nineteen
Raven Lenore
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The weather in
As Raven entered the apartment, she was soaked with sweat and
panting. I rubbed against her leg to show that I was hungry and needed to be
fed. After she fed me, she checked her Voice Mail for messages. Afterward she went
into the bathroom, stripped off her sweaty clothes and underwear and stood
under the cool spray, sighing with pleasure. I enjoyed watching her. As she
soaped up, she examined her body and seemed satisfied. Her stomach muscles were
tight, her thighs and calves shapely. Although she had passed her thirtieth
birthday, her breasts were round, firm and full. She looked good enough to make
me drool.
Raven was a Wiccan. In addition to her psychic abilities, she had
a tough tomboy nature. She was thirty-three years old, with dark hair, olive
skin and a good figure. She often turned the heads of the men as she passed by
them.
After her shower, she donned jeans and T-shirt and dialed the phone.
I could only hear her side of the conversation.
"Martin, this is Raven Lenore. You left a message on my Voice
Mail."
"Yeah. A little bit. You were always telling lawyer
jokes."
"That's great. I've heard that FBI agents do pretty well. Uh,
is there anything in particular I can do for you?"
"I don't quite get it. I'm a psychic and a private
investigator. Why would an FBI man need my help?"
Raven scratched her head. "Okay. There's a coffee shop on the
first floor of my building." She gave him the address. "Say ten in
the A.M."
"Bye."
* * *
The next morning at
He was not alone. A tall red headed guy with a beard and a
ponytail was with him. The red head wore a sport shirt, open at the collar and
light slacks.
Kopinski shook her hand. "Hi Raven. This is John O'Brien,
otherwise known as ..."
"The Great Mephisto," Raven interrupted. "I've seen
your act, O'Brien. It's quite spectacular. I also know that you don't believe in
the paranormal. You're a debunker."
O'Brien said, "I'm glad you like my act. However, when it
comes to the paranormal, it's not a matter of belief. It's a matter of science.
Many people make claims that their powers defy the laws of physics or biology.
Yet, when you pin them down, they lack any credible evidence for their
claims."
"Fair enough. I suppose you think that I'm just another scam
artist when I tell you that I've seen and heard many things that science cannot
explain."
"Not necessarily. You may be simply deluded."
Kopinski broke in. "Come on, you two. This is not the time to
debate whether that paranormal stuff is real or not. For now, let's just say
that you each have your own point of view and leave it at that. The fact that
you're coming at things from opposite points of view is good. It'll be more
likely to uncover the real truth of the matter. If you help me out, one or the
other of you may be able to prove his or her case."
Raven chuckled. "Okay by me. Let's discuss what sort of help
you need from a psychic and an illusionist."
O'Brien said, "Yes. What's this all about?"
"Let's order breakfast first. Then I'll tell you
everything."
Raven said, "I've already had mine, but I'll take another cup
of joe."
After the waitress took the men's orders and poured Raven's
coffee, Kopinski said, "Okay. First, I need you two to swear that you'll
keep anything I say to you here in the strictest confidence. Actually, I'm
sticking my neck out by even talking to you about this particular case."
"I'll promise not to say a word to anyone," Raven said.
"But I could be lying. How can you be sure that you can trust me?"
"Because of the way you were when we were in the NYPD. You
were the most honest cop, I knew. You never bought that 'one of our own' crap.
If another cop was dishonest or screwing up on the job, you reported it
immediately."
"That's why I quit. Some people didn't like that. I was told
to keep my mouth shut a few times. Finally, I got disgusted and resigned. Okay.
So you've got reason to trust me." She pointed her thumb at O'Brien.
"What about him?"
"The fact that he is a debunker, as you called him, ought to
tell you something about his personality. I've known Johnny for a while and
know he's someone who is not only honest, but goes out of his way to help
people who've been scammed or about to be scammed."
The waitress showed up with their orders. After she left, Kopinski
said, "Okay, here's the deal. A couple of days ago, a dealer in
antiquities was murdered. You may have read about it in the Sun-Times."
"Yeah. So?"
"Well there's a lot of details concerning that crime that did
not appear in the papers. Things that have