Free Red Tide: The Flavel House Horror / Vampires of the Morgue (The Ian McDermott, Ph.D., Paranormal Investigator Series Book 2) by David Reuben Aslin

screamed out, “YES-’EM … I SEEN THE DEVIL-MONSTER … DONE KILL MY MAN!”
    Ned was startled by Sally suddenly opening up, but before he had a chance to ask Sally any more questions, he spotted Maggie and the doctor from next door. He watched appreciatively as the attractive doctor of psychiatry sashayed her way across the station in her two-piece, perfectly figure-fitting, gray flannel skirted suit and white designer silk blouse.
    Ned, though semi-happily married, enjoyed watching the fine-looking doctor come and go from her office across the street whenever timing permitted. His department had successfully used her services a few times over the last couple of years, mostly when dealing with runaways. Ned daydreamed for a brief moment as the lady doctor and Maggie were less than ten feet away from him and closing fast, She’s the perfecta-trifecta. Smart, beautiful, and blonde.
    Maggie made a point of mentioning all of the hats Ned had worn in their small department since he pulled rank on her earlier as she introduced him. “Um, Selma ... I mean, Doctor Tate, this is Special Liaison Officer and acting Deputy Chief Lieutenant Ned Parker.”
    Maggie continued, “And this is the woman that I spoke to you about.”
    Ned interjected to assert himself. “Doctor Tate, very nice that you could come over. I’d like to introduce you to Sally.” Maggie lifted her eyebrows and nodded slightly as she flashed Ned a congratulatory smile that he’d gotten that much out of the woman. Maggie then turned and left Ned and the doctor.
    Doctor Tate extended her right hand to Ned. “Ned. May I call you by your first name?”
    Ned smiled as he replied, “Only if quid pro quo applies, Selma.” They both smiled and laughed.
    Selma continued, “Ned, we met around nine months ago I believe. Your department asked me to review the physiological health of a teen runaway. I’ve done some other work for your department but directed through case-workers, not yourself.”
    Ned spoke up. “That’s right. You’ve a good memory. You’ve got a great reputation with our department.”
    After a long, extended handshake, Ned slowly retracted his right hand. “Good. Great! Uh, anyway, Doctor … I mean Selma. This here’s Sally. She’s … I mean I think maybe Sally here’s been through something awful, and she’d like to tell us all about it. But she’s having a tough time. Aren’t you, Sally …?”
    Ned quickly retrieved another chair for Selma, who smiled graciously, then sat down facing Sally.
    “Sally. That is your name, correct?” Selma asked point-blank in a calm, collected voice. Sally looked up from the ground at Selma. Without much hesitation, she sheepishly answered, “Yes ‘em.”
    Selma smiled and glanced over at Ned, who was now also seated near the desk that they were all huddled around.
    Once again, Selma fired off a direct question in a perfectly base-line voice. “Sally. Are you hurt?”
    Sally answered, “No … nut very bad. Juz my neck got pecked at some.” Sally’s arms were wrapped around herself with her hands tucked under her armpits. She began rocking back and forth in her chair.
    Selma continued, “Sally, I see you’re wearing a ring. Did your husband hurt you?”
    That question seemed to bring Sally out of her near trancelike state before she answered, “No! No, ma’am. My man, he don’t hurt me. He don’t hurt nobody!”
    To both Ned and Selma’s surprise, Sally stopped rocking back and forth. She took a series of deep breaths and let the air out of her lungs slowly each time. It was apparent to both Ned and Selma that Sally was desperately trying to will herself, at least momentarily, to a functioning level of lucidity.
    Sally took in then let out one more long breath of air before beginning to speak as clearly as she could muster, “My … my … husband … Loren … Loren Robinson … He was my beautiful man … My man for over twenty-three years, and now he dead. He da only one a us