She should have never eaten that cheesecake.

“Would you shut up and get down?”  Detective Starr’s breath singed her cheeks, his blue eyes boring holes through her.

“I am down,” Sassi pointed out, squirming underneath his hips to demonstrate.  ”You’re sitting on me.”

“I’m not sitting on you, I’m protecting you.”

“If you were protecting me, shouldn’t you be focused on the person shooting at us?”

“I’m”– The blue eyes narrowed and he hissed through his teeth, creeping up and glancing through the car windows.  Shouts rang through the air as the steel doors flew open, cops pouring through.  ”Star!  What’s going on?”

“Shots from 10 o’clock.  Can’t see him.”

“I told you you needed my help.”  Cowering behind the car in the opposite spot, Kevin smirked.  ”Aren’t you glad you didn’t kick me out?”

“So far, all you’ve done is delay my dinner another five hours and spy on me in the bathroom.”  Sassi exhaled as Detective Star peeled off at her, pushing herself up by her arms.  ”What do you eat, bricks?”

He glared down.  ”Most women would be thrilled I saved their life.”

“I’m not most women.”

“I’m getting that,” he muttered, waving as she started to stand.  ”Stay down.  We’re investigating.”

“Of course you are.”  Sassi rolled her eyes.  ”Can I go home now?”

“No,” Kevin and Detective Starr said in unison, glaring at each other.

“Why not?”  Ignoring his narrowed eyes, Sassi sat up, brushing off the grease and dirt clinging to her arms.

“Because it’s not safe,” Kevin said.

“We need to investigate why someone is shooting at you.”  Detective Starr narrowed his eyes at Kevin.  ”Do I need to lock you up?”

“What?” he squeaked.

“I can’t have you printing this, Kevin. Keep this out of your newspaper.”

“The public has a right to know, Starr!”

“The public doesn’t need to know anything.”

“You can’t keep information like this a secret,” Kevin hissed.

“But I can keep you in jail indefinitely.”  Detective Starr smiled, but there was no humor in it.  ”It’s not like you’re a favorite with the lawyers.”

Kevin gasped.  ”You wouldn’t.”

“I would and will.”  Detective Starr turned as a deputy rushed up, holding out his hand.  ”We found this behind one of the cars sir, along with a semi-automatic rifle.  But the shooter is gone.”

“Figures,” Detective Starr muttered.  He took the small silver pendant from the man’s hand and frowned, holding it up.  A rabbit’s head was perched on a bloated bell shape, curling indentions carved into the side.  ”What is this?”

“We don’t know, sir.”  The deputy squirmed.  ”We’re going to look into it, Detective Starr.”

“I know what that is.”  All three men turned to Sassi.  ”That’s an Aztec pictogram.”  She stood up and pointed.  ”It’s for Tochtepecan, an Aztec town.  See, the rabbit and the mountain combine to make the name.  It’s like a puzzle with different pictures making up various words…” She trailed off.  ”What?”

“How do you know all this?”  Detective Starr blinked.  ”I thought…”

“You thought I was an airhead.”  Sassi rolled her eyes.  ”I saw it when I was in Mexico, duh.  I don’t know what it’s doing here though.”

“Sir, you might want to come look at this!”  A cop waved from across the garage.  ”Hurry!”  Detective Starr and the deputy bolted toward him, Sassi and Kevin on their heels.  Jogging behind the car, the deputy whipped around Detective Starr and held his hands up.  ”This is a crime scene.  I’m afraid you need to stay back.  In fact, why don’t you go back to the station?”

“Why don’t you go back?”  Sliding around him, Sassi sauntered up to Detective Starr.  He was staring at the ground, his hands shoved into his pockets.  His face was pale, his lips pressed tightly together.  ”Don’t, Sassi.”

“Listen, Detective, I…”  Sassi glanced down and trailed off.  Behind her, Kevin’s camera flashed.  Scrawled on the cement was a figure wrapped in crude lines, like a smudged mummy.  But rather than paint or pen, the medium for this particular artwork was a dark red.  A dark, smelly red.

“So what does this mean, professor?”  Detective Starr’s voice cracked.  Sassi opened her mouth, but it was Kevin’s voice that answered.

“Death.”

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  We have a week full of whimsy! 

More