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Sometime around One pm on a Friday night Detective Abrams is walking the streets of Manhatten. He just got done with a long day of solving a case and drinking. He sees some woman nearly getting run over by traffic Abrams pulls back the woman who nearly ran into traffic.
"Watch where you're going? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" shouts Abrams angrily. He waits for a reaction on the woman's face. The eyes look glassy and empty. He can comment on what else he sees on her face,but he knows better than to draw attention to it. The detective recognizes that expression from clients down on their luck . The outfit itself is a long yellow night gown. Slippers, loose quilted dark blue floral robes filled with something. His face returns to its frown once again. He isn't a shrink ,but he knows what he is dealing with . He looks at her now in recognition. He knows her name is Violet "Vi" Kowalski; a music teacher ,but using a familiar name doesn't sit right with him at the moment. "Kowalski ?" asks Abrams to the woman that he thinks he knows from working with her. She has the same shoulder length wavy blue hair, the same wide set eyes that reminds him of pandas, her skin is a shade of brown that reminds him of wicker baskets and the smattering of freckles across her face and square shaped head. Violet Kowalski looks up .
"Hhhm" responds Violet. "Do you know where you are ?" asks Abrams . He adds "What day it is?" asks Abrams. " New york...At least night time on a friday?" replies Violet .
"Good answers, what happened to you? Do you remember ?" questioned Abrams.
Can we find a place to sit down? It's a long story" said Violet quietly.
"Sure , I can do that for you" said Abrams . He watches the woman pull the robe over the night gown covering herself up. Her legs are wobbling . He briefly sees unusually shaped bruising on her legs that are starting to heal.
You can come to my place, it isn't far from here" said Abrams.
"Please lead the way, Abrams" said Violet. ' So We're on the same page about this' thinks Abrams. The Ixian detective puts a hand around her shoulders to guide her to his place. Once there, Abrams opens the door and turns on the light. He takes off his suit jacket. His place is a simple one bedroom one bath room in a converted Brownstone apartment. It's sparsely decorated at the moment.
"Sit down on that chair over there" orders Abrams. Violet's legs stumble their way over to said chair. The woman pulls out a small metal chain from a robe pocket. Before she sits down at the small dining table in his apartment. Abrams places his suit jacket on a coat rack. He removes his shoes and he puts on his slippers that he keeps by the door. The least he can do is get comfortable. He walks to his kitchen.
" What do you want to drink?Water ? Milk?" offers Abrams . He avoids mentioning alcohol to the woman or anything with caffeine.
"Water will do just fine" said Kowalski. Abrams removes a coffee mug from his dish drainer. He turns on the kitchen sink . He fills it up, turns it off ,and he takes it to Kowalski. He sees that his friend is using her metal manipulation and is moving the chain into shapes. " I see that your new abilities are improving" said Abrams.
"It is getting stronger," said Kowalski confidently . She puts the chain on the table. Abrams sits down across from her. He can see the newspaper still on the table where he left it. It's at least two days old. He slouches his shoulders to make the height difference between the two a little better. He waits for Kowalski to finish her sip of water.
" You mentioned that you want to tell me a long story?" asks Abrams.
" Yes, you remember the last job that I hired you for?" asks Kowalski .
" How could I forget it , it's a pretty recent case that I closed, I know that he was seeing another woman,but what happened afterwards" said Abrams patiently. He is starting to put the puzzle pieces together.
" Over the next few weeks he tried to get me to take him back first with roses then with a bracelet, then he tried to talk my friend the doorman into getting my work schedule so that he could surprise me" said Kowalski .
"Did you?" asks Abrams . Kowalski shakes her head for ‘no’ .
"Of course not, I don't take back men like him. I told him that he can go to hell" said Kowalski.
"Did he leave you alone after this?" asks Abrams. The woman touches the metal chain on the table. She creates spikes in the chain and back at them.
" He made one last ditch effort by getting in touch with my folks to "talk some sense to me" and my dad didn't like his words" said Kowalski. Her eyes start to look down on the ground. She frowns .
"You didn't have to tell me any more of this story if you don’t want to” assures Abrams .
"I just want you to know that I'm going to be fine" said Kowalski. She starts yawning. Abrams can't tell if that statement is a lie to tell herself, a lie to comfort him or the truth. He will look into it tomorrow .
" Take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch" offers Abrams. Violet Kowalski pockets the chain in her robe. She looks at the couch in the small living room then back at Abrams.
"Its a good couch, I'll deal with any back aches tomorrow" said Abrams. Kowalski stands up. She pushes her chair in .
"If you say so" said Kowalski . She looks around for the bedroom doors.
" It's the door on the right" said Abrams.
" You're such a sweetheart for putting me up for the night, I'll repay you tomorrow" compliments Kowalski .
" Don't worry about it, it's getting late" said Abrams. Kowalski starts walking towards his bedroom. Abrams walks over to her cup of water. He picks it up. He dumps the water and he puts the cup in the sink. He looks back at the now closed bedroom door. ' I like her company' thinks Abrams. He then logically thinks that he is only helping her because she is a friend to the Ixian community in New York. It isn't because of anything else. The night passes to morning. Abrams is the first to rise. He can feel an ach from the cushions.
"I'll deal with this with a couple of pills" said Abrams . He starts to rub his back with his hands. He yawns and stretches. He starts to stand up. He hears the shower is running at the moment. He quickly puts back on his undershirt, his slacks and His glasses. He goes to his bedroom. He hasn't had a woman spend the night without a change of clothes in ages. He remembers that Silver used to make do with his button up as a dress if she was feeling like it. He grabs a short sleeve one in green from his closet. 'Did I leave a towel in there?' thinks Abrams. He did not wear a few washclothes. He should do a load of towels later.. Abrams thinks that he has seen women naked before from dead bodies of call girls to his own past. He thinks that he will be professional about it. Abrams places the top down on the bed that he can see got made by Kowalski. He goes to his bathroom door. He hears the last of Kowalski singing a song that is going to be stuck in his head.
"Vi, I'm going to lend you a button up of mine to wear" said Abrams .
" Okay" said Violet. She adds "I'm going to come out now, don't worry I'm wearing my robe" announces Kowalski. Abrams just moves out of Kowalski’s way. He doesn't look down past Kowalski's face. He hasn’t had a wandering eye in ages and he isn’t going to make an exception any time soon.
"Did you at least leave me some hot water?" said Abrams.
"Of course, what kind of guest would I be if I didn't?" said Kowalski.
"Good, I don't mind if you make yourself some breakfast for yourself , I have enough groceries for two people,but can you start a pot of coffee before you leave ?" asks Abrams.
"I can do that" said Kowalski . She starts to leave the spot for his bedroom. Abrams enters the bathroom . He sees that his guest must've put her clothes in his hamper. He doesn't see them. He hopes that she isn't expecting him to do her laundry. He thinks that it might be for the sake of him not seeing her unmentionables. Abrams starts to get down to business in the bathroom. Soon before he starts to shower he smells coffee brewing and hears something being chopped. Abrams does his best to shower with a clear mind. He has thoughts about fake fights he thinks he could win, radio shows he has listened to. Abrams leave the shower. He facepalm himself. He has four wash cloths left. He can barely dry himself with them. He can't just walk around naked in front of this woman.
This is just my luck" complains Abrams. Abrams manages to dry himself and escape his bathroom to his bedroom without his guest seeing an inch of him. He gets dressed in his bedroom. He walks out to his small kitchen fully dressed in a striped collared shirt, trousers and dress shoes. He feels like wearing something casual on Saturday. He sees that Kowalski used the last potato that is starting to feel soft to the touch , fried up bacon and Eggs.
" That looks good , do you always cook like this for breakfast?" said Abrams.
"Only on Saturdays" said Kowalski . He holds out his mug for the coffee pot. He watches it pour half way.
"You can fill it fully, I drink it black" said Abrams . Kowalski pours it up more. Abrams places the mug down. He looks at what Kowalski is wearing . His green button up is fashioned to a belted dress. He sees that its a old belt. He sees that it still looks like a tent on her.
"" I hope that you don’t mind,I had to borrow this belt of yours otherwise, this shirt of yours would look ridiculous on me" jokes Kowalski She puts sugar in her cofffee and a splash of his milk.
" Just don't forget to return it after you're done borrowing it" said Abrams. He watches Kowalski say a quick prayer in polish. He pausedin respectful silence.
" I will, I'll probably stop by after church tomorrow" said the woman.
"That's fine with me, Its still going to be my day off, I'll be here . Don't forget your stuff out of my hamper. I don't know how to clean women's clothes. Just my own" said Abrams.
" I can do that" said Kowalski . The two start eating their breakfast in between moments of silence and small talk. Once done, Kowalski starts removing the dishes. Abrams puts a hand on her reaching arm gently.
" You don't have to do that, You made breakfast so that means that I do the dishes. That's how it works here" said Abrams.
"I appreciate that" said Kowalski. She places the plate back down.
"Just don't act like you owe me for this anymore, you do a lot for my community" said Abrams. He sees that Kowalski is starting to blush at the compliment.
"If you got that handle then its best that I get back home. I got chores to do" said Kowalski.
"What kind of chores?" asks Abrams.
"Pulling weeds, paying my bills and vacuming" responds Kowalski. Abrams picks up the dishes . He walks past the woman. He makes sure that his tail doesn't hit his guest .
" I don't envy you doing weed removal" said Abrams.
" It's my least favorite chore,but somebdy has to do it" said Kowalski. She notices the clock. Her eyes panic.
"I gotta leave for the subway right now, I just remember something else" said Kowalski. Abrams drops the dishes in the sink.
" Get back home safely " said Abrams. He watches Kowalski scrambling to get her items in her slippers. He finally watches her leave. In the next two hours Abrams does a few chores of his own and before long he decides to take a break for something that he has to do for his own conscience. He didn't like the sound of her ex fiance when he took that job and he doesn't like the sound of him now . He knows that he can't just go to the police to see if anything is filed with the information he was given . It would be pointless to go to a hospital . The most he can do is to find Harvey Armstrong himself and have a 'chat' . The first stop is his office. He admits that with his line of work that cases tend to blur together if it is a certain type. And, " Pretty woman needing evidence of cheating" is a common case even if he has worked with her together the case details aren't going to stick to him. Abrams turns the key and pushes the door open . The natural light fills the room. He pushes the door behind him. He walks to his cabinet case . He rummages through it. He finds Violet Kowalski's case file and flips through his notes. Harvey Armstrong Shapeshifter Mischievous fae" said Abrams with a nod of his head. He reads his own note about this man. He is one of the beings that appeared on Earth. He sees that he has to visit a air shipyard in Brooklyn. He pockets the adress. He puts the file back in the cabinet . He pushes the drawer back in the cabin. He leaves his office . He locks it . Abrams leaves to where he parked his car. The drive to the shipyard is uneventful. He likes it that way when wants to do something like this. He tries to come up with rational reasons why he wants to talk to this guy first. He is just someone who represents his species in law enforcement. On the other hand, Abrams feels angry about what Kowalski implied to go through . He parked his car two blocks from the exact Brooklyn air ship docks Harvey Armstrong works at. Abrams smells the ocean from here. He hears it crashes against itself . He approaches a fellow Ixian dockworker first with some harmless chit chat then with who he is working for and who is his boss. He is lucky that he is arriving during lunch break. He thinks that he has at least 30 minutes to be in and out. He spots his guy. Black shaggy hair, pale skin , bright green eyes and a buff figure. One of his ears is a cauliflowered . He is wearing a white henley shirt, denim overalls and work boots. His height reaches his shoulders.
"Are You Harvey Armstrong?" asks Abrams.
"Are you with Wraith, Bluey?" asks Harvey.
"Maybe? Maybe I represent someone else ? Does the last name Kowalski ring any bells?" said Abrams.
"Why are you asking about a Kowalski? I'm a war veteran and there are a lot of Poles in the army. So, you'll have to be specific " said Harvey.
"Stan Kowalski" said Abrams . Harvey Armstrong faces changes to recognition.
" I know him, he’s my bitch of an exe’s dad, are you here to rough me up for some money on her behalf?. If so, you’re going to have to work that money for those hospital bills” said Harvey. He transforms into a black rabbit man with glowing gold eyes. .Abrams squares up and delivers a right hook to Harvey's cheek. Abram sees that Harvey ducks out of the way of the blow. Harvey delivers a roundhouse kick to Ixian's face. Abrams feels the blow of it. A normal person would feel the stagger of the kick. Abrams shakes it off.
"Because it can’t be because you’re a new beau. She wouldn’t date a demon like you" mocks Harvey. Abrams's scowls deepen . He cracks his tail like a whip on the ground.
"You're starting to tick me off for running your mouth" said Abrams. Abrams sees that Harvey is crouching down. Abrams uses his tail to slap him in his face . He kicks Harvey's chest. The Kick sends the puc on his back. The Private detective looks at Harvey with disgust across his face.
" I’ll only say this once. Leave the Kowalskis the hell alone” He lifts up his foot . He smashes it down on one of Harvey's sprawled out arms and Abrams leaves the area for his car.
The next day Abrams is at his place. He had just received a courtesy call from Kowalski. He is listening to a portable radio that he keeps on a stand by his couch. He is looking at a magazine .He is sipping a glass of whiskey. He is thinking about going to the movies later. When suddenly, he hears a knock on the door. He gets off his couch. He walks to the door. He checks the peep hole to see exactly who he wanted to see today. He opens the door to Violet Kowalski : wearing a striped yellow colored halter neck a line belted sundress and wedge sandals. She is carrying his top and his belt with a cloth wrapped item in her hands.
“I see that you got my stuff,but what’s in the cloth?” asks Abrams. He opens the door to allow her in.
“Oh, it's Polish Soda bread,My mama made extra and insisted that I bring some over” explains Kowalski.
“Smells good, what’s it called in polish?” ask Abrams.
“Proziaki”
Abrams nods his head at the answer. He closes the door behind her. He tries to say the word with some stumbling. He keeps saying Proh Zeek kee. He takes his items out of Kowalski’s hands.
“I’m getting pretty stumped, how do you say it?” said Abrams.
“pro- Zyah-kee” corrects Kowalski.
“Pro -Zyah-kee” said Abrams.
“Got it” . He places the items down on his dining room table. Kowalski starts to walk to his door.
“Are you going so soon? Why don’t you stay for a drink?” ask Abrams.
“I got Whiskey” offers Abrams.
“I don’t always finish a glass of that stuff, I think that I’d be wasting it” said Kowalski.
“ You can have some of mine” said Abrams. Kowalski twirls a strand of her hair.
“I suppose that is a good compromise” said Kowalski. They start approaching the couch. Abrams sits down first and Violet sits next to him.