Chapter 4

“Talking”

‘Thoughts’

Flashback

Eric Lanter was in his late forty’s wearing a black business suit with a pale blue shirt and dark blue tie. He had light tan fur and short brown hair with Nile green eyes. Right now those eyes were looking around the interrogation room nervously as he sat in one of the metal chair at a plain metal table. One arm was resting on the table, fingers tapping impatiently while the other draped over the chair as he sat at an angle.

Sitting tensely beside him on another metal chair was his wife, Tamara Lanter, an off-white fur she-kat with long copper hair held in a braid and turquoise-green eyes. She was wearing a black shirt with dove gray jacket and matching khakis. She had both paws on the table with a water bottle in between them. But on her right paw was a cloth bandage wrapped around her right paw. Unlike her husband, Tamara was calm and cool, with no sign of impatience.

Outside the interrogation room, Una was watching the pair through a one way mirror. She wasn’t surprised to see the husband’s reaction to being placed with his wife in the same room. His wife acted cool and collected, drinking her water and waiting patiently.

After she and Chance had spoken to Greg’s ghost, she had gone home to change her wet clothes before heading back to the Enforcer Towers. She didn‘t need her teammates asking how she had gotten wet and getting upset by the answer.

She had called Lillian and had her bring the Lanters in for questioning but didn’t give Lillian the complete reason for the action except to say they were under suspicion for the death of Greg. When she returned to her office, she gathered the evidence collected by her team and her notes from Greg’s statement. Thus armed, she went to the interrogation area and studied the pair before going in. She hoped what she had in her paws would be enough to get one or both to tell her what had happened to Greg and Sheyera.

As she stood there studying her suspects, Adrian stood waiting to lend a paw if she needed it. His copper eyes watched his dark-furred supervisor with some concern. At the moment Una face was blank but her eyes were furious, displaying a clear dislike and disgust as she looked at the husband.

He wondered why. It was his turn to focus his attention on the pair but he could see nothing that would be upsetting his boss so much. What did she know? He had seen her angry before but never like this. It seemed this case had become personal for her.

Feeling it might not be a good idea for his boss to go in there in this state of mind he cleared his throat to get her attention.

“Maybe I should go in there first, boss. You seem a bit tense…” He began then stopped when Una gave him a cold glare making him re-think what he was about to say. “Um....well, never mind.”

“Make sure to record everything that happens once I’m inside, understand?” Una asked in a unreadable tone.

“Sure, Una.” Adrian said carefully

Adrian sighed as he watched Una step out of the observation room for the hall before walking into the interrogation room. He glanced away and down to the recording equipment before him to activate the video camera and insure it was working properly before returning his attention to the interior of the room through the mirror before him. Though her body language showed she was calm and composed her eyes told a different story.

Lanter tensed and his wife frowned at the look of barely restrained anger in the huge she-kat’s eyes. Her husband jumped to his feet like he was in a jack-in-the-box.

“What’s the meaning of bringing us down here like common criminals? What right do you have…” He blustered loudly.

While giving the blustering tom a cold look Una could hear the sharpness in his voice making her anger that much hotter like adding oil to a fire. But as she gave Tamara an equally intense look, she cooled down immediately this was the wronged party she reminded herself.

“Mr. Lanter, during the search of your nephew’s home, we discovered a third DNA that did not match either Greg or his wife.” Una said flatly.

“What does that have to do with us being in here?” Eric question impatiently

“While it did not match both victims, the test did tell us who might have killed Sheyera and our investigation told us the possible reason.” Una said turning her gaze on Tamara. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow for what Tamara had gone through before and after the murder of her nephew.

“Mrs. Lanter…?” Una murmured questioningly.

“I killed Sheyera.” Tamara said distantly not looking at anyone.

Silence crashed down. No one said anything then Tamara reached down for her purse on the floor brought it to the table and laid it down. Her husband glared her in loathing his fists clenched as he watched her take something from her purse.......it was a knife wrapped in a blood soaked cloth.

Snarling in anger, Eric was about to shout at his wife but choked it back at a cold glare from Una. Tamara laid the grisly evidence on the table and withdrew her paws to lay on her purse her eyes still downcast.

Una sighed mentally. She had hoped to draw out the killer but hadn’t expected Tamara to just give it up so easily. She would have to have the blood on the knife and cloth analyzed to be certain whose it was but she was fairly sure it would be Sheyera’s but it wasn’t her job to determine guilt only provide the evidence.

Tamara suddenly spoke without looking up. “This…the murder weapon your team is looking for but didn’t find at the scene. It’s the one I used to kill her.” Her voice was a little remorseful but Una didn’t think it had to do with Sheyera really but with Greg himself.

“How could you?!” Eric said his anger lashing out at his wife.

“How could I? How could I?! What about you! What about what you did to Greg! Your own nephew! Your flesh and blood! You killed him and for what? For her? For Sheyera!” Tamara shrieked at him coming alive at last fury in her eyes and manner.

As she yelled at him, clutching her purse in her fingers until they were white, Eric stepped back to the table and reached out to her grabbing her arm his fist coming back to hit her. Una was faster and reached out her own big paw and snatched Eric back by his shirt collar violently forcing him to release his wife as his shirt choked him. Una shook him hard before releasing him. He raised a paw to rub his throat his face red with fury but subdued before the powerful she-kat.

“Mr. Lanter if you harm your wife, I will be forced to call in the Enforcers to restrain you and charge you with assault. And I’ll warn you now, you not very popular with the Enforcers at the moment.” She warned him coldly.

He continued to glare at her but subsided into silence at that threat.

Seeing that he would behave Una returned her attention to the still furious Tamara who had tears of anger tracking down her face. Gently, she asked, “Tamara. You saw what happen didn’t you? You saw what Eric did to Greg and how Sheyera just stood there and let it happen.”

Tamara nodded her head violently. “She just stood there......watching.....not lifting a finger to save Greg as he fought for his life against Eric.” She sobbed.

Eric turned away wrapping his arms around his chest the anger draining away as he listened in anguished horror to his wife’s confession.

“Tamara, why were you there?” Una asked even though she already knew the answer.

“I’d come over to deliver the papers Greg and I had drawn up. He wanted to show them to Sheyera and have her sign them.” Tamara said miserably.

“Papers? What papers?” Eric asked confusion on his face as he turned back to stare at her.

Tamara ignored him but Una provided the answer. “Divorce papers, Mr. Lanter. Tamara was planning to divorce you while Greg divorced Sheyera. Mr. Lanter, you killed your nephew for no reason.” Una said in cold anger.

He stared at her in shocked dismay and could only stutter, “But…But…” His life was over and for no reason at all.

“I was too late to rescue Greg, he was already dead. I watched in anguish until Eric left then I went inside to confront Sheyera. I demanded to know why she didn’t help save her husband and she shoved me away snarling that she was glad he was dead because now she and Eric could be together and there was nothing I could do about it.” She said bitterly.

“And that’s when you attacked her?” Una asked softly.

Tamara nodded, “I was so angry, so mad at her for what she had said and done, I just grabbed the nearest sharp object I could find. She…fought back but I…I just kept stabbing her......I wanted her to hurt like she had hurt Greg.”

Una nodded sadly, understanding completely the motivation behind Tamara’s attack but unfortunately it didn’t matter. Tamara had killed another and would be going to jail.

“Tamara, there’s something else I want to ask you.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Would you be willing to testify against your husband?”

Hours later as day shift was coming to an end and the night shift for Enforcer Headquarters began, Una was putting the finishing touches to her report and the evidence into the secure lock up until the trial. Her second in command, Tyler, walked into the room as she was locking the cabinet. He waited until she was through before speaking.

“Adrian told me about your little plan and how you questioned both Eric and Tamara.” Tyler said lightly.

“Uh hmm.” Not making any real comment to that. Una had a feeling she knew the real reason Tyler was speaking to her now about it.

“He also told me you looked ready to beat the crap out Mr. Lanter.” Tyler said casually but held up a finger before Una could respond.

“Listen, Una. I know how you feel about adulterous Kats like Eric and Sheyera. But you can’t let your emotions get the better of your judgment. We deal with facts only. We collect the evidence that puts in jail the guilty. We do not get emotionally involved and allow our prejudices to influence us.” He said gently but firmly.

Una sighed, “I know, Tyler. I do try to keep my feelings about such things under control. And I did…mind you.”

“Then maybe I should be grateful this wasn’t your first adultery/murder case.” He said cheekily.

“You should since I didn’t punch him in the face like the first time even when someone like him deserves it.” Una said then thought to herself ‘So did Sheyera but not death.’

“Still the case might go FUBAR if Eric tells his lawyer you grabbed him bodily.” Tyler said musingly.

“I’m aware of that, though on tape it will show I was only protecting his wife.” Una said flatly.

“Yeah, that’s true but you know Briggs well take any excuse to dig up your past and use it against you.” He warned.

Una scowled at that, not caring to be reminded. Only Tyler and Dr. Dorian Blair knew why she had such a strong dislike for cheats. Tyler had handled the case concerning a cheating enforcer father, whose strange movements had brought him under suspicion. He had been brought in for questioning and it was learned he had planned to leave his wife and kittens for another.

The case had upset Una deeply and she had allowed her personal feelings to interfere with her job. During questioning, she had socked the offending father on the nose. Tyler had been forced to drag her out of the room before she could pummel the tom. Once outside the room, he released her and without saying a word she stormed off to cool her temper and allowed Tyler to handle the case on his own. It had been a very embarrassing moment for her and unprofessional.

Later she explained the reason behind her shocking behavior.

She was an illegitimate kitten, her mother, Jennifer Feral was very wild and rebellious, taking whatever she wanted. Of course when Jennifer had Una, she had never bothered to tell Una who her father was all through her young years and on into her teens. When Una asked about who her sire was her mother would just shrug and say she couldn’t remember and didn’t care. Una was forced to put up with her mother’s string of lovers that traipsed through her home as she was growing up.

Though her mother may have been a hellion, Una was the exact opposite. Law abiding and thoughtful, she kept firm control over her feelings and desires.

Dr. Blair had been the one to find out who her father was. He’d discovered that Una had a half brother by her mother and two siblings (a brother and sister) by her father’s marriage. Not one of them had known anything about Una, her brother and her mother.

Much later, Dr. Blair asked Una if she had sought her father out once she’d found out who he was.

“Once. But he said my mother had too many lovers to be so certain he was mine but I assured him tests showed he was. He got angry about that and told me never to communicate with him again.” Una said rather sadly.

“From what you’ve told me about your mother that might have been true but when the facts speak for themselves, he was rather foolish to deny it. You have a special knack for getting at the truth and could have pressed the matter.......” Dr. Blair suggested, looking up from the report he was working on.

“ Yes but to acknowledge me would mean he would have to acknowledge that he had an affair not only to himself but to his wife and kittens which would......” Una said bitterly, not able to complete the thought.

“Shatter his image and possibly his family’s reputation.” Dr. Blair finished for her rather grimly.

Una snorted, “I told him, he should have thought about that when he was sharing another’s bed and pretending he was free to do so like a happy bachelor sowing his oats rather than a married male cheating on his wife. It was his choice to make!”

Dr. Blair looked up at her, “ You said that?”

“I did.”

“Let me guess. He got mad didn’t he?”

Una nodded, “He did and tried to intimidate me too, but he learned it was a bad idea. By then I was already taking advanced martial arts classes and I had quite a temper back then.”

Dr. Blair shook his head, “Back then? You mean your temperament was worst back then from what it is now? Well did you break anything?”

“Just his wrist. But he didn’t press any changes against me.”

“He couldn’t. Doing so would mean he would have to face your mother who would mostly likely bring up things he would rather not face and tell his wife.”

Una smiled a little as she looked down at the floor, “Yeah, and that was the last time I ever saw him.”

“What about your brother and sister?” Dr. Blair asked seeing the sadness in Una’s eyes.

“I don’t think its right for me to talk to them. After all, they don’t know about me and the affair. So…why ruin their lives by telling them?” She said unhappily.

“Una?” Tyler’s voice brought her out of her memories causing her to look over at her second in command.

“Sorry, I was thinking.” Una said turning to face him now. She had never told Tyler how Dr. Blair had often acted like a surrogate father to her ever since she had started her job here and she didn’t plan to tell him now.

“You tend to do that a lot after cases like this.” Tyler observed.

She shrugged that off and asked, “Tyler, why do you think some kats cheat? Even when everything is going so great for them?”

Tyler blinked in surprise to be asked such a question but he tried to answer as best he could. “It could be for a lot of reasons. Maybe they are just unhappy with their relationship but just won’t say anything. Or perhaps they feel they need more then just one person giving them attention. I don’t know, I’m not one of them nor have I ever cheated before.”

“Thank you for your honesty and I also want to apologize.” Una said quietly.

“Huh? What for?” Tyler asked raising an eyebrow at Una.

“You’re always having to worry about me when these kinds of cases come up.”

“Don’t be. Its what friends do and I don’t mind being around you at time like these. Just…just be sure to keep your anger in check.” Tyler warned her somberly

“Right.” Una promised giving Tyler a faint smile.

Tyler nodded at her and then left her alone in the room to finish her work. Some time later, Una had returned to her office and was in the process of locking up for the day. As she was putting away some work in her desk a chill rippled down her spine sending her fur upward till she looked twice her size.

She grit her teeth and looked around the room quickly. She knew what the chill meant. Chance had gone off somewhere on his own after the incident at Greg and Sheyera’s home. She didn’t know where’d he gone but was grateful he had since it made it easier to get her work done. She had told him what she’d be doing when they parted earlier so he was aware of what she had planned for the Lanters.

“So did everything go as you plan?” Chance asked as he floated close to the ceiling looking down at her.

Jerking her head up in the direction of his voice, she said, “Yeah it did, till Tamara confessed to killing Sheyera. She even handed over the murder weapon that my team was looking for.”

Chance blinked at her in disbelief. “She confessed? Why?” He asked.

“I think she did it because of how she felt about Greg and that he would rather have her tell the truth then lie about it.” Una said simply

“Huh?” Chance said, looking somewhat confused..

Una had to resist rolling her eyes as she explained more clearly, “Tamara loved Greg and he loved her as only relatives as close as they were could. When he was killed it broke her heart and sent her into a fury to avenge him. When he was alive, they comforted each other during this terrible situation. They helped each other get divorce papers done but it was too late. It was just too sad all around but adulterers have a way of causing havoc and pain in their wake.”

Chance look away whispering, “Yeah, you’re right.”

Stillness fell between the. Una relaxed back in her chair and watched him float around her office studying everything. Finally, she sat up and addressed him.

“Chance, about today.......” She began.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you and…I forgive you.” Una said quietly.

“Ahhh, you’re welcome. But why are you forgiving me?” He asked eyeing her curiously.

Una humph at him then push away from her desk and stood up. She put away the rest of her work away and locked her unfinished work away in her desk. She ignored his question.

“Furlong, I know you can figure out what I mean. Just stop and think about it.” Una said softly

She didn’t say anymore as she walked out of her office locking it behind her as she made her way to the elevator. Chance was left behind in her office hovering above her desk as he tried to figure out what the dark fur she-kat meant.

But it soon dawned on him, she was thanking him for saving her life today along with forgiving him for attacking her days earlier. ‘Maybe Una’s right. Maybe she didn’t try to kill me but rather try to help me.’ Chance thought reconsidering his stance on the she-kat involvement in his death.

“Crud, I’ve been such an idiot.” Chance muttered to himself.

He could really kick himself in the rear if he was still alive. How could he blame Una for his death when he had no real proof much less memory of his death in the first place. His seeing her just as he ‘woke’ could have been her just doing her job on a scene, just like she’d told him in the first place or she had tried to save him but he’d gotten everything jumbled up in his mind after his death. So the only way to get at the truth of his death was to investigate it and she was the best to do it.

“I need to talk to her.” Chance said out load.

He quickly straightened himself out and flew out of the office and through the door. He flew straight toward the elevator moving through the now almost empty hallways. He reach the elevator but fazed through the door and headed straight up the channel till he reached the lobby. Chance knew he had to move fast to catch up to Una as she had gotten a good head start.

He passed through the doors and into the lobby till he was outside Enforcer Headquarters. He floated up in the air till he could see the whole parking lot. He noted Una car was no longer in the lot and knew she had already gone home. He quickly headed to her apartment.

It didn’t take him long to reach the right apartment building and head through the front door of the lobby and rush up the elevator shaft to her floor then flew down the hallway to her door. He didn’t hesitate to move through the door and enter Una home. As soon as he was in the living room, he froze. He sensed danger and the presence of another ghost in the room. He jerked his head to the left and saw a very familiar angry ghost.

‘Sheyera!’ He thought in shock then he heard a groan and rushed to the bedroom. Una lay on the floor moaning.

“Una!” He shouted ignoring the threatening ghost to reach dark she-kat side.

He could see long deep claw marks on her back, arms and legs. There was even a small one on her right cheek. Blood was oozing out of her wounds staining her shirt and dripping onto the floor. Una was gritting her teeth in pain from the wounds.

“Chance…run…” Una said slowly hissing a little, “…now.”

“No, not till I…”

“You don’t…understand. Sheyera…she’s changed…too dangerous…I…I couldn’t…”

“Stop talking! I need to get you out of here.” Chance said trying to figure out way to help her.

“No....Chance....leave.....now......” Una pleaded before passing out and leaving Chance alone to deal with the situation.

Before he could decide what to do next a raging shriek that would have chilled him to the bone if he’d been still alive, filled the air. He quickly soared out of the bedroom and back into the main room, Sheyera rushed from the kitchen and grabbed him before he could react to the sight of her. She slammed him against the nearest wall. Her once beautiful lavender eyes were now red with rage.

“Sheyera!” He shouted.

“I told you leave it alone! I told you not to get involved! But you didn’t listen! Now, now you have to pay! Pay for what you did to him! For what you did to Eric!” She shrieked at him.