Dragoste Întunecatã (SMALL EDIT)

I know I know I haven’t updated in a while. I’m in the middle of moving to Ohio, planning my wedding, and working crazy hours because my job is trying to work me to death before I leave.

So I managed to squeeze in this chapter in between my hectic schedule.

Andrea Tyler- you’re lucky I have a high tolerance of being shaken (thanks to my darling fiancée >;-D) so your wish in my command!


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Agatha sat across from her long time confidante and colleague Criss Strovsky, Head of the Eurasian Linguistics Department.

“So my dear, to what do I owe the honor of your visit today?” asked the older gentleman as he continued what he was doing before Agatha had arrived. Agatha smiled warmly at him and dug through her purse, producing the book she came to have translated. “I found this in my bookshelf last night and I can’t for the life of me figure out where it came from. I know its Romanian, but beyond that I’m having some trouble translating and dating it.”

Criss looked up from his paperwork and froze when he saw the book in her hands. His normal olive complexion went completely pale and his eyes widened in what Agatha could only describe as fear.

“Criss?”

“Why did you bring that here? You must get rid of that book!” his voice mimicking the look of fear on his face. Agatha was taken aback by her mentor’s words. In the time she’s worked here she’s never seen him react such a way to any material he’s come across. He seemed genuinely terrified. “Criss, its only a book. You’ve told me yourself that there’s no harm in books,” she said trying to calm the man.

The older man stood abruptly and backed away from his desk. “This is unlike any other book Agatha. This book is the Devil’s book! It is pure evil! My mother warned me of such a book. Bound in flesh, written in blood, cursed by demons!” The hysterical man began to rub his hands nervously together, all the while keeping an eye on the book as if it was going to jump up and swallow him whole.

Agatha was becoming unnerved by his behavior. “Criss it’s only a book! You know those are just old wives tales! Besides I read some of the text last night and…”

She never finished her sentenced. In a blur Criss had crossed the room and hoisted up Agatha by her arms. “You what!?” he cried out, “You read aloud from this book Agatha, are you mad?!” His grip on her arms tightened and Agatha knew there would be bruises later.

There was a soft knock on the door and Ina’s voice came from the other side of it, “Sir is everything alright?”

Realizing that he was hurting Agatha, he let go of the frightened woman and replied, “Yes, everything is fine Ina. Continue your work.”

They heard the woman walk away from the door and Criss turned his attention back towards the frightened woman. “I am sorry Agatha. I don’t know what came over me. But this book should be left alone!”

Agatha was becoming angry, “Criss, its…just…a…book. As I was saying, I read from it last night, ALOUD, and I am still here today. If there was some demon in this book wouldn’t I be dead or something worse? Newton’s nut sack Criss! Its just a fucking book!”

“Agatha, you may not believe in the spiritual world, but these things do exist,” he sighed, “I will translate this book for you. After this though, expect no more from me.”

The young woman felt a pang in her chest. She couldn’t believe he was behaving like this. But she couldn’t control the way he felt, she was only grateful that after his earlier hysterics he would do it. “Thank you,” she said and handed him the book.

He took it reluctantly and placed it on his desk as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to touch it more than he had to. “I should have it fully translated by next week.”

Agatha gave a curt nod and left the office without saying another word.

As she made her way downstairs to hail a taxi her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but answered it anyway, “Hello?”

“Is this Agatha Dempsy?”

“It is.”

“My name is Detective Andrea Tyler. I’m with NYPD Homicide. I need to ask you a few questions. Can you meet me at your apartment?” the woman asked. Agatha stood dead in her tracks and paused. Homicide? What the hell?

“Sure, I’ll be there in 20 minutes.”

Without saying anything the woman on the other line disconnected the call, leaving Agatha with a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. She managed to hail a taxi and tipped the driver extra money to get her to her place as quickly as possible.

Criss’ words began playing over in her head during the very short cab ride home.

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Detective Andrea Tyler surveyed the crime scene before her. The victim, 52-year-old Jonathan Peg, was being bagged and tagged by CSI as she walked through Agatha Dempsy’s apartment.

There was no sign of a struggle in the apartment and Detective Tyler noticed the handfuls of women’s lingerie scattered on the floor by the dresser. A junior officer was collecting a few of the garments that had some excrement on them. The tall woman shuddered inwardly knowing the man had no business in her apartment, especially doing what she knew he was doing.

She looked out the window and saw a cab pull up and a young woman getting out. Agatha was looking around the crime scene in horror and then she saw her broken window with the detective looking down at her.

The detective left the window and went to wait by the front door. A few seconds later Agatha appeared in the doorway out of breathe.

“Ms. Dempsy? I’m Detective Tyler; we spoke on the phone not too long ago. Lets go sit down in the kitchen and I’ll ask you a few questions,” the woman said kindly as she escorted a confused Agatha to the kitchen.

Agatha sat down at the table and was looking around at all the investigators moving about the apartment and manhandling her possessions.

“Could you tell the officers to be a little more gentle with some of my things? A lot of the items I have a rare and I don’t want them ruined,” Agatha asked. The dark-haired woman nodded and called out to her team, “Boys, be gentle with that stuff. You break it, you buy it.”

She smiled at Agatha who nodded at her.

”So Agatha, I can call you Agatha right? What was your relationship with the victim?”

Agatha gave her a confused look and asked who it was. When she heard the answer, Agatha gasped. “So I take it you did know him?” she asked again.

The young woman nodded, “H-he’s, was, my landlord.” Detective Tyler wrote that down and continued her questioning, “Was that the only relationship you had with him? Was there anything…intimate going on between the two of you?”

Agatha’s face screwed up in disgust and the older woman laughed. “I guess not. The reason I ask is we found what we believe to be some seminal fluid on some of you intimate garments and wanted to rule out that option.”

“Wait. You mean he was jerking off with my things?”

“That’s what we believe, yes, until we prove that you two didn’t have a relationship.”

“There was no relationship. He was my landlord, my very perverted landlord, and there was nothing more between us,” she said with some finality. The detective nodded and began writing again. “You seemed a little defensive there for a second. Any reason?”

“No. I’m…I’m just a little shocked that I saw him before I left this morning and I come back to find out that he’s been using my personal items as his own sex toys and the fact that he’s now dead,” she replied.

The detective nodded again and continued writing. “You said you left this morning, where did you go?”

“I went to my job. I found this book last night that I wanted to have translated and took it to a friend I work with. Criss Strovsky. He’s the Head of the Eurasian Linguistics at the NYCISR. I can give you his number if you want to call and verify it with him.”

The woman shook her head and continued writing. “Is there anyone besides yourself and the late Mr. Peg that had access to your apartment? A boyfriend, husband...girlfriend?” she asked.

Agatha shook her head but then stopped, causing the detective to look at her expectantly, “Charles, my ex, he came by this morning as well. I thought I took the key back from his, but he said he remembered where I hide my extra key and kind of surprised me this morning.” Realization suddenly dawned on her. “He wouldn’t…no, he was in a hurry this morning he couldn’t…do you think he might have done it?”

Detective Tyler clicked her pen and sat up high in her seat leaning close to Agatha. “We’ll investigate him. It’s possible he may have seen Mr. Peg enter your apartment and in a fit of jealousy entered after him and killed him. Was he ever the jealous or possessive type?” she asked.

Again Agatha shook her head, “No, he was always so gentle with me. He bought me flowers every Sunday and cooked breakfast for me before I went to work. Oh and he used to leave me these little presents around the house, kind of like an Easter egg hunt. They weren’t anything special really. Just some cute knick knacks.”

Her eyes glazed over a little as she thought back to those days. She did her best not to cry and didn’t realize she was until the detective handed her a handkerchief. She dabbed the corner of her eyes and smiled.

“So what happened? Sounds like you guys had the perfect relationship,” she said as she waited for the curvy woman to compose herself.

“I came home one day and found him testing out an old Kama Sutra text with a woman from the archives department. After that we split up and I hadn’t seen him in over a year until this morning,” she said sniffling. Agatha handed the handkerchief back to the detective who put her hand up. “Keep it. You might find it useful later on.”

Agatha nodded and whispered a thank you.

For the next four and a half hours the two women talked, Agatha answering her questions and Detective Tyler asking her more about Charles.

After they were done, she handed Agatha her card as well as suggested she sleep somewhere else for the next couple of days. Agatha declined, stating she would be fine.

After everyone had left, Agatha looked around her apartment in dismay. Even after the warning for them to be gentle, a lot of her things were disheveled, turned over, dusted, taped, etc.

With a heavy sigh she locked her door and stripped down to her underwear. Grabbing a blanket from her hallway closet she turned off the lights and lay down on her couch. She might as well get some sleep before tomorrow.

Her eyelids grew heavy and fell asleep. She didn’t even notice the dark shadow sitting on the chair next to her.


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Gah! I hate work. This chapter took me twice as long than it normally would have. Well must go back to attending customers. Enjoy!!!

Aggie