Chapter 3

Sure enough in stepped Jennifer, she takes a look around at the office, her eyes falling onto Sharon, she stops, I stand up from my desk to greet her, so does Sharon.

"Jennifer what brings you hear?" I ask holding out a hand to her.

She shakes it firmly preventing me from kissing it again, she looks at Sharon.

"I didn't mean to interrupt anything" She says "Um detective"

I laugh.

"You are not interrupting, I was just having a chat with my Daughter." I say, seeing Sharons eyes widen.

"Daughter?" Jennifer looks around.

"Damn fool, Thats me" Sharon says and raises her hand.

"I don't understand?" Jennifer says.

She looks at me for a moment and looks over at Sharon, switching between looking over the two of us.

"So you are still sticking to your story?" Jennifer asks.

I simply nod, Sharon is shaking her head, Jennifer slowly walks around the office looking at pictures that would be impossible me with people long dead.

"And your in on it?" She looks at Sharon.

Sharon shakes her head.

"I think he is crazy, a delusional mad man." Sharon dead pans.

"Watch it, you are not to old to take over the knee young lady." I say.

"Sure dad, like you ever raised a hand to me." Sharon says a twinkly of humor in her eye.

"I know I spoiled you far too much, spare the rod and all that." I say

Jennifer is just looking at the two of us like we have lost our minds.

"Miss Sanders, what ever story he has told you I will vouch for its authenticity" Sharon says finally.

"So he really is your father?" Jennifer ask.

"Well adopted anyway, he rescued me when I was young" Sharon says.

Jennifer looks at her and than at me, she spots a picture of me giving a piggyback ride to a young girl, she looks at the girl.

"Thats you Detective?" Jennifer ask.

"Yes, I remember that day." Sharon says.

"Your first carnival." I say sitting behind my desk again.

I motion for Jennifer to take a seat besides Sharon across from me, I can see that she wants to continue looking at my pictures but she takes the seat.

"What brings you hear Jennifer?" I ask.

She nods to Sharon.

"She came to me this mourning telling me my attackers died, obviously you know." Jennifer says.

I nod.

"Sharon came to tell me." I say.

Jennifer nods slowly.

"So you just found out too." Jennifer says.

"I never said I just found out." I say

Sharon is shaking her head at me.

"Its okay Sharon the cats out of the bag already" I say.

"Dad." She says, I see the warning in her eye.

"Have I ever misjudged someones character." I ask Sharon.

"not in my lifetime." She says, its a back handed barb.

Jennifer is watching both of us, Sharon crosses her arms and slumps in her chair.

"Jennifer I have lived a long time, I have seen great evil done by man, those two men plotted revenge against you, I stalked them, heard their planing, these men now no longer pose a threat." I said.

I see Sharons ears perk up at the plot of revenge, I had not told her that, surely she did not think I would of killed simply as an just in case measure.

Jennifer nods slowly.

"So you took care of it?" Jennifer says.

I nod once.

"Thank you" She says and seems to release a tension she had been holding.

She looks at Sharon.

"Thank you both." She says.

"Whoa, I had no part in this thank him." Sharon says.

I laugh.

"I believe the term is accessory after the fact daughter o mine." I say.

"I am the cop here thats my line." Sharon says half joking.

I incline my head to her.

"You two really are father and daughter." Jennifer says.

"You should of seen college, I had to introduce him as an older brother." Sharon says.

I laugh.

"I remember meeting that one kid, what was his name? Ted!" I chuckle to myself.

Sharon frowns.

"He spent a whole day telling my college boyfriend how crazy our father was, talked about his gun collection and crap." Sharon said with mock anger.

"Its true, I have a large collection of guns, and half of them have killed before, I shall not tell a lie." I said.

Jennifer is giggling at that.

"Sure honest Abe." Sharon says.

"He wasn't that honest." I say.

Sharon stands nods to me and shakes Jennifers hand.

"I have reports to do, Ill leave you two kids alone now, its been a pleasure, if the old man gives you any problems just call me, ill straighten him out." Sharon says to Jennifer.

"I will" Jennifer says.

Sharon makes for the door.

"Hey" I say.

"What?" Sharon ask.

"Cant leave with out giving me a hug" I say.

She sighs and comes over hugging me, I kiss her forehead.

"love you Daddy." She says,

"Love you too, and be safe, wear that vest I bought you not the crap the force issues." I say.

"Yes dad." She says before heading out.

Jennifer looks at me from the chair.

"That is so weird, she really is your daughter." She says.

I nod.

"I forget how different my life is sometimes." I say.

"So, what do you do here Idin?" She waves to the office.

"Mostly investments, I have a small staff for miscellaneous things though." I say.

"Miscellaneous?" She ask.

"Computer experts, engineers, lawyers." I say.

"Oh." She says.

"Yes, you see it gets harder and harder for people like me, have to keep up with the times." I say.

"People like you, there are more?" she ask.

I think for a moment and nod slowly.

"Not exactly like me, some anomalous beings do exist about, none like me though." I say

"Oh, um can I ask a question?" She say

"shoot" I say, not mentioning that she has been asking questions since we met.

"Why are you being so forthcoming with me?" She ask.

"I told you, you remind me of someone I once knew." I say.

"You mean loved" She says.

I nod, I pull out a sketch book and hand it to her, it is filled with sketches of Jora.

"Whoa thats not creepy." She says flipping through it.

I laugh.

"some of these look really really old." She says.

"Oldest is around 500 years, anything older didn't preserver well." I say.

"right" she says looking at the pictures.

"I could be a decedent of hers?." She says.

"Not possible." I say.

Having seen Sharon banter with Jennifer and the question reminds me of the first stray I picked up.

Then...

Jora holds the child while I carry her back to camp, my pace is steady, I need to get the baby to warmth, Jora is still in pain, I have done all I can for her injuries. My ability to cary them vast distances with out stopping reminds me of how alien I am to these people, the baby is weak Jora is constantly checking on her.