Chapter 16: Ethan

Life at university was even better from high school; parties with alcohol, dance, and many hot guys. It was pretty much the definition of what young adults considered as paradise. I went into parties, got drunk sometimes, although my high tolerance on alcohol made it really difficult, I had numerous hot make-out sessions with sexy guys. And that was all the fun I had during Friday and Saturday nights.

Because the other days of the week, I was the definition of a nerd. I attended all my classes, read a lot until late at night, went to the gym, and practiced so I can keep my shape. Some afternoons I went to help with the service at my family's restaurants, so I could earn some extra pocket money. In my free time, I painted and joined a club for aspiring young artists. Sundays were devoted to my family; I went to visit them, and we had lunch or dinner all together.

Mom started to make amends with the fact that I would be a Police Officer, or she believed that maybe my studies on Criminal Justice would make me reconsider my decision. If it was the latter, then she’d be disappointed. I liked a lot everything we learned in college, but my studies were something I must do, so I could become a Police Officer.

Izzie moved away to complete her studies, but that didn’t drive us apart. We used to talk every day on the phone or make video calls, and we saw each other every time she came back to our city. I met some other girls in college, and I had some study buddies; however, we didn’t share the same bond I had with Izzie. 

The two years of my studies passed by at the same pattern. I came across some supernaturals, basically witches and a few werewolves. We didn’t have any problems, as long as everyone complied with the rules. It was actually great to be able to meet others and talk to them about our nature.

On the day of my graduation, I was ecstatic; not only I was free from college, but I could now move to the next phase of my life. My whole family came to see me graduate; they were happy for me. Chris had graduated a few months before me, and he was now applying for his residency.  It was very satisfying to see our dreams come true.

The next step was to pass a background check, undergo a phycological evaluation, and meet specific physical standards. I didn’t have a criminal record, I wasn’t phycological unstable, and my physical state was excellent. After that, I had to attend a training academy and complete written and practical lessons on first aid, emergency response, driving skills, and firearm usage. That was easy for me since I had already experience in combat fight, and I knew how to use a gun- or different types of firearms. My trainers were impressed by my progress; it wasn’t very common for a woman of my age to have such skills.

After all these, I was a Police Officer and I had to undergo a trial period under the supervision of a superior officer. Officer Castro, a nice middle-aged man, was my superior. Our collaboration was great; we patrol certain areas, we conducted traffic stops, arrested a few thieves. and got some leads for an underground drug-dealing operation.

What I like most was when we were the first ones to arrive on a crime scene. Don’t get me wrong, I was sad that someone had lost his life, or something precious was stolen. I just wanted to find the criminal and make sure he or she gets the proper punishment. I wasn’t a homicide detective, so all I could do, for now, was find and interview eyewitnesses and search the crime scene for any leads.

Apparently, my extra powers gave me one more advantage. Especially, on murder’s scenes, I could see in my mind what exactly had happened. I couldn’t comprehend why this occurred, but all I had to do was kneel beside the body, close my eyes, and concentrate. In the beginning, all I could see were blur images; however, with time I could see whole scenes playing on my head.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t use this information to solve the crime, since it was impossible to explain the way I had obtained them. Thus, I made sure to use them the best way possible; I could search better for clues and leads, I could tell if the culprit was among the witnesses or the suspects, and sometimes I discretely pointed the detectives to the right direction.

Slowly, the detectives from the homicide department recognized my help, and from time to time, they came to me seeking advice. Some of them offered me to train me so I can become a detective. I wanted to be a police officer for some more time. Besides, we were now partners with Officer Castro, and I liked a lot working with him. I had all my future ahead of me, and I wanted to enjoy each step I took.

There was an investigation of a gang member's murder. We had found the body during one of our usual patrols. The crime scene was completely clean, and there weren’t any obvious clues left behind. I did my little magic trick, I discovered that this wasn’t the murder place, but the killer had dumped the body in that dark alley. I was able to find a footstep, traces of tires, and fibers of a strange material.

The forensic analyst was able to identify that the fibers came from a handmade rug. The manufacturer provided us the client’s list of the area after we got a warrant. It turned out that these rugs were limited, and there were very few people in our city that had bought them. Things were easier for us since one of the men in the list was the leader of our victim's rival gang.

After many interrogations, the homicide detectives managed to catch the culprit. They gave me more credits than I expected, and I was very pleased. I tried hard not to let anyone down, and most importantly to prove that my good performance wasn’t just pure luck. I may have cheated a bit, by using my superpowers, but undoubtedly, I was very observant and efficient on what I did.

I was extremely focused on the papers I was reading, and on the forms I was completing that I didn’t notice a man standing beside my desk.

“You must be Ophelia, the Police Officer everyone's talking about,” said a deep and sexy voice beside me.

I glanced on the side to see a man looking directly at me. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a slim yet firm torso. His tan skin made the perfect contrast with his emerald eyes and his dirty blonde hair. A small smirk appeared on his luscious lips, and I involuntarily bit my lower lip. I opened my mound to utter a word, but my brain seemed to not be working. I mentally slapped myself and cleared my throat in a desperate attempt to buy some time.

“I'm sorry, sir, but I can’t remember your name,” I muttered and tried to look composed. That was true; I didn’t know him, but he seemed to know me.

“My apologies, you’re kind of famous around here. Let me start over; I'm Ethan Vitalis, I work as a detective,” he said and extended his hand.

“I'm Ophelia Tramell. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I replied, and we shook hands.

“The pleasure is all mine. We’ve been solving murder cases thanks to all these leads and clues you find. How do you do that? Is there a trick you could teach me?” he said, a smirk plastered on his lips.

Is he flirting with me? “I'm just very observant, and I think it’s this thing they called woman’s instinct,” I said tilting my head on the side.

“Oh, I get it! You won’t reveal to me your secret just like that. How about if I take you out for a coffee?”

“A coffee?! I think you’d have a better chance over dinner,” I suggested folding my arms in front of my chest. My little trick worked since his eyes traveled down my chest and rested on my breast.

“Is that so? How about dinner, tonight. I'll pick you up from your place,” he said with a confident voice.

Oh, he should drop his arrogant façade if he wanted to have a chance with me. “I'm sorry, but I have plans for tonight, but I'll be free tomorrow.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said with a shrug.

Well, the game is on Mr. Vitalis, I muttered to myself when he left, and I looked at the card on my hand. His name and his phone number were written on it. I'd call him the next day to confirm the details.

However, one thing was sure: I had a date with a man, sexy as hell. 

Oh, Moon Goddess, I'm totally screwed…