Chapter 25, the investigation

Riff, Alex, and Christine went to the crime scene and for all of them, it was painful to see. Each in their wolf form they had a better chance of finding evidence and clues with their keen senses. Christine was a blonde wolf with golden eyes. It looked like a flash of sunlight as she ran. She was the smallest out of the three due to her being a girl, but she was about 5ft in length. Alex was a russet brown wolf, about 10 feet in length, dark brown almost black, intelligent eyes, and is very swift. And Riff was a huge black wolf, and quiet as a shadow, tall as a horse but more muscular, with dagger-like incisors and dark blue almost black. When they got to the scene still in wolf form....it was hard to investigate.

“I know this is painful to see, but we have to figure this out for all our sakes.” Riff looked solemn as he found the bodies of his friends... 

“Riff, it’s just hard to believe. I just met them, and I wanted to get to know them.” Christine was sad too...almost teary-eyed seeing them on the ground.

“I know Christine this must be hard for you since you did just meet us.” Riff tried to comfort her by putting his head on her neck.

“I’m still learning your world, and the pack was learning mine. Well, my world and yours are so different it’s so fascinating to me.” She appreciated Riff comforting her. 

“I bet it is well let’s finish this investigation.”

“Yes, Riff.” They looked at their lifeless bodies they tried not to cry while they did. From what they could figure out it was a fight that just went horribly wrong, but it can’t be since if it was a fight then one of them would be alive. There’s more to the story…while there were a lot of scratches and bruises on both nothing seemed to be out of place. Alex was looking around the area and he found something.

“What is it Alex did you find something hun?” Christine asked confusedly

“Yeah I found a black pistol, so it was murder,” Alex said sadly but confirmed that mystery.

“Guess so now we found the weapon who’s the murderer?” Christine asked confusedly again

“Well, we’ll have to figure it out,” Alex said sadly

“Hey, Riff Alex found the weapon!” Christine called to him to let Alex grieve.

“Oh, great work we’ll turn this into the police since we don’t have the technology.” Riff said sadly thinking that they had to stop the investigation. They phased back into people to make it easier to talk to each other.

“We do have a fingerprinting kit must have been a present that no one used since I found it in the closet back home,” Christine remembered seeing it near one of the bedrooms at Bernardo and Anita's house

“Oh never knew that nice memory, Christine.” Riff and Alex were surprised that they had one.

“Thanks, Riff so if we get prints of the whole pack get a dusting of the prints of the gun then we’ll know who our murderer is.” Christine had a proud grin on her face. Guess all those years of watching crime shows paid off.

“Good work Christine let’s do that plus that might save us from moving again.” Now that they got the gun they had to get prints from everyone…and they meant everyone from Bernardo and Anita to Chino and Fernando to see if it was a fight between themselves. When they got the results back from their tests they found their murderer.

“I can’t believe he would do such a thing like this.” Alex was shocked when he found the results.

“I know Alex it surprises me too. I haven’t known him long but he didn’t look like the kind of wolf that could kill…” Christine had a sad and grim look on her face when she finished with the test.

“Well, we have to tell them mi rosa…come on the first Riff then the others.” He grabs her waist so he can get some comfort from her and she did the same cause she wanted to comfort him and she wanted to brace herself for people’s reaction.

“Oh good you’re back so…who’s our killer?” Riff waited the whole time for the results

“You’re not going to like it but…Joaquin did it…maybe he was jealous of them and wanted to take over one of their spots when he killed them…” Christine had to tell him, but she didn't want to...

“I’m shocked about who it is he’s the killer type! Unless he has to and this kind of behavior from him isn’t very often only when we hunt. We must tell the others they have a right to know.” Riff was shocked at the news he didn't want to believe it.

“Do we have to Riff? I don’t want to bring bad news.” Christine begged not to be the bringer of bad news...guess this is how Hermes felt sometimes...

“Yes, they deserve to know he has to be punished for his crime.” Riff had a stone-cold face once the news sunk in more.

“Alright, you’re the Alpha let’s go…” Christine and Alex let Riff lead the way to the others. They left the living room and headed to the backyard to tell everyone else the news…the rest of them were wondering who’d do such a thing to their pack…finally, it was time to tell them.

 “After doing some tests we know who did it and sadly it is one of us…” Riff started telling the news and he looked at Christine. The others had a scared look on who it was…

“Christine, do you want to tell them?” Riff trying to let someone else be the bad guy...

“If I must Riff then…I’ll do it…I hate to bring this bad news but the murderer was…Joaquin…” Christine hated being the bringer of bad news. Everyone let out a small gasp and his girl Rosa started to cry.

“I want to know why…why you did it.” Riff looked at him straight in the eyes. Angry and hurt that Joaquin would do such a thing instead of talking to him about it.

“I was tired of you praising them Fernando did this, Chino did that…it was sick! Now they’re not my problem anymore…” Joaquin got angry just thinking about it.

“Well now you’re not a problem…I’m kicking you out of this pack! You’re a threat to us and we don’t want anyone else killed!” Riff hurt and angry had to do it...even if he didn't want to.

“We’re over Joaquin! I’m not dating a killer and not a wolf killer either!” Rosa slapped him on the cheek, started crying, and ran from the yard. Joaquin double hurt, no family, no girl...he was all alone...

“Rosa mi amor don’t leave me!”

“Don’t call me that!” She runs away to cry and get away from him…she didn’t even want to be in the same room with him anymore even though she still loved him. Anita ran after her to go comfort her.

“Vamos Joaquin…go now leave! I order you to leave and never come back!” As an obedient wolf, he did as he was told even though he didn’t like it.