Arjun took a swig from his mug and felt the lukewarm coffee splash down his throat. It’s invigorating liquid was the only thing keeping him from losing his nerve and leaving. He hated the job he had in this life more than the one he had in his last. No one at The Gates had mentioned it being any different, just that there was an opening. He figured ‘a cop is a cop’ so here he was. Sergeant Arjun Patel of Necropolis PD, Special Assignment Division. He’d figured wrong.

22 years working in Queens would never have prepared him for the files that came to his desk. Exorcised children needing to be captured and returned to the underworld. People indentured to demons after a bad card game. Things that happened to people here just had a more lasting effect than what he saw there. At least in his last life he could believe victims went to a better place. Here, well, where do you go when the afterlife is shit?

“Hey, you still there? You gonna charge me with something? Or am I free to go?”

Arjun snapped out of his train of thought and looked back at the woman sitting across the table from him. Hair tucked in up in a ponytail with small brown bangs neatly curled just above hazel eyes. Hard to imagine someone her size could wreak so much havoc, but this was more of that same shit.

She’d had a smile on her face since he’d entered the room, trying to tie the whole ensemble together and put Arjun at ease. Her entire demeanor hadn’t matched the case file he’d read earlier.

“We both know you’re not free to go. Not until you can account for your presence at the bodega.”

“Charlie’s shop,” she giggled. “I’m always there. What of it?”

“How do you explain the three empty vessels?”

The woman let out another giggle and leaned in. “Maybe they pissed off some Reapers. Who knows.”

Arjun slapped his hand on the table, time to see if the file was right. “Cut the shit Bune!”

Her eyes turned black. “Wow, haven’t been named by anyone in a long time.”

“I’ll ask one more time.” Arjun said leaning in, “What happened to them? Witnesses placed you running from the scene of 3 empty vessels.”

The smile from Bune’s face disappeared. She slouched back into her seat and said nothing.

“Cat got your tongue? Is this not fun anymore?”

Bune turned her head and crossed her arms. “Lawyer.”

“Demons don’t get lawyers. Especially one’s in stolen vessels.”

“Is that what’s bothering you? The suit?” Bune laughed again, “I know my rights, Copper. Tell you what, I’m gonna make it easy on you. You call Allocer and tell him Bune’s askin. Until then, I’m done talking.”

The name Allocer hit like a sack of bricks. Arjun sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

This was going to be a long night.