By: Daiyu Tang
I received a tip-off that there was a heavier than usual police presence down at the Bait Shop in Laveau. For those of you in Hathian who don’t visit our ‘fair’ neighbour that often, the Bait Shop sits near the docks and is the home to various sorts, many of whom make their living with the sea. It’s also, being on the shoreline, prone to flooding, gators, bodies washing up and the like.
But dear reader, I never thought I’d be going there to discuss ‘Cat Killing’. If you can tolerate that as a topic, read on because the Sheriff Department, (‘The LSD’ – and some of my witnesses think they are for sure tripping) has put the Bait shop under surveillance in case it and people close to it are involved with either these ‘cat killings’, or perhaps less worryingly but probably more dangerous, drug, gun or other illicit import activity.
The Taste of the Sea
The Bait Shop catches the bounty of the sea and then as we understand it sells the catch onto restaurants in the local area and likely other parts of the State. Fresh seafood is always a delight and therefore I have a lot of respect for people who get on small(ish) boats and try and and bring in the harvest of the sea. Having recently seen a larger yacht there is a marked contrast between the luxury that life can bring and the hardship, but satisfaction a job feeding your town can bring. Still, I am not stupid, I imagine most of everyone would prefer to have the yacht (until they get the bill for fuel).
After hearing about these raids I drove the two hours down Laveau’s bad quality roads and eventually got to the coast. I have known Mr. Mankus for a bit and a few of his bait shop staff are familiar, but there is a mysterious air about the place and the wider bayou and coast and people come and go with the tides, changing their appearance or habits or simply washing away never to return. It’s always a place that I feel that if I had time, scratching the surface would be both exhilarating and dangerous.
Observer: “So I heard there were some raids, what gives? You getting caught with things in the nets you shouldn’t be?”
It felt important to start provocatively. Mankus is calm like a flat sea, but appears to be the kind of person that you could whip into a storm if you wanted. The Observer feels that a little chop to the surface of the ocean is always good to get a few more angles and to chart a more fruitful course.
Mankus: “This? Unexpected. I have been mostly in Haiti, attending to the matter of a sick relative. I have been back here once in a while to keep an eye on business. On one return, I walked into the aftermath of a raid and these two fine officers, who have been here now for the past three days”
And it was true, at least two officers from the LSD were keeping an eye on the bait shop. It looked boring work, but there was a gleam to their eyes and a sense of diligence that belied what I would consider almost a ‘punishment’ of watching fish being unloaded on repeat.
Observer: “So ok, they usually have a reason for a raid and if it’s not you, what about other workers here, what did they say?”
Mankus: “Apparently the allegation was made directly about me, that while I had been away on business, I was apparently also here in town killing…Cats”.
This was not what I expected, even in Laveau. Mankus showed me his passport that was stamped for recent dates to Haiti.
Mankus: “We have a business to run here and I can’t think of anyone I know here killing cats. Fish, yes, that’s our trade. Cats? No. What’s worse, is I heard that there was a threat to my shop and staff. On a recent return, I caught someone sneaking around in bushes with a bandana covering their face, so naturally I drew my revolver as a precaution. Apparently, according to the one making these allegations, that makes me a cat slayer! So, on the back of that, Derryth had my shop turned upside down looking for anything linking me to this. I might add, this is the fourth raid on my property and nothing has ever been found!”
There is sometimes a saying that there is ‘no smoke without fire’ but can the same be said for cats? Does the act of drawing a gun and getting reported for it mean you are a ‘cat killer’? Surely, having done some digs in Laveau myself and found plenty of animal bones (and worse animal slaughter). Our image left shows some of the weird stuff we’ve reported on in Laveau before.
Observer: “Cats seem to be a weird thing, but if I were you I’d check out the Midnight Mandarin place or whatever it’s called, where those Yheng sisters are at. Cat Slayer… it just doesn’t seem you… But anyway, so the deputies wanted to turn your shop upside down for a cat killer allegation? What about if they wanted to put some pressure on for other reasons?”
Mankus: “I can’t see the Yhengs’ being involved in anything like that. I hear there have been a lot of strangers in town lately, so its possible that someone has come to Laveau to commit such acts. Laveau has a reputation for odd things. Regardless, I have been stuck here for three days, as have my staff. Every shipment of fish in, the deputies oversee us gutting and preparing before delivery…just in case… perhaps just in case they come back to life? It’s affecting my business as Laveau’s finest are in the way all the time.”
We looked around and I do think, (and did tell Mankus) that smuggling inside fish has been done many times before. Fishing boats also have watertight compartments and drug smuggling is rife. He had the dignity to look offended by my words. Next stop was the Sheriff, who I spoke to over the phone.
“I have done a lot for this community, good prices on fresh fish, aiding other businesses, trying to help the community rise as one. All I am getting is allegations and aggravations”
Mankus
The Sheriff Says…
Ok, not quite the Sheriff, but still… someone who actually tells me stuff and hopefully isn’t bullshitting our newspaper too much…
Reaching the Senior Deputy was easy, she had in fact texted me on another matter (and watch this space for the article) and once she had downloaded to me on that case, I took the chance to get her view of why the LSD was all over the Bait Shop.
Observer: “So I was down at the Bait shop and there were staff like Mankus and Zofia and at least two deputies, if not more. They told me something about LSD suspecting them of killing cats? It’s Laveau, you have ritual murders and cultists… if someone killed a cat, it wouldn’t merit a phone call, unless it was stapled to a wall with HAIL SATAN on it… and even then… So… I think you’ve got your eyes on that lot down there, more than just for cats…. want to give our readers a bit more?”
Senior Detective Derryth: “I cant really go into too much detail, but someone made allegations that Mr. Mankus had been involved in the killing of cats and also implicated him in the ritual murders that have transpired in the past. He was also alleged to have pulled a weapon on someone recently. We therefore raided the bait shop based on this and then placed it under observation for four days. We conducted searches of all incoming and outgoing deliveries. Unless it became illegal to fish, we have found no evidence of any wrongdoing, so far. Mankus also had his passport checked and we can confirm that he had been in and out of the country due to passport stamps from customs. The incident with the firearm was in a response to a threat on his business and the fact he found someone skulking around in the bushes and covering their identity with a bandana. The allegations have no evidence at this time and no, we will not be paying compensation for loss of earnings. We have a job to do and investigations to conduct to keep the people of the town safe. However, we are looking closely now at the source of the allegations to establish a motive. Action will be taken as deemed fitting.”
It seemed as if this might even be a ‘storm in a tea-cup’ but the Observer thinks there must be a bit more to it. Linking the bait shop to cats, cults and gun crime seems a lot of steps, all at once. With a little more of a prod, we got one final comment:
“Sometimes the more in your face something is, the more chance there is that something shifty is going on. In my experience as a detective, people have smuggled in drugs and diamonds in fish. We used the opportunity to look for any illegality.”
SD Derryth
Next Steps
The Observer will check back into the Bait Shop in due course and see if the deputies have moved on, or if the fish frenzy has found some diamonds (in the scales/guts) or whatever it is that fish might conceal the good stuff with. This reporter has her doubts that such a blunt tool as a raid will work in Laveau, at least not one that is choregraphed, but knowing Derryth… she is already on the case for another angle against the Bait Shop, Wicked Studios, The Serpent’s Den or anywhere that crime is rearing an ugly head (or two).
If you have any tips on this story, do reach out to us at the Observer!
