A Purveyor of Odd Things (Short Story Excerpt from Ragged Souls)

Ragged Souls: 3 Tales of the Holy, the Strange, and the Bizarre.
Meet Detective Renner Branson, a man so enslaved to his work that he's forgotten how to live. In his newest baffling case, he will discover secrets - not just about the world, but about himself. The terrors lurking within may shatter his grip on reality. Or they may show him just how beautiful reality can be.
This is a short story that encompasses horror, the supernatural, folklore, and mystery, with just a hint of romance.