The rain had finished its descent on the City, red and blue lights danced in the remaining puddles. Police Officers moved up and down the Alley; some were unrolling yellow police tape, others held back the small crowd that had formed at the opening of the Alley. An ambulance was just a few feet within the alley, the backdoors were open, casting a white light down the long alley. Two EMTs tended to their patient. One was a tall dark skinned man, the other a short rounded woman. Both dressed in a crisp white shirt and black slacks.
"Here you go Mrs. Graham. " Mrs. Graham sat on the edge of the gurney while the EMT wrapped a wool blanket over her shoulders to keep her warm after they had to remove her raincoat to get her vitals. Snickerdoodle had balled up in her lap, the horrors they stumbled on this morning would stay with them both for the rest of their lives. Mrs. Graham looked into his face; he had a kind face, but even looking into his kind and handsome face could not erase the horror she had just seen.
"Were those real?" Mrs. Graham's rattled voice drew the attention of the EMTs.
"Don't worry about that right now. Let the Police handle it." Mrs. Graham looked past the handsome EMT towards the yellow police tape. She could see a mixture of officers in blue and regular street clothes. At that moment, she felt pity for all those people. Horrors like that should not be seen by anyone. Seeing the visible pain on the old woman's face the rounded woman gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"Gabriel I'm going up front to start the report, I am sure you can handle Mrs. Graham." Gabriel smiled and nodded while his partner exited the back of the ambulance.
"Mrs. Ariel Graham?" Gabriel, Mrs. Graham, and Snickerdoodle all jumped; with Mrs. Graham letting out a squeal. With all going around them, no one noticed the gentleman in the long black coat, fedora, with a gold police shield hanging from a chain around his neck approaching the ambulance. He was 5'6" or 5'7", wearing a simple white-collar shirt with black slacks under his raincoat; he looked tired, with a faded red hair neatly trimmed, blue to grey eyes. Something about him made everyone in the ambulance uneasy. Gabriel shivered; Mrs. Graham felt Snickerdoodle tense up in her lap. She had never seen him just freeze up, he always had to prove he was the biggest little dog on the block. That is when she realized just how much this night affected her poor puppy.
"Excuse me folks, I did not mean to startle you. My Name is Detective Stone" Detective Stone's voice matched his name, it was neither friendly nor warm, but it was not mean, or hateful, it just was.
"It's okay Officer, we all are a bit on edge this evening." Gabriel straightened his shirt while exiting the back of the Ambulance.
Detective Stone nodded as Gabriel walked past him to the front of the vehicle.
"How are you feeling Mrs. Graham?" Detective Stone's voice was void of any real emotion. Mrs. Graham shifted in place, a sudden chill rolled down her spine.
"Well I have been, Better." Her eyes wandered over Det. Stone's shoulders to the bodies are now covered with dark tarps. Stone noticed tears beginning to well across her gentled faded green brown eyes. Realizing she was not aware of how the trauma began to overtake her, the Detective side stepped into her field of vision.
"Mrs. Graham, I know it's been a long morning for you; I read the statement you gave the Patrol Office. I have no further questions for you, here is my card. If you remember anything else, please give me a call." Detective Stone placed his card into her hand. Once she felt the card stock against her palm, her eyes slowly moved and focused on him.
"How do you do it Detective?" the tears followed the wrinkles down her face.
"Not every day is a good day, but there is good in every day." Det. Stone replied while walking down towards the bodies.
A Crime Scene Forensic Officer noticed Det. Stone approaching. He stood up and removed his latex gloves.
"Detective Stone I presume." He extended his hand towards the Detective. Stone stopped just in front of the CSF
"Have we met before?" Stone while shaking the man's hand.
"No Sir, but I know you. Your reputation is well known. I am Oscar that is James; we are about done here." Oscar was an older gentleman; thick in the waist with thin hair. He wore a white jumpsuit under his jacket. James was a young man, dark hair with glasses, built like a wrestler, he had a black polo on with blue jeans under his jacket.
"What can you tell me so far?" Stone asked as he crouched down lifting a corner of one of the tarps to look at the body underneath.
"Well based on the skeletons' overall size and sturdiness, I am guessing three males. The state of decay makes me believe some form of acid was used."
"I'm going to have a look around and see what I can find." Stone replied while putting on a pair of latex gloves.
Oscar just nodded and pulled a pair of shoe socks from his bag and tossed them to Detective Stone.
"Can't have you contaminating the scene."
"Thank you" after taking a moment to slip the socks over his loafers, Stone was free to move about the scene. Stone took his time Looking over each body. Each one looked like a scene out of a horror movie. The smell burned within his nose while he looked over the third body. Discolored flesh remained loosely around the neck, behind the separated skin Det. Stone noticed a small white card in the throat.
"Oscar, you see this." Detective Stone inquired while pulling his pen and flashlight out of his pocket. Using the pen to pop open the stiff mouth on the body he shined the light into the mouth. The light exposed something white rolled up in the throat.
"Bring over some forceps." Stone shouted without looking up from the body.
"What did you find Detective?" Oscar bent over handed the forceps to Detective Stone
Stone used the forceps to pull a crinkled business card out of the victim's throat.
"A Clue." He handed the forceps back to Oscar while sliding the card into a small zip lock bag. Detective Stone stood up, peeled his gloves off, and straightened his jacket. He unrolled the card within the baggy, it was stained with bodily fluids.
930am Gwen's Apartment.
Gwen returned to her apartment from her early morning run. Her dark hair pulled tightly into a pony tail, sweat beaded across her face and body. It had been a hard run, each step felt like she was running further away from the nightmare that had woken her. Gwen's apartment wasn't anything exciting, but it was hers. Gwen placed her keys and phone on a small table by her front door while hanging her neon-green windbreaker on the back of the door. VROOM, VROOM, her phone gently vibrated on the small table.
{Who is calling me this early on a Saturday?} Gwen begrudgingly picked up the phone.
"Hello" she could hear the mental exhaustion in her own voice.
"Ms. Greene?" a professional voice replied.
"Maybe? Who's this and why are you calling me so early?" Gwen didn't even bother to try and hide how annoyed she was at this moment.
{Too early, too short-tempered, this is why I need coffee}
"Ms Gwyneth Greene?" the man replied in a calm and professional manner. One that clearly dealt with rude people on the regular.
"Sorry Officer, I had a rough night, how can I help you?" Gwen replied in the best manner she could muster for Saturday morning with broken sleep.
"How did you know I am with the Police Ms. Greene?" He replied
"Far too polite for this earlier in the morning, especially after how rude I was" she said with a deeper sigh than she expected. For as long as she could remember, she had a knack for just knowing things.
"Very perceptive of you Ms. Greene, I'm sorry to disturb you so early this morning, but I need you to come down to the station on 10th street as soon as you can. Tell the Desk Sergeant you are here to see Detective Stone"
"Should I call my Lawyer?" Gwen already knew she did not need one, police do not call you to come in when you are a suspect, they take you in.
{Come on Detective; give me something to work with}
"No Ms. Greene, Should I expect you within the hour?"
Gwen looked down at her Fitbit for the time, 945 am with 5254 steps the little device reported back to her.
"Can we make it 1130?"
"Of Course Ms. Greene. I will see you at 1130." With that the phone line went silent
End Chapter 2
The rain had finished its descent over the city, leaving puddles that reflected the red and blue flash of police lights. Officers moved up and down the alley: some unrolled yellow tape, others held back a small crowd gathered at the entrance. A few feet inside, an ambulance cast a stark white light down the narrow corridor. Two EMTs tended to a patient — one tall and dark-skinned, the other short and round — dressed in crisp white shirts and black slacks.
"Here you go, Mrs. Graham," the tall EMT said. Mrs. Graham perched on the edge of the gurney as he draped a wool blanket over her shoulders, removed from her soaked raincoat. Snickerdoodle had curled in her lap, trembling. The horrors of that morning would stay with them both forever. She looked into the EMT's kind face. Even his reassuring presence could not erase the images etched in her mind.
"Were… were those real?" her voice quavered, drawing the attention of the EMTs.
"Don't worry about that right now. Let the police handle it," he said gently.
Mrs. Graham's gaze drifted past him toward the yellow tape. Officers in uniform and plain clothes moved about. She felt a deep pity for them — no one should witness horrors like those. The rounded EMT patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Gabriel, I'm going up front to start the report. I'm sure you can handle Mrs. Graham," her partner said. Gabriel smiled and nodded as she stepped out.
---
"Mrs. Ariel Graham?"
The voice made Mrs. Graham and Snickerdoodle jump. Squealing, she spun to see a man approaching the ambulance: a gentleman in a long black coat and fedora, a gold police shield hanging from a chain around his neck. He was 5'6" or 5'7", wearing a white-collar shirt and black slacks beneath the coat. Faded red hair, neat and short. Blue-grey eyes, tired, but with a sharp intensity. Something about him made everyone uneasy. Snickerdoodle stiffened in Mrs. Graham's lap, usually fearless.
"Excuse me, folks. I did not mean to startle you. My name is Detective Stone," he said. His voice matched his name — neither warm nor cruel, simply calm and measured.
"It's okay, Officer. We're all a bit on edge this evening," Gabriel said, straightening his shirt as he stepped from the ambulance.
Detective Stone nodded. He turned his attention to Mrs. Graham.
"How are you feeling, Mrs. Graham?" His tone was neutral, but a chill ran down her spine.
"Well… I've been better," she replied, eyes flicking to the bodies now covered with dark tarps. Tears began to gather in her faded green-brown eyes. Stone noticed, and subtly stepped out of her direct line of sight.
"Mrs. Graham, I know it's been a long morning. I've read the statement you gave to the patrol office. I have no further questions. Here is my card — if you remember anything else, please call." He placed it in her hand. The smooth card pressed against her palm, and she finally met his gaze.
"How do you do it, Detective?" she whispered, tears tracing wrinkles down her face.
"Not every day is a good day," he replied, "but there is good in every day." Then he walked toward the covered bodies.
---
A forensic officer noticed Stone approaching, stood, and removed his latex gloves.
"Detective Stone, I presume?" he said, extending a hand. Stone shook it.
"Have we met before?"
"No, sir. But I know of you. Your reputation precedes you. I'm Oscar, and this is James. We're finishing up here."
Oscar was an older man, stocky, with thinning hair, wearing a white jumpsuit under his jacket. James was younger, dark-haired, built like a wrestler, wearing a black polo and jeans.
"What can you tell me so far?" Stone crouched and lifted a corner of one tarp.
"Based on skeletal size and sturdiness, I'd guess three males. The decay suggests some kind of acid was used," Oscar said.
"I'll take a closer look," Stone replied, sliding on latex gloves. Oscar handed him a pair of disposable shoe covers.
"Can't have you contaminating the scene," he said.
Stone moved carefully among the bodies, examining each. The smell was intense. On the third body, discolored flesh clung loosely around the neck. Behind the separated skin, he spotted a small white card lodged in the throat.
"Oscar, take a look at this," Stone called, pulling out his pen and flashlight. He pried the stiff mouth open, shining the light on the card.
"Bring forceps," he instructed. Oscar handed them over, and Stone extracted the crinkled business card. He slid it into a zip-lock bag. The card was stained with bodily fluids — a grisly clue.
---
9:30 a.m., Gwen's Apartment
Gwen returned from her morning run, hair tied back in a tight ponytail, sweat beading across her face. Each step felt like running further from the nightmare that had woken her hours earlier. Her apartment wasn't anything fancy, but it was hers. She set her keys and phone on the small table by the door and hung her neon-green windbreaker.
Her phone vibrated: VROOM, VROOM.
Who is calling me this early on a Saturday? she thought, reluctantly picking it up.
"Hello?" Her voice sounded tired, mentally exhausted.
"Ms. Greene?" a professional voice asked.
"Maybe? Who's this?" she replied, exasperated. Too early, too short-tempered. Definitely need coffee.
"Ms. Gwyneth Greene?"
"Sorry, Officer. Rough night. How can I help you?" she said, trying to sound polite.
"How did you know I am with the police, Ms. Greene?"
"Just perceptive," she muttered. Come on, Detective; give me something to work with.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I need you to come to the station on 10th Street as soon as possible. Tell the desk sergeant you're here to see Detective Stone."
"Should I call my lawyer?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"No, Ms. Greene. Should I expect you within the hour?"
Gwen checked her Fitbit: 9:45 a.m., 5,254 steps.
"Can we make it 11:30?"
"Of course, Ms. Greene. I'll see you then." The line went silent.
---
End of Chapter 2