That next Monday I'm back at work and waiting for Torres so we can start our shift, but he hasn't shown up. I wait for about thirty minutes before I head to the captain and tell him.
"Sir Torres hasn't showed up"
"Hmmm that's weird.. well just take the patrol car by yourself for now and when Torres shows up you can just come back and pick him up"
"Yes sir"
I hop in the patrol car and head out to our usual area and start the patrol. Everything is going smooth, just another typical day. Hours pass by then dispatch calls me over the radio
"Unit 33 do you copy"
"Go for unit 33"
"Can you do a wellness check on officer torres?"
"He hasn't come in?"
"No, no call in either, I'll send you his home address"
"Copy on route to his location"
Ten minutes later i pull up to Torres' house and I see the front door wide open and call in dispatch
"Unit 33 to dispatch"
"Go for dispatch"
"Officer Torres' front door is wide open, how do I approach this"
"Approach with caution"
"Copy"
I walk up to the house and I pull out my handgun
"Torres! It's Sanchez!"
No answer
"Torres!!"
Nothing
"What the fuck"
I walk into the house and everything seems calm, I see his dogs out back running around. I check the rooms and nothing. I call out one more time
"Torres, stop fucking around its Sanchez, if you're sick just let me know and I can call it in"
I start heading to the master bedroom and the closer i get the more I can smell an odor.
"Torres!! I'm coming in!"
I open the door and see something horrific, Torres and his wife are naked and dead. Torres is hung up by his wrists, bloodied and beaten, his stomach cut open everything pulled out. His wife tied to the bed, a ball gag in her mouth, her mouth cut from ear to ear, a bullet through her head… they both have one thing in common. A hourglass carved into them, Torres has one carved on his forehead and his wife on her chest.
"Officer Sanchez to dispatch!!"
"Go for dispatch what's the problem"
"We have a possible homicide at 1436 Mojave Lane, two bodies discovered"
"Units are in route"
"Copy"
I look at Torres and start tearing up
"FUUUUUCK!!!!"
I turn to head out the room when I see something written in blood on the mirror
"My name is lucifer, please take my hand"
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
It sounds familiar like I've heard it before but nothing comes to mind right now. I start walking out the house when I hear sirens approaching fast. First officer to arrive is Officer Taylor, he's worked with Torres since the beginning. He runs up to me and start yelling
"Sanchez what happened!"
I just look down and he grabs my shoulders and shakes me
"SANCHEZ!!! WHAT HAPPENED!!"
I look up and my eyes are tearing up and I just shake my head unable to get the words out. He runs inside and all I can hear is a blood curdling scream from inside. Soon other officers and investigators arrive on scene, they tape off everything and soon neighbors are coming out to see what's going on. We try to block off everyone from trying to enter and see what's happening. A week or so later a funeral is held for Officer Torres and his wife, half the cedar cove department was there. I was there to pay my respects when a man a little bit older than me walks up towards me.
"Are you officer Sanchez?"
"Yeah I am"
"I'm Eric Torres, officer Torres was my father"
"Oh, I'm sorry for everything"
"Yeah… he told me a lot about you"
"Did he?"
"Yeah we would talk almost every week since I moved out of state. He told me that he was teaching a new rookie the ropes, he said you were a little cocky"
"Yeah I told him it was just confidence"
"But he did tell me that you were going to be a damn fine officer… he also said he can see you being the captain one day"
"He did?"
"Yeah, he had alot of high praise for you"
"Officer Torres was someone who taught me a lot in such a short time, I just wish I could thank him"
"Yeah well can you do me a favor?"
"Anything sir"
"Find the son of a bitch that did this"
"I will, I'll make sure he rots away in prison for this"
"No…. When you find him, put a bullet in his head. After what he's done to my parents and those two other victims, he doesn't deserve to live"
I just nod, not wanting to verbally agree to killing someone as an act of vengeance. Eric walks away and I'm left alone standing there, thinking of what's going to happen next. will this guy strike again or is that the end of everything and cases go cold? All I know is something doesn't feel right, both murders had the same hourglass marking left on the bodies, is that just his insignia or does it have a deeper meaning?