Over a month ago, I posted the intro for this WIP. Here is chapter one
Captain
Fowler, of the Tulsa Police Department, stood fifty feet from the unearthed
grave site interviewing Daryl.
“When
did you first notice there was something unusual going on?”
“When
I started vomiting. What do you think?”
“Sir.
Sarcasm is not required.”
“Then
don’t ask me a stupid question. As I said, I pulled up on the site and started
chewing out my crew for not working. When I saw the white powder I told them to
clear off a level pad so we could have a closer examination.”
“You
realize, you disturbed a crime scene?”
“I
do now. But at the time, how was I supposed to know?”
“How
about the smell, or is that a daily occurrence in your line of work?”
“Look,
Captain. I’m trying to cooperate, but you’re making this real fucking hard.”
“Sir,
language is not necessary.”
“Then
stop trying to antagonize me.”
“Sir,
the only one being antagonized is me. At this moment, are you aware how many
charges I could arrest you on?”
“What?”
“Charges.
Are you aware how many laws you’ve broken and are currently breaking by
refusing to cooperate?”
“Wait
just a fucking minute! I’ve broken no laws. As soon as we saw the body parts, I
called it in to my boss, Mack Carlisle, who then called your people. We haven’t
moved a yard of dirt since we made the discovery.”
“That’s
not entirely true. You told me earlier that after the initial find, you saw it
fit to, ’level off’ the area, did you not?”
“Yes.
But that was so we could try and figure out what was causing us to throw up.”
“Exactly.
One lie.”
“What?”
“Did
you also say that after you removed the dirt and your boss instructed you to
wait for us to show up, you and your men attempted to I.D. the bodies?”
“Well,
yes. But we weren’t trying to take anything.”
“Again.
You disturbed the crime scene for a second time.”
“ I’ve
just about had it with your accusations.”
“And
three. Since the discovery, you’ve been driving your truck all over the site
and instructed your men to park their equipment. Correct?”
“Hell
yes, I told them to park the equipment. We do it every night as instructed by
the company so if anything is stolen over-night, we know exactly what’s
missing.”
“For
the third time, you instructed your people to disturb physical evidence.
Perhaps you have something to hide?”
“The
only thing I’m hiding right now is my temper. And believe you me, Captain. Any
more accusations and I’ll drop you like a sack of….” Before he could utter the
word potato, his face plunged to the ground, a knee jammed into his back and
cuffs chained his wrists together.
“Mr.
McCall. You will kindly watch your mouth around me. If not, you will spend the
night as my guest. Understood?”
Spitting
dirt out of his mouth he grunted, “Yes.”
“Good.”
he un-cuffed him. “Don’t think of leaving town. I may have more questions for
you.”
He
began walking over to the excavation, letting Daryl help himself up.
* *
*
Fowler
applied Vicks Vapor Rub to his nose then donned a handkerchief.
“What
do you have, Ricky?”
“Three
bodies and a partial fourth. Two male and a female. Won’t know about the fourth
until we get them back to the lab.”
“Preliminary
thoughts?”
“Execution
style killing. Each victim has a single gunshot to the head. Appears their
hands and legs were bound. They were forced to crouch when they were killed.
The killers then covered them up with lime to reduce the smell.”
“Time
of death?”
“Too
early to make an exact determination, but by the state of decomposition I’d say
between seventy-two and ninety-six hours.”
“Interesting.”
He rubbed the stubble on his face. “Why would anyone commit such a violent act
on an active construction site?”
“Sir,
that’s your job. Mine’s informing you how they died, not why.”
“I’m
well aware of my job, Ricky.”
“Then
why did you ask?”
“Because
it’s what I do. Get the bodies back to the lab. I want that report as soon as
it’s ready.”
“I
always do, boss.”
Robert
Fowler watched the crew load up the bodies into the meat wagon.
He
lit up a smoke, smiling. “Goodbye, my friends.”
