Road Kill Chapter One Tulsa, Oklahoma

Chapter One

Crime Scene

Captain Fowler 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 you 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 writs 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.

* * *

He 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. Why would anyone perform such a heinous 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 and smiled. “Goodbye, my friends.”