The Woodland Luxury Apartments, Bullfinch Street, Upper West Side Manhattan, America, 2002.
My alarm clock rang out, making me groan as I shut it off. I got off the bed to start doing my mandatory push ups and sit ups. Once I was done, I did the rest of my morning routine and conjured my Deputy shirt, blue jeans, duty belt, and work boots on me as I looked into the bathroom mirror. I still looked the pretty much the same years after the murder case of Faith and Lily, but I had added a few items to my duty belt over the years. Added to my duty belt was a holstered X26 Taser gun with cartridges in small pouches next to the holster, and I had a small can of pepper spray in a pouch. Once I was satisfied with checking my reflection for anything out of place, I left the apartment. As I made my way to the Sheriff's office, I greeted other Fables passing by me. When I reached the office, I went inside, and saw Bigby working at his desk.
"Morning Son," I greeted as I took a seat at my desk and started working.
"Morning Dad," Bigby mumbled, distracted by his work.
I flipped through the paperwork on my desk, reports of minor incidents of complaints and assaults. I was signing off on them, working my way through the pile when someone burst into the office. I looked up to see that it was Jack, who appeared to be in a state of shock.
"Bigby, Nate!" Jack gasped out, leaning on Bigby's desk.
"You look out of breath Jack. Been climbing beanstalks again?" Bigby questioned humorously while Jack was panting heavily.
"...*huff*...*huff*...no...blown down any piggies homes lately?" Jack retorted as he was catching his breath.
"We're a bit busy Jack. Did you run all the way over here just to be a smartass, or is there something else you need?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"There was...there is...a terrible thing...a crime...a terrible thing happened!" Jack babbled hysterically.
"Whoa! Shit, Jack! Calm down and tell us what happened," Bigby placated.
Jack took a few deep breaths and explained, "Okay, I was heading to Rose's apartment when I caught the smell of blood. At the time, I figured some Mundy must've had an accident-it happens. But when I approached the door, I noticed that it was slightly open and what I saw... Oh fuck... the apartment was trashed, there was so much blood everywhere, and Rose was nowhere to be seen!"
"Okay, did you walk into the apartment?" Bigby asked.
"No! When I saw all the blood, I got the fuck out of there and headed here! Oh Jesus, Rose! I need to find her!" Jack exclaimed in complete panic.
"Calm down Jack, Sheriff Wolf and I will figure this out. But for now, go over to the apartment and make sure that nobody disturbs the crime scene, understand?" I instructed.
"Oh...don't worry Deputy, I don't plan on doing anything else. Oh fuck...Rose..." Jack trailed off and sat down crying.
Bigby and I looked at each other, knowing that Snow needed to know about this.
"Ah shit, Snow is not going to be happy," I thought uneasily.
Bigby and I got up from our desks and left the office to see Boy Blue in the hallway waving goodbye to Beauty and Beast as they headed in the direction of their apartment.
"Goodbye Miss Beauty, Mr. Beast. Take care now!" Blue called out to them while he was waving.
"Boy Blue, is her royal nibs in?" Bigby asked while he was dragging on his smoke.
"Yes, but she is in a foul mood," Blue explained, which didn't make me feel any better.
"Shit. Well, we're about to make it worse," I grumbled as the three of us entered the office to see Snow sitting at her desk, looking none too happy.
"Mr. Wolf, Mr. Pierce, what do you two need? I'm busy right now," Snow questioned.
"Snow, you need to prepare yourself for some bad news," Bigby stated hesitantly.
"Don't be so dramatic, I already know. My ex is back in town. Apparently, he managed to finally wear out his welcome among even the most inbred elements of European Royalty," Snow grumbled bitterly.
"Wait, Prince Charming? That pompous prick is back in town? You know what, forget about that asshole, Charming isn't the reason why we're here. It's about your sister, Rose Red," I clarified.
"This may be a surprise to you Mr. Pierce, but I'm not entirely an idiot. I actually know my sister's name. So, what's she done this time?" Snow asked in irritation.
"We received a report, unconfirmed mind you, that she's gone missing. She's possibly the victim of violence," Bigby said, and Snow looked up at us in horror.
"What?! How?!" Snow questioned in shock.
"Her boyfriend was just here to report that he'd found her apartment trashed this morning," I clarified, and Snow let out a breath of relief.
"Oh, is that all? You two had me scared for a minute, but my sister is the last of the party fiends. She's the original wild child. From what I hear, her apartment gets trashed with alarming regularity," Snow explained.
"We're afraid that this time, it's serious. We understand there's blood, lots of it. My Deputy and I are going over there now to investigate, but we thought you'd want to know right away," Bigby stated.
"Damn right I want to know! I'm coming with you," Snow declared as she stood up and grabbed her purse.
"Um, Snow, no offense, but we don't think that's a good idea. Not until the Sheriff and I've got a first-hand look at the situation," I refused, and Bigby nodded in agreement.
"I'm not much interested in what either of you thinks is and isn't a good idea. She's my sister, and I'm your Boss," Snow argued stubbornly.
"Look, Snow, we understand that you're worried about your sister and we respect that, but we can't afford to let a conflict of interest interfere with our ability to do our jobs. We only told you this as a courtesy, but the last thing my Deputy and I need is you trampling through a potential crime scene and accidentally destroying evidence," Bigby reasoned.
"Then we seem to be at an impasse. I suggest a compromise, and the compromise is this: I'm coming with you two, and if neither of you likes it, clean out your office and get the hell out of the building," Snow said firmly.
"Goddammit...okay, fine, you can come with us, but only to stay outside of Rose's apartment while we examine the place. Does that sound fair?" I propositioned.
"Yes Deputy," Snow agreed, and the three of us headed back to our office briefly so that Bigby could grab his trench coat and put it on. I grabbed my brown leather jacket that had a badge, name tag, and shoulder patches on it, and I put it on before we headed out to the lobby. I nodded at Trusty John the doorman as Bigby, Snow, and I left the building and headed to my car, which was a 2001 Crown Victoria. Entering the car and putting on our seatbelts, I drove us to Rose's apartment as Bigby lit up a smoke and started dragging on it.
"So, why didn't Jack stick around after he reported the crime?" Snow asked in confusion.
"We sent him ahead to guard the crime scene. My Deputy and I didn't want anyone fucking it up before we got a chance to take a look at it," Bigby explained, causing Snow to look at him like he had two heads.
"You two had Jack guard the crime scene? Isn't that like asking the fox to guard the hen house?" Snow questioned skeptically.
"He's the only one we can trust to keep the scene secure since he was the one who discovered it. If Jack wanted to alter the evidence, he already did it before he came in to report the crime. And if that's the case, he wouldn't want anyone else coming along to further alter his alterations," I stated as we pulled up in front of Rose's apartment building and got out of the car.
"I still don't trust him. Honestly, I really don't understand what Rose sees in him," Snow mumbled in slight irritation.
"My Deputy and I always got the impression that your open disapproval of Jack was the thing that Rose found most attractive in him," Bigby remarked as we walked up the front steps and entered the building.
"True enough, I suppose...Rose and I have drifted apart over the centuries," Snow agreed while we started to walk up the stairs that led to Rose's apartment floor.
"Uh, we wouldn't characterize it as "drifting". Rose seems to have dedicated her life to doing whatever will cause you the most pain and embarrassment," I commented wryly.
"Why Mr. Pierce, getting a bit nosy, aren't you?" Snow retorted playfully.
"Well Snow, we can't help but notice things. I believe it's why you and Mayor Cole hired us as Fabletown's Sheriff and Deputy," I remarked with a wolfish grin, my shadow shifting into a wolf and back as we approached the apartment, and saw Jack sitting on the floor next to the door.
"There you two are," Jack said when he saw us approaching.
"Everything just the way you left it, Jack?" Bigby asked.
"Haven't gone back in yet. I didn't want to see it a second time, it's horrible. You'll see," Jack stated with an uncomfortable expression on his face while he stood up.
"Just get the door open," Snow said, looking just as uncomfortable.
Jack complied by opening the door and what I saw made my eyes widen in shock. The apartment looked like either Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers went to town on the place and the owner of the apartment. The furniture was toppled over, torn, and broken, but that wasn't what shocked me. What shocked me was that there was literally blood everywhere that was covering the furniture, the walls, and the floor. What caught my attention was the words 'No more happily ever after' were written on the wall in blood.
"Oh God, Rose!" Snow exclaimed in distress.
"Jesus Christ...that's a fuck ton of blood," I mumbled in horror.
"See? It's horrible!" Jack chimed in while Bigby, Snow, and I stared at the scene in disbelief. Then Bigby handed his smoke to Snow.
"Hold this, my Deputy and I are going to need our senses clear. Both of you stay here and do not come in for any reason. If someone comes, close the door and stay out into the hall. This stays strictly among the Fable community, and the Mundy cops are not to be notified about this," Bigby instructed as we carefully navigated inside the room, and looked at the writing, the unbroken lamp, an ashtray, and the floor.
"What the hell are you two doing?! Why are you looking at the floor?! You should be looking for Rose! Check in the bedroom to see if she's in there!" Snow yelled frantically.
"I already checked, she's not here," Jack explained.
"Both of you please be quiet and let us do our jobs," I said irritably, looking back at Snow and Jack.
"She's my sister!" Snow protested.
"We know that! But you yelling at us is not helping things. If we wanna figure out what happened here, there needs to be absolute quiet, understand?" Bigby said sternly.
"Fine...I get the message. I'll keep quiet, for now," Snow grumbled, and Bigby and I kept looking for anything that might give us a lead on what happened here.
Eventually, I found myself in the kitchen when I noticed something suspicious about the fridge.
"What the hell?" I thought in confusion when I saw a few holes that were on the freezer door and the side of the fridge.
Looking in a drawer that was next to me, I spotted a lock with hinges, and I put the hinges on the freezer door to see that it was a match.
"Well, I'll be damned. Why the hell would Rose put a lock on the freezer door?" I mumbled as Bigby entered the kitchen.
"What did you find, Deputy?" Bigby asked me.
"Check this out, Rose had a lock on her freezer door. Did you find anything?" I inquired.
"Rose's stereo was completely untouched. No blood was on it at all," Bigby informed me.
"Okay, if Rose was killed in the living room, there would've been blood spatter on the stereo as well. The fact that there isn't is pretty suspicious," I stated as we started eyeing Jack suspiciously.
"That's right, which is why we need to have a little talk with Jack since he was the one who "discovered" the scene," Bigby stated, and I nodded in agreement.
Bigby and I carefully walked out of the apartment, staring at Jack, who started looking nervous.
"Jack, you're officially under arrest," Bigby stated.
"Are you fucking serious! What for?!" Jack questioned in disbelief.
"For tampering with evidence, and interfering with a criminal investigation. The stereo has no blood on it, and you were the one who discovered the scene. Now, put your hands behind your head and get down on your knees," I stated.
"This is such fucking bullshit! I report a crime and now I'm being arrested?! Fuck you!" Jack exclaimed incredulously as he took a threatening step forward, prompting me to put my hand on my taser.
"Jack! Step back, now!" I warned him sternly.
Jack threw a punch at me and I grabbed his fist, hip tossing him to the ground and spraying him in the face with my pepper spray. Jack choked, coughed, and wheezed harshly as I put his hands behind his back and put handcuffs around his wrists.
"*Gag*...my eyes...*cough*...I can't breathe!" Jack protested as I hauled him to his feet.
"Well, you shouldn't have tried to attack me, that's your own damn fault. Now we can add attempted assault on a police officer to your list of charges," I stated while I patted him down.
"Is he the one?" Snow asked.
"We'll see," Bigby said as we started to head to the stairs.
(A day later.)
The Woodlands Garden, Woodland Luxury Apartments, Bullfinch Street, Upper West Side Manhattan, New York City, America, 2002.
"I thought I'd find you two here," Snow announced as she walked over to the bench where Bigby and I were sitting.
"We like to come here to think, which is something we do best when left alone," Bigby explained while I stared at the water fountain.
"I won't take up much of your time, but I have a few questions about the state of our investigation. First, did Jack really do it?" Snow asked us.
"Our professional opinion, probably not. Jack's a liar and a professional conman, but he doesn't seem to fit the profile of a killer. We needed an excuse to hold him in custody while we checked out a few leads, so he's safely tucked away for a day or two. And for the record, you're a civilian, so this is our investigation, not yours," I stated.
"So, what actual conclusions did you two come to?" Snow asked us.
"Not many. The blood is your sister's," Bigby informed Snow.
"How can either of you be sure?" Snow questioned.
"You can't fool these noses," I remarked and added, "We can have it lab tested if you like, but there's zero chance that it isn't her blood."
"So she really was the victim of violence?" Snow inquired, looking like she was going to cry.
"It looks that way," Bigby clarified.
"If not Jack, who do you and your Deputy suspect? She partied with the Mundies, do either of you think that one of them might have..." Snow trailed off, taking a tissue out of her purse and getting rid of a tear.
"A Mundy wouldn't have known to leave that particular message on her wall, not unless Rose had revealed her Fable nature to one of them. But, as nonconformist as she is, we don't think that even she would've broken that law. Whoever did this is one of us, a Fable," I theorized.
"Then my money says that Jack did it," Snow stated.
"My Deputy and I always like suspecting Jack, he's been a perpetual pain in our asses since day one of the exiles. But we have no choice other than to go where the evidence leads us. Of course, that won't keep us from questioning him today," Bigby said while he was dragging on his smoke.
"I want to be with you two when you question him," Snow said decisively.
"We're sorry Snow, but you can't get involved. Don't you have a government to run?" I questioned.
"Rose is my sister!" Snow protested.
"We know that, but we can't get you involved. You and your sister have been estranged for centuries, and there was plenty of animosity between you two," Bigby argued.
"Because of that, I'm a suspect?! I didn't kill her!" Snow shouted in disbelief.
"We don't know that dammit! Until we can rule you out, you are just as much a suspect as everyone else. Don't take it personally Snow, we're just doing our jobs. Look, how about we get the interview out of the way so Bigby and can rule you out," I reasoned.
"I can't right now. My ex just called and insisted I meet him for a late breakfast at the Eggman Diner. I'm going over there now," Snow explained and stormed off.
"Hide your wallet first!" Bigby called out as Snow was walking away.
"Dad, are you okay?" Bigby asked in concern when he saw me looking pensive.
"What? Oh, I'm fine, I just realized that the Remembrance Day celebration is only two weeks from now," I stated, recalling our previous lives in the Homelands.
"Oh...that," Bigby grumbled as we stood up and headed to the holding cells.
"This shouldn't take long, Jack," Bigby reassured while Snow and I stood nearby.
"Take all the time you need. I want to do anything I can to help find out what happened to Rosey, and convince you and Deputy Pierce that I'm not the one who hurt her. I'm so terrified...my God, there was so much blood...too much. I'm afraid she might be-" Jack started to say, but he was cut off.
"Don't that to yourself, Jack. It's never good to start thinking that way yet. Relatively small amounts of blood spread around can go a long way. Until we test it forensically, we can't know for sure how much of Rose Red's blood was spilled in her apartment. The Sheriff and I have already arranged for those tests later. But until then, we should assume she's not likely," I reassured.
"Okay, whatever you say. You and Bigby are the Sheriff and Deputy of Fabletown," Jack agreed reluctantly.
"Okay Jack, let's start with a few simple questions. You've been romantically involved with Rose for how long?" Bigby questioned.
"Almost four years now," Jack replied.
"But not four years straight," I implied.
"Excuse me?" Jack inquired, looking offended.
"Just about a year ago, you and Rose had a very public falling out. There were fights and lots of screaming. Hell, it nearly got to the point where me and my Deputy would've had to intervene. In fact, if I recall correctly, she attended last year's Remembrance Day with someone else. Who was that again?" Bigby questioned thoughtfully.
"Bluebeard, but she only dated him to make me jealous. He's the one you two should question. You know his reputation with women, maybe he got pissed when she left him to come back to me," Jack stated.
"We'll get around to him, but let's finish up with you for now. You own an apartment in the building, right?" I questioned.
"Right," Jack said.
"But you have your own key to Rose's place and you stay over with her most nights?" Bigby inquired.
"Yeah, usually, but not every night," Jack clarified.
"Why not the night before last?" I questioned.
"I'm not sure. I was out late with some friends and I guess I didn't want to wake her, so I crashed at my place," Jack explained.
"That's funny, because Grimble doesn't remember you coming in, late or otherwise," Bigby stated suspiciously.
"Grimble was asleep behind the security desk, like always," Jack said.
"You'd be surprised how much registers with him, even when he's sawing logs. You're always trying to beat the system, Jack. There was the time you tried to steal Numblin's seven league boots to win the New York Marathon," Bigby stated.
"Boston Marathon. At least I tried to do it out of state, to divert attention away from Fabletown. I know how to keep things secret from the Mundies. I don't run with those fanatics who think we should all come out of the closet," Jack reasoned.
"And what about the time you tried to raffle off the map to your remaining magic beans?" I inquired.
"What law did that break? I have a right to make money off my own property," Jack protested.
"Except the map was a fake, and you lost the beans centuries ago. If you ever had them at all," I commented skeptically.
"So I play a good-natured con every now and then, so what? I'm a conman by nature, but I'm not a murderer," Jack reasoned.
"Maybe not lately, but you did go through that remarkably bloody giant killing phase way back when," Bigby remarked.
"All of which happened before the general amnesty, which means it can't be brought up again," Jack stated.
"He's right, you two," Snow agreed.
"Or does that protection only apply to granny gobbling bloodthirsty wolves who don shepherd's clothing to become low-rent cops during the exile?" Jack retorted.
"Watch your fucking mouth, you little shit! You are already treading on thin ice, so fuck you for bringing that crap back up!" I snarled, changing my teeth to razor sharp, and Jack gulped nervously.
"Stop it, you three! You all are acting like this is some private game, but you're avoiding the one question that I need to be answered! Jack, is my sister dead?! Did you kill her?! Did you put her body somewhere?" Snow questioned while tears ran down her cheeks.
"Fuck no! Of course not, I promise!" Jack denied frantically as he held up his cuffed hands.
"So, you don't mind if we take a look inside your apartment?" I asked.
"Sure. Why not, I've got nothing to hide," Jack said.
"Before we leave Jack, I want to ask you one last question. Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt Rose?" Snow asked.
"Bluebeard's the only one who comes to mind, maybe he reverted back to his old ways. You know what he used to do to his wives, right?" Jack inquired.
"That's pre-amnesty Jack, remember? You can't bring that up," Bigby stated as we left the holding cell and shut the large metal door.
"I apologize for losing my composure in there, that wasn't very professional of me," Snow commented sheepishly.
"It's okay, you don't need to apologize to us. Hell, we were expecting it to happen sooner or later," I reassured.
"Before now I just felt...I don't know, numb? Like this wasn't really happening. But Sheriff, Deputy, I'm not a delicate little girl that needs protecting. I can take bad news. If either of you is determined that my sister is dead, I want you two to level with me," Snow said seriously.
"Don't worry. If we find out that Rose is likely, you will be the first to know, we promise. But so far, that isn't the case," Bigby stated as we headed up the stairs.
Edward Bear's Candies, Upper West Side Manhattan, New York City, 2002.
"Feel better now?" Bigby asked as the cashier handed Snow a bag of donuts.
"Six forty-five, Miss White," the cashier stated and Snow paid the woman.
"Not better, but back under control at least. Indulging in my one vice here helps. Chocolate cures all problems," Snow explained as we left the building and headed back to the Woodland.
"Listen Snow. If this is too much for you, then why don't you let us handle things from now on?" I offered in concern.
"I'm fine, I've had my one loss of composure. Neither of you two will have to worry about any further emotional outbursts from me," Snow assured.
"Don't blame yourself so much Snow, it's only natural to break down like that when things get a bit too overwhelming. If you hadn't of broken down like that, then that's when we know something is wrong," Bigby said as we approached the Woodland.
"Who do we see next?" Snow inquired, wanting to change the subject.
"We're gonna take Jack's advice and go see Bluebeard. He still lives in the building, right?" I asked.
"Since it was built. Do either of you want one of these?" Snow offered as she held out a donut.
"No thanks, I don't eat sweets. Thanks for the offer though," Bigby replied as I was shaking my head, and we entered the building.
"We heard Bluebeard was well off. Well, let's see if his royal highness is in," I remarked as we made it to the fourth floor and I knocked on the door to Bluebeard's apartment, causing Hobbes to open the door and look at us.
"Yes?" Hobbes inquired.
"We called ahead, your Boss is waiting," Snow said.
"Very well, come in. Follow me, please," Hobbes said as we followed him inside.
"I still can't get over the fact that Bluebeard managed to bring his castle and his riches with him from the Homelands. My Deputy and I are still wondering how he managed to pull it off," Bigby wondered as he was looking around.
"He was one of the fortunate few to get out of the Homelands with his riches," Snow explained.
"And his whole fucking castle, too," I commented.
"Rumor has it that he ran his own underground railroad and smuggled other Fables out of the Homelands, even after the Adversary's armies had moved in. But he charged a hefty price for his services," Snow told us.
"So, many of our fellow exiles' "lost riches" fell into his hands rather than the Adversary's?" Bigby wondered.
"So I was told, but we'll never know for sure because that was a pre-amnesty business. He had to pay the wizardly types big to fit an entire castle inside a small apartment. They don't work cheap," Snow remarked as Hobbes led us to Bluebeard's office and showed us in.
"Your guests, sir," Hobbes informed Bluebeard, who was sitting at his desk.
"Thank you, Hobbes, you may go," Bluebeard dismissed, and the goblin shut the doors.
"Thank you for agreeing to see us, Mr. Bluebeard, we won't take up much of your time," Snow said politely.
"Not to worry. Sit down, make yourselves at home. I assume you're here to collect my annual contribution towards the support of our government? I usually give it directly to King Cole at the Remembrance Day gathering, but if you need it early this year-" Bluebeard said and got cut off by Bigby, who took out pictures of the crime scene.
"That's not why we're here. Take a look at these photos. They were taken in Rose Red's apartment last night, and all that blood is hers," I stated grimly as Bigby put the pictures down and Bluebeard looked at them in shock.
"Oh God," Bluebeard said softly in horror.
"All we need to know is why you killed her," Bigby accused, causing Bluebeard and Snow to look at him in disbelief.
"Sheriff Wolf!" Snow exclaimed with a stunned expression.
"What?! How dare you!" Bluebeard shouted angrily.
"How dare I what? Speak rudely to a serial killer? That's what you do, right? You marry them and then gut them?" Bigby growled as he stood up and leered at Bluebeard.
"Sheriff Wolf! That's enough!" Snow exclaimed sternly.
"You are an impertinent man! I demand satisfaction!" Bluebeard retorted.
"Fuck your satisfaction! I think you killed her and I'm ready to arrest you for it now! Convene your trial, Snow. My Deputy and I are charging this pompous asswipe with Rose Red's murder. He isn't cooperating, he's refused to answer a single question," Bigby declared.
"You and your Deputy haven't asked any! I'm willing to cooperate!" Bluebeard protested.
"Then stop beating around the fucking bush and answer our questions. Did you kill Rose? Did you harm her in any way?" I questioned sternly.
"No! Never!" Bluebeard snapped defensively.
"Then where were you the night before last?" Bigby asked.
"I have been here all day and night. I seldom go out," Bluebeard replied.
"A year ago you were really friendly with Rose. Were you two romantically involved, or was she just another trophy girl for public occasions?" I questioned.
"Romantically," Bluebeard said with a fond smile.
"And you got pissed when she dumped you to slither back to her old boyfriend?" Bigby asked.
"No, because she never "dumped" me, to use your own crude vernacular. We're still together, though we learned to be discreet about our relationship. A year ago at the Remembrance Day gala, Rose Red and I became engaged. For her own reasons, she insisted on keeping our engagement secret for one calendar year; a condition I agreed to," Bluebeard explained.
"Well, isn't that a big kick in the nuts. Is he telling the truth?" I asked Snow.
"I don't know," Snow replied with a shrug of her shoulders as Bluebeard took a file out of his desk and showed it to us.
"Of course I'm telling the truth. I'm no liar, and I can prove it in this file," Bluebeard huffed.
"How?" Bigby asked skeptically.
"Because we formalized our engagement in writing. I assume you and Deputy Pierce can verify her signature?" Bluebeard said as I took the file and we looked through it.
"You made my sister sign a contract promising to marry you?" Snow questioned.
"Only because there was a payment involved. A year ago I paid her a considerable dowry if such a term also applies to a payment made by the prospective groom to the prospective bride. Rose Red was and remains my fiancée. If she has truly fallen victim to a violent act, then I'll be devastated and will get vengeance. But for the moment, I'm offering a reward of a million dollars for the discovery and the arrest of whoever committed this atrocious act," Bluebeard declared as he stood up and banged his fist on the arm of the chair.
Greenwich Village, Lower Manhattan, New York City, America, 2002.
"That's the last load, guys. Can we go home now?" Boy Blue asked Bigby and me as he and Flycatcher rested on the sofa.
"Sorry guys, but not yet. Hauling all of this crap up here was the first step. The problem with our investigation is that the Sheriff and I don't know if we are looking for someone who is either alive or dead, so what we need to do to determine that is to recreate the blood spatter inside Rose's apartment. So congratulations guys, you two get to do that," I remarked as Bigby and I opened a cooler and took out two bags of blood.
"Whatever you say, Deputy," Flycatcher groaned.
"Okay, this apartment is directly below Rose's, and its floor plan matches hers. The first thing you two are going to do is to set up all this crap to duplicate her furniture layout as much as possible. Then you two get to do the fun part we promised by making a big mess with these pre-measured packets of blood. Basically, your jobs are to recreate the spatter patterns of the crime scene above," Bigby told them while he was puffing on his smoke.
"Cool," Flycatcher chimed in with a grin.
"Keep an exact count of how much blood you have to use to match the scene upstairs, then we'll know how much blood loss Rose actually suffered from. Use these photos of the actual crime scene to make your re-creation as accurate as possible. If you absolutely have to, you can go up to check out the actual scene, but watch where you step and make sure a Mundy doesn't see anything. Also, lock up after yourselves when you're done. Boy Blue's in charge, so call us at our office when you're done," I instructed.
Bigby and I left the apartment and I thought about how something about this whole thing didn't feel right.
"Dad, are you okay? You have that look," Bigby pointed out while I was driving us back to the Woodland.
"Sorry Son, I've just been thinking about how there's something off about all of this. Think about it, why was there a lock put on Rose's freezer door and why was her stereo completely untouched? I have a feeling that there's more to this case than we thought," I explained.
"You have a point, Dad. Well, we'll find out what's going on," Bigby assured.
I nodded as I kept driving and I knew that we would find out what is going on.