I have always dreamed of working with the police since I was little. Probably because of the movie, 'Lilo and Stich 2'. What relevance that has to do with the police could you tell me? A very short scene where police officers were sitting at a table dipping their donuts in a drink. Being a very greedy child, I could only be mesmerized by this scene.
The seven years old me would be disappointed to learn that I often take my coffee alone and no one comes to my office to give me a donut. This is the sad reality, but this bitter drink goes pretty well with this I always keep my head wrapped in papers, I'll end up as bitter and rough as my coffee.
A noise at my door makes me deviate from my computer screen. "Yes?" I ask out loud.
My colleague Mike opens the door just to poke his head in my office. "Nora, Mrs. Yaeger has arrived," Mike informs me, and I put my coffee on my desk. If it gets cold, I'll just end up making another one.
"Okay I'm coming, thank you very much," I answer, getting up from my chair. I tie my hair back to give me a little confidence in myself. What I'm about to do is probably the hardest thing in my career.
I crossed my office and into the waiting room where the woman I was waiting for is in. She is sitting on a soft blue chair; the fabric a little worn from time. The only thing to cheer up this room is a stupid potted plant, which I find gives rather a morbid effect. Gray tiles also paint a depressing and bland picture. This room actually makes me think of my doctor's waiting room from when I was little. Although, there are no toys for children here, but if there were I think the atmosphere would have been heavier. It's a decent waiting room; maybe I have just a problem with this room.
"Madame Yaeger," I state, and the seated woman raises her big amber eyes towards me. Once, I catch her attention I introduce myself, "I am Inspector Nora Church, thank you for coming here," and I offer her a respectful hand as she gets up. As soon as she grasps my hand, I can feel she has broken out in a cold sweat, not to mention a disturbing tremor makes her hand tremble. I would like to be anywhere but here.
I notice her hesitation to answer because there is nothing to discuss but bad news. I know she is not thrilled to be here, nor happy to meet me. I just want our talk to be over with, but at the same time I wanted to avoid it. I gentle coax her from her seat, "If you'd like to follow me."
I lead the way to my office pushing the wooden door open, the door squeaking. I have always doubted the door was made of wood because of the noises it makes.
When we enter, she automatically sits in front of my desk. The chair she sits in is simple and black in color, not the most comfortable to sit in compared to my chair. My chair is a soft leather made to be sat in for lengthy periods of time, though the leather shows little wear. The sun may be up, but my blinds and curtains are closed, the ceiling light being the artificial sun.
"Do you want something to drink, madame?" I ask before I even sit down. I'll do everything to delay the fateful moment.
"Um... Some water, please," she asks, her voice weak and I almost want to roll under my desk and disappear. I bring her water in a glass, and the purple hue of the cup turns the water a slight purple. Her hands grip it gently, and I notice that all her nails are eaten away, some even have bloody cracks. 'Poor woman,' I think.
I sit quietly at my desk and take a deep breath. I grab a notebook and a black pen before speaking. "So Mrs. Yaeger, your son Eren has disappeared since last night, is that right?" I ask, wanting to slap myself mentally, of course, that's right.
"Yes, he wasn't there when I got home from work," she whispers, taking a sip of water. I swear if this lady begins to cry I will do the same.
"When did you come back?" I question.
"Around 7 pm, he is always in the house before me..." her voice breaking a little.
"And your husband?" I ask because I noticed the wedding ring on her finger.
"He comes back much later than I; he's a doctor," she explains. I thought that the name Yaeger told me something, it's the name of the doctor's office that is in Shiganshina, it's rather a famous institute.
"Madame, you may have heard in the news that..." I state trying to say the right words but my god how am I supposed to say this? "..The serial killer A' made an appearance in the region... "
"Do not tell me that-" she stifles a sob, covering her mouth with her hands.
I take a deep breath answering her unfinished question, "The boy found matches Eren's description, but we need your confirmation, madam." Seeing her and speaking to her, it felt like my heart would tear into a million pieces but I needed to speak clearly. It was necessary in order to push forward in the investigation and also, out of respect for Madame Yaeger.
I continue speaking, " A notable feature of the deceased young boy we discovered is an old scar just below the right ear. Does your s-"
"Yes," she answers not allowing me to finish speaking. She wipes a tear with her hand and I curse myself mentally for not having any tissue in my office. She rambles on, "He had eight stitches when he was eleven years old."
I look down on the report from the medical examiner, and it is matching. God, I wish I could tell her that we were wrong but if we were wrong, then this deceased boy belonged to another family, and that would mean her son was still missing. However, we weren't wrong; this was her son. My silence confirms her worst fears, making her ask what no parent should, "What happened to him ..?"
"Uh... he's dead madam I-" I say, not able to give her my condolences before she cuts in.
"I know that, I want to know what happened to my baby, I want to know exactly what happened to him!" she said, rage and tears mingling in a deadly combo.
"I'm not sure you should know that madam," I tell her honestly.
"The media reports that he is doing disgusting things to his victims, that... I just want to know exactly what happened, I don't want to stay in the dark," she assures me, and I tell myself that mothers have a courage that I will surely never have.
"Alright," I murmur and I turn the page of the report and begin to explain it without daring to look her in the eyes. "He died of bleeding, mainly due to a deep cut on his right thigh. Lab results determined no drugs or poison were present at the time of death. When he was discovered, he was found only in his underwear; the body covered in lacerations. On his chest is inscribed a capital letter 'A' followed by an apostrophe, the letter being seventeen centimeters in height. The fingernails on his hands have been torn off, and some fingers were broken as well. His teeth have also been removed. It's a peculiarity on some of his victims; he is the twelfth body found with this remarkable fact." Fortunately, she did not ask me to see the pictures of her son's body which are worthy of being their own worst horror movie.
"If he... if he died of a hemorrhage, does that mean he was alive all the way through?"
"Yes, madam."