TWO

"What do we have?" Frank came trekking up the steps of the guarded motel room as red and blue lights bounced against the battleship gray door.

Detective Martin Placek turned and stepped over to him. He was a small man with G I cut black hair, dull blue eyes and the personality of a constantly losing game show contestant.

"Double homicide of sisters Taylor and Faith Hutchinson. The parents said they were out here for a shopping trip to the outlets."

"Was this a robbery?" Frank questioned.

Placek's eyebrows crinkled. "It doesn't look like it. He would've taken their cards and cash and it's all still there."

Frank was quiet for a moment as he touched the door, trying to get a picture in his mind of what exactly happened but things jumbled. Images flashed through his head of a sobbing woman crying on the phone to 9-1-1—a flash of a gunshot—blood splatter on a pile of new clothes on the bed—a broken window. He couldn't grasp anything much on the killer; perhaps if he went inside he would be more successful.

"Where is everyone else?" Frank asked, only noticing one uniformed officer standing outside the door.

"Kathleen and Warren are on a YMCA accidental drowning and Tara is on a domestic violence follow-up with Craig. We are by ourselves here. Do you want to go in, Frank?"

Did he EVER really want to go in when it came to these things?

"Yeah."

They made their way through the door, through the little desk and television area to the bedroom where on the floor laid a cluttered mess of feathers, blood, and new clothes. Frank immediately saw one of the victims sprawled out on the bed face up. Her beautiful waif-like face splattered with blood obviously caused by the huge gaping wound in her chest, her French manicured hand still holding the cell phone.

"Taylor, thirty-four," Placek started. "We got a call from her a few minutes before she was shot. The 9-1-1 operator could barely understand her since she was almost whispering. I will let you listen to the tape when we receive it. It seemed like an intruder."

"What about the motel manager?" Frank asked.

"He said he heard the shots but wasn't gonna call us because the owner has some outstanding health violations."

Frank scoffed. "What about the other sister?"

"Faith. She is over here near the closet. She has a bullet in her back and there was no pulse. CSI is backed up but they should be here soon." Placek exhaled heavily and rubbed his dry eyes. He managed to find the bed sheet on the floor near his feet and picked it up. He lifted it out into the air to unfold it and placed it softly over Taylor's entire body. Then he took his little notebook and pen out of his pant pocket.

Frank stepped over to Faith, who lay face down on a pile of obviously new clothes and shoes. He knelt down and noticed the bullet hole near her right shoulder blade slightly hidden by her long reddish hair. In his mind, he could see the faces of the two women; he could feel the fright in their eyes and the anger in the man that shot them.

"This was a fight in anger. This man is most likely Taylor's husband since she has on the wedding ring. I am feeling abuse, both verbally and physically. My guess is these women were just going on a little vacation this man didn't approve of."

Placek stood quietly as he wrote everything down Frank said. He tore off the page and made his way back outside to hand it to the uniformed officer outside the door, and then he stepped back in. Placek knew ever since Frank started working for them never to question Frank's intuitions or 'feelings'; just to trust them.

Frank knelt down to touch Faith's back. He moved his hand slowly over her and closed his eyes. He felt such an incredible emotion of sadness and fear that radiated from her.

"Placek, can I turn her over for a moment?" He asked softly.

"Sure, if you think it will help." Placek answered, digging out his cell phone and dialing to see when CSI would arrive.

Frank turned Faith's body over very gently. He pushed her hair off her face and noticed her eyes were closed and she looked almost as if she was asleep. He moved his hand over her alabaster neck, noticing severe bruising.

"He choked her." Frank said.

Placek slapped his cell phone closed and his eyebrows crinkled. "Choked?"

"Yeah, look at her neck. Those bruises came from anger."

"I'll have them dust her for the prints." Placek replied.

Frank touched her neck again and suddenly Faith arched her back up and took a tremendous breath, her eyes opening wide. Frank jumped back in shock as Faith started to cough and made a wheezing gasping attempt for breath.

"Placek!" Frank shouted. "She's alive! Get someone in here fast!"

Placek's eyes widened in shock as if he had just seen a ghost and he dashed out of the room to call paramedics.

Frank crouched back down and leaned Faith's upper body to rest on his lap. He could see blood begin to bubble up from the bullet hole.

"It's ok. Just stay still, we're going to get you some help."

Faith's eyes watered and she tried to sit up and breathe, but the pain in her chest hurt like someone had dropped a car on her.

"Ta-Taylor-r," she managed to speak a scratchy whisper.

"Sssshh, its ok, don't try to talk, we're going to get you help. I think you have a collapsed lung and a crushed larynx."

Faith reached a weak shaky hand out to him and Frank grasped it and held it strongly, like a lover.

"Don't leave me." She barely whispered. "Please don't let me go."

Frank's heart warmed and thudded in his chest with adrenaline and anxiety. "I'm not going to leave you." He smiled softly and pushed the sweat soaked hair off her forehead. "I won't leave you."

Placek returned followed by two orange coated EMT workers charged into the room along with a fresh white sheeted gurney. They made their way to get as close to Faith as possible and clicked the gurney down to floor level in order to place Faith on safely.

"She's got blood in her lungs, a collapse and possible tracheal damage." Frank tried to stand up out of the way but Faith's hand still clung to his.

"Don't leave me. I don't wanna die all by myself. Please stay with me." Faith pleaded, sobbing.

Frank shot a glance at Placek as if to ask permission. His face softened and he nodded.

"Stay with her Frank. I'll get Tara to help me here." Frank nodded and helped the EMT workers ease Faith onto the gurney and raise it up to wheel it out of the room. He never let go of Faith's hand as they made their way out of the room, outside and into the ambulance.