Parental Obligations: Prologue

The dark and shady man slipped into Jimmy Lloyd's apartment, making no sound at all. He was shocked and appalled at what he saw inside. "What the hell are you doing?"

Jimmy stood up and away from the young girl he had previously been making out with. She couldn't have been more than fourteen or fifteen. "Hey," Jimmy said nervously. "What are you doing here?"

The man looked at the young girl, his stomach flipping at how young and innocent she was. "Get out," he barked. The girl fled, leaving Jimmy to the man. "What were you doing Jimmy?"

Jimmy gulped. "Boss, it's not what it looks like." The boss had zero tolerance for Jimmy's taste for young girls.

"I think it is, Jimmy," the man said pleasantly, lighting a cigarette. Anything to get the taste of bile out of his mouth. That girl that Jimmy had just been feeling up on the couch was about the same age as his little girl. "Jimmy, have I ever told you about my girls?"

"Yes, sir, boss," Jimmy said, putting his shaking hands in his pockets.

The man continued as if Jimmy hadn't spoken. "I met this fine woman when she was pregnant. She already had a daughter and had another one on the way. The father couldn't be bothered to stick around. The older one was straight from hell, I swear. That didn't stop me from treating her as my own. Now her mom left me, but she would be about thirteen now."

Jimmy gulped. "Yes, sir." He backed away with wide eyes when he saw the gun.

"That girl was just a baby." Nothing was heard except the sound of Jimmy's body dropping to the floor.

Mac and Stella stepped into the apartment only to be met with the smell of decomposing flesh. Just what you wanted to smell first thing in the morning.

"Neighbor called it in when she noticed the smell," Flack said, glancing at his notebook. "Name's James Lloyd. Thirty-two. Served time for grand theft auto, possession with intent, and assault. Had charges brought up against him several times for statutory rape. Slippery bastard always managed to wiggle out of them."

"Wiggle?" Stella asked skeptically as she started to photograph the body.

"It's early," Flack said defensively. "I'm not even sure if I'm awake right now."

"Coffee?"

"Didn't get a chance to stop," Flack said glumly.

"Tell you what," Stella said with a wide smile, "After we wrap this case up, I'll buy you a cup of coffee."

Unfortunately for Flack, he didn't get a chance to collect on that deal because they didn't have any evidence connecting anyone to the crime. The gun used was stolen and the silencer home made. No one saw or heard anything. Jimmy wasn't on speaking terms with his neighbors and usually didn't leave his apartment until after normal people were sleeping.

The folder was added to Mac's pile at the corner of his desk.

TBC...