7

Fred arrived at Anacostia Park in no time, however, the parking lot was filled with police cars, police vans, news vans, and many other cars.

He parked his Toyota next to a banged-up Ford Focus. He thought about moving and parking elsewhere but he was here for work, so he decided he'd leave the car where it was.

He carried his bag from the parking lot towards the swarm of photographers and reporters who were being held back by police officers.

'They're not letting anyone past the police line.' One photographer said to Fred. 'Well, they have just found a body of a potentially missing woman.' Fred commented.

'Yeah, well I won't get paid if I don't get a shot.' The photographer spoke.

If Daphne was there with him, she would have torn into the photographer for his disrespectful comment. But Fred didn't have that kind of confidence.

He ignored the photographer and moved along.

As he walked towards a group of reporters, he recognised one of the women from the office, Harriett Farmer.

'What's up, Jones?' She asked, her nose ring glistened under the street lamp.

'When did you get here?' Fred asked. With Daphne gone for the weekend, Gilroy must have sent one of the other reporters to find out what's happening.

'As soon as I heard the news.' Harriett said with a shrug, 'Where's your partner?'

'She's away this weekend.' Fred knew that Harriett knew that. She had been after Daphne's job for years. But Daphne had been with the Washington Post for longer, and she was the better reporter.

Gilroy must have been desperate for a reporter to be on the scene.

'Shame, she's missing all the fun.' Harriett smiled and flipped her mousy brown hair out of her face.

Fred ignored her and focussed on the job Gilroy sent him to do.

He could see the police officers standing in front of the police tape and beyond the sea of photographers and reporters, he could just about see the Scene of Crime officials at work in their white coverall suits.

He knew the layout of Anacostia Park and the crime scene is a not-so-secluded small area. Sure it has trees and bushes behind it, but there is nothing that hides the small area from the rest of the park.

His hunch was whoever put her there, had to have done it after the busy period had finished and the parents had taken the children home for the evening.

One of the reporters shouted something but he didn't catch what was said. But very quickly, the swarm of reporters and photographers began to diminish and they were following a van.

Fred suspected they were taking the body away.

He chose not to follow the crowd and stayed where he was, as did a few other photographers as did a news reporter for one of the channels.

Removing his camera, he took a distant photo of the scene where some of the scene of crime officers were working with the detectives who he could now see under the street lights.

He also managed to get a photo of the police tape in the foreground.

He didn't plan on staying all night and soon he returned to his car.

He needed to make some notes to give to Daphne tomorrow. He removed his notepad and pen from his pocket.

He started with the time he recorded from his watch, 10:30PM, and he began his notes.

- Body found at the back of the park, near a small area exposed to the rest of the park

- Police blocking off the park at the parking lot.

- Body taken away from the scene at 10:30pm.

- Police and SOC still at scene.

The Blakes left the party soon after 11 o'clock and arrived home not long after.

William and Elizabeth decided to have a few more drinks before the end of the night, and Elizabeth pulled out a cold bottle of white wine from the fridge.

Thalia plopped herself on the couch in the living room and put on Say Yes To The Dress. Why on Earth she want to watch that, Daphne had no clue.

Daphne took herself up to her bedroom and hoped to get a good night's sleep so she wouldn't be tired on her drive back to Washington D.C tomorrow morning.

So much for doing some research. She hoped Fred had had more luck.

She peeled her jacket off hung it on the back of the door and kicked her shoes off before stripping out of her clothes and putting her pajamas on.

She was about to climb into the bed when she remembered her phone was in her jacket pocket.

She was surprised to see so many messages from Fred.

She flicked the light switch off and used the light from her phone to navigate back to the bed. It was softer than she remembered but she liked her bed back in her apartment.

She unlocked her phone and checked her messages.

"Call me when you can, it's an emergency", Fred and the rest of his messages were pretty much the same. He always used the emergency messages in an actual emergency, and it was rare there was.

She didn't expect him to still be awake but she called him anyway. He picked up after two rings.

'Freddy, are you ok?' She asked when he answered.

'I take it you haven't seen the news yet?' Fred asked.

'No, what's happened? Did they find her?' Daphne asked hopefully.

Silence for a few seconds then Fred said, 'Daph, they found a body at Anacostia Park tonight.'

Daphne sat up in her bed, 'Is it Jenny?'

'I don't know, the police haven't said yet. But I went to the park and the police had blocked off the park from the parking lot. However, I could just about see the police working in the corner of the park, you know that small spot at the back?' Fred asked.

Daphne tried to think. In all her years living in Washington, she had hardly been to Anacostia Park.

'It's not very secluded,' Fred spoke, 'It's exposed to the rest of the park.'

'And it's Saturday, there would have been a lot of people there today.' Daphne added.

'Yeah, that's what I thought. So whoever put the body there must have known that the park would be quiet after a certain time before they put her there.' Fred suggested.

Daphne hummed in agreement.

'I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning.' She said, 'I'll try and get back before 12 o'clock.'

'Ok, but don't speed Daph, I know what you're like.' Fred said sternly. He was more concerned about her driving her death trap of a car than anything.

Daphne laughed a little, 'Don't worry I'll make it back in one piece.'

'You better do.' Fred said gently.

There was silence for a few minutes.

Daphne's hand felt for the necklace she wore. Fred gave it to her for her Birthday at college, back when they were dating. She hadn't taken it off since.

'Uh, by the way, I should give you a heads up.' Fred began, 'Harriett Farmer was at the scene when I arrived.'

Daphne scoffed and rubbed her eyes, 'Seriously?'

'Yeah.' Fred replied.

'I'll be back tomorrow.' She spoke. She said goodnight to Fred before she ended the call and tried to get some sleep.