Chapter Thirty Three: The Death of Kevin*
Marie stood at the edge of the crime scene, her jaw clenched as she scanned the area. Kevin's lifeless body lay slumped on the floor of his lavish office, a single gunshot wound to the head. The room was meticulously arranged, but something about it felt too perfect. The sheriff had called it in early that morning, claiming it was a clear-cut case of suicide, but Marie wasn't buying it.
Officer Green knelt beside Kevin's body, his brow furrowed in concentration as he examined the angle of the gunshot wound and the placement of the gun, conveniently resting by Kevin's right hand. "I don't know, Marie," he muttered, his voice low. "This feels off. If he shot himself, why would the gun land over there? The angle's strange too."
Marie nodded, her eyes narrowing as she moved around the room, inspecting every detail. She hadn't liked Kevin—not one bit—but his sudden death was too convenient. Just days ago, she'd been with him, watching him gloat about being on a throne under her flirty interrogation, and now he was gone. It didn't add up.
"Exactly. It's too clean, too... deliberate. Whoever did this wants it to scream 'suicide.' But look at the gun, the position, and there's no blood spatter where you'd expect it from this angle. It's staged." Marie's voice was cold and calculating, her mind already piecing together what the scene was really telling her. She knew a cover-up when she saw one.
They continued their quiet examination until the door burst open, and the sheriff barged in, his face twisted in barely-contained fury. His presence filled the room with a heavy weight, and Marie could see the sharpness in his eyes as they fell on her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Kanker?" the sheriff barked, his voice echoing off the walls. "I told you this is a suicide. There's no need for a full investigation here."
Marie stood her ground, crossing her arms over her chest. "With all due respect, Sheriff, I think it's worth taking a closer look. Something doesn't feel right here."
"I don't care what you *think* feels right," the sheriff snapped, stepping forward until he was mere inches from her. "This is my scene, and I say it's a suicide. Kevin had problems—drinking, gambling, and God knows what else. It's obvious he couldn't handle the pressure anymore."
Marie stared him down, her gut screaming that this wasn't what it appeared. "Maybe," she said evenly, "or maybe someone wanted him dead, and they made it look like he took the easy way out."
The sheriff's lips curled into a sneer, his eyes flicking between her and Officer Green. "You're off this case, Kanker. You hear me? I don't want to see you poking around any more of Kevin's properties or digging into things that don't concern you."
Marie didn't flinch, though her fists clenched at her sides. "You know there's something bigger at play here and you're trying to cover it up."
"You're grasping at straws, Kanker," the sheriff growled. "And I won't have you embarrassing this department with wild, female conspiracy theories. This job is clearly too much for your fragile mind, you're not cut out for the gruesome reality the way men are. Now, I'm ordering you to leave this scene. That's final."
Green stood up, casting a glance at Marie. "Sheriff, with all due respect—"
"*Out!*" The sheriff's voice boomed, cutting Green off. "Now."
Marie could feel the heat rising in her chest, anger threatening to spill over, but she knew better than to push it further here. She exchanged a look with Green and nodded. "Fine. We're leaving. But this isn't over."
Without another word, Marie and Green walked out of the office, leaving the sheriff standing over Kevin's body, his eyes following them out the door with a cold, unreadable expression.
As they stepped out into the fresh air, Marie let out a frustrated sigh. "He's covering something up. I know it. Kevin didn't kill himself."
Green nodded in agreement, his face hard. "Yeah. But the sheriff's not going to let us investigate. We're going to have to be careful."
Marie looked up at the sky, her mind racing with possibilities. "We've got to get around him. Whatever Kevin was into, it was big, and I bet it's tied to the others. We need more evidence, and we need it fast."
Green glanced at her, determination shining in his eyes. "Then let's figure out our next move. Because the sheriff might be blocking us, but we're not letting this go."
