I sat in the patrol car and I stared out the window. Greg's driving. It's night. The only nightlife here is in the bars and the 24/7 restaurants. The two of those probably contributed the most to the drunk and obese genre of people here. Just as Greg parked the car in front of a 7/11, the radio spoke. "Personnel near Fergus Street, possible 10-32 in front of the Town Hall, nearby units please respond, over,"
"This is Car 7 en route, over," Greg responded.
"Car 11 following from behind, over" the radio buzzed with a different voice.
"Acknowledged, over,"
We didn't get to buy Gatorade. Greg drove with the sirens on fast. It wasn't that bad though. We got to the street and Greg slowed down. "You got your vest on?" He asked me.
"Yeah," I said. He hit my chest with his fist and I gulped. It was a hard punch. "What was that for?"
"Making sure you had a vest on," He replied, laughing.
I took my gun out and I took the magazine out, full. "You're not gonna shoot me, are you? I was kidding about the vest thing," Greg looked at me.
"I'm not gonna shoot at you,"
"You sure? Because I know that to you I look pretty shoot-able right now," He said. "I won't be mad if you shoot me, but please don't shoot my balls off, I still want to have sex,"
"I'm not shooting you, or your balls," I said. He stopped the car and we got out. I had my handgun aimed, and Greg had an AR in his hands, aimed at that man's center mass. In front of the town hall was a man with a long gun. Either a rifle or shotgun. He's aiming the gun at the town hall door. He didn't move. "SIR! PLEASE PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!" I shouted as we got closer. Car 11 stopped behind us. The officers came out. Slowly, the four of us approached him. "SIR! PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!" He didn't move, nor did he make a noise. We got closer and closer and I smelled that metallic tang of blood. I took my flashlight out and I shined at him. Under him was a puddle of blood. I saw that his body was naked. His back had the same star taken out of him. How is he standing? I holstered my gun.
"What the fuck are you doing? He could shoot you," One of the Car 11 officers said. "Take your gun out,"
"He's dead," I said. I went in front of the corpse and I saw that his face was also flayed, just like the girl from before. I shined the light down and I saw a metal rod sticking out of the ground and into his anus, I suppose that's propping him up. I looked at the gun and I saw that it was attached to him via razor cables. It wasn't added post-mortem judging by the amount of bleeding. I shined the light on the rifle this dead man was holding and I saw that it was a Winchester Model 12. "I need to make a call," I said as I stepped aside. Greg walked towards me and the other two officers went to the corpse. "Secure the perimeter," I said. The two officers looked at me astounded, Greg looked at them and motioned his hand, and the two went.
"Captain Anderson?" He asked. I nodded. "I'll tell dispatch, to get forensics here," He said as he went to the car.
I dialed Captain Anderson's number and he answered. We were right. Just as I finished telling the captain about the situation, I shot went off, I jumped down and I looked behind me. The gun went off. "Everyone alright?!" Greg yelled as he came near.
"I'm alright," I said as I stood up with my gun in hand. I looked at the trigger finger and I saw that it was moving. Very mechanically too. I looked in the direction the gun went off and I saw one of the officers on the floor, bleeding. The bullet grazed his shoulder. I went to him and I dragged him away from the line of sight. Whoever this killer is, they are watching us. "You alright?" I asked him as I took out a roll of bandage from my kit. I wrapped it around his arm and I sat there. I looked at the wall behind him and I saw the damage the shell did, it's Birdshot. Greg was calling for backup, and I sat there, looking at the buildings. They are watching us. I stood up and went to Greg, I stood beside him and whispered, "They are watching us," Greg looked at me and he nodded. I looked up into the buildings and that was when I saw a shadow walking on the roof of the town hall. "Up there!" I pointed and I ran. Greg followed me and the officer stayed there. We ran up the stairs as fast as we could with our weapons drawn. We got on the roof and there was nothing there. No one. "He was here, he was looking at us from here," I said.
"I trust you," Greg said as he pointed a flashlight at a remote controller on top of a stool overlooking the courtyard where the corpse was. He wore his gloves and grabbed the remote and he shouted to the officer down below. "Henry, is the finger moving?" He asked.
"Yeah!" The officer downside replied. "Can one of you get down here, I'm sending John to the sick wagon," He shouted and Greg showed him a thumbs up.
"Fucking hell," Greg said under his breath. I shined the light a bit more and I saw written in blood on the door we came through; HI THERE POLICE OFFICERS! He's taunting us.
I saw the blue lights approaching, backup is here. "I'll be downstairs," I said. He nodded. I saw the first car arrive, it's Captain Anderson's car. I got down and I walked to the corpse, I wore my gloves, I opened his mouth and I saw the same type of paper from the previous corpse;
" And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!"
"Poetry again?" Captain Anderson asked as he got behind me.
"Yeah," I said. "It's The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe, it's about a guy unable to cope with his lover's death and starts talking to a crow, shell fired was a birdshot,"
"Fuck, we need to give this to the county, we don't have the people to handle this," Captain said. "And the people that have the brains to do it don't have the jurisdiction," He looked at me. "When county takes over, I'm putting you and Greg in charge of the handover. The others can't say shit about it, after all of this is finished, I'm recommending you for the detective test. You have to pass it, I'm tired of dealing with idiots in the fucking department, dismissed," He said before leaving. I turned around and I saw Greg.
"Well, well, well, lookie here, Detective Luna Loud,"
"I'm not a detective," I said.
"Yet,"
"Yet,"
Morning came and I'm now clocking off for the day, well it's morning now. I sat on the bus with a jacket over my light blue uniform, I didn't take it off because I needed to wash off John's blood from the blue shirt sleeves. Just as the bus stopped at the mall, I saw that girl again, that bloody dead girl. Standing at the bus stop. Looking at me with her lidless eyes. "Hey, thanks!" I heard that voice, the music store girl, Sam. I looked at the front and I saw her walking down the bus aisle and out the door. I saw her walking towards the mall. I suppose this is the time for people to go to work. The bus stopped near the house and I got off. I wanted to speak to that girl. Maybe next time.
I got on the porch and I took my jacket off. I opened the door and stepped inside and I saw Pop-pop eating ice cream straight from the tub in front of the TV. He looked at me and I looked at him. Eye contact. It's peanut butter and chocolate ice cream. "Leave me some," I said as I closed the door.
"There's another tub with your name in the freezer," Pop-pop replied. I threw the jacket on the coat hanger and I went to the kitchen, I opened the freezer door and I saw the peanut butter and chocolate ice cream tub with my name on it. I grabbed it and I grabbed a spoon from the cupboard. I went back to the living room and I sat beside Pop-pop. He sniffed something. "Is that blood?" He looked at me in horror as he grabbed my left hand. "Are you hurt?" He asked as he unbuttoned the sleeve button.
"I'm not hurt, a coworker got injured and his blood stained my shirt when I was applying first aid," I replied blankly. He sighed thankfully. He grabbed his spoon and started eating again. I leaned to his shoulder and I looked at the TV screen.
"Luna, Luna, you look so emotionless on the outside, but you're really just a little girl on the inside huh?" He laughed. He changed the channel and now we're watching Dirty Harry. "Don't worry, you'll always be my little girl,"
"Pop-pop, can I ask you something?" I asked him.
"Isn't that already a question? What would you do if I said no?" Pop-pop replied jokingly.
"I'll probably ask anyway,"
"Then ask away,"
"Would I be a good detective?"
"You, definitely," Pop-pop replied. "I'm sure of it,"