“He’s dead.”
The grizzled detective nudged the body on the sidewalk with his boot, the reflection of blue lights flashing in the gutter to his right. Hairs stood on the back of his neck as the drizzle soaked his collar. Rain at night was always cold this time of year.
“Uh, Detective. He’s got a pulse.”
“Rookies. Always trying to save the world.” Detective Bannon thought. “Look,” Bannon spoke over his shoulder as his back was to the officer, “twenty-five years on the job… I think I know a stiff when I see one. You might want to keep the crowd back so they don’t contaminate my crime scene.”
The growing crowd was pushing towards the body. The rookie approached them, commanding the rain-soaked wall of humanity to stand back.
The coroner soon arrived, declared the body dead, then asked his assistant to take photos.
“Just like the last one, Harms?” Bannon asked the coroner. Bannon never took the time to learn anyone’s name, he just gave them one. The rookie would have one before the morning.
“I hope not.”
The “last one” was found without a heart. No trauma to the body but no heart inside. Like someone, or something, reached down their throat and neatly removed it. Neither saw trauma to this body.
Bannon reached for a satchel a few feet away and rifled the contents. Papers and notebooks nearly filled with scribblings, along with discs and memory cards in the side pockets.
“That would be for me.” The voice came from behind Bannon.
He turned to look but couldn’t move. He was frozen. The crowd, the rookie, everyone stopped in time. At least Bannon could hear and see but the voice wouldn’t come into view.
“These words don’t belong to him, Detective.” A hand retrieved the satchel. “He was murdered though. You killed him. She killed him.” The hand pointed towards the crowd. “I killed him," the voice paused, "then he killed himself.”
The voice stepped back into the shadows as the world became unfrozen.
Bannon pulled his pistol and followed where he thought the voice went but no trace remained.
Those neck hairs were beginning to bother him...
Link to Poets and Storytellers United - Writers' Pantry #94: Ends and New Beginnings
To be continued ... please say it's so.
ReplyDeleteI believe Detective Bannon will return. Thank you, Helen
Deleteoogey-licious. more, please.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ron. I can't leave it here.
DeleteNeck hair!!!
ReplyDeleteNice scary one
Thanks for dropping by my blog today
Much💜love
Thank you, Gillena.
DeleteNow I'm terribly intrigued! Who's doing away with the stiffs' tickers? Who owns the disembodied voice? I so hope there is more!
ReplyDeleteThe world may never find out who but maybe the story is in the chase? I'll work on it, Magaly and thank you for stopping by.
DeleteOoh, nice and spooky for Halloween! Like everyone else, I'm thoroughly hooked and want to know what comes next.
ReplyDeleteThe timing of the Pantry "Ends and Beginnings" meshed up with this story. I'll see what Det. Bannon has in store for us.
DeleteThank you so much, Rosemary
I'm left hanging (but not dead!).
ReplyDeleteI hope I don't leave you hanging for long, Colleen.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
noir for days.
ReplyDeletefine twisting you've done here ~
It does have that feel.
DeleteThank you for your kind words.
It certainly is a bit of a mystery. She killed him and then he killed himself. Maybe she killed him in play but then he killed himself for real. Or maybe not.
ReplyDeleteWe shall see where this goes, Graham. Thank you for reading
DeleteA deliciously dark and mysterious story. I eagerly await the next installment. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Khaya. I hope you enjoy the rest of this tale.
Delete