October 25, 10:42 A.M:
With Suki heading out of the city, Billy and Laura were left to console the possibly soon to be widowed wife, reassuring her that justice would prevail.
"Don't you worry girl, we're gonna find your husband in no time n once he's home safe we'll hunt down tha bastard who did this."
Laura obviously wasn't the consoling type with her sharp tongue, vulgar language and total bluntness but even she couldn't bring herself to forcing Billy to take the reigns, realizing whatever Billy had seen had left him shoken. A quick glance into Billy's eyes conveyed the inner turmoil he was being subjected to as his usual gleeful glimmer had shifted, replaced with a much darker tint as his pupils expanded overshadowing his normal eye color with the current feelings within his heart of unease and trepidation.
While it's true Billy had been assisting Suki for over a year now, this was the first time he witnessed up close and personal something of this degree; as Suki was very cautious with his pupil taking into consideration his emotional state. Being the kind of happy go lucky, positive kid Billy is Suki was wary to allow him to see any bodies that were too mangled but with the sudden urgency forced upon him, he threw away all these previous notions opening the trunk to the horrifying site of the mangled body. The image of the decaying corpse with fractured remnants of the skull mixed within a pool of brain matter like a bag of chips drowning in salsa was etched deep within Billy's mind.
With Billy unfit to aid in the questioning as well Laura took the lead hoping to uncover any leads with relevance to the case. She pulled a chair out from the kitchen spinning it around and sitting on it backwards.
"May I ask you a few questions bout your husband ta aid in our investigation?"
"Yes! Anything to bring home my sweet Roger!" She answered with haste and desperation.
"Alright this morning when you came in you said your husband had left for a business trip? Correct?"
The woman's arm shook rapidly from nerves. "Yes, Roger was on one of his monthly business trips."
She grabbed her forearm bringing her shakes to a hult.
"Anyone know of these monthly trips?"
The wife began to grow more antsy as the questioning continued on.
"N-no… not anyone that could be a possible culprit anyways."
Laura was getting nowhere, at this point she'd take even the slightest sliver of incriminating data if it'd lead to finding a suspect to look into.
"Know of anyone who might've held a grudge? Say an ex, old friend he fought with, co-worker he didn't like? Anyone that comes ta mind?"
The wife pondered for a second biting down on her fingernails.
"No one comes to mind. Roger is very respected in his field due to his drive, all his coworkers admire his insane work ethic. On top of that he goes to church every Sunday and is a model citizen."
Pshh… Laura, none too pleased with these findings, packed up her pencil and paper and abruptly put an end to the questioning.
"That's it for today, we'll be in touch if we need anything further from ya." She declared without so much as hearing another peep from the wife.
She yanked Billy by the back of his collar and drug him to the car waiting outside.
"Get in!" She barked, slamming her door shut and signaling for Billy to give her the keys.
She lit up taking a drag of a cigarette and resting her head down on her steering wheel.
As they made their way back to the station Laura looked towards Billy who still hadn't recovered from earlier.
"Tell me, what ta boss show ya back there?"
"....."
His lips curled as he tried to force out the words on the tip of his tongue. What Billy had wished to say he had not the strength or fortitude to say aloud.
"It was a body wasn't it?"
Billy nodded tears streaming down his face.
Damnn… I should just drop him off home. I gotta remember he didn't grow up around the same typa shit like me it musta really fucked with his head. She thought as she took another drag of her cigarette.
October 25, 10:48 P.M: Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont:
Having driven the day away Suki had successfully crossed over into Vermont without drawing any prying eyes. The foggy roads and pitch black night sky provided him the ultimate cover.
Got to find cover somewhere, I can't risk being in a too open area.
Driving a tad deeper into the forest he came to a stop parking the running Chevy in the middle of the forest, camouflaged within the thick tree trunks spanning out miles. His heart raced a mile a minute.
Calm down Suki you've seen countless dead bodies this one is no different.
From out the back seat of the car Suki pulled a shovel he had purchased while heading through town, propping it against the back tire.
Hesitant to expose himself to the stench of the decaying corpse, he used his suit to attenuate the foul odor. He reluctantly slid his arm under the back of the corpse and lifted the limp body into his arms. His knees buckled as he and the corpse tumbled down the small hill he was atop before smashing into a tree below.
Wincing in pain Figimura shoved the body off, his chest now dyed a crimson red.
After an exhausting climb back up he collapsed out of energy and breathing heavily.
TPPP
As he lay stretched out on the grassy forest bed he noticed the sound of a raindrop. Not longer after a splash of water hit him right between the eyes.
How fitting.
It was as if God was crying for the loss of a child of his own creation.
Hours passed as Suki tossed his shovel from the depths of his rain filled hole, nearly 3 feet deep. The mud swallowed his feet like quicksand with each pull and tug sucking him down deeper. His only option being to ditch his work shoes and continue onwards without them.
Now soaking wet, muddied and shoeless, he used every last ounce of strength to drag the woman's limp body back up from once it came.
Using a tape measure, he got the dimensions of all he could on the woman's distorted body before pushing her down into hole. Her body twisted and bent banging off the sides of the dirt hole. Suki peeked his head over the edge to look one final time at the wrecked fleshbag— her lifeless eye starred a dagger through his heart. His body felt cold…
He slapped his cheeks repeatedly. "Get it together! This is no different than anything you'd dealt with before."
Figimura was no stranger to death. Over the years at the agency he had seen people killed in all types of gruesome ways whether by blunt objects, knives, guns or even unconventional ways like by fire even so something about this woman felt different. Perhaps it was a festering guilt at knowing had he just solved the first letter she'd be alive still or maybe it was something not even Suki was aware of yet that sent this shiver down his spine.
Distracted by the stinging sensation in his cheeks Suki lowered himself down to his knees before the unidentified woman's newly made resting place. He brought his hands together and bowed his head in prayer.
"Oh heavenly father, please guide this young woman to the holy land. Give her the happy life in the time after that she was robbed of here on earth. Amen."
Ring…Ring…Ring...Ring… Laura reached out her hand blindly slapping around trying to grab the phone while keeping her face buried in her pillow. Click… Her voice was shallow and raspy having abruptly been woken up.
"Who da fuck you think you iz callin someone at this time of night?"
"Laura it's me. I desperately need your help."
"Sukkks dat you? What's tha matter?"
"I hate to abide by the killer's demands but until we have a better idea of who our culprit is I can't risk putting the hostage at further risk. So I need to know can you make this Impala disappear…"
Laura pulled a pencil and pad from her nightside table.
"I'll need your exact location and a few hours time."
"Will that be all?"
"Yea, I've got it covered."
"Thank you—" Suki paused as he contemplated giving his final order. Albeit hesitant, it was crucial he proceed.
Laura's worry over how his decision would play out was evident in the shakiness of her question, "Boss, you sure?"
"....." Her question was met with a second of static followed by a faint "Yes" and the click of Suki's phone being hung up.
Am I making the right choice here? Suki mulled over this order until the next morning.
October 26, 8:23A.M: Rocky Top Motel, Vermont:
Knock knock… "Open up!" Laura stressed impatiently.
Suki opened the door to Laura and a sharp dressed man with a 5 o'clock shadow and a lit cigar hanging out the side of his mouth.
"Sukks this here is Johnny boi." She punched the back of her hand into his large tummy. "—If you need somethin gone he's your man."
"So yous need my help makin sometin disappear eh? Oh how the tables turn…" Said Johnny flicking his ash onto Suki. "I'd expect this from lil ole Laura over here but Mr. goodie two shoes breaking the rules? Neva thought I'd see da day."
Suki grabbed Johnny by the tie and pulled him close. "Keep your smartass comments to yourself. You're here because my hands are tied with this case, nothing more. The second this job is over I'll be on your ass next." Figimura angrily clarifies.
Johnny raised his hands up "Woah woah woah settle down… Ima changed man, this is just me returning a debt I owed….
"Tsk…"
Laura sensing the tensions rising between the two pulled on Johnny's arm to break things up. "Just get in the car already…"
Meanwhile back at the agency Billy was dealing with his own issues, at his desk lay a handwritten letter from Laura that'd been dropped off at his doorstep early that morning. In it were the measurements Mr. Figimura had taken of their lastest murder victim's body.
Billy shook in his boots like a chihuahua on a cold winter day. His eyes scrambling to reread the text before him.
"S-s-s-sir I-I can't do it… That face… t-t-that stare!" Billy stuttered as visions of the deceased woman's corpse creeped into his mind. He felt as if her eyes were covering the room watching his every move. Billy dropped to the floor burying his head in the carpet. "Gaaaaaahhhh!!!!!"
2 hours had passed and Figimura and finally successfully led Laura and Johnny to the parked Chevy Impala.
"This is the car yous want me to make disappear? Das a damn shame… This babys a looker too. Shit—"
Johnny stuck his hand out in Suki's direction. "Fiddy."
"...."
Johnny removed the cigar from his mouth and tilted his head. His mouth open teeth baring, he reiterated. "Das gonna run you Fiddy more."
"Does this look like some kind of game to you?"
"Yous the ones who needed my expertise. So quit bein stingy and cough up that extra fiddy."
Suki begrudgingly pulled out a wad of crunkled cash shoving it into the mobsters chest."
"Here."
"Now das more like it."
With the money in hand they drove off leaving Johnny to his own devices.
"Boss you gud? You seem pretty peeved."
Suji shrugged off her question with a dry, "Yeah—"
Sighh "It's just… Of all the people you could've enlisted why'd it have to be him…"
"Wait you already knew Johnny?" She exclaimed.
Suki pulled his face down with his hand. "Yeah... When I first came over to the states he was a real thorn in my side. He was involved in upwards of 15 major hits with the Mafia but anytime I connected him to the crime they took a plea deal and set him free. Said it was "God's will" keeping him out of trouble… It's been a few years since the last time he showed his face so I had prayed he had seen the errors of his ways and perhaps him aiding in our investigation was a step in the right direction but even so—" Suki clenched his fist into a ball. "Committing all the heinous crimes he has and not having served a single day… how can I feel as if he atoned for his actions."
Laura felt a tad dejected in knowing she still carried connections with a few of New York's most notorious men and women. Most of these people have probly givin Sukks alot of trouble over the years. Maybe I should cut—
"Stop..."
"Huh?"
"Your emotions are written all over your face. You've moved on from your past self and only use your connections and skills with positive intentions in mind."
Suki's smile made her eyes sparkle.
"I'm proud of how far you've come."
That single sentence was all it took. Mr. Figimura had become somewhat of a father figure to Laura despite their tiny difference in age and getting a dose of positive reinforcement in a turbulent time gave her all the confidence in the world.
The cloud covered skies opened shining a ray of sunlight.
"Sukks." She said, clearing her throat and wiping the tears from her eyes. "Time ta catch this basard!"
The petal hit the floor as they booked it for the agency. With everything set in place the RDW now faced their toughest obstacle father time.