'Holy shit. Holy shit! Why her? Why my baby?"
Getting off the phone with the police I fall behind my counter, my back to the cold glass. I can see Olive and Marie move back some as Olive's words reverberate around the now quite space.
"Not again. Not again."
"There is a murderer… its all true…" I breath placing my balled fist on either side of my head, warm tears finally falling as the store phone rings. Shakily I struggle a bit to get back to my feet, grabbing the phone a soft click reaching my ears as a woman's voice speaks calmly.
"Please unlock the back door for the officers." Cursing under my breath I comply and go to the back of the store, not daring a glance to my baby's body as I round the counter. Reaching the back door, I reach up to unhook the dead lock. Only to find it already undone. Running my fingers against the hanging chain my heart squeezed in my chest. Pulling the door open two officers stand their fresh faces and wild-eyed as they look around for anything to jump out at them.
"They came through here… She forgot to lock it last night." I state as they step through the door, neither of them through the door as one radio's it in and the other follows me to the front of the store. Placing his hand over his mouth he backs up a bit by the sight.
"Oh my god…" He mumbles, taking up his radio and turning to walk away. My eyes are glued at this point at her body, a fresh stream of tears cascade down my face. Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I am snapped out of the internal spiral. Looking towards the arm my eyes land on Marie who pulls me around one of the clothing racks to a small sitting area where Olive has coped herself up in, legs up to her chest and her head against the top of her knees.
"How are you so calm?" I question her as I take a seat in one of the chairs next to Olive, laying my hand on her back as she leans against my side.
"I've seen worst things… Mortuaries daughter after all. Dead things are my specialty."
"You would do well in Forensic science…" Olive finally mumbles, trying to clear the air as more officers and experts show up to question us. After an hour, hour, and a half they tell us we can go. Shaking my head, I jingle the keys at them.
"I got to lock up, please do what you can and make sure her biological parents know what happened…" I am still shaking, the soft tremors visible as they lead me to the front door to lock it. Doing so my eyes land on the splattered blood, luckily her body has been moved but the burned image still stands as I do what I need to do and back away. Following Marie and Olive out the back door and onto the street.
"I'm sorry Andy…" Turning to Olive, I shake my head.
"It was my fault; I should have been listening to what the scanners said about those other two. This would have all be prevented…" I sigh, turning away and trudging towards my car. "You two be safe…" I finish the conversation off as soon as my door closes, revving the engine and making my way home. Prepared to tell the horrible news.