As I stood over the body, my mind couldn't help but wander to the question on everyone's mind: what in the world happened to her? I've spent my life studying the human body, trying to understand what makes us tick, but nothing could have prepared me for this.
The victim, a young woman named Sarah, had been brutally murdered. Her once-beautiful features twisted in a grotesque expression of pain and horror. Her long brown hair was matted with blood, and her clothes were torn and stained with dark red splotches.
As I approached her body, I could see that her throat had been brutally slashed, leaving a gaping wound that ran from ear to ear. Her eyes, once bright and full of life, now stared lifelessly into the distance.
I began to examine the body, finding that there were other signs of trauma as well. Bruises dotted her arms and legs, and there were defensive wounds on her hands and arms. She had put up a fight before she was overpowered. It was clear that this was a violent, senseless murder, and the brutality of the attack left me feeling wobbly in the knees. Despite my years in medical school, I couldn't help but take a step away from the body to compose myself.
The flashing lights of the police cruisers illuminated the quiet suburban street as the officers arrived at the scene of the crime. The yellow tape had been strung up around the perimeter of the alleyway where Sarah's body had been found, and a small crowd of curious onlookers had gathered at the edge of the tape. The lead detective, a grizzled veteran named Detective Johnson, strode purposefully toward the body, his face grim with determination.
As he approached the scene, I stepped out to meet him. "Carson, what are you doing here?" he asked, ruffling his nose Johnson raised an eyebrow. "You been drinking?"
"Just a beer" I chuckled dryly, "Cass thought a party would be a fun way to celebrate my new job."
"Sounds just like her, how is she doing by the way? I haven't seen her since the funeral."
"She's been pushing on, she never really knew her Uncle Malcolm that well anyways" I gave him a wry smile, turning back towards the bloody body, unable to get the grisly scene out of my mind. "Her name's Sarah, I found her wallet next to the body."
Johnson took the wallet and handed it off to another officer, his expression darkening as he approached the body. "Damn," he muttered. "This one's not gonna be easy to solve."
I nodded grimly. "Whoever did this was a monster," I said. "I've never heard or seen anything like it."
Johnson sighed heavily as he kneeled next to the body. "Yeah, a monster…" he said. He turned and called over a couple of officers. "Let's get started. We need to canvas the neighborhood, talk to any witnesses, and see if we can come up with any leads. We'll catch this sick fuck. I promise you that."
I nodded, feeling a sense of relief that the investigation was in capable hands. Johnson was a family friend; someone I have known my entire life. He's a legend in the NYPD, and had a reputation for being tough and uncompromising, if there was anyone who could catch the guy it was Johnson.
As the officers fanned out across the street, knocking on doors and questioning neighbors, I turned back to the body, my mind racing with questions. Who could have done such a thing? And why? As I began to examine her more closely, I noticed a series of fine scratches on her body, scratches that seemed to follow a strange pattern. I knelt closer, hoping to get a better look at the body. I knew that the answer was close, barely out of reach, waiting to be discovered.
As I moved closer to the body, I felt someone staring at me. I turned around to find a young female detective, staring at me with an intense gaze. Before I could say anything, she stormed over to me and began questioning me in an aggressive tone.
"What were you doing when the victim was murdered?" she demanded, her voice sharp and accusing. "Did you have any reason to harm them? Were you the last person to see them alive?"
I was taken aback by her onslaught of questions, and it took me a moment to find my voice. "I'm the new city coroner," I said slowly, trying to keep my tone calm. "I wasn't involved in the murder in any way. I was walking back home from a party, I saw the body, called the police, and examined her corpse."
"Why not just take a taxi, why walk?"
"I like the night air; it cools my head" I smiled wryly, pointing to a nearby sign. "and I was walking to the bus stop."
The female detective didn't seem convinced. She continued to question me relentlessly, her eyes boring into mine. I could tell that she was suspicious of me, and I couldn't blame her. After all, I was a stranger to her, and I was in a position to know a lot about the victim's death.
But I knew that I was innocent, and I stood my ground. I answered her questions as honestly as I could, even as her tone grew more and more accusatory. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Johnson returned and called her off.
As she walked away, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. I knew that she was just doing her job, but the way she had interrogated me left me feeling shaken. It was clear that she was determined to find the killer, no matter who it was, and I couldn't help but wonder what other tactics she would use in her quest for justice.
"Don't mind her, Jess only transferred to homicide recently, and this is her first high-profile case. She's just looking to prove herself," Johnson and I watched as Jess canvased the scene of the crime, studying the evidence with a fierce intensity.
My phone rang suddenly. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was my friend, Cassidy. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should answer it, especially after ditching her at the party, but then decided to take a break from the heavy atmosphere of the crime scene.
"Hey, Cass," I answered stepping away from the crime scene, hoping she wouldn't be too mad.
"Hey, Slick, where'd you go?" she asked cheerfully, her words slurring slightly as she spoke.
"Not much, just stumbled across a murder on my way home," I replied, glancing over at Jess, who was still busy examining the crime scene. Johnson is now busy watching her work, then back towards the poor murdered young woman. I quickly returned my attention to the call, "What's going on with you?"
"I ditched the party for this great bar downtown, and I thought the change of location may convince you to join me again," Cassidy said, her voice full of enthusiasm. "It's been ages since we've gone out together and the first thing you do is ditch me! You owe me, Carson."
I hesitated again, feeling guilty about leaving the crime scene, but a couple of drinks wouldn't be too bad after seeing what had happened to Sarah. And she was right, I did ditch her first. "I don't know, Cass," I said slowly. "I'm not sure I'm really in the mood for a party right now."
"Nonsense," she said, her tone turning more insistent. "You'll have the rest of your life to examine dead bodies, buddy. You deserve a chance to have fun before you become one yourself. Come on, it'll be fun. Drinks are on me."
I couldn't resist her enthusiasm, and before I knew it, I had agreed to meet her at the bar. As I made my way away from the crime scene, I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt. Feeling as though I should be focusing on the case, but the thought of blowing off steam with my friend was too tempting to resist. I waved goodbye to Johnson who gave a simple nod in response. "Don't stay up too late kid, you're going to have a long first day tomorrow."
As I smiled and walked away from the crime scene, I couldn't help but wonder what that new detective Jess would think if she knew where I was going. But for the moment, I pushed those thoughts aside and let myself get swept up in the excitement of the night ahead.
I step out of the bus, and the pulsing beat of music emanating from the bar washes over me. The neon lights of the establishment illuminate the street, beckoning me to come closer. I take a deep breath and make my way through the crowd of people lining up outside, eager to start the night.
The bouncer checks my ID and name against the entry list and lets me through, and I am immediately hit with a wave of sound and energy as I step inside. The DJ is blasting out a mix of electronic and hip-hop beats, and the dance floor is packed with people swaying and moving to the rhythm.
I spot my friend in a corner of the bar, drinks in hand, laughing and chatting away with some strangers. Cassidy always did find a way to make friends wherever she went. I make my way over to them, weaving through the throngs of people.
"Hey, Carson, glad you made it!" Cassidy said, giving me tight hug, the smell of alcohol hit me like a wall. It seems like she hadn't slowed down during his absence. We moved away from her new friends before she flashed the credit card her father had given her. "Now it's just you and me, what can I get you to drink?"
I smiled, feeling a sense of relief at the familiar sound of his voice. "Just a beer, thanks," I said, settling into a chair.
As I watched her make her way to the bar, I couldn't help but feel a sense of liberation. For once, I wasn't surrounded by medical textbooks and diagrams. I was just a guy out with his friend, enjoying a night on the town.
But even as I savored the moment, I couldn't help but feel a nagging sense of guilt. Feeling as though I missed something at the scene, that I should be back there working to solve the murder. I couldn't shake the feeling the strange feeling I had when examining the odd scratches decorating Sarah's body.
Cassidy quickly returned with a series of shots.
"That's not a beer" I raised my eyebrow as Cassidy sat down across from me, separating the shots evenly between us.
"I thought that you may have sobered up a little and need a little pick-me-up" She chuckled downing her shots one by one like water. "Now hurry up and take your medicine!"
I did my best to push the thoughts of Sarah aside and downed the shots painfully. Feeling the burn of the alcohol as it went down my throat. I coughed and sputtered, trying to keep from grimacing as the fiery liquid spread through my body. Cassidy laughed, clapping me on the back.
I took the second shot, feeling my uneasiness disappear as the alcohol took effect. My head was starting to spin, and I knew that Johnson was right, tomorrow was going to be a long, painful day.
Taking a couple more shots throughout the night, I continued to laugh and joke with Cassidy, even dancing a little to the music. It was a much-needed break from all my recent studying, and for a few hours, I felt like a normal person, living a normal life.
A feeling neither of us would get to experience again, for a long, long time.