Haunted By The Past

CHAPTER 6: A GRISLY SCENE

CHAPTER 6:

A GRISLY SCENE

Detective Senior Constable Marco Petrazini stepped across rough, uneven ground strewn with stones, pebbles, dust, and rubble, making his way around the Brooklyn tip. He joined the officers already there and his partner, Tim, who was short, overweight and wearing a severe gaze. Marco assessed the scene before him. He grimaced at the rich smell of blood as he assessed the victim. “Hey, Tim. You’ve spoken to the officer on the scene?” He took out his notepad.

He nodded. “I have. The body was found at seven this morning by the manager of the site.” He pointed. “He’s over in the building, throwing up.”

“We’ll need to talk to him. Any witnesses or other staff present?”

“No, the other guy who works here starts in an hour. He was alone.”

Marco knelt and bent down close to the naked body, careful not to touch it. That was the medical examiner’s role. The woman’s body and bone structure hinted at beauty, but her face had been disfigured with puncture wounds. He noted multiple stab wounds around the abdomen, some shallow and some deep. A small sentence had been carved into the top part of her chest, ‘You’ve Been Marked.’ What did that even mean? The body looked bruised and battered, with rope markings around her wrists. Her skin was grazed and cut around the ankles too.

Tim moved towards the body. “What are you thinking?”

He rose from his position. “This poor woman had obviously been tortured before being killed. A slow kill to prolong the killer’s pleasure. Asserting their dominance over the victim with the stab wounds and the torture.” He turned to an officer. “Let’s cordon off this area and don’t let anyone inside the perimeter. We’ll need the ME to examine the body, and to contact Crime Scene. We also need to raise tarps to protect this area. If it rains, we’ll lose whatever evidence there is.” The officer nodded. “We need prints and an ID, and check missing persons cases, too. The torture was prolonged so I’m assuming she’s been gone long enough for someone to miss her.”

Marco took a few photos and a video of the body with his phone then interviewed other officers on scene. His partner, Tim, created a rough crime scene sketch.

“The perp has to be pretty strong to dump the body here. Probably used a van to transport the body.”

“She definitely was dropped here like a piece of rubbish. Exposed and mutilated,” said Marco. He grimaced and stroked his throat.

Crime Scene Unit eventually arrived and Marco and Tim headed inside the building to interview the manager. The perp had used a secluded location with no visible witnesses, no security cameras, and no passing traffic. This killer was calculating. Marco made a note. Wind, debris, and dust most likely contaminated the scene, but they’d protected it as much as possible.

The interview with the manager proved fruitless. Nothing was revealed apart from what they already knew. They got the details of the other staff member and would interview him later to rule him out as a suspect.

Marco left the scene with Tim and stepped into the car. He sat in the passenger seat while his partner drove them to the police station. His heart wrenched at the thought of that poor girl’s loved ones being delivered the bad news. Hopefully, they’d get an ID soon and could then notify the family. They wouldn’t be able to claim the body until it was processed and examined for evidence.

Halfway through the ride, his phone buzzed. He picked it up, identifying the name on the screen. “Hi, Mum.”

“Marco, I was ringing to see if you were coming over for dinner tonight.”

He sighed. “I was about to call you, Mum. I think I’ll be having a late night.”

“Oh, Marco. You must eat. I will prepare something to fill your stomach, and when you get here I’ll warm it up for you. A man in your position must eat.”

He shook his head, watching the half-smile on Tim’s face. “Fine, Mum. I’ll try to get there as soon as I can, but don’t wait for me for dinner. Eat whenever you’re hungry.”

“Okay, and maybe one day you will surprise me by bringing a lady friend.” He moved the phone away from his ear, his mother’s screech almost busting his eardrum. “I mean, when are you going to give me grandchildren, Marco? When? I’m not getting any younger.”

He ignored her. “Bye, Mum. I’ll see you tonight.” He hung up and turned to Tim, who chuckled as he drove.

“I think the next universe heard your mum shouting like a madwoman. She really wants to be a grandmother, Marco, so hurry up.”

He put his phone into his side pocket. “She’ll be waiting forever. Who has time for a relationship when we keep getting cases like this?”

“Part of the job being in the homicide squad,” said Tim. “Besides, you like your women but you’re afraid to commit. You love the thrill of the chase, a taste of different woman, like a traditional yet typical Italian. Romance until it gets boring, right?”

Marco leaned back in his seat. “Hey, I’m only twenty-eight and was just promoted to detective, so I have my career to think about first.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever!”

Marco swallowed, realising that he was definitely not ready for a serious relationship. He loved all kinds of women and treated them with the respect they deserved. They were a unique bunch with endearing qualities, and men would never be able to live without them.