Marie Bartek & The SIPS Team - Books 1-3

Chapter 3

Her eyes stared motionless into infinity and bulged while her skin was gray and red streaked. Most of her hair had fallen out, and her mouth, lips, and tongue were swollen. Found floating face down was the description Chief Cory Miller received during the five a.m. phone call Sunday morning that woke him out of a deep sleep.

“I thought Sundays were supposed to be a day of rest,” he muttered, as he rolled out of bed and wiped his eyes. Even though he"d been on the job eleven years, he still couldn"t handle the sight of a dead body after it had been in the water.

By the time Cory arrived on the scene at the Narrows, half of the police and fire department were hurriedly marking the area a crime scene. It wasn"t unusual for a body to float into the Narrows. It was a short easterly distance from the Cove which dumped into the ocean. Depending on how far the body had floated, Jane Doe could be from anywhere.

Deputy John Mullican flicked his cigarette on the ground, walked over to Cory, and handed him a fresh cup of Bean Street coffee from The Kangaroo Express. “Morning, Chief. Sorry to have to wake you so early on a Sunday. I know you hate these types of calls.” John was significantly shorter than Cory with slicked back blond hair. His fingers were yellow from smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes a day.

Cory sipped the coffee and squinted at the rising sun. “Thanks for the coffee, and yeah, I"d prefer to read about the details than to get up close and personal. Any idea how long she"s been in the water?”

John pulled out his notepad and read the notes he took from Sue Patterson, Charleston County"s coroner. “Looks like she"s been in the water for a couple of weeks. Approximate age is mid-twenties. Sue"s first assumption for the cause of death was drowning and an accident. However, upon further investigation of the body, she found a red laceration mark around her neck, which leads us to believe it"s a homicide. Looks like somebody strangled the poor girl and dumped her body.”

Cory took another sip of coffee as they walked toward the coroner. “Check on missing persons to see if anyone has reported a female missing in the last month or so in a fifty-mile radius. We also need to keep this out of the press, so would you mind handling that reporter lurking behind the ambulance? I"m sure the newspapers and news stations heard their scanners and are chomping at the bit to get a story. I want to keep this quiet for as long as we can.”

John puffed up his chest and said, “Sure thing, Chief. I have a natural way with reporters.”

Sue Patterson shut off her recorder when she spotted Cory approaching. She wore a baseball hat covering her salt and pepper hair. “Morning, Chief. Not exactly the kind of call to get early on a Sunday morning.”

Cory replied, “Not the kind of call to get on any morning. John filled me in on some of the details.” He forced himself to glance down at the girl"s swollen neck. “How"d you find the mark around her neck?”

“It wasn"t easy. I"ll be able to give you a full report after the autopsy.” Sue stood up and shaded her eyes. “Cory, she"s about the age of my daughter. Plus, she"s from around here.”

Cory asked, “Why"s that?”

“She has a Wando High Indian "04 tattooed on her hip.”

Cory watched them zip the body bag closed and shook his head at the thought of what was coming next. He knew this wasn"t going to stay out of the news, but he would do his best to keep the details under wraps so it wouldn"t tarnish their investigation.

John walked back over to Cory and Sue. His face was white and grief-stricken. “Chief, Sue, it looks as though there was a missing person report done on a girl that might fit the description of the VIC.”

Cory could sense his hesitation. “Who was it?”

John glanced over the narrows and sighed. “Chelsea Swail.”

Cory almost choked on his coffee. “Mayor Swail"s daughter? From Mount Pleasant? Man, I just saw her in the newspaper for receiving her master’s degree in physical therapy. She got an offer to work at Coastal Therapeutics.”

Sue turned to stare at the ambulance. “I didn’t even recognize her. She was one of Kelly"s volleyball teammates. I used to sit with Bill and Peggy at the games. This is going to devastate them.”

Cory started to put his hand on Sue"s shoulder, but stopped and looked at John. “We need to call Bill and Peggy and get them in to identify the body. I can"t stress enough about keeping this quiet. Let me know when they arrive; I need to be there. Sue, call me the minute you get the final autopsy report. We need to keep our heads about us and not jump to any conclusions. This may still be a Jane Doe.”

John walked over to the squad car radio to contact dispatch while Sue wiped her eyes and walked slowly to the ambulance.

Cory raked his hands through his hair and proceeded to his car. This was definitely not what he had planned for today. He wanted to visit Marie Bartek, maybe gain some courage, and ask her to dinner. Those plans would have to be put on hold. Now he had to watch some parents possibly experience the worst day of their lives.

Marie rubbed her temples and tried to focus on the time on the alarm clock. “Wow, I have got to quit drinking margaritas. I can"t believe it"s one-thirty in the afternoon. Why can"t I remember what tequila does to me?” She swayed out of bed and wearily stepped into the bathroom to take more Tylenol. After looking at her scary reflection in the mirror, she decided to take a shower first, then make coffee and toast.

Feeling better with something in her stomach, she reached for a second cup of coffee when the phone rang. She noticed the caller ID and tentatively answered the phone. “Hey, Mom, how are you?” How did her mother always know to call after an alcohol-induced evening? It was like she had ESP.

“I"m fine, dear, and how are you?” Helen replied. “I thought I"d call in the afternoon, just in case you may have gone to church this morning.”

Marie winced at the church reference. “No, not today. I was up late last evening with Gale and some others from town organizing SIPS.”

“SIPS? What is that, dear, some sort of drinking club?”

Marie nervously laughed and said, “No, it stands for Sullivan"s Island Paranormal Society.”

She filled Helen in on SIPS, and her mother said she thought it sounded interesting. But Marie could hear the fear in Helen"s voice. Knowing she"d be concerned with Marie delving into the paranormal again, she changed the subject and talked about the latest surgeries she had at the clinic. The conversation ended lightly, but Marie felt guilty not sharing everything with her mom. Their relationship was too good not to, but timing was everything.

Just as she placed her cup into the dishwasher, there was a knock on the sun porch door. She was expecting to see Gale when she noticed the patrol car. It was too late to duck out of the way when Cory Miller spotted her and waved.

She tightened the belt on her silk robe and tried to open the door nonchalantly. “Well, hi, Cory. How are you? What brings you around here on a Sunday afternoon?” She tried to fix her wet hair but failed miserably.

Cory removed his sunglasses and said, “I was out on an early call and just finished up some paperwork and thought you might enjoy going to dinner this evening?”

Marie"s heart skipped a beat as she casually leaned against the wall. “I would love to join you for dinner.” She loved how his pupils disappeared amongst his dark brown eyes and how the curls of his chocolate brown hair tried to squeeze out from under his cap. She never tired of seeing him in his uniform.

Cory asked, “What type of cuisine are you in the mood for? I thought Sullivan"s Restaurant would be nice. They serve just about everything.”

Marie replied, “That sounds great. I love their salmon, and the cheesecake is out of this world. What time should I be ready?”

“I"ll pick you up at six-thirty.”

Marie tugged at her robe and almost slipped on the carpet. “Great, I"ll see you at six-thirty.”

He chuckled. “Okay, I"ll see you then. Talk to you later.”

She watched him drive off and waited until he was out of earshot before she started to do a little dance and cheer. She couldn"t believe he asked her out. Gale told her he was going to stop by, but she wasn"t expecting to hear from him. Speaking of Gale, she needed to call and tell her to bring her butt over as soon as possible. She needed help getting ready, and Gale was the best person to pick out the perfect outfit.

Gale frowned behind Marie in the mirror. “No, this green one doesn"t work either. I think the paisley sundress looks better. It shows your long legs and cleavage.”

Marie elbowed Gale"s stomach. “I"m not trying to seduce him on our first date. At least, I don"t think I am.”

Gale rolled her eyes. “Please, you"ve been dreaming about this since the second you met him. I can"t believe it has taken you two this long to get together.”

Marie put the finishing touches on her lipstick and turned away from the mirror. “Better late than never, right? Now look, you need to go, he"ll be here any minute. Thank you again for your guidance, and I"ll be sure to fill you in tomorrow.”

“Okay, okay, I can take a hint.” Gale stood up and checked herself in the mirror then followed Marie out of the bedroom. “Don"t forget to close your eyes when you kiss him.”

Marie shoved her out the door. “Would you stop? I think I know how to kiss. Now shoo.”

Gale made a face like a four-year-old would make tasting spinach for the first time and headed down the alley to her house. Marie chuckled and spotted Cory pulling up her driveway in a convertible MG. It was British racing green with silver alloy wheels. It was magnificent, and she thought he looked ideal driving it, especially in his cream-colored shirt and navy-blue gauze pants. She couldn"t believe his six-foot-two frame fit inside without needing a shoe horn to pry him out.

He shaded his eyes to get a good look at her and grinned. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, I"m ready. Just let me lock my door, and I"ll be right with you.” She grabbed her purse and keys and locked the sun porch door. She tried to catch her breath before she turned around to face him again. “I had no idea you had an MG. It"s gorgeous.”

“Thanks, yeah, I don"t bring it out very often. It takes a lot of work to keep it from rusting living by the ocean.”

He opened her car door and firmly held her elbow as she sat down in the seat. She could smell the leather and polish from the moss-colored upholstery. She caught him taking a quick glimpse of her thigh as she carefully pulled her dress back down to her knees. It was difficult to keep it in place in such a confined space.

He started the engine and they pulled out toward the main road, and she turned her head against the wind. “I could have easily met you at the restaurant. It isn"t that far for me to walk.”

“No, I thought this was more official, picking you up and all.” She noticed he was having trouble keeping his eyes off her thighs. “Besides, we can go for a drive along the coast after dinner, if you don"t mind.”

She smiled and held the hair out of her eyes as it caught in the breeze. “That sounds really nice. It"s the perfect evening for it.”

They pulled into the restaurant parking lot, and he jumped out and was around to her side in a flash, opening her door. She smiled and got out, leaning against him while she grabbed her purse. She could feel his heart beating fast which shot a chill up her spine. He casually put his hand on her back and guided her into the restaurant.

They both had the salmon and white wine and decided to finish with the cheesecake. Cory took a sip of coffee and said, “I heard through the grapevine that you and Gale have organized some sort of paranormal group. Is that true?”

Marie almost swallowed her fork. “Yeah, it is. Wow, I guess it is a small town, isn"t it?” She could feel her face getting hot and wished she didn"t feel so uncomfortable talking about this with him.

He smiled and said, “Yeah, it is. I didn"t realize you had any interest in ghosts.”

Marie set her fork down and took a deep breath. “Well, I suppose this is as good of a time as any. You see, I have a certain kind of ability regarding the paranormal.” She waited for a response, and then continued, “I haven"t really told a lot of people, but when I was twelve, I realized I could see spirits. It was a pretty scary and confusing time for me, and over the years I was able to squelch it. But, for some strange reason, for the last few months, my ability has come back.”

Cory listened intently and waited a few minutes before responding. “I see. At least, I think I do. I"ve never known anyone with that type of ability. I mean, we all know Myra and her supposedly being a medium. But I guess I don"t really believe in any of that.” He watched Marie shift uneasily in her chair. “How can people see spirits anyway? I guess since I"ve never had a personal experience, I"m pretty ignorant about the subject.”

Marie answered, “It"s difficult to explain. I"m still getting a handle on it myself.” She felt a bit deflated on Cory"s skepticism.

Cory grabbed his wallet. “What do you say I get the bill and we go for that drive?”

Marie noticed his change in subject and decided to let it drop. “Sure.”

They drove along the coast through Charleston, Folly Beach, and Kiawah Island before heading back to her place. They laughed and enjoyed each other"s company so well that neither of them wanted to say good night.

Cory walked her to the doorstep and watched her shuffle with her keys. “I had a great time tonight.” He seemed about to say something else but hesitated. “Make sure you lock your doors at night, okay?” he added.

Marie grinned. “Yes sir, Chief Miller, sir.”

Cory stepped up on the same step, grabbed her chin, and kissed her. “I"m serious. You can never be too careful.”

Marie lost her balance and leaned against the screen door. “I will. I promise and thank you for a lovely evening.” She thought her heart would explode out of her chest.

He stroked her cheek. “You"re welcome. Now go on inside and lock up.” He stepped down and walked to his car and waited until she was inside.

She locked the door, waved good-bye to him through the kitchen window, and watched him drive away. After switching the porch light off, she floated to the bedroom smiling, trying to remember every detail of the last five hours. She couldn"t wait to call Gale in the morning. She was a bit disappointed in Cory"s reaction to her ability, but at least he didn"t run away. For the most part, it was a magical evening.