The Deadly Mistake

I was called on my lunch break by Detective Smith. I wrapped up my half eaten burrito and shoved it into the metal filing cabinet. I grabbed my coat and badge and went to the crime scene. 

I arrived within the twenty minutes I was called. As I approached in my car I saw the victim. Her lifeless body hung from the sturdy tree branch. She had a noose around her neck, her wrists and ankles were wrapped in duct tape. Her mouth had a gag and duct tape around it. Her body was the whitest white I had ever seen, her lips, hands and feet were turning a bluish purple. Her hair was matted to her face and she wore an all white flowy cotton dress. She was covered in dried mud and had clumps of the earth stuck to her skin and clothing. Dead leaves were entangled in her hair and bugs were crawling on her skin. Flies surrounded and flew around her decomposing body. Her decomposing body was odurfull and blew the fragrance into the wind. Grass was upon her legs and dried mud clung to her dress, trying to hold in the breeze. She was hung on a branch 30 feet above the ground.

I had contacted the family of Christina Jones, the victim of the hanging. They were all ruled out as suspects and didn’t need to come for questioning as they lived seventy hours away. No records showed that they flew out and all had alby’s that were solid. I had a gut feeling that something was off about the father, but Detective Smith told me to lose it before I stir up unnecessary trouble. The family tipped me off that Christina was involved with a boyfriend. Derek, was his name. “Derek is unhinged, into drugs and abusive to Christina,” was a direct quote from the mother. Whether that is just the mother’s opinion or the truth will be found out soon. 

Derek was called in for questioning at two in the afternoon. We had completed a lie detector test, a drug test and hours of questioning. Derek failed the lie detector test and results for the drug test would take 2 days to come back. We were able to hold him in custody as we had enough from the questioning and the test, the drug test would put the cherry on the cake. Detective Smith was the leader on the case so I had no control, but something about Derek was okay. He had a troubled past, like many of us but I know he’s innocent. 

…

The drug results had come back positive for cannabis and cocaine. We had collected enough evidence to go to court. Detective Smith was excited when the results came back, I just felt sorry for Derek, there wasn’t a chance in hell that it would turn out just a little bit okay for him. I tried to reason with Smith and how the lie detector test wasn’t accurate for a person like Derek who has tourettes. The uncontrollable movements mess with the test, just like how tourettes can affect the breathing and heart patterns, but Smith wasn't budging. Looks like I’ll be proving Derek’s innocence on my own. 

The parents and family of Christina Jones had come out for the funeral held on June 9. The venue was small and the ceremony was short. The police had held the body of Christina, so the family never got to properly bury or spread ashes but flowers were spread where she found, under her tree. The police had escorted the family to the spot, never telling them names of streets or where they were, as per the plan. The family received a police escort back to their hotel so they could get packed and started their seventy two hour drive back.

The father had left his number as the primary contact source which fell accordingly to the plan. I dialled his number, giddy and nervous for what might come about of this. One ring, a second ring, a third ring, he finally picked up. I told him new evidence had been found at the crime scene and it would lead us straight to this killer, he was told to meet me at the crime scene at eight o’clock sharp. It was time to finally catch him and give justice to Derek.

When I rolled up it was eight o’clock sharp, the father’s car was up head tucked away into some bushes. No one in the surrounding area. I got out of my car and walked over to the car. The father was draped over the steering wheel, a knife plunged into his back. Blood was oozing out of the gaping wound, it was ferociously raw. I opened the car door, he was dead but it was fresh. 

There was a killer on the loose, somewhere near. I called the police for backup and went searching around the wooded trails looking for footprints or a person. I finally heard the wailing of the police sirens and hurried to where the car was. I opened up the car door and leaned in to examine the contents of the backseat. A hazmat suit, industrial rubber gloves, lye, rope, duct tape, zip ties and a gag. As I heard the police approach behind me I turned my back. I felt an awful bursting stabbing pain as a knife entered my back and came out the front of my body. 

As I laid there quickly dying, I realized how I failed to notice a person crouching in the dark shadows on the other side of the car or how I wrongfully convicted Derek because of his past. As the world became darker and darker I saw a rush of things happen. The mother of Christina Jones was being arrested, medical was trying to help the father tono extent and Detective Jones was walking towards me. Before I got to tell detective Jones I told you so, the world went dark.