Death

Death 

                                         By Camille Clarke 

Mark looked around at the arid, dry ground. He knew what lay ahead. The smell blowing in the breeze was acrid, vomitous and telling. It was a smell you would never forget. Death. Death has a smell. You can't doubt it. The stench is overpowering. It was a habit for him that the first thing he did, when he went home at night was take a shower. Hopefully it would remove the stench on his skin and the scent that stuck in his nose. He would throw his clothing in the washing machine. He was getting fed up of this fucker. 

Marks leather skin and silver hair showed his age. He was fed up with this nonsense that greeted him at every crime scene. He relayed this to his partner. Birds flew overhead, circling, and waiting for their turn with the corpse. Tumbleweeds blew in the wind but the smell was overwhelming.

The first thing he saw on the body was a tarot card. This time there was a joker.  

Mark sighed and cocked his head. His partner, Andrew, was there before him as usual. 

He had no idea how Andrew was always there before him. He was not there to study that. He had to think about the killer and his thoughts on how these children were added to his devious list. Mark got lost on his way to the crime scene and had to consult a paper map. Google map was not working today plus this forest and new development would not be mapped out. The map was old, and the side was frayed. The map had been in his glove compartment since he bought it, but he did not know how long. 

 “What do you think this means? “ Andrew asked picking up the card with his gloved hand. He took out a plastic bag that was used for evidence. He looked at the Tarot card.  

 “You think he is trying to tell us something? She was such an innocent, young girl. What could she have done to the killer to make him angry?“ Andrew asked as he looked at the pathologist. 

“I cant determine as yet until I do an autopsy.“

Mark cocked his head. The girl looked a little familiar to him. “I think I know this girl. Doesn't she live in your neighborhood?“ 

 “She kind of looks familiar. A little bit. Aww, I know her. She lives two streets from my house. But what could she have done to piss the killer off? She looks like she is 12 years old. I don't believe she was sexually assaulted like the rest. It seems like the wrong place, the wrong time. I think her name is Hailey. She came to our house once I believe. My son makes friends very quickly, “ Andrew said. 

An officer approached the men after he blocked off the scene. “I saw this card floating up there. Here it is. “ 

This time another type of cards were used for his sick, twisted from game.  

“That means that there must be another body around here,“ Andrew said looking at the dry tumble weeds.  

He bent down trying to determine how she was killed.

Mark saw a jean jacket on the ground. Not far away was another body. He knew her. Her name was Anne. He spoke to her several times as an informant. She was very friendly with him, but he never showed an interest in her.  Seeing that he was 50, she was too young for him.

Anne would call him and give him information on some of the missing girls. So far there were 10 dead women and a man. Their Homicide department was not keeping up with solving the crimes and the number of victims just kept growing. His boss was going to be pissed. They didn't have a clue about who this sick man was.

A scream alerted the men.

Jacqueline screamed as she ran to remove the police tape. She saw her friend's body on the ground and yelled her name. 

One of the officers held her back and had a short conversation with her. He then brought Mark to speak with her. 

 “How do you know the girl?“ Mark asked. 

“She is my friend. We were playing with the tarot cards and laughing. We were reading the cards when a strange man approached us. One of the cards that came out had a skull with bones on it. It was not a game for children, but it was taken seriously by many,“ Jacqueline said.  

 She identified herself and informed the officers about the Tarot cards.   

“My mother used the cards to tell the future the same way. It tells the future,“ Candace said walking towards her co-workers. She was another homicide officer on their team.  

“I left them. I had to meet my mother, so I left them playing with the cards. I turned around and saw my neighbour walking towards them. I know him. We are all friends here,“ Jacqueline said as tears welled up in her eyes. 

Not far away, a crowd gathered. They were all from the same housing complex, including a man who was interested in the investigation. His eyes were partially closed due to the blowing sand. He hated this fricking place. He hated all these bloody neighbors who were always trying to mind your bloody business.

He was quick to anger very quickly but controlled himself.  He took a deep breath. He was so fed up. Lately, he had no patience.

All he could study now is how to stay out of the way. He had to kill the Jacqueline. She was on the list and her friends were only a bonus. He knew he couldn't have any witnesses around.

He liked killing. It was in his blood to kill. The two bodies were still on the ground. He listened to the conversation and realized he was way ahead of the game.  

The cards were used to tell the future. Regular playing cards also did the same thing. He looked at the cards in his hands. He was just warming up and he felt the need rising in him again. One girl got away. These children had the same routine. Go to school, come home, and then go and play. Same thing every day.

All he needed was the right time to get her. He always got what he wanted in his sadistic game. 

This girl did not say thank you or have any manners. So was her friend. He could not stand people who had no etiquette. He hated people who had no sense of decorum. It irked him. Just the thought of people with no manners made his skin crawl. 

His eyes took in the area and the ongoing conversation with the officers. Up to now, the officers did not find the other body. It was nearer to the tree line.

He knew who the next target was. The girl that got away. Jacqueline.

The undertaker was closing the body bag. Even though the body was in the bag the stench still wafted strongly in the air.  

Mark stood with his hands akimbo and walked in a circle.  

What are we missing here, Mark asked himself. How could the killer be a step ahead of them. The media was here already filming the scene from behind the police tape. How could that sicko kill these two children? They did no wrong. He did not know this area very well. He had been to crime scenes in the nearby development but not in this forested area.  

Andrew put on an innocent face hiding his real scorn for the teenagers. He looked at Mark and knew what his next move was. He had to kill Jacqueline. Mark did not know his partner was the Grim Reaper.