A deafening ring awakens the sleeping couple. Denis sits up in a panic, thinking that a fire alarm was set off. She checks the time, 4:52 am. Just a few minutes before the first alarm. She should feel rested but instead feels rudely awaken from a dead sleep.
Edmund is already standing up with his work cell phone in hand. “Okay, slow down Sargent, what did the runner discover?”
Denis did not like the sound of that. Nothing good ever came from the hours of midnight till dawn, she would know. Being married to a cop only reveals the true wickedness of the world. By now, Edmund is pacing back and forth across the room, with his head tilted down and the phone glued to his ear. This sounded serious but Denis could do nothing except wait until the call ended. She sunk deeper under the covers, not allowing her imagination to run amuck.
“Yeah, of course. It has been some time but once I am on scene, it should become familiar again. Do you have an extra forensics pack?”
Oh no. Something terrible did happen. Was there a terrible accident on the highway? What if a short-fused partner finally snapped which resulted in domestic violence? Worse yet, what if someone died? A pit the size of last night’s pizza grows deep inside her loins. No matter how long Edmund has been a police officer, it never becomes easy to hear about the death of someone. Even if they are a complete stranger, it still eats away at her fragile heart. Maybe it’s due to the way Edmund reacts. The nonchalant of the storytelling seems very emotionless. But then again, maybe it takes a total disconnect to deal with death on a regular basis.
“Okay, that’s fine. I’ll stop by the department before I head over. Let me take a quick shower and I’ll be out the door in fifteen minutes. Besides you, me, and the witness, no one should be near the body nor the scene. We know how the last case ended.”
This confirmed Denise’s fear and she knew that today was going to be a dreary one.
The bedside clock rang its familiar alarm preciously at 5:00 am. That dead slumber faded like a dream as she switched it off. By now Edmund was off the phone and into full cop mode. Serious face, rigid posture, and set on a mission - get ready for the day and leave quickly.
“I’ll brew some coffee and pack your lunch with extra snacks. Sounds like you have a long day ahead.”
“Thanks, babe,” Edmund says while getting undressed. “Will you also pack me an extra pair of clothes?”
“Yes, my love.” Extra clothing was never a good sign.
Just as he promised, Edmund was out the door by 5:13 am with a fresh pair of clothing, a lunchbox full of food, and the largest thermos of coffee.
He pecked a kiss on Denis’ lips and walked out the front door. The morning air welcomed him with a dew-covered patrol car. The sun was still sleeping and the moon was nowhere in sight as he headed towards the department. By 5:40 am, he was pulling up to the crime scene.
All was surprisingly calm when he parked the car. Spotlights shined down the banks of the river illuminating a single spot. The babbling of the brook grew louder with each step he took while heading towards the scene.
Just on the outskirts of the lamps, the Sargent was talking to a middle-aged woman who was wearing workout attire and a headlamp. She was as pale as a ghost and Edmund immediately knew this was the reporting party.
As Edmund approached he heard the lady say, “then I saw something shiny and that’s when I looked down by the river and saw...I saw…” her voice quivered until she finally broke down into sobs.
Both officers were trained on how to intervene when someone faced a crisis. So with a calm voice, Edmund said, “that’s okay. You don’t need to say anything more until you’re ready. How about you take a seat and drink some water. Take your time and just breathe for a minute.” Once they had her situated, they stepped back to provide her space.
“So she was the one who discovered the body?” Edmund asks once they’re out of earshot.
“Yeah, she was warming up before the run, that’s when her headlamp reflected off the victim’s glasses and discovered the body.”
“Okay, let’s take a look ourselves,” Edmund asks while they walk towards the river. The heat from the spotlights cut the chill as they peer over the edge together. Laying flat on the bank of the river was a young, petite brunette girl. Her hair fanned out from around the pretty face and the wired-rimmed glasses sat neatly perched upon her nose.
“She looks as if she’s all ready to be put to rest,” the Sargent whispers.
Her legs set out straight as a rod, with seemingly clean clothes. Not an ounce of dirt nor grim covered her clothes. The only stain crept over the white t-shirt, dead center of the chest. Her hands were placed reverently over her bosom as if to discreetly cover the bright red pool of blood. Her eyes were closed and there was nothing too horrible about the scene beside the finality of a young life.
Edmund didn’t want to admit it but the whole scene felt rather peaceful. This thought alone sent a chill straight up his spine. Murder looks horrific but this one was different and felt oddly familiar.
“Right, so when will the coroner arrive?” Edmund asks without removing his eyes from the corpse.
“Soon, he was the first call I made. In fact, I thought he’d beat you to the scene but looks like you made it here first.”
“Well in the meantime let’s close off the sidewalk. I have a feeling this jogger is not the only earlier riser.” And with that, they leave the body where it lays not knowing the darkness that will soon envelop the small Colorado mountain town.
