To Be Determined

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"It sure is a hot one today," Nigel said wiping his brow

"You're telling me, I'm sweating barrels over here" Daniel replied

"Well that's what you get livin' in Sunnyside if you don't like it, leave," Sheriff Hank says with a huff, he's always been a hard ass. Even more so since his city-folk grandchildren came for the summer. He is hell-bent on workin' em till they drop dead.

"Now now Hank, ya can't blame 'em for not knowin' how hot it would be they haven't been here in over 7 years, come chillun, you've been filing these reports for over an hour, go take a break in the back," I say

"Maribelle, they're fine. a lil work never killed nobody, and besides my city slicker grandkids could use the w-"

Before Hank could finish his sentence Bill came rushin' in.

"Sheriff we've got a problem, a body was found down by the quarry"

"All right calm down, Maribelle let's go check out all this mess" Hank put on his hat and gun " Nigel! Daniel! y'all better not make a mess while I'm gone or you'll be cleaning out the gutters from dusk till dawn ya hear me"

"We won't" replied Daniel

"Not like we could, there isn't anything to do out here anyway" whispered Nigel barely audible

With that we're gone, sirens blazing to get to the scene. When we finally got there it was no surprise that a crowd had started to form, after all, there hadn't been a murder here since 1909. We pushed past the herd and entered the crime scene.

"Nothin' seems out of the ordinary, y'know besides the body" Looking at the man "he looks like it's been recent"

"Well don't go jumpin down the rabbit hole yet there, we'll let the coroner examine him first" he scowls "search around I don't suspect we'll find anything but it ain't gonna hurt no one to be thorough"

"yes sir" I hoist up my pants and trudge through the water, I can't really find anything, the water would have washed everything downstream, my foot hit something and I almost fall in, I look down to see what it was, low and behold a wallet, too heavy to be carried away I quickly pick it up. "Sir, I found somthin'" I run and hand it to Hank. He takes the sopping wet wallet and inspects it "This is Italian leather pretty pricey stuff, must make a fair amount of money, I would say a robbery gone wrong except all the money is still there". "Mr. Riley A. Peirce" Hank Holds up a drivers license"

"That poor som' bitch" Billy said shaking his head

Hank mumbled something inaudible. "Alright let's pack and seal it so we can get it off to forensics".

"Yes, sir" Billy takes the wallet and puts it in a bag

As we were packing up and looking for more evidence the ambulance arrived

Hank and I went over to greet them "Howdy Marcus"

"Howdy Sheriff, Howdy Mira, is it true what their sayin, this bein' a murder"

"We don't know yet son, could just be a suicide or accident" Hank huffed

"Yes sir, I suppose you're right. Come on Junior let's load 'em up" Marcus called out towards the ambulance

"Right coming" a voice yelled back. Shortly after a young stoutly man comes out with the gurney, they carefully lift the body onto it.

"Hey wait one sec Mira come take a look at this" Hank points at the mans hand

"What the hell" I gasp his finger has missing, obviously cut as the bone was protruding from the wound

"Somethin' tells me this ain't an accident," Marcus says as he and the other man load the body into the ambulance.

"Mirabelle, go with them to the Coroners office, I want every detail" he brushes his pepper gray mustache " Imma head to the office to find out more about this Riley feller"

"Alright, you gonna be okay Hank"

"I'll be fine Mirabelle" With that Hank walks off holding his hat in his hands

I sigh, get in the car with Bill and follow the ambulance. It's about 2 hours to the nearest town big enough for a coroner's office.

"What do you reckon happened?" Bill asked staring at the body bag

"I dunno, I mean he could have just fell in for all we know"

"Fallin' in I can understand but it's so shallow he could have just stood up"

"We'll he coulda hit his head"

"Come on Mira... you're startin' to sound like ole grumpy guts" Bill nudged my shoulder "and besides a finger couldn't of just accidentally been cut off

"Well it ain't gonna help speculating, But if I'm bein' honest I have no clue and probably won't till the body's been examined I mean if it is a murder I don't know what that'll even mean"

We sat in silence occasionally making small talk until the ambulance pulled up. The doors open and we make our way down to the basement. The coroner greets us outside the doors.

"Hello my name is Dr. Montgomery, I'm real sorry but it will take a while to fully examine him I'll have my assistant Jane come for you when I'm finished until then we have a coffee shop on the third floor, a small library, and gift shop"

"Alright thank you, Dr."

Bill and I make our way up the stairs, he leans in and whispers "a coffee shop and a library seems a little much" we chuckle

"I suppose so".