Working the Case

17

𖤍𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚗𖤍

I stare blankly at the scene before me on the outskirts of the park. All I can do is stare.

Agents and officers surround the once joy filled park. Some officers are working on pushing morbidly curious people out of the park, urging us all to continue on.

I had a nice enough morning. Woke up fairly early, had a nice shower, breakfast, all that. I even got to make fun of Will some for the damn flip phone that he still refuses to replace.

Of course, that backfired since he just made fun of the computer I won't replace, but still. I had a nice time with that.

I quickly begin to feel guilty for even daring to smile this morning.

"Holy shit." Will simply mutters, having no other words for the scene before us.

Caution tape is out up in a square around a very dead man in the middle of a circle of some trees in the park. Meanwhile, three agents stand beside the body. Agent Beckett, Agent Mills, and Evie. Agent Beckett crouches down closer beside the man, as if he isn't already getting a good enough look.

"Hey." Will's hand lands on my shoulder. I quickly look to my right. "You okay?" He frowns. "You look kinda...pale." He squints as he says it.

We're far away, but I can already tell who the dead man is. Mostly by what I can see from here, but also because of who's missing from this crowd.

Officer Harris. A very close friend of my mother's. He was around pretty often, checking in on us. His wife, Ellie Harris, was my mother's best friend.

I don't answer Will. Instead, I look back out towards the caution tape. I look back just in time to catch Evie's eyes when she looks out to the small crowd that is already beginning to disperse, having already gotten a good look at death.

She starts coming over.

Will's hand falls from my shoulder. He doesn't say anything else as we stand here like fucking idiots. Evie ducks under the caution tape and jogs the rest of the way over. She's already frowning at me.

"His name is Randolph Harris." I offer, as if she doesn't know. She's been at the police station. I'm sure she's aware.

Evie's eyebrows furrow, still with her frown. "I'm sorry." She glances between both Will and I. Will wasn't as close with Officer Harris. He preferred to keep his distance from the cops.

"What happened?" Will coaxes, glancing over her shoulder only briefly.

Evie opens her mouth with an answer that she doesn't give for a few extra seconds. She grimaces apologetically. "I can't really say." She admits. She's probably not supposed to share details with the public.

I nod at that and can't help the short look I send over her shoulder at the other agents. "I thought Kaden was in custody." I mutter, almost unsure of bringing that up.

What if it's not him?

Evie let's out a deep breath. "Jenna dropped the charges." She reluctantly tells me. "Yesterday." She glances away as she offers that little detail. I hardly saw her yesterday. I guess now I know why.