CHAPTER 1.

3 0 0
                                    


PART 1.

The world has changed beyond recognition


It's been months since the horrific accident in which three charred bodies were found. Still, the commissioner was sure that one of the bodies had been planted to cover his tracks. Or maybe he just couldn't believe she was dead. Holding her ID cards, which were slightly charred, he found it hard to maintain a certain decorum.


He knew the woman on the burnt ID, she had been to their station a few times although he no longer remembered the cases that had led her there he couldn't get her face out of his head. When he was called to the case he originally thought it was just stupid teenagers trying to smoke pot but they set the whole place on fire. Or maybe it was arson again, but when his colleagues found the three bodies the whole case changed. The only I.D. they had the whole time was her. The other two bodies were unrecognizable at the time.


He wanted to solve the case before resigning from the police due to stressful events that made him unable to sleep anymore. But it seemed he would have to hand it over to one of his colleagues. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and slammed his fist hard on the table. 


"Are you all right?" Jeremy asked, a tall, deep-eyed man who was beside his boss, whom he considered a friend, in every situation. Derek raised his head to him and shrugged. It was clear to him that there was no point in lying. "I don't know."


"Is the past consuming you?" He sat down next to him, his elbows on Derek's desk where his papers were scattered. "No." He grumbled, trying to pull the papers Jeremy's elbows were on out and straighten them up. It was clear to him that this innocent elbow gesture meant clean up the mess. "Next time, tell me to clean up your mess. And don't mess them up." He mumbled and shoved them into his desk.


Jeremy laughed and gave him a bump on the back. "I'm going to get some coffee, don't ask, I'll get a plus one." He stood up and, without answering, disappeared out the front door across the street into the cafe. "Why did we buy a coffee maker here when there's one running across the street anyway?" Derek asked amusedly to himself and looked into the void again. Before his eyes were both her and all the traces of the past that would soon make him hand in his badge lest he blow his brains out. While he could enjoy life to the fullest, there were days when he thought about the cold lead.


"Here comes the coffee." Jeremy burst through the door, holding the coffee in one hand and a box of some sort in the other. "We've been here since six, it's almost eight and I haven't seen you eat yet, so I brought you something sweet." He set it on the table and sat down next to him. Derek leaned back in his chair, folded his arms across his chest and was about to contradict him when he heard.


"Try saying you don't eat sweets. Because checkmate, there's something salty in there." Jeremy took a sip of coffee and started laughing. "If you didn't have the coffee in your hand, you'd be lying next to the chair." The commissioner laughed and took a second coffee.


"Why do you still have those burnt things here?""Because I don't think she's dead." He looked at the charred card. "Do we know who the other two bodies are yet?""Do I? I haven't looked into it yet.""Excuse me?" "You heard me, I have no idea and I haven't had time to find out, love." He laughed.

"Idiot." Derek rolled his eyes and cleaned up the charred materials. He could still see the woman in front of him, that smile. And the deep eyes. 

"If I didn't know you, Derek, I'd think you were mad at me." "If I was mad at you, you'd be running to the squad car to do something." He stood up. "I'm going to see if we know anything yet.""I'll tell you what we know." Jeremy said more seriously. He got Derek's attention. "Talk.""We don't know shit." He laughed at his own joke."You really are an asshole.""Calm down, I only took three minutes of your time." He waved his hand at him so he could go. Angrily, Derek waved his hand at him and slammed the door as he left. The moment he descended the stairs between the filing cabinet and the various other files operating here his legs buckled and his head decided to spin on the Ferris wheel.


He leaned back against the wall slightly and closed his eyes, his thoughts on the fire, the three bodies lying there... but there was something different about those two. The head. Something told him he needed to take a better look at the bodies and focus.

He picked up the phone because he didn't feel like going up the stairs again. Jeremy? Get off your lazy ass and come here. I'm on to something." He added, not waiting for a reply, and put the phone down. He knew he would have to come this way because he couldn't wait without an answer from his boss.


×××× 

It's been a few months now, the newspapers were still talking about the horrible event that happened to the three poor people. Sure... poor... at least the two lying there with their heads through and through didn't deserve a better fate. Even though she hadn't seen them since their last Wednesday, and never would again... or they wouldn't visit paradise after death, the little thoughts of them still got on her nerves. Drowning them in alcohol went out of the way, though the fake IDs worth several thousand showed everyone her adulthood, the glasses of bourbon were small and their power had no effect against past actions.


She did not, however, regret running lead through their bodies. She regretted not actually tormenting them as long as her inner world wanted. It was strange to pursue a life under another name after all, but the place she had disappeared to seemed quiet yet noisy. The world didn't stop for a moment and no one cared about the fate of people.


The night sky came, again and again as it does every day, without a sound. Without any mercy for the creatures of the day. She rose from her chair and walked to the window, once everything was shrouded by night she disappeared into the streets of the busy city again in search of something. Everything left her empty , the occasional barb of jealousy, pain and anger pierced her heart. Those feelings left as quickly as they came.

She left the apartment, and walked through the wet streets where homeless people, alcoholics and garbage were lying around. Well, it wasn't the prettiest thing to do, but it was the best thing to get away and start a new life. When the news stops covering the unsolvable, she'll be able to walk away in peace, too.


She startled when she heard a familiar voice behind her. She turned sharply, ready for anything. Fortunately, it was just a voice. Nothing more, she remembered Derek, the commissioner she used to go to.. always supposedly on a case, yet when he left or wasn't paying attention she looked up information on the two.. after she found out about everything.


But on the one hand, she went to him because of the way he treated her. He was nice and helpful, and even sitting there made her feel safer. She ran a hand through her hair and disappeared into one of the narrower alleys to get to the main route faster. She sat on an elevated spot by a broken billboard and watched the cars rushing back and forth. She was interrupted from her contemplation by a phone call.


"We have a job for you." It came from the other end."For me?"



....end of the first part


Please note that I am not an English-speaking person and I am also practicing my English. I wrote this book mostly in my mother tongue and I find this to be great practice

You've reached the end of published parts.

⏰ Last updated: Aug 13, 2023 ⏰

Add this story to your Library to get notified about new parts!

The BEAST in the mirrorWhere stories live. Discover now