Esper

Esper Chapter 10: Doubt

Part 1

"Five males..." The officer gagged. "Two killed with nails driven into their skulls, one wearing his own head backwards, one shot dead, and the other had his dome cracked open on the ground outside! Good God!"

"That's enough Pedro, thank you. What do you think, Detective Bennet?" Tobias Bennet didn't immediately answer the question posed by his partner, Raquel Childs. He was busy looking under the sheet placed over one of the many corpses left in the lone parking lot.

"Oof...don't look under there, Childs. That's...essh!" The graying man turned away, trying to maintain a joking tone, disgust still plaguing his face.

"I'll be fine, Tobias. What do you think about all of this?"

"Well, we got the call early in the morning about gunshots, then the bodies were discovered. It doesn't look gang related, specifically when you consider this horror show left for us. I feel like these guys aren't 365, or those Beset kids, but not totally sure. Plus, not many gangs I know forgo guns entirely and turn the scene into a slasher flick."

"Nothing of value was found so far either. No plates on the cars, identification will take a bit, and no affiliation to any local gangs has been made yet. Seriously, who the fuck did this and for what purpose?"

"Whole day has gone to shit, and I haven't even gotten my coffee yet!" The two took a seat on the hood of their cruiser. Tobias flexed, his large shoulders popping, and old joints aching as he groaned. "I swear, just yesterday we were escorting Joffe, arresting those internet cats, and now we've got a multiple homicide. Wish Kevin hadn't run off. We're so short-staffed right now and he was always on the ball! Don't miss Niles as much though, he was a piece of shit."

"Really? You didn't like Niles?"

"No! Bastard was racist. I just don't speak up much, since I don't like to rock the boat, is all."

"You don't say. Wherever the two of them went, good riddance to Niles, I guess. I do feel bad for Kevin's family though. His wife is pregnant. You wouldn't expect that he'd just disappear."

"It's a shame. Speaking of, how's your family doing? I saw your dad's practice ended up on the news after the 'Newtonville incident' details leaked."

"Dad's fine. My concern is how someone got a hold of the victims' names, and the fact that they were treated at our practice."

"Ol' Daryl's a tough one, but he's like a duck, you know? Can't ever tell what's going on under the surface! Like father, like daughter...sort of."

"...What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know..." Tobias leaned in and cupped his hand over the young detective's ear. "You dating that one guy from the incident."

"What?! H-how..." Raquel recoiled, then quickly regained composure. "How do you know about that?"

"Oh, come on. I'm your partner! I pay attention to what's going on with you. You haven't been too shy about hiding it either. All the phone calls, coming in late, smiling so much...wearing the same clothes from yesterday." An obvious tell, as Raquel had spent the night with Vernon. "Plus, I saw you two at the hotel."

"It's not interfering with my work. Work is always my priority."

"I know, I know. Just...don't let your youth go by without having some fun and finding what you want, Ms. Honor Roll." He laughed as Raquel glared a hole through the man.

"Excuse me, Detectives Bennet and Childs..." The two were approached by another officer. "Uh...the chief informed me that this man here, Mister..."

"Pontz, Horatio Pontz, nice to meet you both." An almost comically nondescript white man in a black trench coat loomed over the shoulder of the cringing officer. With an extended hand to Raquel, he grinned, showcasing unnaturally white teeth, as the detective simply looked on, confused.