Murder on the Pitch

0 Hour Part 1

 The ride to North West London was a quiet one in the car a dark blue Vauxhall Astra a 2005 model. The two faux leather front seats were uncomfortable for long nights – those kinds of nights that officers like these two dread but have to do when the time calls for it. The floor in the back was dirty with garbage the seats back there were like the front but even more uncomfortable with a 90-degree angle and stain-ridden.

Traffic on the roads was moving but until they got close to the stadium it was still. Mainly because the road leading to Wembley Road Boulevard was still filled with those pitch-invading fans, police cruisers, officers in neon vests and dark uniforms, as well as reporters originally there to cover the victory now covering a sudden murder.

Because of this raucous, the stadium seemed more packed now than it did that morning and it kept on increasing as the afternoon sunshine turned to an orange sunset by the time Ellis and Daniel arrived.

CID officers wear street clothes to blend in a crowd, their Vauxhall is unmarked to keep the illusion alive. In a less crowded area near Wembley Splay and Engineers Way vendors tearing down their temporary stands knowing these melancholic people are not in the mood for an unofficial shirt or hat made in their parent's basement.

As Daniel and Ellis walk through the crowd squeezing past with only the main entrance in front of them to start a now very public and eventually scrutinized investigation. As they near the closed metal bars of the entrance an officer standing in the front with a stern face and knuckled chin with dark lensed sunglass covering his eyes and an officer cap over a fresh buzzcut asks the two:

"Who are you?"

"Officer Taylor and Biers of the Central Investigations Department at Whitehall," Daniel said flashing his badge like an F.B.I agent

"Oh, I'm sorry. Guys, thought you were reporters."

"No worries man. Can you let us in?"

"Uh. Sure."

The officer turned around facing the closed gate with 3 layers of paint and rusted signs warning incoming fans of potential fines he yelled

"Oi! Malley Open the gate! C.I.D. is here!"

A much younger-looking man came running around the corner most likely keeping watch of the corridors that not even an hour and a half ago were packed with fans both happy and sad of their teams' respected victory or loss.

"Coming!" Malley replied

He unhooked a ring with 5 different keys he was unfamiliar with each one's use as he tried using 3 different ones before getting the correct one to fit the lock.

"Sorry. Maintenance gave these to use not even 15 minutes ago."

"No worries," Daniel said with a smile

"Is the rubberneck tent up?"

"Yes sir."

"Do you know who's there currently?"

"Uh, I can only presume the coroners and Match commissioner Page. Other than that I didn't see anyone else enter the gate."

"That's good enough to know. Thanks uh.."

"Greggs. Officer Greggs badge number 45426"

"Didn't need all the formalities, Greggs. But thanks keep it up. Don't need any page six reporters coming in."

"Right, sir."

"Biers let's go." Daniel said turning to the quiet Daniel behind him

"Yes sir," he exclaimed trying not to seem like he was dazing off

"You too Malley." Biers said

As the two walked forward. Their footsteps echoed the empty concrete hallway with banners of both Rowland and Essen players leading to the main concourse overlooking the pitch everywhere they looked they only saw inhabited empty merchandise booths, maintenance employees cleaning up who were told beforehand that if they catch a glimpse or take a photo of the field they'd be investigated for obstruction of justice a warning well told as most are illegal immigrants making £1 an hour yet were allowed to stay because the garbage still need to be cleaned up. Trying to find their way onto the field they didn't want to turn around and try to find their way to the basement to find the official way to the field, instead, they just did what the fans did earlier and hopped over the parapet wall.

Daniel and Ellis hopped coincidentally at section 117 where the event in question started. Ahead of them was a black tent with an A.T.V parked in the front idling. The right at the center of the pitch was the stage still set up for the skipped ceremony Daniel though once invaded a pitch it was only a little league 2 currently 1 team with a stadium fitting about 12,000 people. A stadium that could fit inside the current area 8 times over and Wembley would still have empty seats.