I was looking at a report that came in from an officer when I heard my name being called,"Detective Harth?" Looking up, several strands of my black hair fell from the bun as I answered, "Yes?" My gray eyes assessing the young lady in front of me. "My name is Tabitha Hamilton..... I want to reopen a case" She said. "What case?" I asked her tilting my head folding my arms in front of me on my mahogany desk.
"James.... James,Austin." Tabitha said looking down at the ground with sad eyes."James Austin?" I asked standing up. I walked over to the filing cabinet next to my desk and opened the filing cabinet.Scanning through the files for Austin James. Then the name popped in my head and I stopped. "Is that by any chance the person that was found murdered in his home. Was he the one that had the word Redrum carved into his skin?" I asked her.
Tabitha nodded looking down at her arms that were crossed over her chest. I grabbed a manila envelope and walked back over to my desk and leaned against the corner. I opened the envelope up and skimmed through the papers,pulling out a photo I showed it to her. "Is this him?" I asked her. A picture of a guy laying on his back with his head tilted to the side. His green eyes pale, and lifeless. Tabitha nodded sharply. "Yes...." She whispered closing her eyes.
I took the picture back and placed it back in the envelope. I skimmed through the papers. "Why do you want to reopen the case?" I asked her wanting her reasoning behind this mystery. The last time Austin James case was spoken off was four years ago. I still remember the day as if it was yesterday.
~Four Years Ago~
I was sitting at my desk on my computer. I rubbed my eyes and sighed. I leaned back and looked at the clock. '9:14' "Only forty six more minutes." I mumbled and stood up. "Maybe some coffee would wake me up." I walked out of my office and down towards the lounge. Opening the single wooden door, the smell of freshly brewed coffee crowded my senses. "Hey, Olivia." Blaine called.
He was standing near the coffee machine with a cup of hot, steaming coffee in his hands."Blaine," I tried to stay out of his way since then. I guess today I failed. Somehow I ended up in the same room as him."How are you?" He asked me. I shrugged walking over to him to get to the coffee pot. "Alright. What about you?"
"Got a call about five minutes ago. Some dude calling and said that someone was trying to hurt him." Blaine told me. I glared at him and said, "And you didn't come and tell me or any of the other cops?" I asked."He said not to tell anyone by the time we get there he's gonna be dead." He told me. I narrowed my eyes. "THAT DOESN'T MATTER BLAINE!" I yelled and stood up quickly while I started calling everyone over the walkie that was hooked on my shoulder. "Was it over a cell phone or house phone?" I asked Blaine. "I can get someone to check." He told me.
I shook my head. "No,It would be too late by the time you do. Did he tell you a address?"I looked at Blaine to see him shake his head. "Blaine, you are always suppose to get the address, no matter what!" I hissed at him. Blaine raised his arms in surrender, while I raced out of the lounge. My coffee forgotten on the counter.
When we got to where the last call was at their was blood everywhere. A body was laying on the ground, face up. His green eyes pale and lifeless....And a symbol was carved into his arm....~
Preset
Tabitha was still talking when I came out of the memory of what happened. That was the first time Blaine had ever messed up and the last hopefully. "Detective Harth?" She asked me. I looked up, my eyes hard and dark with anger. "What?" I hissed suddenly feeling agitated. "Um....I'm sorry, but someone wants to see you." Tabitha whispered anxiously. I looked over at the door where she gestured and stood up."Detective Matthews." I said with a nod.
"Tabitha, this is my partner, Blaine Matthews. Matthews this is Tabitha Jam-" I started before she cut me off. "Hamilton. Tabitha Hamilton. I dropped his last name when he died." She whispered. I nodded and started again. "Matthews, Tabitha Hamilton. She wants to reopen The James, Austin Case." I told him before sitting back down. I covered my forehead and rubbed my temples to keep off an on coming headache.
Matthews nodded. "Well,The detective who took your case is here. If you want to talk to him?" Matthews asked her seeing as I wasn't going to hold back my anger much more longer if she stayed. Tabitha shook her head. "I can't, I don't want him. I talked around and people said that you would be a much better Detective for this reason. But he can't hear it." She whispered before motioning towards Matthews with her head.
"If it is something I need to know he can know also. That is what it means by partners Tabitha." I told her. Tabitha nodded before taking a deep breath. "I got a call from a unknown number saying that you were next Olivia Harth." She told me looking at the ground with fear in her eyes.
My blood froze hearing that,my eyes widened in shock."Do you know what the voice sounded like?" I asked, my own voice cracking slightly. "It was a soft females voice...... She said that if you as much as tried to try to get this case going again, that instead of a man dying because of bad blood pressure yours was going to be much worse." She whispered curling in on herself. I was sitting in my chair my hands shaking in front of me before I looked at her. "Where is the number? Was it over the house phone, cell phone. Was it blocked or was there a actual number?" I shot questions at her while I stood up and leaned against the desk breathing hard. "Did they have a slight accent?"
The last one was a given."If the female had a accent then I might... Just might know who it was." I whispered. Matthews looked over at me with wide eyes."Do you think it would be the sa-" He started but I stopped him. "Yes. I think so." Tabitha nodded during every question before she said. "The female on the phone was talking to someone in the background. I heard bits and pieces like, can you find her? And are we almost done here." She whispered looking down at the ground thinking she done something bad.
I forcefully smiled. "Thank you Tabitha.... You can go but if you do not feel safe then I can assign cops to watch you or I can move you to a safe house if you'd like." I told her softly while walking around the desk and wrapped my arms around her small structure.
