Wounds to the Heart

When Seth Reeves glanced into the room his first impression was plain darkness. But then he noticed the little things that made the room different from a normal apartment. The light bulb was in a half circle ceramic glass which blurred the light; a bowl full of fireflies. The wallpaper was a pattern with shades of black and grey, swirling, twirling, and dancing around the paper. Seth glanced around the room, chairs lined up with an aisle halfway between. At the end of the aisle was a gleaming dark mahogany casket, the top half swung open as in a viewing for a funeral. Deep red rose petals were scattered down the aisle and on the wood. Cautiously, Seth walked up to the woodwork, picking his way through the small crowd of witnesses, officers, and forensics team. As he approached the casket and glanced down into it, he saw the body gently laid in the white padded cushions.  It was a young woman, her eyes shut tight as she lay in there. Her pretty blonde hair tumbled down her shoulders neatly so she looked almost unrealistic. Her skin was grey and pale, her body completely still and untouched. Starting from upper chest there was a small red stain on her dress then down her torso there was three more wounds. Seth flinched, crinkling his nose. A dead body was never a pleasant sight to see but Seth had seen worse. The officers glanced at him, curiously so Seth masked his face with emotionless expression,

"Yeah, awful isn't it?" A familiar voice said beside Seth, wistfully. Seth swiveled his head to see one of his team, Jacob Driscol, standing beside him and staring at the body, sadly. "I mean how people can be so cruel to a girl like that, just to give her a pleasant yet….uneventful funeral?" he added, glancing at the empty folding chairs. His choppy dark brown hair, swayed slightly before his equally brown eyes. He folded his arms as his deep brown gaze turned back to the girl then to Seth.

"Yes it is Jake," Seth replied quietly. "What was her name?" he asked, glancing over at Jacob as the younger man took out his notebook as if to check but it remained closed.  

"Tracy Halls," Jake said automatically in a voice that was a low, sad monotone. "She lives here and alone. She works as a waitress at Myme's café. Cause of death was four bullet holes in the back. Each one is vertical to the other. Carrie said she had another crime scene to go to. She just left.” Jake added. Seth blinked. Carrie Monroe was the medical examiner and a good friend of Seth’s. Unfortunately this made him think of another not present friend. Seth looked down. For the past three months, things had been gloomy.  As if reading his mind, Jake asked “Where is Kenzi? Wasn’t she supposed to be back today?"

"So the killer was very careful," Seth replied, biting his lip. Talk of his absent partner wasn’t easy, especially since she had left on such short notice. "No sign of forced entry so the killer probably knew her." Seth glanced at a table that was set up with photo albums and two wine glasses. “Whoever the killer was they wanted to make it feel like a normal funeral. This was probably an extremely pre-meditated murder. No one just kills someone to give them an empty funeral. Check those glasses for prints. Kenzi had a trip, remember, with her parents? Isn’t Derik retiring today?” Seth shot back in a menacing yet quiet tone, switching subjects. Immediately he regretted it. Derik had been not only Jake’s training officer and current partner but also his friend. A few months ago, right when Kenzi left, Derik had been shot and decided to retire. It took a toll on everyone but Jake was hit especially hard. Suddenly an officer that Seth did not recognize walked up, slightly nervous.

"Sir, there is another call. Down at the Times office building," the officer stuttered, tightly. Seth raised an eyebrow, curiously.

"What? We have a case already," Jacob said, scrunching his eyebrows together, looking slightly irritated. Although he was excellent at multi-tasking, Jake liked focusing on one case at one time. It helped the rest of the team keep up. "Uh…now I am confused." The officer shifted, uncomfortably.