Old Ties

C H A P T E R T W O

Eddie was driving the car with her siren blaring and lights flashing. Prior looked a little uneasy, but didn't say much. Eddie made a sharp left turn. 

"Is this how you always drive?" Prior asked, her face turning a pale green. The corners of Eddie's mouth twitched upward, amused.

"Not usually, but when we're in a rush, as we are now, this is usually the result." Eddie replied, slowing down as they reached the crime scene. She parked next to the side walk where a yellow tape that said 'Caution - Do Not Enter' was up. 

"Can I drive next time?" Prior, looking queasy, questioned as she unbuckled her seat belt. 

Eddie opened her door. "Maybe." Was all she responded with as she got out of the car, lights still flashing. She walked over to an officer - Fred Johnson - with Prior right behind her. "What've we got?" 

"One adult male, mid twenties. John Doe, as far as we know." Johnson rattled off to her. She walked over to where the body was, with a cover over it to shield it from the prying eyes of the crowd. She pulled on a pair of gloves as Johnson rattled off other information, but Eddie was surveying the scene.

A number one was set up next to the body, and she pulled off the cover, she saw he had three bullet wounds. Two in the stomach and one in the chest. He was young, she could  tell - not older than twenty-five, and that was pushing it. He was in a running outfit, and lying about a foot away from him was an iPod with headphones connected to it. She looked down at his legs, and noticed a deep wound on his left leg.

"A stab wound?" She asked gesturing to the wound. Officer Johnson nodded.

"The knife is over here!" Prior called. A number three was set up next to it. She scribbled something on her notepad before walking back over to Eddie. "Technically, it is a legal knife. It's less then three inches."

Eddie looked at the knife wound. It looked as though a longer knife had been used, but she didn't say anything. She made a note to herself to have the blood on the knife tested. She was about to ask what gun was used based off of the shell casings, when a wail was heard from the crowd. Eddie stood up and turned around. A young woman - around the same age as the man - was shaking violently, and as Eddie watched, she collapsed, caught by some on lookers who were trying to comfort her. 

Eddie looked at Prior, who nodded and grabbed the cover, gently laying it over the man. Eddie started to take off her gloves as she headed over to the woman, now sitting on the ground, crying and clutching the arm of an on looker, a little too hard, as Eddie could see him wince as she squeezed him.

"Excuse me, miss?" Eddie spoke quietly. "I'm Detective Edit Reagan, and this is Detective Beatrice Prior. Did you know him?" Eddie watched as the woman nodded her head, shaking uncontrollably with sobs.

"Alright. I'm going to ask that you please come with me, so you can help me figure out who did this to him." Eddie inquired gently. She helped the woman stand and brought her over to the car, where she helped her into the back seat. She shut the door and looked over at Prior.

"I'm going to take her back to the station." Eddie told her. "I don't think she needs to be sitting right in front of his body, and I'll see what I can get out of her about him."

"I'll finish up here and see if we can get a positive ID on the John Doe." Prior replied, already stepping away. As Eddie was going to step over to her car, a teenage girl near her cried "His name is not John Doe!"

Eddie looked over at her. "What is his name?" She asked.

"Maxwell Jackson."

"And what's your name?" Eddie asked gently.

"Naomi Patino."