VENGEANCE

Chapter Two

The alarm rang in its annoying series of high-pitched beeps announcing it was five in the morning. Michelle reached from the bed and fumbled with the buttons on top of the clock trying to shut it off. When her efforts failed she pulled the cord from the socket in the wall.

She stretched until she felt her muscles tighten in response then rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up. She then looked at the floor trying to find her slippers and noticed one sticking very slightly from under side of the bed. She leaned forward and gave it a tug and produced the slipper with her puppy Finn still attached to his new-found chew toy.

"Finn, give Mommy the slipper," she demanded in a firm tone that made Finn growl in a playful way. "Oh come on dog, give it here," she said as she picked him up into her lap and made a mock attempt at taking it away. "Detective Michelle Wilson, being out done by a puppy," she cooed as she played tug of war with her small housemate.

Michelle had quickly realized, right after getting Finn, that he was a four-month-old hard headed little beast, and when he had something he wanted he would rather die with it in his teeth than let it go. She finally gave up on the slipper that was now torn at the end and left it to the dog to finish his task of masticating it. She climbed off the bed with her feet bare on the cold hardwood floor and walked to the bathroom to start her morning routine.

After she had showered and dressed, Michelle got her good running shoes out of the closet, where they were safe from the gnashing puppy teeth, put them on and tied them tight. She checked her pockets for her cell phone, keys and ID then headed out the door for her morning run. Down the block, two trips around the park and back again; every morning, like clockwork, without fail. She was like the Postal Service in that respect. Rain or shine she would run.

She had made it half way to the park when the traffic started to pick up on the street. Cars filled with people rushing to the interstate to get to work in the city from their little suburban town. As she crossed the intersection between her street and the park, she could see the sun starting to rise. It made her routine seem all the more worthwhile; a beautiful view, a good neighborhood. Everything was perfectly peaceful, until she tripped and fell face down to the ground.

When she rolled over she had expected to see a tree limb or something that had fallen from a tree in the park, but the truth was something that no one ever expects. There in the bushes, sticking out just enough to throw someone for a loop was what seemed to be a foot. Judging from the shoe, and its size, it was a woman's foot.

"Damn it. Looks like work starts early today," she mumbled under her breath as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911.

* * * * *

When the paramedics arrived they were followed by two police cruisers and an unmarked car being driven by Michelle's partner Gavin Foster. Gavin was right behind the medics as everyone came to the sidewalk where Michelle had yet to get off the ground. She had chosen to sit and wait for them rather than risk further contaminating the crime scene. Gavin came toward her and tried to help her up but she stood on her own and walked to the ambulance and retrieved a pair of rubber gloves.

When she turned around and started back toward the sidewalk Gavin just stared at her with a look of confusion to which she replied with a look of disdain. Gavin simply shook his head and turned back to the crime scene. Michelle walked to the edge of the bushes where the EMT's had managed to move the foliage aside to get closer to the body.

"Detectives," one of the officers called waving them to the other side of the bushes where there was a clearer path to the victim. "The EMT's said it doesn't look like she has been dead for very long. They already put in a call to the Medical Examiner. We just have to wait."