Detective, We've Got a Problem...

Chapter 4

The door creaked open as Aaron and Nic stepped into the house. Immediately Aaron's nostrils were filled with a strong, sort of burning skunk smell. It stung his eyes. Nic looked at him and smiled.

"Apparently, this person took the legalization of cannabis very seriously. Don't worry, no harm there."

Aaron nodded and scrunched his nose. "Doesn't mean it doesn't stink."

Nic chuckled and started walking through the living room and into the kitchen, Aaron following in suit. The smell got slowly stronger the closer they got to the kitchen, finally peaking when they did enter. Aaron looked down at the ground, eyes burning.

In front of him was a girl with lovely, short, pastel blue hair tied back into a ponytail on the top of her head. Her large grey shirt was stained a dark crimson laying loosely on her ghastly figure. Her sweatpants were full of holes and soaked with blood. Speaking of blood, it was pooled all around the girl. Over her fair face, soaked in her plain clothes, covering the floor. Absolutely everywhere. However, just like the crime scene of Stacy, there were hearts, both broken and full, and a name written all over. Aaron... Aaron... Aaron...

Aaron jumped back, finally comprehending what was in front of him. "Jesus Christ that scared me!"

Nice laughed and clapped Aaron on the back. "You weren't paying attention is all. She, is the crime scene."

"Yeeup!" boomed a thickly-accented voice behind Nic and Aaron.

Aaron turned around, only to be face to face with the chief of police. "Howdy Chief!"

Nic adjusted his glasses and let his face settle back into it's usual no-nonsense scowl. "What's the sitch?"

Chief sighed and gestured toward the body. "Th' neighbors of this young lady heard an unnatural scream and called us. When we got here, we foun' her in her lil' weed den. Name's Hannah Spice, age 26."

Aaron looked back and forth between the Chief and Nic, looking for any sort of reaction from the two. Chief blinked and scratched the back of his neck, as Nic took off and wiped his glasses on his shirt.

Nic spoke as he placed his glasses back on his nose. "So that's all we got? A dead body with a name and more odd blood painting? You haven't sent anything off to a lab or something?"

Chief pointed at the body again. "What the hell is there to send? Forensic science isn't advanced enough to say more than 'that's totally her blood'! We've already sent out whatever for fingerprints and checked for stray hairs but we both know how that'll turn out," he rolled his eyes dramatically.

Nic huffed and handed Aaron a notebook before turning back to the chief. "Look, we'll do the best we can. We barely have any leads, and we're still trying to figure out a motive. We'll go talk to the neighbors, email me any and all pictures you take. See you later."

Aaron felt Nic grab his arm and yank as he stormed out of the house. Aaron looked at his mentor's face. It was a cacophony of emotions, mostly anger and frustration, with a hint of... embarrassment? Aaron was surprised he could even read his face that well. It usually takes him up to a month to understand someone's innermost thoughts.

Nic came to a sudden halt, causing Aaron to collide with his back. Nic spun on his heel and turned to face Aaron, catching him after his collision. "I'm sorry about that. I haven't had this much stress over a case in a while."

"You haven't? But haven't you dealt with murders before?"

Nic looked at the ground. "Well, yes, but from what I've seen, both these murders are related to you. What with the bloody finger-paintings and all."