A Priest's Deadly Obsession

Chapter 51 - Pink Lines

Victor arrived at the sight, the stench was pungent in the air, a mix of decay and rot infested the area.

Solemnly, he pocketed his hands and proceed towards the body bag.

"Female, early to mid twenties." said an officer. "Any idea who it could be?"

Victor merely nodded, "Open the bag."

The officer bent down and zipped back the heavy thick zipper. Victor never gets unnerved when discovering bodies, but somehow, the sight of Juliet, paled, black and blue... pieces of her flesh rotting away what once was her beautiful face and clear eyes was enough to make his stomach do somersaults.

He knew who she was instantly, regardless of how different and decayed she was by now, he had stared into her glowing picture for many nights, the frozen lake water preserved her some time yet seeing her this close, this still and lifeless was an insult to her true beauty.

Victor quickly examined her, noticing the bruising on her neck. Pulling back the bag more he tried to make note of other markings but found none. Immediately he guessed she must have died from asphyxiation.

How, why, when and most importantly who, where still questions unresolved.

He stood up and ushered for the officer to close up the body bag again. "Bring it to the morgue, I need the family to formerly identify her."

"Sir..." said another timid officer, he was young, much too young to be seeing such tragedies like this. His face looked pale as though he would vomit at any moment. "We found something...with the body."

He held up an evidence bag, "She had this with her sir,"

Victor took the bag and held it up eye level to him so that he could clearly see it, inside the plastic evidence bag he noticed a small silver cross, on top of the cross was a small hoop, it  must have come from a necklace or bracelet.

The light bulb flickered above Victor's head, this small piece of jewelry had to have come from the person responsible for her untimely death.

And somehow, he knew that perhaps the answers lay somewhere within the church community.

Across town Anne was heading towards her early morning Volley Ball practice. She arrived to the gym slightly earlier than the rest, choosing to skip breakfast since her stomach was unsettled.

Tossing a few balls over the net by herself, she waited for her peers.

Lily walked in yawning as usual, "Ugh I need caffeine!" she whined. Brianne followed behind her.

"Hey!" Anne smiled brightly at them.

Brianne narrowed her eyes at her, "You're unusually happy this morning," her gaze followed her up and down, "You're like glowing too, what is it?"

Anne shrugged, "What are you talking about?"

"Were you with your best friends boyfriend again this weekend?" Brianne mocked her sarcastically.

Anne smiled fell, she bit her lip and instantly felt her ears grow hot.

"Knew it." Brianne  walked over to the changing rooms, leaving Anne standing at the court turning the volleyball in her hands.

"She can be a jerk sometimes..." Lily tried to explain, her face flushed with worry, "But you know she means well."

Anne snickered, "How does she mean well by saying that...?"

Lila sat cross legged on the cool gym floor, thinking of her words first before speaking, putting the sentence together gently for her, "She doesn't like it."