Red Alarm [A Detective/Thriller Story] DISCONTINUED

Chapter 2

The loud gnarling of the dog with its canine sharp teeth, garbage bags towering the place like some kind of fortress - the place was reeking with different kinds of smell. However, the officers turned their eyes to the red Volkswagen car with its trunk hanging mid open. The smell of it made it different from the others, for nothing beats the smell of rotten flesh.

Good Morning NYC. After being missing for seven days, Deputy Chief Adam Mcintosh's body was found at a junk yard in Ridgewood. The victim had multiple injuries on his chest caused by a sharp object. Police are looking up at the scene of the crime, hoping to get any leads as to who did this. This is Cindy Corps reporting. Back to you, Eric.

"The dog kept on barking and that's when I saw the damn dead body smelling like crap all over the place," stated Orlando, the person who reported the corpse.

Coles eyes widened, his legs being pulled to the ground, and his body shaking in disbelief.

"We'll have to call you in for further details, Mr. Orlando," told Detective Hopkins. The detective signaled the forensic team to move the body to the department for further autopsy.

He snapped out of his unconsciousness. He went off to his car and drove back to the main station. If he could only wait for ten minutes. Just ten more minutes - then deputy chief wouldn't had suffered such a cruel murder. He reminded himself to stay calm and handle the situation maturely.

He knocked on the door trying to calm his senses down before entering the autopsy room. A lady wearing a lab coat opened it up with an annoyed look on her face. She was Melissa Petes, a 26 year old red herring, the pathologist assigned. Her eyes displayed a who-disturbed-me-in-the-middle-of-something glare. She looked at the officer and recognized him immediately.

"Officer Cole! How lovely it is to see you here!" she greeted sarcastically.

"Have you already finished the autopsy?" he asked as he barged in without even asking permission.

"Hey! If I get caught here letting you in you'll be dead meat, got it?" she threatened.

She wore a pair of latex gloves and handed over an extra to Cole since it was in the memo that proper sanitation must be observed while dissecting corpses. Chief Mcintosh was lying over the piece of metal, his skin as white as flour. The officer could see the shape of his bones protruding on his skin. He clenched his fists trying to contain his anger once more as they leaned in closer for a better look.

"I'll kill the jerk who did this to him, he said," gritting his teeth.

"This is just awful!"she exclaimed, referring to the wide slashes on his chest. "Step aside," she ordered Cole as she dug in deeper inside the body with a scalpel.

She looked at his insides without hesitation, like a girl rummaging inside her closet finding her missing piece of earring - a clue that can help them solve the gruesome murder. Suddenly, her eyes widened with surprise. The knife clattered to the ground. Her crimson colored hands, shaking continuously as she pulled it out of the insides of his chest after processing what shed found out.

"Oh my f-"

"What? What is it?" he leaned in to get a closer look.

"It's not what's in it. It's what's not here," she turned to face Officer Cole with a surprised look on her face. "His heart - its missing."

~ ⚜️ ~

"It has been two weeks already! How can the SSO be so incompetent!" the Chief of Department, Richard Camembert, tossed the papers angrily.

"Give us a little more time, chief. All we know now is that his heart is missing," pleaded Officer Gonzales.

All the other clues lead to dead ends. The guy they saw in the footage, James Charles, was nowhere to be found. The police searched the whole vicinity and the outskirts for the murder weapon but the suspect didn't left any. The public was questioning the performance of the police, particularly the SSO who'd been assigned with the case. It had been the first Red Alarm they had left unsolved. The deputy chief made sure to solve those cases thoroughly and without him to lead them, it felt like they were just an ordinary police patrol team.

"If we leave this case out and focus on more sensable cases, it'd be for the best of us," he sighed.

"Pardon?' Detective Hopkins eyes widened.

"Lets stop the investigation."

~ ⚜️ ~

"One, two, Fire!"

The trumpets played a tune of agony at the burial of the late deputy chief. The heavy rain accompanied the cries and sorrow of the bereaved. Despite the stillness surrounding the grave, flashing lights and clicking sounds were heard from afar. Reporters flooded the scene without even considering the loss of his family. Cole, who was crying over the chiefs grave looked at them. He wanted to be an officer to save those in need yet he was wrong. Having good intentions to make the world a better place alone wasn't enough.

"I'm sorry maam. I couldn't bring him to safety," he bowed at Martha who was wiping the tears off her face.

She tried to put on a smile as best as she could as she patted the officer on his shoulder. "No, its not your fault," she said. "I'm sorry I had to give you a burden of a request."

"Of which I failed to do so," he cut off.

"Officer," she grabbed onto Coles hands, grasping them tightly as she looked in his eyes. "The detectives may think this case is better off in the dumpster but please don't stop. I believe that this case is not that hopeless as it seems and I know you feel it too so please."

Cole nodded with a stern face.

He got up after placing the flowers, now floating on the puddle of mud in front of his grave. The officer chuckled. Laughter along with tears strolled down his cheeks. That's how it was. The public didn't care for his death at all. They were in for the scoop. That's when he realized. Promotions, power, money - These are what run the world. And these were exactly what he needed to get what he wanted....

justice for a friend.