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A Body of Water. Ch. 3
Chapter 3
Rachel awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. Slowly she rolled over to look at the clock on her bedside table, then reached for the phone.
It was only 5:13 a.m., approximately 47 minutes till her alarm would sound, and her day began. She considered the phone in her hand for a second, but she knew that if she silenced this particular call, they would only keep calling. So it was pointless.
"This better be an emergency, Michael!" She exclaimed after answering.
"Good morning, Rachel!" Said Det. Cannon, on the other end. "Sorry to wake you up so early, but this might be. Last night while you were enjoying your night off, a Body was discovered at the quarries."
Rachel sat upright in her bed. Rachel also grew up in Quincy, so she was well aware what the news Michael had just given her could mean.
"I thought that you might want to come with me to the medical examiners." Michael continued. "From what I was able to see, it has all the earmarks of the twin quarry incident."
"OK, ok, yes. I definitely want to come with you." Rachel replied, as she hopped out of her bed and quickly made her way to the bathroom. "Meet me at the Donut shop on Copeland in 45 minutes."
"Make it 25, we've got an appointment for 7:a.m. I will order your usual so it'll be ready when you get there." Michael answered.
Rachel joined as Michael's partner at the QPD only six months after him. Together they had gone to college to get a degree in forensic sciences. Although, Rachel had started class six months behind Michael. They knew each other since the 6th grade when Rachel's family had moved from the South Boston Projects to Quincy's, Germantown projects, and they attended the same middle school.
They dated for a very short time, but remained friends after they both agreed that just being friends would be a better idea. Rachel still had a bit of a crush on Michael, but it had been a very long time ago, and she now was afraid to pursue him.
She had long blond hair that she wore in a bun on the top of her head when working. Piercing blue eyes, and an athletic body, Rachel was very attractive. She lived alone and was single. On her very rare days off, sometimes she would venture somewhere far out of town when feeling lonely, only to get somewhere and then wind up going home alone as she had been on her way there.
Her mother, being old fashioned, would always get on her case about making her a grandmother before she leaves the earth for good. However, Rachel was going to be 36 if she didn't get married and have children soon, that window would be closed.
Rachel got out of the shower, brushed her teeth, put on a little eye makeup, and got dressed, all in record time. As she pulled up to the donut shop, Michael was leaning with his back on his car in the parking lot. A coffee cup and a white paper bag containing her sausage egg and cheese English muffin, sat next to him on the hood.
Michael brought the coffee and breakfast sandwich over to Rachel's car and leaned in the window to talk with her.
"Wow, huh? That has to be the first ti.e I've ever seen you be up and ready and on time for a date." Michael said jokingly.
"Yeah, You wish." Rachel smiled and replied. "So what's the preliminary?"
"Just like 20 years ago, a body of a man floated to the top of the Swindler quarry around 4:pm last night. It was discovered by a couple of rock climbers who were doing a little exploring of the area. They called it in and said they had actually witnessed it as it surfaced.
I arrived on scene about 15-20 minutes after the call, but due to where the body was, I wasn't able to take a good look until a few hours later. But gathering from what I saw, missing teeth, severe decomposition, no clear signs of any foul play......"
"Wait, are you telling me that there is a real possibility that we could be reopening a case that has been cold for over 20 years?"
Michael, looking at his watch and let out a sigh of exasperation as he answered her. "Yup, now follow me to the examiners office. We're gonna be late."
"Yes, sir!"Rachel cracked as she started to pull away. Smiling she continued. "Actually, you're gonna be late. I'll see you there. Oh, and thank you for breakfast." Then she sped off.
The examiners report was just as Michael feared. All the same things that were found 20 years ago applied to this body. The examiner was a tall lithe woman named Charlene. She had brown almond shaped eyes and had an Indian accent. Her long and shiny black hair was in a large braid that hung halfway down her back.
"Good morning, Detectives, my name is, Doctor Prisha Patel. very nice to meet the two of you." Said the examiner. "I spoke with you on the phone."
"Yes," Michael answered. "and this is my partner, det. Rachel Lanzier."
They exchanged pleasantries, then Dr. Prisha led them to the back where a body covered in a white sheet lay on a metal slab in the center of the room.
Dr. Patel, folded back the sheet covering the man. On his chest there was a large stapled Y shaped scar from the autopsy. His mouth hung wide open as if in a fixed scream. His eyes, milky white, were wide open. Everything about the man's face screamed fear.
The absence of teeth made the mans cheeks sink in at the sides. They gave his mouth the impression that he was making a wide O, because his lips also had fallen into the space where his teeth would have been.
The smell was a putrid smell of rot and decay.
"So, det. Cannon, as you can see I cannot rule out foul play. However, there is absolutely no indication of this fact. Other than his teeth being pulled out and the fact that someone has gone a long way into hiding his body, I see nothing that supports this. So you can see where this is a difficult and most confusing situation." Dr. Patel said.
Rachel looked up at Michael who just stood and stared in wonder. She couldn't find the right words to say. This was something straight out of the twilight zone. Michael finally looked over at Rachel, then asked.
"When will we have your full report, Dr. Patel?"
"You may call me, Dr. Prisha," She said with a flirtatious smile.
Rachel crossed her arms across her chest, sighed, and rolled her eyes as Dr. Prisha continued.
"I would like to have the opinions of a few other forensic professionals. I made a couple of calls to some of my colleagues who recommended one of the countries top forensic scientists to help me in this matter. A Dr. Dillon Farrell. He should be flying in from L.A. early tomorrow. As you may already know, this situation has already grabbed the attention of the FBI. They too have been in contact with my office. So Detectives, for now, you have jurisdiction on this case, but they're also sending their experts to help in this unusual case. I honestly can't say exactly when I will have a report for you, but you can be assured that I will be thorough in my reporting. "
Michael thanked Prisha, and Prisha promised to keep in contact with the detectives on any, and all updates concerning the case. Then they turned, and walked out of the examiners office out to their cars.
Rachel looked troubled, and Michael asked, "Are you ok, Rachel?"
"I don't get it," said Rachel. "It's been over 20 years since the last body was found in the quarry. If this is somehow connected to those cases from so long ago; why now? Why would anyone just stop? It just doesn't make sense."
Michael looked down at the ground, then back up at Rachel, "Why does anyone do what they do? I don't think we'll ever make sense of it, but I sure as hell hope to put a fucking end to it!"
Rachel touched Michael's arm gently, and said, "Let's go up to the crime scene. I think we should take a look together and see if we can find any more clues as to what may have happened to our victim."
Michael agreed, and they drove up to the quarries together in Michael's car.
© Kinga77
Rachel awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. Slowly she rolled over to look at the clock on her bedside table, then reached for the phone.
It was only 5:13 a.m., approximately 47 minutes till her alarm would sound, and her day began. She considered the phone in her hand for a second, but she knew that if she silenced this particular call, they would only keep calling. So it was pointless.
"This better be an emergency, Michael!" She exclaimed after answering.
"Good morning, Rachel!" Said Det. Cannon, on the other end. "Sorry to wake you up so early, but this might be. Last night while you were enjoying your night off, a Body was discovered at the quarries."
Rachel sat upright in her bed. Rachel also grew up in Quincy, so she was well aware what the news Michael had just given her could mean.
"I thought that you might want to come with me to the medical examiners." Michael continued. "From what I was able to see, it has all the earmarks of the twin quarry incident."
"OK, ok, yes. I definitely want to come with you." Rachel replied, as she hopped out of her bed and quickly made her way to the bathroom. "Meet me at the Donut shop on Copeland in 45 minutes."
"Make it 25, we've got an appointment for 7:a.m. I will order your usual so it'll be ready when you get there." Michael answered.
Rachel joined as Michael's partner at the QPD only six months after him. Together they had gone to college to get a degree in forensic sciences. Although, Rachel had started class six months behind Michael. They knew each other since the 6th grade when Rachel's family had moved from the South Boston Projects to Quincy's, Germantown projects, and they attended the same middle school.
They dated for a very short time, but remained friends after they both agreed that just being friends would be a better idea. Rachel still had a bit of a crush on Michael, but it had been a very long time ago, and she now was afraid to pursue him.
She had long blond hair that she wore in a bun on the top of her head when working. Piercing blue eyes, and an athletic body, Rachel was very attractive. She lived alone and was single. On her very rare days off, sometimes she would venture somewhere far out of town when feeling lonely, only to get somewhere and then wind up going home alone as she had been on her way there.
Her mother, being old fashioned, would always get on her case about making her a grandmother before she leaves the earth for good. However, Rachel was going to be 36 if she didn't get married and have children soon, that window would be closed.
Rachel got out of the shower, brushed her teeth, put on a little eye makeup, and got dressed, all in record time. As she pulled up to the donut shop, Michael was leaning with his back on his car in the parking lot. A coffee cup and a white paper bag containing her sausage egg and cheese English muffin, sat next to him on the hood.
Michael brought the coffee and breakfast sandwich over to Rachel's car and leaned in the window to talk with her.
"Wow, huh? That has to be the first ti.e I've ever seen you be up and ready and on time for a date." Michael said jokingly.
"Yeah, You wish." Rachel smiled and replied. "So what's the preliminary?"
"Just like 20 years ago, a body of a man floated to the top of the Swindler quarry around 4:pm last night. It was discovered by a couple of rock climbers who were doing a little exploring of the area. They called it in and said they had actually witnessed it as it surfaced.
I arrived on scene about 15-20 minutes after the call, but due to where the body was, I wasn't able to take a good look until a few hours later. But gathering from what I saw, missing teeth, severe decomposition, no clear signs of any foul play......"
"Wait, are you telling me that there is a real possibility that we could be reopening a case that has been cold for over 20 years?"
Michael, looking at his watch and let out a sigh of exasperation as he answered her. "Yup, now follow me to the examiners office. We're gonna be late."
"Yes, sir!"Rachel cracked as she started to pull away. Smiling she continued. "Actually, you're gonna be late. I'll see you there. Oh, and thank you for breakfast." Then she sped off.
The examiners report was just as Michael feared. All the same things that were found 20 years ago applied to this body. The examiner was a tall lithe woman named Charlene. She had brown almond shaped eyes and had an Indian accent. Her long and shiny black hair was in a large braid that hung halfway down her back.
"Good morning, Detectives, my name is, Doctor Prisha Patel. very nice to meet the two of you." Said the examiner. "I spoke with you on the phone."
"Yes," Michael answered. "and this is my partner, det. Rachel Lanzier."
They exchanged pleasantries, then Dr. Prisha led them to the back where a body covered in a white sheet lay on a metal slab in the center of the room.
Dr. Patel, folded back the sheet covering the man. On his chest there was a large stapled Y shaped scar from the autopsy. His mouth hung wide open as if in a fixed scream. His eyes, milky white, were wide open. Everything about the man's face screamed fear.
The absence of teeth made the mans cheeks sink in at the sides. They gave his mouth the impression that he was making a wide O, because his lips also had fallen into the space where his teeth would have been.
The smell was a putrid smell of rot and decay.
"So, det. Cannon, as you can see I cannot rule out foul play. However, there is absolutely no indication of this fact. Other than his teeth being pulled out and the fact that someone has gone a long way into hiding his body, I see nothing that supports this. So you can see where this is a difficult and most confusing situation." Dr. Patel said.
Rachel looked up at Michael who just stood and stared in wonder. She couldn't find the right words to say. This was something straight out of the twilight zone. Michael finally looked over at Rachel, then asked.
"When will we have your full report, Dr. Patel?"
"You may call me, Dr. Prisha," She said with a flirtatious smile.
Rachel crossed her arms across her chest, sighed, and rolled her eyes as Dr. Prisha continued.
"I would like to have the opinions of a few other forensic professionals. I made a couple of calls to some of my colleagues who recommended one of the countries top forensic scientists to help me in this matter. A Dr. Dillon Farrell. He should be flying in from L.A. early tomorrow. As you may already know, this situation has already grabbed the attention of the FBI. They too have been in contact with my office. So Detectives, for now, you have jurisdiction on this case, but they're also sending their experts to help in this unusual case. I honestly can't say exactly when I will have a report for you, but you can be assured that I will be thorough in my reporting. "
Michael thanked Prisha, and Prisha promised to keep in contact with the detectives on any, and all updates concerning the case. Then they turned, and walked out of the examiners office out to their cars.
Rachel looked troubled, and Michael asked, "Are you ok, Rachel?"
"I don't get it," said Rachel. "It's been over 20 years since the last body was found in the quarry. If this is somehow connected to those cases from so long ago; why now? Why would anyone just stop? It just doesn't make sense."
Michael looked down at the ground, then back up at Rachel, "Why does anyone do what they do? I don't think we'll ever make sense of it, but I sure as hell hope to put a fucking end to it!"
Rachel touched Michael's arm gently, and said, "Let's go up to the crime scene. I think we should take a look together and see if we can find any more clues as to what may have happened to our victim."
Michael agreed, and they drove up to the quarries together in Michael's car.
© Kinga77
