The murder cabinet-3

 

THE MURDER CABINET

Rony Brown

Episode three-Is this the end?

Five autopsy report lay neatly arranged on my disheveled desk. Well, this is indeed a surprise. It is not the sight that usually welcomes me one day after a murder, not to talk of a mass murder. My chair swivels and I catch view of blond hair in my desk.

I check my watch and it is 5:30 am. Ha! It will be so unlike Jim to not stay and gloat over getting the autopsy report early. But I surely cannot allow him to gloat in my chair!

“Just because you got those autopsy reports on time does not mean you can take my seat.” I turn to switch on the lights, “The great witch of Oz has not yet descended her throne.”

I turn to face him and freeze.

It is the witch herself in my seat. With blond weave-on, a perfect though light skin tone, and the light forming a halo over her head, she looks like an angel. Darn her blond weave!

She gives me a crooked smile and she says, “Don’t worry, I have been called worse.”

But the smile doesn’t touch her eyes. Am I going to lose my job?

“Erhm! I’m sorry, DCP Essien” My tongue finally loosen.

“As I said, don’t worry.” She looks around. “It’s a wonderful office you have here.”

I look at my overflowing bin, the files which have been haphazardly thrown on the shelves and then to my desk which has everything in disorder apart from the neatly stacked autopsy reports. Worse of all these is the stench of last night’s takeout food.

“Excuse me, let me get this place in order.”

I open the windows, throw the take out into the bin and turn to throw it out.

“There is no time.” She sounds harsh. She’s not even bothered by her tone as she continues, “Please sit down.”

I look at how comfortable she is in my seat and bite my tongue for three seconds before I say, “I will like to have my seat back, if you don’t mind.”

“I’m sorry. I am just used to this side of the desk.” She gets up and I hear her knees crack. That is probably the only sign of how old she is.

We finally settle down and get to it. I flip open the first report.

 

Autopsy report- Karen Essien

Injuries

Blows to the ribs, face and abdomen

Fractured skull

Tearing of tissues in the vaginal wall

CAUSE OF DEATH

Fatal blow to the head

ALL INJURIES ARE ANTEMORTEM

 

There are some pictures attached. The blows were made by a large fist. It confirms my initial suspicion that a male was responsible for Freda’s killing.

Wait a minute.

“Essien?” I say to myself. It all makes sense!

“It’s not what you are thinking.” She says sadly. But I cock my eye brow, yea right!

“She is-was-is…” she stammers, composes herself and continues. “She is my niece. My brother’s only daughter. This will kill him. I need you to find out who did this.” Her voice breaks.

Karen must have been like a daughter to her.

“This looks nothing like the initial MO.” I change the topic.

“MO?”

“Modus operandi. It is something like a criminal’s finger print.”

“OK?”

OK? I am surprised she doesn’t know all this.

“Anyway, it either means someone else did this or the murderer is getting bold. He doesn’t need her victims dead anymore. He is beginning to enjoy it.”

“OK!” She rises and makes to leave. “It seems you know what you are doing so I better leave you to it.” She stops abruptly and says “I am sorry about everything. But being a DSP is not as exciting as you think. It involves sitting in an office and appending signatures. You forget what it is like on the field. I tell you, it is not a dream job”

“I think I am the one to decide on that.”

She chews on my words and finally concedes.

“True.” Then she smiles. “Fifteen years ago my office was much like yours.” Then she extends her hand. I take it.

“Please don’t let our personal differences get in the way.” She pleads.

“It never could.” I reassure her.

I return to my desk and look through the other reports.

It is the same as Karen’s.  The same MO. Why rape his victims? Was the rape post mortem?  Is Derrell involved? I go on and on with the ‘why’, ‘who’, and ‘what’ that I do not realize how quick the time is flying. But a knock distracts me from my analyses.

“Hey!” Jim’s optimistic voice reaches my ears.

“Hey back!” I look up at him and check my time. 9:00 am.

“I brought the crime scene report.” I take it from him and point to my desk.

“You should take a look at the autopsy reports.”

“Are they in?”

“Check the name on the one over there.”

Jim flips through the pages of one of the reports.

“No way! Her daughter?”

“No, her niece.”

“No wonder the crime scene report came so soon.” He says and I agree.

Buzz…

“Is that you?” I ask Jim.

“Nope, it’s you.”

I check and it’s Derrell. A smile crosses my face as I recollect the lovely evening we had.

“Hey, Dee.” I talk into the phone. “Yhup!”***pause*** “Yhup!”***pause*** “Yhup!”

“Be there soon, k?” Then I get off the phone.

I look up at Jim and smile.

“Jim, I’ll be right back.”

As I leave Jim grabs my arm, which comes as a surprise. Jim will never hold me like that.

“I should come with you.” He says.

“O! Don’t worry.”

“Don’t ask me not to worry.” Jim barks back.

“Jim, let go of my arm.” I warn.

He is adamant. Instead he clutches me in his arms and devours my lips. I kiss him back and desire surges down my belly. I moan softly. The sound is every bit as foreign in my ears as someone speaking Chinese. I finally gain the strength to push him away.

“Don’t ever do that again.” I almost run out.

I am as confused as ever. Jim and me… For goodness sake I am five years his senior.

In twenty minutes I make it Derrell’s door. The door opens.

Baam!

***Darkness***

My eyes flutter open and take some time to adjust to the darkness. I try to move but no, I have been tied to the floor. A woman, a big one at that, comes and stands over me. She is holding a candle.

She pours the molten wax on my face and the she leans in on me. She pins me down with her big frame. In a swift movement, she bites my ear.

“Aaargghhh…” I scream.

Her nails bite into my thighs and claw their way up. I scream some more. Hopefully someone will hear me.

“No one can hear you bitch!” she says.

Baam!

Another blow to my head. This time she does not stop. She hits me again and again. I can feel death beckoning.

“Stop, that’s enough!” This voice seem to come from the darkness. It continues in a menacing tone “Let us savor this one.”