guess.”
“Better than being busy,” the cop remarked as the pair climbed into the back of the ambulance.
With the ambulance crew gone, the sheer dullness of the situation hit Joe. He looked around, trying to find something to catch his interest, but there wasn’t much. Even the surrounding groups of people were quiet, murmuring between themselves but not actually doing anything. There were a few officers there, in their cars, presumably doing paperwork.
In a desperate attempt to stave off boredom, Joe started searching around. ‘Where,’ he thought, ‘would I hide if I were a psycho killer?’
It seemed unlikely that he’d hang around, but you never knew. Most of the clumps of people looked like residents. There were two groups of senior citizens and another of younger women with a few preschool kids in tow. There were a few individuals scattered around. An old man with a cane and green sweater, some punk kid in a baggy black t-shirt with a skateboard, and a young guy in a blue jacket with a big brown necklace and a pizza delivery bag getting into a blue sub-compact car. None of them seemed likely.
Up a tree? Maybe. Joe squinted at the maple trees that lined the street. It was early summer, but even in full leaf there wasn’t enough cover to hide someone. Still, he looked at each of the close ones in turn. Nothing more dangerous than a squirrel.
In a nearby apartment? Joe looked from building to building. Curtains or shades were drawn in all the ones he could see. He watched each of them, looking for movement. Looking for someone watching the results of their handiwork. Nothing.
Hiding in the bushes maybe? Some of the buildings had rhododendrons at their corners. They were big enough — five or six feet tall and densely green — to hide someone small. A short insane man with a knife. Or… a child.
Joe started when he realized there was a child behind one of the bushes, right around the corner from the building the police were in. He could just barely see signs through the leaves, but he knew she was there. Hiding from something.
Without even realizing what he was doing, Joe got out of the car and jogged up to the bush and around the side. The leaves were a little thinner here on the side of the bush that was perpetually in the building’s shade. He heard a tiny little whimper from somewhere within.
Joe crouched down and moved a branch aside, revealing a girl. She was maybe seven, still dressed for bed. Her hair was a tangle, her eyes wide as she looked at Joe. The front of her dress was red with blood.
* * *
Inside the apartment building things were busy, and Steve didn’t need anyone to tell him where things had happened. The blood smears on the open door of unit 1-B and the forensic team inside was more than enough.
There was a uniformed officer just inside the door to the apartment. Jensen. Rookie. He was looking green, but doing his best to hold it together.
“What happened?” Steve asked.
“Three fatalities, sir,” Officer Jensen said. His voice was a little unsteady. Reciting the details seemed to help him compose himself. “Two children, one boy, one girl, and an adult female. Neighbor called this in at 11:45 when she saw the blood on the door. Officer got here at 11:57. There was no answer; the manager opened the apartment for us at 12:05. The bodies were discovered in the living room.”
Steve nodded. “Any other occupants?”
“We’re not sure yet, sir. The manager fainted when he discovered the bodies. That was twenty five minutes ago. Medical examiner thinks that there might be three children living in the apartment. We’re checking with social services. The complex management company is sending someone over to check the records. Manager was the only one in
“Better than being busy,” the cop remarked as the pair climbed into the back of the ambulance.
With the ambulance crew gone, the sheer dullness of the situation hit Joe. He looked around, trying to find something to catch his interest, but there wasn’t much. Even the surrounding groups of people were quiet, murmuring between themselves but not actually doing anything. There were a few officers there, in their cars, presumably doing paperwork.
In a desperate attempt to stave off boredom, Joe started searching around. ‘Where,’ he thought, ‘would I hide if I were a psycho killer?’
It seemed unlikely that he’d hang around, but you never knew. Most of the clumps of people looked like residents. There were two groups of senior citizens and another of younger women with a few preschool kids in tow. There were a few individuals scattered around. An old man with a cane and green sweater, some punk kid in a baggy black t-shirt with a skateboard, and a young guy in a blue jacket with a big brown necklace and a pizza delivery bag getting into a blue sub-compact car. None of them seemed likely.
Up a tree? Maybe. Joe squinted at the maple trees that lined the street. It was early summer, but even in full leaf there wasn’t enough cover to hide someone. Still, he looked at each of the close ones in turn. Nothing more dangerous than a squirrel.
In a nearby apartment? Joe looked from building to building. Curtains or shades were drawn in all the ones he could see. He watched each of them, looking for movement. Looking for someone watching the results of their handiwork. Nothing.
Hiding in the bushes maybe? Some of the buildings had rhododendrons at their corners. They were big enough — five or six feet tall and densely green — to hide someone small. A short insane man with a knife. Or… a child.
Joe started when he realized there was a child behind one of the bushes, right around the corner from the building the police were in. He could just barely see signs through the leaves, but he knew she was there. Hiding from something.
Without even realizing what he was doing, Joe got out of the car and jogged up to the bush and around the side. The leaves were a little thinner here on the side of the bush that was perpetually in the building’s shade. He heard a tiny little whimper from somewhere within.
Joe crouched down and moved a branch aside, revealing a girl. She was maybe seven, still dressed for bed. Her hair was a tangle, her eyes wide as she looked at Joe. The front of her dress was red with blood.
* * *
Inside the apartment building things were busy, and Steve didn’t need anyone to tell him where things had happened. The blood smears on the open door of unit 1-B and the forensic team inside was more than enough.
There was a uniformed officer just inside the door to the apartment. Jensen. Rookie. He was looking green, but doing his best to hold it together.
“What happened?” Steve asked.
“Three fatalities, sir,” Officer Jensen said. His voice was a little unsteady. Reciting the details seemed to help him compose himself. “Two children, one boy, one girl, and an adult female. Neighbor called this in at 11:45 when she saw the blood on the door. Officer got here at 11:57. There was no answer; the manager opened the apartment for us at 12:05. The bodies were discovered in the living room.”
Steve nodded. “Any other occupants?”
“We’re not sure yet, sir. The manager fainted when he discovered the bodies. That was twenty five minutes ago. Medical examiner thinks that there might be three children living in the apartment. We’re checking with social services. The complex management company is sending someone over to check the records. Manager was the only one in
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