Life After: Episode 1 (4 page)
Five minutes elapsed before he heard distant sirens
growing in volume. A minute after he heard the first sign of help,
an ambulance and an unmarked cop car arrived at the scene.
A single medic, wearing all white, rushed from the
ambulance and crouched down next to the woman. Todd looked at the
thin, blond-haired man who looked no more than thirty-five as he
viewed the gaping wound in her neck. The medic moved towards the
woman’s feet and brushed the sand from her right foot. Todd stepped
back in horror when he saw the stump where her foot used to be and
the fresh blood that flowed from it. “Looks like her foot was cut
off recently. How long ago did you find her?” the man asked.
“Less than ten minutes ago,” Todd said. “I was at my
house when I heard a scream. Then I rushed over and found her like
this.”
Todd heard a car door slam and moments later heard a
deep voice from behind. “I’m Detective John Markley and this is
Officer Sam Riley. We need to ask you a few questions.”
Todd turned around and his mouth opened slowly, but
before he could speak, the detective’s voice began: “Please state
your name.”
“Todd Williams.”
The detective’s eyes squinted and he cocked his head
slightly. He wore thick-framed glasses and donned a bristly
mustache. He scratched the top of his balding head and left out a
great sigh. “Todd Williams, where do I know that name?”
“I was an officer in Edinboro—”
“That’s right. Remember that, Riley? That was a mess
up there,” John said.
“Yeah, a big mess,” Todd said. “I’m retired now.”
“I don’t blame you after that charade,” Riley said,
his voice a bit higher than John’s. Unlike the detective, his head
was covered with thick, blond hair that flowed over his tanned
forehead. His bright blue eyes looked out of place.
“So tell me, Mr. Williams,” John continued, “did you
see anyone other than this woman? Perhaps someone running from the
scene.”
“Only a few people on their porches on the way here,”
Todd said. “I heard her scream twice and found her just the way
you’re seeing her now.”
The detective crouched down and viewed the body. “The
foot was cut off post mortem,” John said. “No way she would only
scream twice while being cut apart.”
The medic lifted the leg. “This isn’t a hack-job,” he
said. “This guy knew what he was doing. The cut is very clean.”
“How long did it take you to find the body after you
heard the first scream?” John asked.
“Not long. Five minutes at most.”
“That’s quite a quick amputation,” the medic
said.
“Premeditated,” John said. “Like the perp targeted
his victim and knew that he wanted to take her foot…but why?”
Todd heard another vehicle arrive at the scene. Riley
looked at the medic. “The coroner is here,” he said.
The medic stood up and walked towards the arriving
coroner. Todd looked back at the detective while the coroner
pronounced the woman deceased. Riley walked away and began securing
the scene and ensured that anyone on the site was properly logged
and finger and shoe-printed. Todd heard the clicking of cameras and
saw more people arriving on the scene.
Todd saw John walk towards the woman’s head. In
moments, he heard his voice. “Well what do we have here? Riley,
come check this out.”
Riley ran over to the detective and wringed his
gloved hands together. “What’s up, sir?”
“Fish this…whatever it is…out of her mouth.”
Todd watched as Riley pried the woman’s mouth open
and retrieved a soggy slip of paper.
“What does it say?” John asked.
Riley stared at the note for a minute and then let
out sigh. “I haven’t seen anything like this before.” He cleared
his throat and read the letter out loud.
Todd listened carefully as the officer spoke.
“It says ‘And so here begins the bloody game, the one
I was destined to start. Blood will spill once daily until you stop
me, if you can. Let the games begin.’”
“Good lord,” John said. “We have a sick bastard on
our hands.”
John, Riley, and Todd stood in silence as several men
and women continued to comb the scene for clues. Todd heard the
waves crashing down in the distance as the seagulls continued their
rant. He thought about the letter and felt his stomach turn. His
new life of serenity and calmness would be no more. Not with a
killer on the loose.
Finally, with a somber tone, John repeated the last
line of the note: “Let the games begin.”
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