Women And the Demons Who Love Them

Hiraeth-6

Disturbed- The Good Ones Lie

    "What do you have for me, Clementine?" she asked walking into Michael Clemintine's lab. 

    Carter and Michael grew up together. Their fathers played golf together. His mother had died when he was four. Michael is the only person she had ever considered a friend, even now. He's the only person she'd ever truly trust. 

    "You might want to sit," he motioned her to sit down next to him while he put his glasses on. The two of them are going to obsess over this for a while. Carter can tell by the stressed look in his eyes. "Blood work is back. She was clean. None of the crap we found in the house was in her system. However, her progesterone and estrogens were really high," 

    "f**k," she said taking in a deep breath before letting out as slowly as she could. "She was pregnant," 

    "She knew. We found self prescribes prenatal vitamins in her bag. And you were right. They found traces of lubricant on both entries. They had just finished when they killed her," 

    "Any foreign DNA?" 

He shook his head. "Nowhere. Can you believe that? Nothing," 

    "Have they performed the autopsy? Maybe we can get DNA from the fetus,"

    "No, the chief wants me to sign off on it once I ran what we got past you and your partner. Carol and I are ready when you are," 

    "Did he tell you anything else?" 

He looked down at the paperwork in front of him.

    "Your case isn't a priority. I think he's going to run it as a cold case. We don't know who the victim is. No one has come looking for her and we have no suspects. If we get nothing from the autopsy, he's pulling you out and is sending it up," he still didn't look up at her. 

    "What do you think?" 

    "Carter, I feel like you're making this s**t personal. I've never really said anything because you usually are really open about everything with me. I think you should see Mariah. Not because I think your crazy or compromised but because I think you're hurting. You're acting out of character and I'm worried," 

    "Is this about the call I made for Wright?" 

    "No, I know you're looking out for him. This is about you letting him stay with you. You're not his nanny. That's not why he was brought here. What the hell is going on with you?" 

She laughed. 

    "Do you remember the Jackson case?" she asked spinning in the office chair next to him. 

    "I will never forget it. You went M.I.A. for two weeks. You came back with a complete f*****g sleeve," 

    "I couldn't sleep for three nights. My eyes watered, my head was pounding, I felt sick but I couldn't sleep. It wasn't until I pounded a bottle and a half of whiskey that I finally passed out after f*****g up the restroom in my dad's bedroom," 

    "Where was Charise?" 

    "It was Easter. She was with her family. I didn't know who to call or what to do with myself and the truth is, I would have been just fine with someone just sitting next to me or in the next f*****g room. Somewhere in that big ass house. I honestly can't really help that man but I can sit in the next room and make sure that he doesn't f**k up like I had. He has everything to lose. That little girl deserves someone to try. This dead girl deserves to be heard. We grew up on these streets, Mike. Everything that happens here to anyone. It's going to be personal. It's our jobs to protect these people and we kind of suck at it," 

    "We don't suck at it," he smiled looking at his friend. "There are pieces of s**t out there. They do bad things and it's not just here. We'll find something. For now, just get back out there. See what you can find. I'll find something. I promise," 

    "I'll go get the paperwork from the chief. I'll talk to Wright," 

He nodded. "And Mariah?" 

    "I think about it," she smirked. He waved her off, shaking his head. 

    "I'll see you later, Madison," he called out. 

    Carter walked over to the chief's office to see Sanders standing there while the chief chewed him out for walking off the scene. She understood why he would. He has two sisters and it could have easily been one of them. It's something the mind does. Everything we see and hear threads in our emotions and it links it to those we love the most. She had experienced that herself once when she was still an officer. 

    An older woman had been shot by a stray bullet in a gang shooting. Her mind had quickly jumped to Mrs. Raymond. She had almost had a panic attack in front of everyone. It was the case that got her noticed by the former chief of police. 

    Yet, she couldn't believe he had walked away without saying a word to anyone. He knew what he was looking at from the moment he took this job. How does he expect to get a promotion when he does s**t like that? All that bark gets you nowhere. 

    The door was pulled open and gently shut. She didn't look over at him afraid to set him off. She's not in the mood to argue with him or even exchange hellos. All she wants is for the chief to sign off on the case she's working on now. This girl shouldn't be ignored just because no one is here to claim her. She was somebody somewhere and now she's just sitting a cooler with her face bashed in.  

    "You have something to say?" Sanders asked her. She glanced over at him. 

    "No," she said before looking back over at her computer. 

    He wanted to argue. He wanted to make himself feel better for what he had done but she wasn't going to play his puppet. Not today. He approached her desk. She shut her eyes hoping she wouldn't do anything that got her suspended. Please, god. She prayed silently with the hopes that someone would save him from making an ass out of himself. 

    "You think you're so great don't you? Just because you care for the people who don't mean s**t to anyone doesn't mean you're a good person, Carter," 

    "I'm not a good person, William. If your accusation were true that would mean that I'd care for you and I honestly can give no f***s about you. So, why don't you go back to your desk and mind your business? When you are once again deemed useful someone will call," his eyes stared into hers with so much contempt she almost felt bad for the guy. 

    "f**k you, Carter," he spat, pushing himself off her desk. The door to the chief's office was opened and he finally walked away. 

    "If I see you near Madison's desk again I will send your ass home with no pay, Sanders," he just laughed as he went over to his desk and sat down. "Get in here, Madison," 

    Carter stood up and walked into his office without looking up at him. She's already too tired to argue with anyone and the day is just starting. He shut the door motioning her to sit down. She took a seat and sighed shaking her head. He's going to tell her to drop this. 

    "Carter, the commissioner wants me to drop this," 

    "There's a mutilated body in our freezer chief and he wants us to drop it?" he sighed walking around the desk to lean against it in front of him. 

    "What is going on with you?" he asked. "You were doing great and now you're calling in favors and beating on the cliques?" she bit the inside of her cheek. "Oh, yeah. You were spotted in front of the pancake shack sweetheart. We're not dropping the case," 

    "So, what am I doing here?" 

    "There's something new going on here. The officers downtown are turning the other way. He thinks this girl is our key into this," he placed a file in front of her. "There is a new clique coming up fast. Picking up kids of all ages. No one is talking," 

    "Have you ever heard of Winchester High Street?" he shook his head. "I got some intel that they're new guys in downtown. I was told it was a cult," 

    "A cult?" I nodded. "A f*****g cult?" 

    "Yeah, so what? Are you giving me this or am I going home?" 

    "I'm giving you this but this girl is not the priority. Taking these ass holes off the street is. If these kids joining a cult is a real thing we need to stop it before we have more than just one mutilated girl in our freezer," 

    "She was pregnant. Did you know that?" she asked. He looked up at her and shook his head. She handed him the paperwork. He pulled it towards him and began to read it over before he finally signed it. 

    "I want you to wait for Wright to come back before you go in. Get some more intel stakeout. Whatever it is you do when you disappear. Give Clementine some time to get you something solid," 

    "Okay," she nodded. 

    She took her paperwork and the file with her. After handing the paperwork to Clementine she headed to her parent's house. She pulled her car into the garage. As she covered it with a tarp she sighed. She didn't think she would be back here for a while. 

    This is the house where they had died. She hadn't gone inside for a long time and odds are it'll be even longer before she even contemplated walking in there. She put her things into her mom's old beetle and started it up as she got a few other things together. Her phone buzzed in her pocket when she climbed in. 

    "Yeah?" she answered without looking at the name on the screen. 

    "Is this Carter Madison?" a little girl's voice answered. She smiled knowing who it was. 

    "Yes, it is. Who is this?" she asked. 

    "My name is Helena Wright. I just wanted to tell you, thank you for helping my daddy take me home with him," Carter looked up and out of the window facing her parent's house. 

    "You're welcome, Helena. I can't wait to meet you," 

Helena laughed. "I can't wait to meet you too. My daddy wants to talk to you now," there was a quick shuffle and then a little girly giggle before he answered. 

    "Hey, Madison. We just wanted to thank you. Chief said you were headed home?" 

    "Not yet. I'm at my parent's house getting some things I need. I'm not going to be staying at my place for a couple of days," 

    "You alright? You sound a little off," 

    "A little off sums me up, Wright. I'll see you when you're back. I have to go," 

    "Alright, be careful," he said and the line went dead. 

    She let out a sigh and put the car into gear headed to her place in Richmond Heights. There is the regular group of guys drinking in front of it. Taking hold of her backpack she got out locking the doors before heading inside. The usual catcalls and doggy whistles met her as she made her way inside. 

    This part of town had become her in her teenage years. She had once run all the way here from the other side of town with a stab wound to the left side of her rib cage. Back when her hair was at ear's length. Her bleached hair was tinted bright green. Her clothes were a reflection of who she thought she was. Black lolita dresses, goth combat boots, and piercings. Plastic and rubber bracelets, chokers, and flatirons. It all seemed so important then. 

    "Didn't think you'd be back here for a while," Carter looked up at him and sighed. 

    "New s**t came up. Someone needs arresting," she smirked unlocking her door. "How's your mom?" 

    "She's good," he said leaning against the door frame. "How are you, Car?" 

    "I have a new partner. He's a dad," 

    "Should I be worried?" 

She smirked looking over at him pushing the door to the apartment open. "When have you ever been worried about me, Derrick?" 

    Derrick looked around before he crossed the hall in two strides lifting Carter off her feet. She was quick to wrap her legs around his waist as he walked her into the apartment and he shut the door behind her.