Avenging Renegade: Hassassin's Vengeance book

Chapter 3

Detective Byron Tait killed the engine of his unmarked sedan and stepped out into the cold, misty winter’s day of North Pointe. He slipped on his black leather winter’s gloves while moving between the vans of news reporters who were restless for a 7 am- story.

The NPPD-police were already on the scene trying to control the crowd that was starting to gather. His partner Terence Dunn was also at the scene chatting with their new examiner. How people can flirt over a dead body still amazed him.

He lifted the yellow crime scene tape after greeting the officers and continued to make his way over to his partner and examiner. “Morning Partner.” Detective Dunn greeted with his usual lopsided grin. Byron acknowledged him with a curt nod and then turned to their examiner.

“Morning, Catherine. What do you have for us?” The cute examiner gave him a sad smile when she lifted the body bag to reveal a woman's body. She looked about in her early 30’s. Her skin was white, almost pale. The smile she always wore was gone. The eyes that always sparkled when she entered the precinct was now dull and lifeless without a single spark.

This was Byron's first case where he knew the face of their victim that belonged to a police officer. One he worked very closely with.

“Could you identify her death?” Byron asked, crouching down to take a better look at their victim.

“She was suffocated,” Catherine replied, showing him the bruising around her neck. “I have to get her back to the lab to run more tests.” Byron nodded and pushed to his feet. He turned to look at his partner who was showing remorse for their colleague.

“Did you let him know?” Dunn nodded and then gestured with his head where Officer George Matthews just pulled in. He jumped out of his car and ran over to the scene. 

“Where is she?!” He growled. He started wrestling with the other officers who held him back.

“It’s fine. You can let him through.” Byron called out. Matthews shoved the officer out of his way and then stormed over to where his wife’s lifeless body laid. Byron took a step back when the cop dropped to his knees and cried out when he saw his wife. “Evelyn.” His hand quivered as he reached to touch her cold, pale skin.

He felt his own painful tug of memories playing at the back of his mind. The death of his parents.

For years they’ve tried to convince him and his sister that the fire was caused by a damaged electrical cord that caught a spark. Until he got access to the file and saw for himself. Their parents were bound to their bed after brutally tortured by some kind of object and then left to burn while still conscious. There was no point of origin of the fire. Nobody wanted to help him solve the case. Everyone thought he was a nutshell for wanting to find the killers who tortured and torched his parents.

Nobody cared besides him and his partner about the bodies piling up in the morgue. He tried to do the right thing by following the laws even with more than half of the cops who were against him.

“I know now isn’t the time to ask you this but is there anyone who would want to kill Evelyn?” Detective Dunn asked him.

“Every day I put on this uniform puts my life and hers in danger.” Officer Matthews snapped at Byron’s partner.

“Do you know what she was doing this side of the suburb?” Dunn then asked. It didn’t make sense why his wife would be this side of town. He looked at the locals who lived around here in the suburb and something came to mind. Evelyn was a journalist.

“Was Evelyn may be working on a story?” Dunn gave him a questioning look.

Officer Matthews shook his head. “If she was. She didn’t tell me.” Byron looked at the crowd again and found himself gazing at a familiar face. That mysterious woman again. Long, straight jet-black hair. Dark eyes. A face clear from any emotion. He felt a strong aura surrounding her. He didn’t know her personally but she keeps appearing and disappearing into thin air. She’s always around at a crime scene.

He was starting to consider that she was a reporter.

“Do you want to start canvassing the area for witnesses? Or maybe see if anyone from the crowd saw something?” His partner queried. He stared at Dunn and then at the officer.

He then gazed back at the crowd. The place she stood was empty. She was gone. Something about that woman was suspicious but he just couldn’t put his finger on it.

“There is no point.” He answered. Knowing that no one was going to give them anything. The people of this town didn’t trust law enforcement. Most of the force was shaking hands with the enemy. Unsolved cases were closed without any further investigations just like his parent’s murder.

“Let’s get process the crime scene for any clues while Catherine returns to the precinct to examine Evelyn’s body,” Byron suggested. They got a few of the officers involved to canvas the area with them. There wasn’t a single clue or piece of evidence they found and decided to return to the precinct. Dunn was working on theories while Byron tried to talk to Officer Matthews.

He gave Byron nothing to work with. Dunn joined them when he walked up to them with his notepad and a big confused frown plastered on his forehead. “I just remembered something. We didn’t find her phone on her. Only her wallet. Nothing was taken. Catherine also just informed me that the place we found Evelyn’s body is not the main crime scene. Her body has been moved.” Byron watched Matthews body language closely. 

Matthews was unsettled over something. He showed some fear mixed with a bit of rage. 

“Have you been to your house before Evelyn was found?” Byron asked Matthews.

“No, I just finished my shift when I got the call,” Matthews answered.

“George, if there is anything you know and want to share with us. Now is the time.” Byron told him.

Matthews shook his head and stood up from his seat. “I can’t.” Byron frowned. “I can’t trust anyone right now.” Matthews walked out leaving Byron and Dunn confused.

“Do you suspect he knows something?” Dunn asked.

“Beats me. All I know so far is that is afraid of something.” Byron stood up from his chair and made his way back over to his desk when he found Detective Rick Kendricks entering the office with their captain.

Rick was in deep with the mobster of their town, helping them move cocaine and weapons around. Cover up any murders that can lead back to the mob. Killed alongside them and had no conscience about what he has done. Byron just had to find concrete evidence to prove his theory.

“Any leads?” Their captain asked them.

“Just that her phone is missing and that her body was moved,” Dunn informed the captain while Byron kept his gaze fixed on Rick. He didn’t trust the son-of-a-b***h.

“So, this is not our primary crime scene?” The captain asked.

“It could be a mugging incident. The attackers could have been nervous when she didn’t work fast enough to hand them her cash.” Rick suggested.

“She was suffocated and her wallet was still on her. No cash, credit cards or anything else was taken.” Byron informed him.

“Except, you didn’t find her phone.” Rick pointed out.

“Why would they kill her. Only take her phone and not her cash?” Dunn questioned getting in the middle of Byron and Rick’s argument.

“He’s got a point.” The captain informed Rick.

“See if you can find her phone. There must be something on there that the crooks don’t want us to see.” The captain said and then excused himself.

“You are making a mistake, Tait.” Rick snarled at him before he walked off.

Dunn looked at Byron and shared a knowing look with him. “I would say he is a bit on edge and didn’t like what the captain said.” Dunn pointed out.

“He’s hiding something and we are going to find out what.”