Burn - Chapter Four.

Burn - Chapter Four.

Chapter Four



It had rained overnight, washing away any traces of prints that they would have hoped to discover near or around the new body. The victim was a girl, about seventeen. She had been found bound to a tree, her white blouse torn open, exposing jagged knife wounds to the chest and stomach.



“What’s her name?” Kieran asked as he got out of his car. He slid his sunglasses on top of his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well?”



Again, the smell of decay wafted through the air. This time it wrapped itself around Jaime, who stood closest to the body, and he gagged slightly before vomiting. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered as he wiped his mouth. “Sorry.”



Kieran frowned, took something from his coat and tossed it to the other man. “I’m trying not to breathe through my nose,” he said, nodding. “So, who is she, Jaime?”



Jaime held a small bottle of hand sanitizer. He looked at it before squeezing some of the liquid into his hand. He came toward Kieran, handing it back to him. “Thanks,” he said softly, almost embarrassed.



“Get a whiff on that, eh?” Bailey said as he joined them. He stared at Jaime and shook his head. “No offense, but you smell like puke.”



“I wonder why,” Jamie said, narrowing his eyes.



“Alright,” Kieran said, his voice rising slightly. “Now if you guys are done, we have something to find out. Jaime, have you got an ID?”



“No,” he said, shaking his head. “The girl had no wallet on her.”



“Damn it,” Kieran hissed, dragging a hand through his hair. “Well, she still has all her teeth, right?”



Bailey laughed. “What’s that got to do with anything?”



“Jesus, Bail, you’re a cop. Think about that for a second, would you?” Kieran was losing his patience quickly.



“Oh,” Bailey said, his cheeks reddening. “Yeah, I forgot about that.”



“I’ll go call the medical examiner,” said Jamie as he dug through his pocket for his phone. “He’s going to love this.”



Kieran watched Jamie walk toward the three cars parked several feet away. When he was fully out of earshot, Kieran spoke softly to Bailey.



“I think he’s not dealing with Chloe’s death the way he should.”



Bailey looked slightly perturbed. “I think he blames himself for it.”



“How could he? It wasn’t his fault she went into that building, or that it exploded again, it was just bad timing.”



“All of this seems like bad timing, Kier.”



He nodded and played with the cap on the bottle he held. “I’m afraid he’s never going to deal with it. We were each asked to see that specialist, remember?”



“You mean the shrink?”



Kieran sighed. “Yeah. Have you gone yet?”



“Don’t you think if I did I would have told you?” Bailey asked, scratching his chin. “Besides, I don’t think me and you are the ones that really need to go. Jamie seems a bit-”



“A seem a bit what?” said an angry voice.



“Distant,” Kieran said, offering a smile.



“Why are you smiling?” Jaime snapped. “Why the hell were you talking about me? If you have something to say, then fucking say it!”



Kieran frowned. “Will you calm down a minute? Did you get a hold on Dr. Kessler?”



“He’s on his way,” Jaime mumbled. He looked less angry than he had a moment ago. He closed his eyes and took a breath. “I’m sorry. I’m tired.”



Kieran and Bailey exchanged worried glances.



“What?” Jamie asked, raising an eyebrow.



“Jamie, have you been to see the psychiatrist yet?”



“What are you talking about, Kieran?” he asked. “I don’t have to go see anyone.”



“We all do,” Bailey said.



“I don’t,” Jaime argued. “I’m fine.”



“No, you’re not,” Kieran said. “You can barely control your anger half the time, and a murder scene is not the place to lose it.”



“Hey, Kier?” Bailey said. He was standing next to the body, holding his nose. “I think you might want to come here.”



Kieran walked over and took out a pair of latex gloves. He put them on and looked on the ground. Lying directly under the girl’s right foot was something black and leathery with a white feather on it.



“Jamie!” Kieran barked over his shoulder.



“What’s up?” he asked as he approached. “What did you find?”



Kieran turned around, scowling. He shook his head and thrust his hand out. “What does this look like to you?” he asked.



“A wallet,” Jaime mumbled.



“You screwed up,” Kieran hissed.



“It’s just a wallet. You would have found it eventually. What’s the big deal?” Jaime shot back.



“Damn it, Jamie, you don’t get it.” Kieran said furiously. “You need to be more thorough with this shit. It’s important.”



Jaime’s jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists at his side before he closed his eyes tightly. “Don’t yell at me,” he muttered. “I’m doing my best.”



“You’ve worked with us for years. You should know a thing or two by now.”



“Shut up!”



Kieran reached a hand out and wrapped it around the collar of Jamie’s shirt, pulling him close. “If I had the authority to fire you, I would. Now, go wait for Dr. Kessler.”



“What the hell was that?” Bailey asked. “I’ve never seen you get so pissed at him before.”



“He pushes my buttons,” Kieran growled, watching Jamie stalk off. “Frankly, I’m surprised he’s still here.”



“He’s not a bad Detective,” Bailey replied, frowning.



“He’s off lately, it’s distracting,” said Kieran.



“He did say he was tired.”



“That’s not a justifiable excuse for his actions,” Kieran responded. “He’s short-tempered and it’s going to get him into trouble one day.”



“He’s not usually this uneven.”



“It worries me,” Kieran said quietly.



Before they could continue their discussion, they heard another voice.



“Sorry for the detainment.”



Dr. Regan Kessler made his way forward, through the leaves and mud, the sunlight brightening up his eyes considerably. He pushed his brown hair away from his face as he approached the two men.



“What took you so long?” Kieran wondered, glancing at the black bag in Regan’s hand. “Usually you’re one of the first people here.”



“I was needed elsewhere,” Regan said, smiling faintly. “You’re not the only one on my list of people to see today, Mr. Way.”



“Right,” Kieran said. “Follow me, please.”



Before they could take another step, Jamie’s frantic voice stopped any type of movement. The words that Kieran heard made him freeze.



“It’s Devin…”