Mementos
The front door hung open, and a bustle of men inside the house could be heard shouting orders. It was early dawn; Detective Oliver Nolan stood outside his car by the curb. Yellow tape was stretched around the perimeter of the house, ―POLICE LINE: DO NOT CROSS.‖ Scattered in the yard, neighbors gave statements, some shed a few tears, and a newbie was losing his lunch in the bushes.
Oliver stepped over the yellow tape and entered the frantic crime scene inside. “For Christ’s sake. Can someone brief me?”
An agent approached the detective from the mass. “Detective Nolan, what are you doing here?”
“I’m investigating what looks like another homicide. Why, what does it look like I’m doing?”
Oliver scanned the room. There were a few other agents around, but no sign of the forensics team. He started to make his way forward when the agent stepped out in front of him.
“Oliver, should you be here? I mean – so soon. It’s only been a few weeks since—”
“I’m fine. What are we looking at Garcia?” Oliver didn’t pull his gaze away from the crime scene. The air hung with a musk, and stirred his stomach. “Who’s upstairs?”
Garcia looked down at his clipboard. “We’ve got a woman upstairs, early 20’s, blonde. A Miss Emily Winchester. We’re not sure on the time of death, but it seems like a few hours ago. The body is still warm.”
“Strangled?” Oliver asked.
“Yep.”
“Sexual assault?”
“Possibly.”
“What about the…”
Garcia removed a large photograph from a sealed envelope and nodded. Oliver retrieved the photograph quickly and studied it. He saw a young woman, the victim. She lay motionless, her hollow eyes staring back at the detective. Sorry, he thought.
Oliver turned back to the door. “No sign of forced-entry. She probably knew him. Did any of the neighbors see her with anyone? Have any of them noticed this guy before?”
“Nope, they haven’t been of much help so far. A few have seen her enter or exit a red car a lot lately, but no one’s actually seen who she was with.”
“Sounds like our guy.”
“Would you like me to show you to the victim’s room?”
“No, that’s alright,” Oliver said. “I assume it’s upstairs.” He placed his hand on Garcia’s shoulder. “File the report and place it on my desk. I’ll swing by later to pick it up. Good work, agent.”
Oliver made his way around the hall and up the stairs. He removed latex gloves from his coat pocket and began to slip them on. Down the hall, two agents were guarding a door. Oliver walked towards it, brushing his fingertips across one of the walls. He took a deep breath and approached the agents.
“I take it she’s in there, Gentlemen.”
The agents looked at Oliver quizzically. “
Detective Nolan, yes,‖ one of them said. ―The victim’s inside. We’ve tried to keep our men out to preserve the room but they’re getting itchy. Forensics is on the way.”
“Thank you, I’ll try to be quick.”
The agents stepped aside and let Oliver into the room. Upon closing the door, he felt a shift in the pressure of the bedroom and stumbled onto a dresser. He slowly took in a deep breath and propped himself up. The air was foul, but manageable. He looked at the dead girl in bed. Her empty eyes still staring, her mouth hung agape.
Oliver could feel the hairs on his neck stand as two entities manifested before him. They were figures made of shadows past. One sat on the bedside. The other led a trail towards the dead woman’s eyes.
“Ah, it’s you: Thing One and Thing Two,” Oliver said. His breath was a soft mist. “It’s always you.”
Thing One rose and walked towards the end of the bed. Oliver rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. “Not like you can hear me, though.”
Thing One slammed his hand on a nearby desk. A lamp flickered and turned on.
Oliver raised an eyebrow and made his way across the room. Placing his hand on the desk, he studied the lamp before turning it off. It had a residual that left his hand numb.
“Yep, he’s been here. I can feel it.‖ Oliver turned back to the figure. “What is it you want me to see?” Oliver asked ofthe shadow. He watched it point to the girl.
“I hate this part.” Oliver walked back to the bed, and closed the woman’s eyes. His back arched as his head was flooded with moments past.
The young woman sat in bed, burying herself beneath the sheets. With the pillows propped behind her, she smiled.
“So, what are you doing here?”
A man at the end of the bed had his back turned. He brushed his hand across the desk. “I just thought I’d surprise you, baby.” He reached out towards the lamp and turned it on.
The woman reached under the sheets and wriggled her legs. A pair of panties landed on the man’s shoulder. “It was a nice surprise. How about you come over here so I can reward you?”
The man grabbed the panties with his hand and clenched them. “Certainly, love.” He turned around with a menacing grin.
Oliver shook his head and gasped. He looked around.
Thing One was making his way across the room. Oliver watched him creep up towards the woman. He stood at the bedside and watched Thing One reach out towards Thing Two, and strangle her. Thing One dispersed into the air; Thing Two wisped out of the dead woman’s mouth.
“Detective?‖” An agent opened the door. “The forensics team has arrived.”
Oliver collected himself. “Okay. If they find anything, I better see it in a report. This bastard isn’t going to stop anytime soon.”