Gabe's boss, DI Sniper, a tall muscled man with a curly mound of hazel hair and ocean coloured eyes, peered down into a ditch. The sight that met their eyes almost made their pupils burn. The mangled body of an adult woman made itself visible through the mass of thorns and stinging nettles, which made their home down there. The woman's white t-shirt was now a shade of deep crimson, like red lipstick on a pale face. Although the frail body of a woman was noticeable, the dark blue trousers of a prisoner's uniform would've made anyone think otherwise. The top of the head was dented, making the matted hair dip down. Her face looked so peaceful, but had she have been alive, it would've been full of malice and bitterness.
The whole area leading off of the ditch was surrounded by a blue and white tape, indicating that it contained a crime scene. Bickering and chatter could be heard in the street over the presence of police and those who weren't chattering were being questioned by the police. Gabe was making his way back to Sniper, glancing at his notes on what people heard and saw. As he approached him, Sniper looked up.
"Well what have you got?" he asked, very intrigued to find any clues as to what happened. A smile appeared on his tanned face.
"Errm, the thing is, sir, no one saw anything," replied Gabe, knowing this would make the inspector unhappy.
"What?" Sniper's face turned from it's normal content look to a state of horror, as he looked down at his sergeant.
"Well, no one saw or heard anything," Gabe explained.
Sniper narrowed is eyes, "You sure? How come? I mean if a murder is committed, surely someone heard something."
"Yes Sir, normally. But the question is why would anyone look out of the window when a certain superhuman Olympian is about to win his umpteenth Gold in a row. They'd all be looking at the TV on the edge of their seats."
The inspector crossed his arms and frowned, "Gabe, surely not everyone would be looking at the TV
Gabe's sighed,"Well, some would have been watching it. Others would've been in bed." He said, rushing to catch up with his boss who had walked the opposite direction in a mood. As he caught up, Gabe noted that Sniper was staring at someone. He was staring at a woman with grey roots that got covered up with red 3/4 of the way down and green eyes which stood out on her wrinkled face.
"Did you do her?" Sniper half asked half hissed to Gabe
Gabe shook his head
"Well hop to it then,"
The sergeant rolled his eyes and wandered up to her. "Hi, I was wondering if you could answer some questions" he said, hoping she would say yes.
The woman removed her clutch bag from the seat next to her, willing him to sit down, which he did.
"What's your name?" he asked, gently
"Clara"she answered in a strained voice "If it's about the murder, then I didn't do it, promise"
"I never said you did" he frowned at her. "Why did you jump to defence?"
She shrugged. Then she got out a list with some words on it. "You are never to trust police. They either let you down or accuse you of things that aren't true" she read aloud.
Gabe searched the premises for Sniper, to ask him for assistance. Seeing no one, he decided to deal with it himself. "Well, who gave you that?"
"My son, Bobby. He's such a good little boy. And then one day, one of you inconsiderate lot put him away." she snapped the end bit.
"Maybe he deserved it. What'd he do?"
"He only killed three-" she was cut off
"Only? Only killed three people. Well that's not a lot is it" Gabe retorted sarcastically
"Three thousand, five hundred and seventy five people, if you be so kind as to let be finish. It's not that bad. Helped with the over populating problem"
Gabe's mouth hung open, like his jaw had broken. "You son killed that many people and you want him to be free? What are you, a physcopath?" he jabbered
She glared at him, harshly, before snatching the bag and hobbling off.
Gabe scanned the area wildly, searching for his boss. 'Please, please help' he begged in his head.
...............................................................................................................................................................
Aaron was on his way home, in dire need of a shower after his rough night. As he turned the corner, he saw all of the police surrounding the ditch and worse of all, Sniper was guarding the whole operation and staring right at him. He approached the ditch using the path that led up to his house. He didn't want to approach Sniper but he didn't have a choice.
"Well, if it isn't little prisoner boy" he smiled at him. "Where have you been then. Been looking all night for you. And would you believe it, you run off and suddenly someone's dead"
"Weren't me" Aaron said, innocently.
"Course not. Does AM mean anything to you?" the inspector asked
"No," said the boy , stepping backwards, ready to run if Sniper turned on him.
"Why did you engrave into a wall then?"
Aaron gave up. "OK, so me and Jack had this bet that I couldn't stay up to midnight. It's proof I did, innit"
"I'll let you off"
Sniper walked away to the ditch, and then came back after looking down it. The fourteen-year-old knew there was trouble now, and got ready to run again
"Stay"commanded the Inspector.
Aaron did as his told. He knew something bad was going to happen in a minute. Sniper was bound to bring up the death threats.
"I take it you know Daisy," he said.
Aaron scowled. " If you're talking about Daisy Daisy then yeah I know her " he retorted.
Then Aaron smiled as he thought about the police around the ditch
"Is she dead?"he asked excitedly. Daisy was a distant relative of him and had been very nasty to him. She'd killed a quarter of his family.
Sniper nodded. "I need you to come down the station, for questioning," he told him
Aaron shook his head, "You'll lock me up again."
"Why would I? You've done nothing wrong."
"Listen, I'm free now. You can't make me do anything now" Aaron smiled, as he thought of his freedom and how no one could ever lock him up again
"Yeah. You're right" he stared down at his feet before saying "Or I could just lock you up again for three more years"
Aaron gazed up at Sniper. "Y-you c-can't do that" he stuttered, anxious about what the inspector could do to him.
Sniper glared at him "You'd better come with me then, hadn't you?"
Aaron nodded and let himself be taken down to the station.
Once in the dark blue room of the police station, Aaron was interrogated. Sniper sat in front of him
"Where were you last night then?" he asked
"Out" answered Aaron,simply
"See, I could do you for that alone"
"What, why? the boy asked,frantically
"Aaron, parole has rules"
"What rules? No one never told me about no rules"
"Fine, I'll tell you now then. In by seven every night, no criminal activity of any kind and no mixing with bad people"
Aaron sighed "So that means I can't see my mates then"
"Well, you could. I mean, it would be quite funny to see you break into that place" he commented. He got up from his chair and went to the back wall.
"Just be careful, Aaron. That's all, be careful"
As Aaron started to go out the door, Sniper called him back.
"Hang on a minute" said Sniper, walking back over to the table
Aaron slowly turned around, silently praying that he hadn't remembered the death threats.
"Come here and sit down" came the instruction.
Aaron obeyed and sat down "What's this about?" he asked
"Death threats!" Sniper yelled, slamming his hands down on the desk
Aaron flinched and bowed his head to look at his hands
"What have you got to say about them then?"
Aaron looked up," I know how it might have looked last night, but I didn't write them or send them. How could I considering my problem? he whispered the last bit.
"Yeah, but someone else could write them for you. You can write them anyway. Just can't read them afterwards."
"I didn't do it"
"How do you know about them then?"
"Shane told me" Aaron admitted
"So he wrote them?" Sniper questioned
Aaron shrugged
"Fine, well I'll do some investigating into it then. You are dismissed"
Aaron went out of the station and went back to his village. Then he thought about what had happened with Daisy. Daisy was dead. Aaron had never been so happy in his life. Daisy was dead. He ran into his house and slammed the front door shut.
Gabe went to the police station to find Sniper. Once he found him in the interrogation room, he went in and leaned against the wall closest to him. "Sir, you know that Clara woman, yeah well she's a mental case." he told him
"No she isn't, Gabe. She's perfectly sane" replied Sniper, whilst he gathered up all of his paperwork.
"You what? She thinks that her son, who's killed Three thousand and something people, should be free. How is that sane?"
"She just doesn't like to think of her sons rotting away somewhere."
Gabe stared, not quite able to process what has been said. He pinched himself to check he wasn't dreaming. "She's a bloody mental case" he pointed out. "Oh what's the point, you obviously can't see it." he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms
"Oi. Enough of that attitude. What do forensics have to say?" he asked jabbing him in the chest.
Gabe sighed, "They have confirmed that Daisy was dragged all the way from the small park," he told his boss
"So how was she killed?" asked Sniper.
"Well, she has a slit throat, but there's bruising around the area, in a line"
"Which means.....she's been strangled"
"Forensics say that the strangling in itself would've killed her"
"Why slit her throat as well then?"
Gabe shrugged. "Maybe because the murderers a mental case, going by the name of Clara"
Sniper gave him a hard glare. "No, first we shall go and ask Shane about the death threats"
Gabe rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the wall so he could follow Sniper out of the police station and to the prison.
.......................................................................................................................................................................
Later on in the day, Aaron was at the park near the shop. The shop was massive, as was the park. The park had a huge slide that was attached to a hill, a swing set, a large netted swing, an enormous climbing frame and a young child's area.
A girl walked moodily into the park and sat down on a swing. She gripped the cold metal chains. Her hair was thick and dirty blonde. The curliness made it matted at the ends. Her dull blue eyes bored down at her pink sparkly shoes which were made out of a plastic-like material. She wore a pink dress with lilac flowers on it.
Aaron knew the girl and knew that she was called Kayla.
Aaron sat on a swing beside her. "Hi," he said, trying to start a conversation
Kayla gave him a dirty look. "Get lost" she grumbled
Aaron grinned "Or what?" he asked, cheekily.
Kayla got off her swing and stormed off into the forest. The forest had a walkway and was lined with trees that covered the top, leaving dappled sunlight on the walkway.
Aaron ran after her and stopped her from going any further. "You can't just run away you coward" he cried.
Kayla looked down at the floor again. "You're pathetic, you know that?"She snapped, looking up suddenly.
Aaron held out his hands. "Come on then"he jeered, trying to encourage her to punch him first. Kayla walked away from him. As she came near in line with the skate park, Aaron suddenly yelled "I'm not sorry. I'm never gonna be. She deserved it. You hear me. Your filthy pig of a sister deserved it."
Kayla turned around. Tears ran down her face. "Why are you even out. Why did they even-"
Aaron dashed to her and slammed her down on the floor. She cried out in pain as her arm made a snapping sound. Aaron grinned."That hurt?"he asked, already knowing the answer.
Kayla's tears flooded down her cheeks, as she looked for some non-existent mercy in his eyes.
"Please don't kill me, like you did to Kayleigh" she whispered
"You listen to me. They let me out cause I'm classed as a good little boy. Nothing you say is gonna make them lock me up again. You got that?"
Kayla nodded
He got up and dragged her to the edge of the walkway. He knocked her out by smashing her head with a bit of broken wood and then taped her mouth shut.
"Now tell 'em, bitch"
He then thought about his rules. A trace of worry entered his brain. What if Sniper thinks this was me?
He looked left and right for Gabe or Sniper, and then, when he was sure that no one had seen him, he smiled and walked back to the park like nothing had happened.
.........................................................................................................................................................
When they arrived at the prison, Sniper and Gabe went straight to cell 1, Shane's cell. Shane was a big burly 20 year old with hair the colour of chestnut and eyes a bright shade of emerald. As the two detectives entered the cell, Shane glanced up from his newspaper.
"Shane. I don't suppose you know about a bunch of death threats do you?" Sniper asked, sitting down on the bunk on the opposite side of the room.
Shane thought for a while before saying, "No"
"You sure about that?" asked Gabe
"Is it my handwriting? No. Do I have a motive for doing it? No. Do you want to reconsider this boys?"
"How come Aaron told us you told him then?"
Shane got up. "Unless you two have proper evidence that it was me, I suggest you let me go"
Sniper picked up a piece of paper with writing on it. "Shane. Who's writing is this?
"Oh God, I don't know. I don't study everyone's writing"
"Where are Edward, Storm and Stan?" Gabe questioned
Shane sat back down. "Edders is on duty somewhere, Storm's in the yard and Stan's..."He thought for a second before continuing. "I don't know where Stan is"
"Gabe, you go to the yard, I'll find Stan"
Both men exited the cell and went to their locations. In the yard, Storm was playing football with two other young boys, Noah and Tyson. All three of them were arguing.
"It was over" shouted Storm
"It wasn't. It was just over your head because you're the shortest boy I know" Tyson yelled back
"Oh really. Noah, your opinion please, said Storm, turning to him.
"It was in" Noah whispered, looking down at his shoes.
"Biased loser,"Storm screamed at him before grabbing his shirt collar and attempting to smash his head against the wall.
Tyson took hold of Noah's shirt and tried to pull him away from Storm, but it didn't work.
"Tyson,Storm,leave Noah alone" Gabe commanded, running over to them.
The two boys let Noah go, leaving Noah sitting on the ground, dazed.
"Storm, Sniper's office now. Tyson, you go with him. Noah,cell go"
Tyson went, but Storm stayed, scowling at Gabe. The sergeant raised his eyebrows ans Storm follow Tyson, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere with Gabe
Upstairs, Sniper was looking in the last place Stan was likely to be, the showers. As he entered, he saw Stan strangling Edward with his shirt, which was rolled up, like a rope. He rushed to them. "Stan,let him go"
Stan's eyes widened, as he let go of the shirt leaving Edward to fall to the floor,gasping with relief.
"Care to explain what's going on?" Sniper asked both boys, but only expecting an answer from one.
"W-well, I was...."
Edward got to his feet. "You were just strangling me" He bent down and picked up the shirt. "I believe this is yours"
Stan outstretched his hand to get it, but Edward held it away.
"You think i'm going to give this to you. You've got another thing coming" he scowled at him before heading out of the door.
"Edward, my office please." Sniper called after him.
"Yes sir" came the call through the door
Sniper turned to Stan. "You too"
ns 15.158.61.5da2
