Chapter 10

 

As soon as Mark and Francis heard the screams, they began running towards the sound.

It didn't take them long to find the location because the door of the dark red cottage was ajar and there was already many people crowding the stairs. They were watching a woman in a blue dress who was kneeled on the floor and holding a man's bloodied body that had a steak knife through his chest and crying.

"There's our surprise," said Mark blandly, motioning towards the scene.

"Jesus," cried Francis, when he saw the woman. "This case just gets better and better."

"Move people," said Mark, as he and Francis pushed through the crowd. "Detectives coming through."

Once Mark held up his licence and Francis held up his badge, the crowd began to scatter and gave Mark and Francis easy access up the stairs.

The woman didn't even notice the detectives come in as she cried into the dead man's scruffy long blonde hair.

"Miss," said Mark, as he leaned over and placed his right hand on the crying woman's right shoulder. "I'm sorry, but we're going to have to ask you to step away from the body."

"My husband's dead!" cried the woman, as she stood up and toppled into Mark, and began crying into his chest and smearing his sweater with her blood.

"It's okay," Mark said, as he gently patted her on the back with his right hand, trying to calm her down. He was still holding the licence with his left, which he was able to stuff back into his jean pocket.

Just at that moment, the detectives heard a siren and saw Fred pull his police car into the driveway.

"What seems to be the trouble detectives?" asked Fred as he closed the door of the cruiser.

Mark and Francis stared at the floor.

"Oh," said Fred, noticing the corpse as he walked up the stairs, "not another one."

"Do you think you can take her into the car, Fred, while Francis and I look around?" asked Mark as he handed the crying woman over to Fred as if she were a bawling baby.

"Sure thing, Mark," said Fred, as he took the woman's blood stained right hand. "Come on Miss, let's get you cleaned up."

The woman nodded as Fred lead her into the passenger seat of the cruiser.

Now that the woman was gone, Mark noticed that at the end of the hall was a bedroom and as if by instinct he headed towards it without even glancing at the rest of the house.

Francis followed in pursuit until Mark noticed that there was a small bathroom just to the right of the bedroom. He turned to Francis and said,

"Francis would you mind searching the bedroom, I'm just going to wash the blood off of my clothes."

Francis nodded as Mark entered the bathroom and turned on the faucet.

Once Mark left the bathroom looking a bit cleaner, Francis left the bedroom with a stern look on his face.

"You better come here," he said.

Mark followed Francis into the bedroom that smelt of oranges and was shocked at what he saw.

There lying on the queen sized bed was Charles Dickens' Great Expectations lying facedown on a green duvet cover beside a small closed red suitcase. A table that held a blue vase of red roses was located in the corner and the bedroom walls were covered with air fresheners just like the Rhinert's place.

"Oh my God," said Mark, staring at the room.

Francis nodded.

"Sandra was here."