Chapter Text
The cold had preserved it enough so that its decomposition was a slow process. Still, it smelled and was bloated fat, unseeing eyes bulging in a way that resembled olives. Olives because it had been a he formerly, with green eyes which now were a pale color rather than any kind of jade or emerald. In his missing persons photo they had been a jade or emerald. His throat now was torn out bloody, and the blood had seeped into the snow, absorbed by it, turning the ground a light red it was nearly pink.
Charlie had never seen or heard of an animal that was so scarily precise it could go for the throat and nothing else, but the police detectives were about five seconds from passing it off as an attack from one anyway. Some hiker in the woods. Forks never got really serious murder cases after all. Now and again there would be a bar fight with an unlucky victim, a car accident maybe, but there hardly ever were premeditated murder cases. Didn't matter much the cause, whatever it was that got the poor bastard, it was a helluva way to end Charlie’s Cadet Training Days.
Beginners were always tasked with the shitty work of gathering evidence. Even with the gloves and face mask, it could not mask the smell completely. The man's glossy eyes were the hardest parts to look at as Charlie took cotton swab samples, putting them into little neat bags.
He looked away.
“Poor bastard.”
It was another cadet who'd spoken, Steve Something, Charlie didn't remember his last name. He was obnoxiously smacking a piece of chewing tobacco in between his teeth even though it was against regulation for him to be doing so. He didn’t seem to care about regulation, exemplifying that when he spat it out into the snow.
Charlie had to agree with him and awkwardly shared his own thoughts, not sure, like most people, what else to say about death, “Never saw an animal kill so clean. Didn't even take the rest of him…”
Steve’s eyes crinkled at their corners, he was humored by his words and gave him a facetious smile.
“Maybe he just didn't taste very good.”
What was wrong with this guy?
“Christ Cadet Valentine! Are you at it again with the cancer plugs? You'll contaminate the Crime Scene!” barked the Charlie’s field training officer, "Anyone ever tell you you'll catch a hairy tongue with those?”
Charlie’s training officer was a man in his late thirties named Michael Mark. He was generally a nice man unless someone got on his bad side. This was usually done by showing an inability to follow rules, or if he perceived someone to be a pain in the ass.
“Swan doesn't think it was an animal. He thinks it's too neat.” Steve informed cheerfully, inserting another plug between his lip.
“Funny. I'd call that anything but neat. Swan?” The officer Mark raised a brow, "This true, son? You find anything specific to indicate murder?”
Uh.
“No.” Charlie admitted awkwardly, as they covered up the body, hitching it up to take to the morgue, "Meant it looked neat as in the rest of the body seems like it was left alone. If it was an animal, y’dthink the rest of him’d be mauled too…”
“We'll know for sure once forensics gets a hold of him.” The man put a hand on Charlie’s shoulder, "Let's get back to the station. You're going to have to submit your report on the incident. Actually, go ahead and take the car without me. I need to discuss some things with Valentine here about his tobacco use on the job…”
Steve stiffened like a kid caught red handed. What did he think though? That nobody read the rulebook?
Charlie caught the keys with surprise. He was letting him take the cruiser? He stared at Officer Mark rather dumbly for a few moments.
“Go on. No joyriding though, and not a scratch or I'll make the rest of your life hell, kid.” Mark warned him with mock sternness.
Charlie cleared his throat and muttered a respectful, 'Yes sir’ before heading to the cruiser. He slid into the driver’s seat feeling that same sensation people received when a glove fit really well. Mustve been the same feeling major league baseball players had when first sliding on their gloves. Charlie smirked to himself faintly in pleasure, starting the car.
Initially, he hadn't wanted to become a cop. It had never even crossed his mind and was more of an opportunity that had presented itself when college wasn't an option anymore and graduation had been a rope, slowly tightening itself into a noose around his neck. It was just how things played out.
He drove down the boonie’s twisting roads, noting that the skies were becoming darker. Who did cops call when things went bump in the night?
That same sense of purpose was, in the end, the same reason Charlie didn't let that speeding car pass him by.
It was a sleek Trans Am with an inconspicuous black paint job. It failed to be completely inconspicuous however, given that it was a shiny Pontiac Firebird. Was also goin’ more than 80 in an 80 zone. Charlie didn't even bother to look at the licence plate, he was speeding after it, flipping the switch for the sirens. The sirens and his pulse blared together in his ears as he remained on its tail, waiting for it to slow.
It did come to a stop, first decreasing in speed, and then crawling to a halt. Charlie got out of his car and grabbed a flashlight out of the glove box. It was now as dark and there were no streetlamps out rural roads to help him out.
He knocked on the Trans Am’s window with the backs of his knuckles, waiting for the guy to roll down his windows. He didn't know why they always waited for him or Mark to knock. It wasn't goin to get ‘em out of a ticket. But they always kept their windows up until he approached, like he would change his mind mind and walk back to his car.
The driver rolled down the window, revealing a very handsome face about the same age as Charlie, features contorted into a surprised expression. Little too handsome though because it bordered on damn creepy. He wasn't sure why exactly, it was an unknowing sort of scary. Smooth skin without a human blemish, statuesque stiff in appearance so that he seemed like he shouldn't be able to move but did . It was like looking at one of those animatronics whose eyes followed you. A poor imitation of what it was like to look human.
His eyes were a shiny dark, like buttons instead of irises were placed inside his eyes. Dark bruises discolored the skin beneath them.
Creepy guy looked caught off guard, like he hadn't expected to be caught. He was staring at him strangely like he was choking on a piece of food or something. Then he appeared embarrassed and pulled Charlie out of his daze by asking in a pretty voice, "Officer? Was I speeding?”
Charlie awkwardly gave him a look before gruffly informing, "Speed limit’s 80. You were speeding."
"No,” The man insisted, smiling at him disarmingly,”You seem to be mistaken. I was going at exactly 80.”
The smile didn't win Charlie over in the slightest. Pretty face or not, they were always the same way.
“Nice try. License and registration?”
With a tighter smile, creepy guy dug through his glove box and pulled out his license, thrusting it to him. Charlie took it with a little irritated crease between his brows. Little fucker was giving him attitude.
Guy’s name was Edward Masen. His record was completely clean which was pretty damn good for most people who got pulled over. Usually they turned out to be repeat offenders. Masen didn't have a single parking ticket. Until now that was.
He wrote up the ticket and held it out but Edward didn't take it, his lips pursed in a stubborn pout.
“I sincerely apologize. I've never had a ticket before.”
“Uh huh.”
“My family will never let me hear the end of it.”
“Mhm…”
Not my problem buddy just take the ticket.
“Do you think you could let it slide this once? Given that it's my first offense?”
Oh boy. Here we go. Masen was giving him this big sheepish smile, expecting to buy his way out of the punishment with his pretty boy smile. Suddenly he looked more… human. No different from all the other bastards who tried getting out of their tickets too.
Charlie slid the ticket against his window since he wouldn't take it.
“You have up to 90 days to pay it off. Drive slower next time.” He advised the guy before heading to his own car, leaving the other kid scowling behind him.
