Background
Murder Mystery and mayhem - come along for the ride.
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"Hey Anderson. Get down to Tynehead Park. There is another missing person. This one was last seen jogging in the park. Bring Jensen with you, Smythe is on leave." Hayes barked at Anderson.
"You got it, Sarge." Said Anderson. Truth be known he was a little nervous without Smythe. She had insights and a very keen eye. After conferring with Jensen, he headed for the Police SUV opting to take separate vehicles.
Terry's phone rang, surprising her that Anderson would call at all, considering their strained relationship.
"Smythe" Terry said.
"Hey. I heard you were on an involuntary vacation." Said Anderson, not really knowing how to start the conversation.
"Yup, what do you want?" Said Terry perfunctorily.
"Hayes sent me down to another missing person site. I was wondering if you could give me some tips. I def don't want to piss Hayes off by missing some shit at the scene and you always spotted stuff I didn't." He was hoping that she would just help out, without pointing out how he didn't back her up with Hayes before.
"You really have some nerve calling and asking me for anything after what you did. Or didn't do for me, Anderson. Tell me why I should help you at all?" She was pissed off, but also dead curious about this new missing person. She needed to figure out an angle that would get her some information about the missing person, whom she surmised would probably be another woman.
"Yeah, I know you're right. I felt really shitty about it. I went to Hayes after you left and I tried to straighten this out, but Hayes wouldn't listen to a damn word I was saying. He seemed relieved that you were off, for a while at least. What's up with him anyway? He sure has a bone in for you and not in a good way."
Anderson may have been a poor scene investigator and had very little eye for detail but he wasn't a liar and did try his best. He had a good moral compass, although he needed bigger balls to handle the Seargent.
"All right Anderson. I'll give you some tips. Tell me about the case, who is missing and how long has she been gone?" Terry said, notepad in hand.
It didn't even register to Anderson that Terry already surmised that the victim was a woman. He freely gave her as much information as he had and continued to talk to her until he reached the scene.
"When you are all wrapped up call me and I'll let you know if I think of anything else," said Terry. She intentionally left a few things out. She was going to check the scene out herself as soon as Anderson and the rest of the BPD left the area..
Anderson and his team of investigators poked around the forest and found nothing out of the ordinary. It never crossed his mind to call the park ranger. Terry, of course, would.
Warren decided to tag along with Terry. Two sets of eyes being better than one. The two of them had donned jogging clothes along with sweatbands, sunglasses and earbuds. Looking the exact part of common joggers, with one exception. They were going to take the routes around the park in opposite directions. Hopefully they would get through it faster and more efficiently. It took the better part of an hour to meet in the middle. Neither one noticing anything other than a park. Terry thought she would continue on the route that Warren had just completed and scan more thoroughly.
Soon, they both reached the area where the root was sticking out of the ground. The exact spot where yesterday's jogger had tripped. Terry notices the rub marks from the running shoe and what looked like a disturbance on the ground.
"Warren, come see this", Said Terry with a serious look on her face. "See here, it looks like someone tripped over the root."
"Yea I saw that too, but people trip all the time, it didn't seem important enough to investigate further." Warren replied still panting from running and leaning forward with his hands on his knees. Terry barely looked like she had run at all.
"But look here," she said pointing. "When people trip, the skid mark is after a root, not before. This looks like someone just dragged the tip of their shoe on the ground. To make it look like a skid but it's just not looking right to me." She took out her phone and started taking pictures of the area. Warren scoured around looking for anything, anything at all.
Jus then, half under a leaf, something white. He bent over and gently pushed the leaf aside.
"Terry, come check this out. It looks like an earbud." Warren said, hardly able to keep the excitement out of his voice.
"Good eye, Warren." Terry said. She bent over and took several photos before reaching into her pocket to take out a pair of gloves and an evidence bag. "Look here, it looks like initials are painted on them in pink nail polish. It that an A? A....Z maybe?"
"Yes, I'd say that's right" Warren said, this time with a little pride in his voice. After all credit where credit is due.
Terry quickly tucked her little prize inside her pocket just as an elderly couple and their small dog came around the corner. Warren and Terry acted as though they were just taking a break from a run.
"Afternoon," Warren said to the couple as they continued past them and around the bend.
"Let's head back this way," said Terry pointing in the direction that Warren had just come from.
Now both were closely scanning the ground looking for other discarded items. Soon they came to the barely seen path that led to the watershed. Terry had noticed the occasional but regularly patterned scuff in the dirt. She was following a trail and it let straight up that path. In silence the both walked up that path as well.
In the clearing next to the water shed they stopped.
"Terry, look here. It seems like there was a car here recently. Look at the dirt tracks." Warren now thinks he is some kind of sleuth after his discovery on the path earlier and adds, "these tires aren't that common. They are bias tires. These haven't been used in cars in many years."
"Good catch but still could be a maintenance vehicle. We can call the ranger later and confirm, but for now, take some pictures of the tire treads for me." Terry said while still scanning the area.
Warren, after finishing taking the pictures, turned to look at his temporary partner just in time to see her plucking an item from the ground. It was something small and black that she plunked inside a new evidence bag and put into her pocket as well.
"Ok, I think we are done here," Said Terry, "let's head back to my place and see if we can get a hold of the park ranger."
"What do you think happened here?" Warren asked her.
"I would say that the perp faked a trip on the root, convinced some poor woman to help him over here, where he had his car. If you look carefully, you can see evidence of a struggle. The perp scattered leaves back over the smudge marks, but I see them. Look here, and here." She said as she pointed to the ground. She brushed some leaves aside and underneath was a clear large mark in the ground. "Somehow, he got her into his car, and left with her. Now we need to know where he took her" she said.
Warren was duly impressed with her keen eye. She was incredible. Any police department was lucky to have her and needed to use her abilities. He was going to pry a little more later, and find out why she was underutilized and put on leave.
