NationStates Jolt Archive

It was a warm autumn night. The city was busy as it always is. The night clubs were full, the alleys were full, and so were the streets. The city thrived in the night, so did the people. A woman in her twenties, quite attractive walked down the street with a group of friends. They laughed and joked towards a night club in Brooklyn. Her hair came down to the middle of her back and was blonde. Her eyes blue. Her face was angelic which made the men shake. They arrived at the night club, its' neon green lights lite up the area.
"I'll be inside in a few minutes. I just gotta have a smoke" she said to the others.
"Alright Michelle, just be in soon or else you'll miss all the hot guys!" one of the other women giggled as they entered, the techno music filtering outside through the door and it quickly closed. Michelle took out a cigarette and lite it and brought it to her lips. The street was quite and she moved off to the side so as not to block the door. She was having fun and would have more fun inside.

Michelle in the past tried to quit smoking but just couldn't do it so she caved in and pulled out another cigarette, just as she did a leather glove grabbed her mouth and another grabbed her arm. She tried to scream but it was muffled but the glove. She was pulled into the darkness of a back alley, her arm in unbelieveable pain. She began to cry, thinking that she may be raped or killed. She was young and full of life. The assailant threw her up against a wall, her face digging into the brick.
"Don't scream or else I'll give you a real reason to scream" the voice said. She nodded shakely and he turned her around.
"P-Please don't kill me. I g-got money" she pleaded.
"I don't want your money...what's your name?" he asked, his face dark from the night.
"M-Michelle Greene" she responded, crying.
"You have a beautiful face, Michelle. A true example of vanity. But, the more beautiful the face, the uglier the person underneath" he said toyingly. None of it made sense to her, she was so terrified that she couldn't think. The man pulled out a knife and brought it to her face. The cold steel pressing against her cheeks which were soaked from tears.
"Please!" she cried, the horror gripping her tightly.
"Shhh, don't cry, don't cry" the man said as he drew the knife across her cheek, cutting into the soft flesh, she squeeled but he put a glove across her mouth again. She tried to kick him but he avoided it and cut her repeatidly until her face was slashed to pieces. The blood poured down her as she tried to scream in pain. The assailant tied cloth around her mouth to gag her. He began to snicker as she squirmed in pain. Finally, after he had his fun, he thrusted the knife deep into her stomach and pulled up and out. The life left her eyes and she collapsed to the ground. He was gone brfore she hit the pavement.

One of the workers stepped outside a side door for a smoke break, in the light from the kitchen he saw something and he investigated it. He found the poor woman's body...

"Ya....ya, how was school?" The same routine, talking to his daughter over the phone asking her about her day, with her doing the same. "Same paperwork...i will be leaving in a hour....I love you too sweet heart...go to bed young lady...bye."

Sortorini had always tried to keep a relationship, even having a child with his first, but he gave up after the second, he could tell it was too much for his daughter to take. But he had work to do, organizing cases his unit was currently working on, most were going to court and rest were cold. He looked up from his desk, the station was pretty deserted only him, some patrol officers and his partner Arberry in his office, talking on the phone. "Maybe he finally gots himself a girl." he thought to himself, he had only been working for a month with Arberry and did not know alot about him...except for his lack of a ring on his finger. The station was pretty old station by all accounts, but as long the heating and AC worked all-year round he did not have a problem with the old girl.

Adjusting his glasses he set back to work....*RING*

The light on the phone flashed as more rings eminated from the object. Reluctant to pick it up, since he just wanted to finish his work and go home, he finally put his glasses down he picked up the phone.

"Sargent Sortorini, Homicide.....where?.....oh?.....alright, will be down." He droped the phone on to the reciver and got up, got his black sporting coat and put it on, he was wearing all black itallian except for his tie which was a dark red, took his Glock 17 from the desk and placed it in his holster. One of those old fasion stereotypical ones.

He left his office and walked to his partners desk some 30 steps away, knocked on the door 3 times, opened it and spoke.

"Okay we got called, we are going to the 80s club, that new place you know 17 blocks away, its your turn to drive and i will tell you more when we get there. And sorry for interupting your call, but we need to go."

Detective John Arberry sat in his office, which was disorganized with stacks of files everywhere and a computer with too much on it. The job was stressful and he was near the end of his ropes. On the phone was his 13 year old daughter Laura. They lived in Hoboken, as he lived in Brooklyn. The divorce with his wife Janet was brutal and since then he's been trying to reestablish relations with his daughter which seemed to be working. It was the one bright spot in his life. A Glock 9mm sat on his desk and a flask of brandy in the drawer. Laura suffered from the regular teenage dramas and stressful life. She was an 8th grader and in a few months going to high school. John had many troubles in his life but his daughter helped him to keep his sanity. After a time his partner bursted in. John looked up, the reciever still to his ear.
"80's Club? I remember the 80's" he chuckled "Alright, just gimme a sec, Sortorini. He then went to talk to his daughter
"Sorry, sweetie, but I gotta go. You have a good day at school tomorrow"
"Okay Dad, bye" and she hung up.

Arberry hanged up the phone and stood up, holstering his gun and putting on his suit jacket. He was hoping to get the rst of the night off and get some sleep for a change but that was not to happen.
"Any specifics?" He asked as they headed out to the parkinglot and into the car. He lite a cigarette and they pulled out of the garage and screeched down the street, the lights flashing but no siren.

The engine roared...


"No nothing yet, just a dead body, no whitnesses and...." He looked at the cigarette sticking out of his partners mouth. "You a cop or a ticket maid?" he motioned to the stick comming out of Arberry's mouth.

"I'm not a cop or a ticket maid. I'm a washed up bastard" He joked as they drove through the traffic. After a few minutes and a few cigarettes later they arrived at the scene. A large crowd gathered as several squad cars surrounded the area, their lights flashing. Two helicopters patroled the sky. One police and one news copter. Yellow tape cordoned off the alley as crime scene investigators scowered the surrounding area. A patrolman walked up to them.
"I'm officer Peyton, this is Officer Yarbough. He's the one who got here first." Peyton said as they walked towards the alley.
"What do ya got?" Arberry asked, looking around at the crowd.
"It's not pretty. The victim is a 21 year old woman named Michelle Greene. She and a few friends came to this nightclub. Her friends said that she stayed behind for a smoke and that was the last time she was seen alive. We've talked to people in the area, they heard nothing. So far forensics hasn't found anything either." Peyton briefed them. Arberry thought for a moment.
"Well, sounds like a phantom killed her or something. Have you searched the surrounding area yet?" he asked.
"Yeah, about five blocks" Peyton replied.
"Make it ten, just to be certain" Arberry told the oficers. He stepped over the tape and down the alley. Portable lights lite up a plastic sheet covering the body, her bloodied arm jutting out from under.

"She's in bad shape, identification was kind of difficult" Dr.Rhinehart told the detectives.
"Why? Was she shot in the face?" Arberry asked as he looked at the plastic sheet.
"Her face was cut to pieces" the doc replied. He knelt down and lifted the plastic to reveal a pile of bloodied flesh that was once her face. Peyton shun at the sight and held his mouth and turned away. Arberry was used to the sight and wasn't phased.

He kneeled down to get a closer look. "Cause and time of death docter?" still looking at the girls battered face, made his gut turn, not the site itself, but her identification showed a very pretty face to begin with. Crying shame.

"Well, the assailant cut up her face before he killed her. The cause of death is a single thrust to her stomach, she bled out" the doc responded "I'd have to say that time of death was around 10:00 to 11:00"

The investigators continued to examine the body and patrolmen covered the area, looking for the weapon, but no luck.
"He didn't tale anything" Arberry blurted out as he looked through the wallet. She had credit cards, cash and nothing taken. "Was her parents notified yet?"
"They are now" an officer responded.

"Officer pass me those gloves."

"Here Sargent." The officer replied.


"Look," Tony took what was left of her head and tillted it, "her neck from the front to both far sides are red, the killer must have came from behind, no ripped cloths, no defensive marks on her arms, he must have held them down with his legs because i see no defensive cuts on her hands, she would atleast try to block the blows."Tony got up and paced around the body. "Pow, pow this guy knew what he was doing I can tell ya, he did it fast but the attack was almost surgical in its speed. She did not know what got her until it was to late."

"He must have worn a leather or plastic mask of somesort or clean shaved, from his position behind her, he would have left something on her cheek, hair maybe, but nothing."

He looked at his partner and then at the doc. He then put his hands on his hips and said. "Has anyone checked the rest of the alley doc?"

Bump

Officer Peyton interrupted "We've been combing this whole area. There's nothing, just nothing. It's like this guy just dropped from the sky, killed her, and lept back up" he said as they stood around the body.
"Interesting theory, officer" Arberry interjected "But highly unlikely, there's bound to be something here. Every killer leaves something behind.

They continued to look over the body, discuss theories, write down information, and interview people who were in the area. Her friends were just in shambles, they descirbed her as fun loving woman.
"Alright, it seems like this attack was based on her looks. She was beautiful, he must not be too much of a good looker." Arberry finally said after much thought. "This guy might have a facial scar or deformity".

The Sargent looked at him. "A good posibility, but we cannot jump to any conclusions yet."

Arberry thought for some time more "Perhaps a mental scar" he muttered to himself as he lite another cigarette. The night was melting away as they stayed at the crime scene. The body was moved, the parents drove to the coroner's office. The doc was still inside with the body when the parents entered the building. He was waiting to do the autopsy after the parents saw her. He took the cloth and pulled it over her face, what was left of it. Sortorini and Arberry were in the viewing room as Mr. and Mrs.Greene walked in. Mrs.Greene had been crying heavily and her husband seemed shaken to the core.
"Can we see her?" he asked in a low tone.
"Uh, I'm sorry Mr.Greene. It's probably best that you didn't: Arberry replied. "Does your daughter have any enemies? An ex boyfriend anyone?" he asked.
"No, not that I know of" he replied, holding his wife.

"Hello Mame, my name is Sargent Sortorini, i am investigating the death of your daughter, Do you want somthing to drink." She waved him off as did the husband. "I need to ask you some questions" he pulled out a pad and paper. "Can you describe your childs, life. Social or otherwise?"

Mrs.Greene could hardly talk so her husband did.
"We lived in Albany for most of her life, she moved her for college. She was always good. Her teenage years were normal like anby teenager, boy crazy and such..." he weakened a bit "She was always popular in school from what we saw" he answered.

"Did she mention anything, that you considered out of place in relation to what you knew of her?"

"I can't think of anything. She was a typical teen, acting out here and there but nothing serious. She was getting good grades in college" Mr.Greene replied.

"That is all for now, the officer will lead you out and we will remain in touch."

The couple left the room, leaving Sortorini and Arberry with plenty of questions, Tony sat and spoke as the light comming into to viewing room gave a erie blue tint.

"A normal teen, good grades, popular, her friends said she was a very nice person...I dont think the killer knew her, i just does not fit, the amount of damage and pain, it does not justify a crime of passion or a obvious suspect, if that were the case, the killer would want to hide the body, the girl however was left in the open."

"What do you think Arberry?"

"Something's not right" Arberry said as he took a sip of coffee "The attack on her face was ruthless, like he was lashing out" he tried to wrap his mind around it but couldn't.

"Well we better go back to office, see if we can any other cases that resemble this, we better do this right Arberry, he is still there."