is touched. If this really was a raid to find something, we'd see drawers pulled out and closets ransacked—not the neat removal of an inconspicuous tile.”
“ Well, maybe they knew where it was.”
“ Hmm, I don't know Cruz. I think Martinez was here when this happened.”
“ What makes you say that?”
“ You may be right about Shaver not having the original.” Cruz looked at Sandra. Going on, she said, “This doesn't look like a ransack—it looks like Martinez had to fight to get out of here. The blood on the wall and glass in the hall. The hole in the drywall. Overturned plants. Furniture on its side. This all points to a struggle and not a search.”
“ And Martinez had to get something out of his hiding place?” Cruz asked, jumping onto Sandra's theory.
“ Yes, look at that hiding space. A camera certainly wouldn't fit in there.”
“ The video...Martinez has the original copy...”
“ That's what I'd say,” Sandra answered. “And Shaver has the most to lose from that video.”
“ But...” Cruz started before they heard a noise by the front door.
“ Did you hear that?” Sandra whispered. Cruz nodded and started to move in that direction. Cruz picked up a chair leg and crept as quietly as he could through the debris. They heard a sound again and froze.
“ Who's there?” Sandra called out. They remained frozen and strained for some sort of response. Cruz resumed moving forward until he reached the end of the hall. The front door was on his right, about fifteen feet away. He held the chair leg behind him and peeked around the corner.
“ Oh, shit,” Cruz said with a bit of a laugh. “It's a damn raccoon!” Cruz straightened up and moved around the corner. Sandra stepped out to his side. They watched the raccoon scurry out of the front door. What they both missed was the man watching them from the darkness.
E I G H T E E N
__________________________________________________
T yler arrived at the scene of the accident. He was a tall, lanky man, whose ghostlike silence and pale complexion made him deathly. He had dark black hair and black pools for eyes. A worn, black leather duster swamped his wiry frame. He slithered past an officer who jumped when he caught Tyler's shadow on the ground.
“ Damn! You can't come in here!” Tyler flashed a badge the Chief provided him for just these occasions. “Oh geez, sorry Detective.”
“ What happened here?” Tyler asked. Even his voice was icy enough to make the young officer shudder.
“ Well, this black SUV must have rolled six to seven times before it came to a stop on its roof. Pretty amazing the two officers inside survived.” Tyler surveyed the torn body of the SUV. A tow truck was in the process of loading the SUV onto its bed.
“ Do you know the names of the officers in the vehicle?”
“ Yeah, Shaver and Tomko,” the young cop answered. “Say,” he went on, “you work in our department? Never seen you around before.”
“ Pretty big city, wouldn't you say?” Tyler said as he turned and gave the cop a stare that was enough to cut off further prodding.
“ So, yeah. Shaver and Tomko. Tomko walked but Shaver was in pretty bad shape. They said he was gonna make it but, man, losing an eye probably. That's horrible, don't you think?”
Tyler didn't answer. Instead he crossed the train tracks and looked back. Remnants of the SUV were strewn along the tracks in the dirt stretching away from him. The young cop followed Tyler.
“ The tire marks go back about a quarter-mile or so over there,” he said pointing to a group of bushes on an embankment, “That's where we found the motorcycle. Well, what was left.”
“ How'd the rider of that bike turn out?” Tyler asked.
“ Shoot, we haven't found him yet. You figure no one would've been able to survive an accident like this on a motorcycle. They'd have to be Jesus to walk away.”
“ Yes, Jesus indeed,” Tyler echoed. “Where is that motorcycle?”
“ Over by the
“ Well, maybe they knew where it was.”
“ Hmm, I don't know Cruz. I think Martinez was here when this happened.”
“ What makes you say that?”
“ You may be right about Shaver not having the original.” Cruz looked at Sandra. Going on, she said, “This doesn't look like a ransack—it looks like Martinez had to fight to get out of here. The blood on the wall and glass in the hall. The hole in the drywall. Overturned plants. Furniture on its side. This all points to a struggle and not a search.”
“ And Martinez had to get something out of his hiding place?” Cruz asked, jumping onto Sandra's theory.
“ Yes, look at that hiding space. A camera certainly wouldn't fit in there.”
“ The video...Martinez has the original copy...”
“ That's what I'd say,” Sandra answered. “And Shaver has the most to lose from that video.”
“ But...” Cruz started before they heard a noise by the front door.
“ Did you hear that?” Sandra whispered. Cruz nodded and started to move in that direction. Cruz picked up a chair leg and crept as quietly as he could through the debris. They heard a sound again and froze.
“ Who's there?” Sandra called out. They remained frozen and strained for some sort of response. Cruz resumed moving forward until he reached the end of the hall. The front door was on his right, about fifteen feet away. He held the chair leg behind him and peeked around the corner.
“ Oh, shit,” Cruz said with a bit of a laugh. “It's a damn raccoon!” Cruz straightened up and moved around the corner. Sandra stepped out to his side. They watched the raccoon scurry out of the front door. What they both missed was the man watching them from the darkness.
E I G H T E E N
__________________________________________________
T yler arrived at the scene of the accident. He was a tall, lanky man, whose ghostlike silence and pale complexion made him deathly. He had dark black hair and black pools for eyes. A worn, black leather duster swamped his wiry frame. He slithered past an officer who jumped when he caught Tyler's shadow on the ground.
“ Damn! You can't come in here!” Tyler flashed a badge the Chief provided him for just these occasions. “Oh geez, sorry Detective.”
“ What happened here?” Tyler asked. Even his voice was icy enough to make the young officer shudder.
“ Well, this black SUV must have rolled six to seven times before it came to a stop on its roof. Pretty amazing the two officers inside survived.” Tyler surveyed the torn body of the SUV. A tow truck was in the process of loading the SUV onto its bed.
“ Do you know the names of the officers in the vehicle?”
“ Yeah, Shaver and Tomko,” the young cop answered. “Say,” he went on, “you work in our department? Never seen you around before.”
“ Pretty big city, wouldn't you say?” Tyler said as he turned and gave the cop a stare that was enough to cut off further prodding.
“ So, yeah. Shaver and Tomko. Tomko walked but Shaver was in pretty bad shape. They said he was gonna make it but, man, losing an eye probably. That's horrible, don't you think?”
Tyler didn't answer. Instead he crossed the train tracks and looked back. Remnants of the SUV were strewn along the tracks in the dirt stretching away from him. The young cop followed Tyler.
“ The tire marks go back about a quarter-mile or so over there,” he said pointing to a group of bushes on an embankment, “That's where we found the motorcycle. Well, what was left.”
“ How'd the rider of that bike turn out?” Tyler asked.
“ Shoot, we haven't found him yet. You figure no one would've been able to survive an accident like this on a motorcycle. They'd have to be Jesus to walk away.”
“ Yes, Jesus indeed,” Tyler echoed. “Where is that motorcycle?”
“ Over by the
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