The Unexpected Killer

The phone began to ring. Jack reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone and answered it. He was called into a case. Jack is a detective for the New York Police Department. He turned off his television, grabbed his car keys, and drove to the crime scene.
    Jack drove to an apartment building. All he was told was that there was a dead girl found in the hallway of the third floor. Someone who lived in one of the apartments found the body and told one of the workers. Jack arrived to the crime scene. He got on the elevator and went up to the third floor. He was horrified by what he saw. A young girl was lying on the floor. She was so young, but that wasn’t what horrified him. The young girl was ripped apart. It looked as if she was attacked by an animal. That’s what Jack wanted to believe. Her face was scratched at leaving the girl unrecognizable.
“Detective Branch!” His partner shouted at him, pulling him back to reality. Jack looked at his partner.
“Yes, Detective Williams.” She stared at him. He felt awkward. He wondered why she wouldn’t speak. She just kept staring at him.
“Again Jack?” She continued to stare at him.
    “What?” He didn’t know what she was talking about.
    “You’ve been drinking again. I thought you said you were done with that.”
    Jack took on a bad habit of drinking after his divorce. He used to be married to a woman with the name of Mary Jacobs. He loved her with all of his heart. They even had a kid together. A girl. They named her Lucy. After the divorce, Lucy went to live with her mother, leaving Jack with depression. He began drinking every time he felt down. He believed that the alcohol would make him feel better, but he was wrong.
    “I know, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop thinking about Mary and Lucy. I miss them”
    “I know that you miss them Jack, but you have a job.” He tried so many times to stop drinking, but every time he began thinking about his daughter and ex wife he opened another bottle. He was lonely.
    “There you are detective. Take a look at this.” Jack’s boss ,Walter, pointed at the body. “You see those cuts? What do you think the killer used?”
    Looking at the cuts more closely, Jack could tell that a human did this to the little girl. His theory about an animal, that he hoped was true, disappeared.
    “Butcher knife. The killer used a butcher knife” Jack knew all about cuts and what they came from. Jack’s cleverness didn’t end there. He could look at the blood patterns and tell what the killer did.
    “The killer” Jack walked over to the right a few steps. “The killer stood here when he stabbed her the first time. After the first stab, she fell to the floor. The killer then walked over to where she lied and began cutting her open.”
    Then Jack noticed something else. He looked at the cuts closer than he did before.
    “The killer tore the cuts open, making them wider.”
    Walter stared at Jack. He was amazed. “You have a good eye Jack.”
    Jack didn’t hear Walter. He was already walking towards the elevator. Jack was ready to go home and sleep. He was tired from staying up late the previous night at a bar. He had a headache. Jack went home and went to bed without doing anything. He didn’t remove his coat or eat. He didn’t even remove his shoes. He just sat down in his chair and fell asleep.
    The phone started to ring. Jack hated that phone with a passion. He just wanted to sleep, but how could he with that phone in his possession. It was Walter. Jack stood up and walked out the door. He didn’t even change out of the clothes he was wearing the previous day. He needed to take a shower and change. He smelled like alcohol and sweat. Jack didn’t care though. He was feeling lazy.
    Jack got into the car and drove to the forensic lab like Walter asked him to do.When he walked in everyone stared at him. They looked at him with a look of sorrow and sadness. Jack didn’t know why they stared at him. He just kept walking until he got to where Walter stood.
    “Jack, I need to tell you something. Please, sit down.” He sat down in a chair that Walter pulled out from under the table.
    “Jack, I’m so sorry.”
    “Come on Walter! Spit it out already!” Jack demanded.
    “Jack, I’m sorry, but the dead girl we found in the apartment building was your daughter.”
    Jack didn’t respond to Walter. He stared down at the ground. He just sat there. Didn’t move. When Jack finally moved it scared some people. They watched him closely. Wondering what he was going to do. Jack started to head for the door, but Walter stopped him.
    “Move out of my way!” Jack pushed Walter to the side.
    “Jack! I’m just trying to help you. I don’t want you to do anything stupid.” Detective Williams walked over to Jack and grabbed his arm.
    “Jack, I can tell that you are upset about the situation, but we need you Jack. We need you to help us solve this case. Don’t you want to see whoever killed your daughter behind bars?” Jack began to cry. Detective Williams grabbed his hands and looked him in his dark brown eyes.
“It’s going to be okay Jack. I promise you. As soon as we find the killer you will feel so much better. Now come on. Let’s get to work.”
“I’m calling Mary.”
Jack walked into the street and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. He dialed his ex wife’s number. He hasn’t called her in so long. It felt strange. She answered the phone and Jack felt awkward, but he didn’t let that stop him.
    “What do you want Jack?” Mary had anger in her voice.
    “Have you not been watching Lucy?”
    “How dare you ask me such a question. Of course I have been watching Lucy. You gotta remember Jack. I’m actually a good parent” Jack ignored her insult.
    “Then why wasn’t she at home last night?” He questioned.
    “She was at her friend’s house. How did you know that she wasn’t at home?”
    “Mary, I’m sorry I have to tell you this over the phone, but Lucy was murdered.” Jack began to cry again. He heard Mary crying too.
    “No! I refuse to believe this. It can’t be true.” Mary hung up the phone and continued to cry.
Jack walked back into the forensics lab.
    “I’m going back to the apartment building and questioning the people who live there.” Jack told Walter. He didn’t even wait for his response. He just walked out of the building again and got in his car. He drove to where Lucy’s body was found and he entered the building and started questioning the people who lived in the apartment building. Out of all of the people he questioned so far, two of the people stood out to him. Just by how they acted when they opened the door to their room. They acted very suspicious. There was one last room Jack didn’t check yet. He knocked on the door. No one answered. He knocked again. No one answered. He thought that maybe the person who lived there was just out. He began to walk away, when he heard the door open behind him. He turned around to see an old woman. It wasn’t just any old woman. It was Lucy’s grandma. Mary’s mom. She looked at Jack and smiled.
    “Hello Jack. What brings you here this afternoon?” She knew that Jack was a detective. Did she not know about the murder? About Lucy?
    “Jack? Hello? Are you going to respond to me? I asked you a question Jack.” Jack was too busy thinking. He wondered how she didn’t know about what happened. She should know why Jack paid her a visit. He finally just came out and asked her.
    “Susan, do you not know what happened in this building yesterday?”
    “I’m afraid I don’t know Jack. I was out of town yesterday. What happened?”
    “The news.” He thought. “Does she not watch it anymore.” Jack remembered that when he was still married to Mary, the old woman would always watch the news. Everyday.
    “Do you not watch the news anymore?”
    “I haven’t been. What happened Jack? Are you going to tell me?”
             “Do you not talk to your daughter anymore? Did she neglect to inform you of what happened?”
             “I’m afraid that she doesn’t speak to me anymore. Not after I was on your side with the divorce.”
    “A dead body was found on the third floor. It was a girl. She was fifthteen years old” Jack hesitated telling Susan that the girl was her granddaughter, but he knew that he had to tell her. Better than her finding out on her own.
    “It was Lucy. Lucy was the girl found dead on the third floor.” Jack held back his tears. Trying to stay strong. Susan didn’t respond. She just shut the door.
            Jack looked up at the wall and seen a security camera.
           “That could be extremely useful he thought. He entered the elevator and rode it to the first floor.
           “Excuse me sir.” Jack spoke to the man standing behind the front desk.
           “Yes detective.”
           “May I view your security camera footage?”
           “I’m sorry detective, but our security cameras stopped working last week and still haven’t been repaired” Jack was disappointed because he thought he found some good evidence that would most likely reveal the killer’s identity.
          Jack walked away and went back to the apartments which held the two people who acted suspicious. Jack took the people to the police department for questioning. The first guy’s name was Josh. Josh was an older guy. Maybe around forty or forty five. The reason Jack brought him in is because he had a big cut on his hand. Jack thought that he might of cut himself while he killed Lucy.
    “How did you get that cut on your hand?” Jack asked.
    “Oh, this cut.” He raised up his hand. Letting Jack get a better view. “I cut myself while cooking. I was cutting up some pork chops for my family. You can ask them if you want to, but I’m telling you the truth.”
    “I believe you.” Jack could tell he wasn’t lying. Just by his body movement and the way he spoke.
    The next guy entered the room. His name was Roger. He seemed very nervous when he opened the door and saw Jack at the apartment building.
    “Roger, why were you so nervous when i was standing outside your door.”
    “I don’t know.” His voice was shaky.
    “That’s not an answer! Tell me the truth! What are you hiding? Did you kill her?”
    “No I didn’t. Can i go now?” Jack knew that the man was guilty of something, but he didn’t know if he was the killer or not.
    “You’re free to go” Roger stood up and left the room. Jack walked out of the room and walked up to Walter.
    “I need a warrant to search Roger King’s apartment.”
    “Do you think that he is the killer?” Walter asked
    “I’m not for sure, but I know he is guilty of something.”
    The next day Jack got his warrant and he went back to the apartment building. He went to Roger’s room and knocked on the door. Roger didn’t answer. Jack didn’t knock again. He turned the door knob and found out that the door was unlocked. He opened it slowly. When he entered the room he immediately found out what Roger was guilty of. He was consuming illegal drugs. Jack assumed he was selling them too when he spotted a suitcase full of money. There was also little plastic bags with meth in them. He was selling it. Jack went to call Walter when he heard someone coming up behind him. Jack jumped out of the way and Roger ran past him. He held a needle. It had heroine in it and he was trying to stab Jack with it, but Jack was quick on his feet. He tackled Roger and put him in handcuffs. He then called Walter and he came and got him. Jack put someone behind bars, but it wasn’t the killer.
    “Good work out there Jack.” Walter walked up behind him and patted him on the back. “You caught one of the major drug dealers we have been searching for.” Jack felt proud, but not too proud. He was hoping that he found the one who killed his daughter.
    “Thanks Walter.” Jack felt lost with this case. He struggled with it since his daughter was involved. His sadness wouldn’t let him focus.
    “You can go home Jack. Get some rest and be ready for tomorrow morning.” Jack did what he was told. When he made it home he took his first shower after he found out about his daughter. He took a really long shower and thought about Lucy and the killer. He thought about what the reason could have been for the murder. Then, he thought about the cuts and how they were torn open.
    When Jack got out of the shower he grabbed his phone and called Walter.
    “Hello Jack.” Jack didn’t respond to Walter’s hello. He just got to the question he needed to ask. The question he needed to know the answer to before he could lay his head on his pillow and sleep. He forgot to ask before, but he just remembered.
    “Why were the cuts torn open? Why did the killer do such a thing?”
    “I can tell you first thing tomorrow. As soon as you come in.”
    “No! Please tell me right now. I need to know.”
    “Jack please. You aren’t going to like the answer.”
    “I don’t care. Just tell me.” Jack demanded Walter to tell him the answer.
    “The killer” He paused. Not wanting to answer, but he continued. “The killer tore open her cuts to get to her organs.” Jack instantly new what kind of killer they were dealing with.
    “We are dealing with a cannibal.”
    “You think that? I thought they might of took her organs for money.”
    “No. He would of been more careful with the cuts. If he was selling the organs then he wouldn’t want to risk damaging them.”
    “You are correct Jack.”
    “I will see you tomorrow Walter. I need to get some sleep if i want to be more useful.” Jack didn’t even wait for a goodbye. He just hung up the phone and went to bed.
    The next morning he was actually well rested and ready to return to work. While he was putting his shoes on his phone rang. It was Walter. There was another murder. About three blocks away from the apartment that Lucy was found in. The victim was found in an alleyway. When Jack arrived, he knew it was the same killer right away. There were more cuts on the victim’s body that were torn open with the killers hands.
    “What did the killer do this time Jack?” It was detective Williams. She must have noticed him examining the blood.
    “Well, the victim.” He paused and walked onto the sidewalk beside the street. “Was cut right here, but kept going. He must of not known that this alleyway was a dead end.  He ran down here.” Jack walked a few steps into the alleyway. “The killer stabbed him in the back and he fell down onto the ground. He bleed out while the killer tore him open.”
    “I’m impressed Jack.” Jack turned around and looked at the street. When he turned around he saw Susan walking by. Jack thought it was strange to see her out walking. She stopped going on walks after she hurt her hip. Jack began to walk towards her.
    “Hello Susan. When did you begin walking again?”
    “Oh just recently.” She responded to him quickly.
    “Well how have you been after i told you about what happened.”
    “I’m fine” Another quick response. Jack noticed that she kept looking past him. At the body. Jack laughed.
    “Oh you have always been a curious woman, but don’t look back there. I don’t want you to get scared.” She looked into Jack’s eyes and began to walk away. Did he make her mad? He wasn’t worried about it. What concerned him the most is that she began limping when he noticed her. Was she pretending all this time?
    Jack stopped worrying about Susan and walked back to the victim. He grabbed some gloves and put them on his hands. He stuck his hand through one of the cuts.
    “Yes, some of the organs are missing.”
    “We will be able to identify the killer with both sets of fingerprints off both victims. The ones that match will tell us who the killer is. We will be getting them tomorrow.” Walter told Jack. Jack was glad to hear that. He was ready to see the killer in handcuffs. In a jail cell.
    “Sounds good Walter.” Detective Williams walked up to Jack.
            “I’ve noticed that you haven’t been drinking.”
            “Yeah. I’ve been trying to focus on the case. I will probably return to it after we find the killer.”
            “Jack, please don’t do that. I know it’s hard, but think about. You’ve been fine this week without drinking. It’s because you have been staying busy.”
            “I guess you’re right.” Jack knew she was right.
           “We have different cases all the time. You will stay busy with them.” Jack walked away and got in his car. Jack was so excited to find out who the actual killer was that he couldn’t sleep. He also couldn’t sleep because he was thinking about Lucy. Jack finally fell asleep.
     Jack started dreaming. In his dream, he woke up in his bed. Laying next to him was Mary. She began to wake up. She looked at Jack. She looked worried.
            “What are you still doing here?” Her voice was shaky.
            “I’m off today. Did I forget to tell you?” The doorbell rang. Jack went to go answer the door, but Mary stopped him.
             “I will answer it dear.” She pushed him back onto the bed and hurried out of the room. Jack noticed how strange she was acting so he decided he was going to go see who was at the door. He walked into the living room.
             “Nick, go home. My husband is off work today.” Jack felt anger grow inside him.
             “Who is this man?” Mary shut the door.
             “No one Jack. Just some guy. Wrong address i think.”
             “You must think I’m dumb. I heard you say his name. Nick?” She looked away.
             “Look at me Mary. Tell me the truth. Are you cheating on me?” She stared at Jack. She wouldn’t answer him.
             “Answer me!” His voice grew louder, causing Mary to jump.
             “Yes.” She started crying.
             “Why Mary? Why are you doing such an awful thing to me? What about Lucy?”
             “Please Jack. We can work this out.” He gave her a dirty look.
             “You expect me to stay with you after you doing such a horrible thing. I want a divorce.” Jack grabbed his coat and his car keys.
             “If you leave Jack i will make sure that you never see Lucy again.” Jack walked out the door, not believing that she would be able to through with her threat, but he was wrong.
            Jack woke up from his dream, crying. He didn’t sleep the rest of the night. He headed down to the police station at eight thirty in the morning. The fingerprint scan was completed. They had the real killer’s identity.
           Jack walked into the police station. Walter looked at him and walked up to him.
          “Jack, you won’t believe me on who it is, but this is what the fingerprints showed.”
          “Tell me Walter. Who is this horrible man?”
          “Well, actual it's a woman.”
          “That not unusual. Why did you think I wouldn’t believe you?”
          “It’s an older woman. You know her.”
          “I know her? Well, just tell me. I’m not going to play the guessing game with you.”
          “It’s Susan. Mary’s mom. Lucy’s grandma.”
          “What do you mean it’s Susan? This can’t be true.”
          “I’m going by what the forensics says.” Jack walked out the door, got into his car, and headed to the apartment building. He walked up the stairs to her floor and walked to her door. He knocked. She answered.
          “I want to know why your fingerprints shown up on both the victims that were found dead.”
          “What do you mean Jack?”
          “Your fingerprints were found on both the victims. Yeah, I understand why they were found on Lucy, but the other guy?” Susan tried to shut the door on Jack, but he stopped her from doing so. He entered the apartment. He heard Susan lock the door behind him.
          “Oh Jack, I hoped you wouldn’t find out that I’m the killer, but I know of your skills. Jack, I must ask, will you join me? Help me?”
         “Will I help you? Did you really think I would say yes? You’re insane. You killed my daughter. How could you?”
         “You see, she was an easy target. I was hungry, so yeah. I’m not too hungry and up for a challenge so Jack I chose you. Your my next target.” Jack laughed at her and looked her in the eyes.
        “Do you really believe that you will kill me? You make me laugh. You should be a comedian. The comedian of your jail cell.” Jack went to grab her arms to cuff her, but she pulled out a knife. A butcher knife. 
       “Calm down Susan. Surely, you foreseen this happening. I mean you should know how good of a detective I am.” Susan glared at him. She wasn’t dropping the weapon. Jack started to walk towards her. She still didn’t drop the weapon, but Jack was confident that nothing would happen to him. He walked up to her and reached for the knife when she slashed at his hand, leaving a huge cut.
        Jack cried out in pain. She then slashed at his leg. He dropped onto the ground.
       “Oh Jack. What am I going to do with you? You are like a trophy. To be honest, I never believed I would be able to do that to you. Seemed so easy. Are you alright?” Jack rolled onto his stomach and looked around the room. Blood and organs. Some knives. Jack was disgusted by the sight.
     “Oh I must use my favorite butcher knife.” She grabbed Jack by the feet and began to drag him into the next room. Jack tried to squirm, but it only hurt his leg. In the next room, there was nothing. It was just an empty white room. He was in so much pain that he almost passed out, but he didn’t.
      “I will be back soon Jack. I need to find my favorite butcher knife. Don’t you feel special?” Jack was losing a lot of blood. He felt light headed. Jack was just about to give in when he heard a knock on the door. Susan entered the room Jack was in and gagged his mouth and tied his hands behind his back.
      Jack heard the knock again. It was louder this time. He tried to get his hands free, but he couldn’t. He just listened.
      “Hello miss. Are you Susan?” It was detective Williams.
      “Why yes I am. What can I do for you detective?”
      “I have a warrant to search your apartment.” Jack heard someone begin running towards the room he was in. The door flew open, but only for a few seconds. Susan was in the room with Jack. She grabbed him and held a knife to his throat.
      Detective Williams entered the room. She held her gun.
      “Drop the knife.” 
      “No way. I’m not going down without a fight.” Jack began to squirm in attempt of getting away from her long enough for detective Williams to take the shot. She took the shot. The bullet went through her hand, causing her to drop the knife. Detective Williams ran up to her and handcuffed her. She then helped Jack.
       “Are you okay?”
       “I can’t walk. I’m in so much pain, but I don’t care. I’m so happy to see her handcuffed. I’m also so happy to see you. I would be dead if it wasn’t for you. How did you know that I needed help?”
       “You may be a great detective, but even the best detectives need help sometimes. I followed you here just in case you got into some trouble. I waited for a bit then i came up here.”
      Jack heard an ambulance in the distance then he passed out. He woke a few hours later, in the hospital. Walter was sitting in a chair in the room.
     “Oh Jack you’re finally awake. Jack you did it. You solved the case. Found the real killer. Susan is behind bars right now. Her trial is Wednesday.” Jack smiled.
     “I’m so glad that this case is over with. Solving this case made me feel a little bit better about Lucy.”
      When Wednesday came, Jack was out of the hospital and he went to the trial. Susan was guilty and would be behind bars for the rest of her life. The next day was Lucy’s funeral. After the funeral, Jack found Mary and told her about Susan being the killer.
      “My mom was insane Jack. After you left, she stopped taking her medication.” Mary noticed the bandages on Jack’s hand.
      “What happened to your hand?” She asked. Jack thought it was strange. Why was Mary, his ex wife, asking him such a thing. She didn’t care.
       “Your mom did this to me.” She looked at him and smiled.
       “Why are you being so nice to me Mary?” She stared at him for what seemed like forever.
       “I miss you Jack.”
       “Miss me? Yeah sure.” Jack began to walk away, but Mary grabbed his hand and held onto it tightly.
       “I’m being serious Jack. I miss you. With Lucy gone I have no one. Please come back to me.” She was begging for his return. Jack almost started laughing.
       “You really think I would want to come back to you? After you cheated on me and then lied to our daughter about why her dad left.” Jack walked away from her. He didn’t even look back at her. He just got into his car and drove away. Jack didn’t go home and drink. He went home a slept so he would be well rested for the next day.