The Skin Worshipper

Chapter 10

  "I can see that the Green Tree police department is making good use of the taxpayer's money," says Hawk when he walks in through the glass doors at the police station.

  Behind the desk is Mrs. Winter, she reminds him of the actress from, “Murder She Wrote”, a grandmother type. But he knows she is far from it, she is an avid outdoors woman who hikes for miles with her husband, and she has a hunting license.

  His comment was aimed at the deputy leaning against the desk sipping coffee and eating doughnuts.

  "Isn’t it a bit late for that much sugar?"

  "Never Chief, it is scientifically proven that police officers work better when they have a lot of sugar in them," says Deputy Collins and grins.

  Hawk looks at him and shakes his head in despair. Collins has only been with the department for half a year. He used to be with the Forest Rangers.

  "How was it?" asks Collins.

  Hawk grabs a plastic cup from a dispenser behind Mrs. Winter and pours some coffee in it. It’s stale and cold. He looks at the coffee-maker, it’s turned off. He sips the cold drink and says, "bad, a young girl with a crossbow bolt through her face. She was alive when the Springer's found her, but died before I arrived. Doc Martin took her back to the medical center for an autopsy, I guess we will know more tomorrow."

  "A bolt? Sounds like a hunting accident."

  "Uh-huh, it was my first thought also, but it’s not hunting season."

  "No ID, nothing to tell us where she came from?" asks Mrs. Winter

  "Nope, nothing. She was dressed like a hiker, warms clothes, good boots, but they were ripped and hung in tatters. She must have run or walked far in the forest before she ended up where she was found."

  They were all quiet for a while, and then Hawk tosses the plastic cup in the wastebasket and says, "I’m going home. Who’s on night shift?"

  "Should be Fieldman, but since you dispatched him to the scene I guess it's me."

  "OK, have fun, and don’t fall asleep.

  Mrs. Winter, and Hawk leave the station, each one getting into their car and driving to their respective homes.

  In his small house on the outskirts of town Hawk settles on his sofa with a bottle of Jack Daniels next to him on a low table. There is an ashtray already filled with old cigarette buts. He turns on the TV and the DVD player, and on the remote he presses play. On the screen is the Disney Castle and he can hear the voices of Vivian and Victor. It’s the last video he has of them. They went to Disney World a few weeks before they were shot. Looking at the video Hawk pours a big glass of the amber liquid. He was offered all kinds of pills after they were killed and his suicide attempt, but he said no. All he needs is his bourbon and cigarettes. He is just about to sit down in front of the TV when his cell phone rings. He looks at the screen, it's Fieldman.

  "Yeah?"

  "The Forensic people are here, and they have walked the area, but haven't found anything. They say they will give it another thirty minutes and then leave."

  "OK, call me if something interesting shows up."

  Hawk watches the movie three times, and then he passes out on the sofa. The empty little house fills with his snoring and anguished screams that no one hears as he dreams about that evening.