building. There were twenty of the things lined up ten on each side of the street. The complex itself was relatively new, maybe thirty years old at most, but the street was lined with trees and even in the summer sun the place was dark and a little chilly.
It was one in the afternoon, and the complex was mostly quiet. That just made the ambulance and the squad cars around the fifth building on the left look all that more out of place.
Joe hadn’t said anything while they were careening through the streets, afraid to distract Steve and have them crash. Now that they’d slowed he felt it might be safe to ask.
“What’s going on?”
“Don’t know yet,” the detective said. He was distracted, eyes darting everywhere, looking for anyone unusual. He had no more information than what dispatch had given him, but that was enough – something bad had happened, and whoever did it was probably still on the loose. The sooner they caught them, the easier it would all be.
They pulled up and parked next to a marked cruiser in front of the apartment building. There were a few police officers and a pair of EMTs by the back of the ambulance and clumps of onlookers on the lawns of the adjacent buildings. The ambulance was backed up to the entrance of the building, but there wasn’t much activity around it. Joe didn’t think that was a good sign.
“Wait in here,” Steve said as he unbuckled and opened the door.
“Now just hold on a minute,” Joe protested.
“No.” The detective’s voice was hard and had an edge that Joe hadn’t heard before. “This is a crime scene. Stay. Here.”
Joe swallowed, suddenly nervous. He could feel exactly how much Steve meant it. It didn’t help that he’d felt a little queasy and his shoulder blades had prickled as soon as the car door had opened.
“Okay,” he said. Joe was surprised at his own meekness.
As soon as the car door shut, Joe felt better, the nausea passing. It took the meekness with it. Joe moved to open the car door, but thought better of it. In his suit he’d stand out, and he couldn’t think of any good reason he should be there. He also got the feeling that if he got out, Steve would be more than happy to arrest him for real.
Instead, Joe rolled down the window. He was a little reluctant – when Steve had opened the door he’d almost instantly felt sick. Whatever smell it must’ve been would come through the window too, but he’d be damned if he just sat there and didn’t at least make an attempt to find out what was going on. There was nothing when the window opened, just a damp and chilly breeze.
The scene was remarkably quiet. One of the cruisers had its lights still on, and the low growl of the ambulance’s engine underlay everything, but there was almost no activity. Joe had heard the dispatcher. There were people who were dead. It seemed like there ought to be more. Sirens, screaming people, cops rushing around, something. Not this… stillness.
There were two EMTs leaning against the side of the ambulance. One was a tall black man wearing an oversized jacket that left him looking a little skinny. The other was a shorter bulky blonde woman. They were talking with one of the few cops that was outside, close enough that Joe could hear them.
“So you need us for anything?” The woman asked.
“’Fraid not,” the cop replied. “It’s a mess in there. We’re just waiting for the coroner.”
The taller EMT winced. “I hate these,” he said.
The cop just nodded. Expressions flashed across his face, disgust and nausea and sadness.
“Just fucking kids,” he said. Joe’s stomach twisted when he did. “I hope they catch the bastard that did this.”
The blonde sighed. “Paperwork time, I
It was one in the afternoon, and the complex was mostly quiet. That just made the ambulance and the squad cars around the fifth building on the left look all that more out of place.
Joe hadn’t said anything while they were careening through the streets, afraid to distract Steve and have them crash. Now that they’d slowed he felt it might be safe to ask.
“What’s going on?”
“Don’t know yet,” the detective said. He was distracted, eyes darting everywhere, looking for anyone unusual. He had no more information than what dispatch had given him, but that was enough – something bad had happened, and whoever did it was probably still on the loose. The sooner they caught them, the easier it would all be.
They pulled up and parked next to a marked cruiser in front of the apartment building. There were a few police officers and a pair of EMTs by the back of the ambulance and clumps of onlookers on the lawns of the adjacent buildings. The ambulance was backed up to the entrance of the building, but there wasn’t much activity around it. Joe didn’t think that was a good sign.
“Wait in here,” Steve said as he unbuckled and opened the door.
“Now just hold on a minute,” Joe protested.
“No.” The detective’s voice was hard and had an edge that Joe hadn’t heard before. “This is a crime scene. Stay. Here.”
Joe swallowed, suddenly nervous. He could feel exactly how much Steve meant it. It didn’t help that he’d felt a little queasy and his shoulder blades had prickled as soon as the car door had opened.
“Okay,” he said. Joe was surprised at his own meekness.
As soon as the car door shut, Joe felt better, the nausea passing. It took the meekness with it. Joe moved to open the car door, but thought better of it. In his suit he’d stand out, and he couldn’t think of any good reason he should be there. He also got the feeling that if he got out, Steve would be more than happy to arrest him for real.
Instead, Joe rolled down the window. He was a little reluctant – when Steve had opened the door he’d almost instantly felt sick. Whatever smell it must’ve been would come through the window too, but he’d be damned if he just sat there and didn’t at least make an attempt to find out what was going on. There was nothing when the window opened, just a damp and chilly breeze.
The scene was remarkably quiet. One of the cruisers had its lights still on, and the low growl of the ambulance’s engine underlay everything, but there was almost no activity. Joe had heard the dispatcher. There were people who were dead. It seemed like there ought to be more. Sirens, screaming people, cops rushing around, something. Not this… stillness.
There were two EMTs leaning against the side of the ambulance. One was a tall black man wearing an oversized jacket that left him looking a little skinny. The other was a shorter bulky blonde woman. They were talking with one of the few cops that was outside, close enough that Joe could hear them.
“So you need us for anything?” The woman asked.
“’Fraid not,” the cop replied. “It’s a mess in there. We’re just waiting for the coroner.”
The taller EMT winced. “I hate these,” he said.
The cop just nodded. Expressions flashed across his face, disgust and nausea and sadness.
“Just fucking kids,” he said. Joe’s stomach twisted when he did. “I hope they catch the bastard that did this.”
The blonde sighed. “Paperwork time, I
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