Pietrofalls

Chapter 3

The Sheriff's vehicle and the police cruiser were blocking an alleyway as Lucy parked a couple of feet away from them. Lucy's bad feeling doubled when she got out of the vehicle. She looked at her watch and it was fifteen minutes from 7am. Her daughter must have been getting out of the house at that moment.

Lucy slowly approached the alleyway as the two policemen came into view. One of them was Lawrence who had his arms up on his head. His face was distraught. She noticed Deputy Roberto Tirado was talking on the phone a couple of feet away from the sheriff.

They hadn't noticed her as she approached. Deputy Tirado hung up the phone. "They're on their way," he told Sheriff Lawrence, then noticed Lucy. "You cannot be here," he scolded.

Lawrence turned around. "Lucy," he said in a low voice. "You shouldn't be here?"

"What happened?" she asked as she tried to look over them. Deputy Tirado purposely blocked her sight.

"Go home, Lucy," said Sheriff Lawrence. "You don't want to see this."

Lucy sneaked around them and wished she didn't as she quickly turned away.

"Damn it, Lucy," said Deputy Tirado as he grabbed her by the shoulders. She shrugged him off and took a couple of steps away. "We told you not to look."

"Who was she?" asked Lucy.

"We don't know yet," he answered. "It's too hard to tell."

"I think it might be Ivy," said Sheriff Lawrence.

Lucy grabbed her chest.

"Boss," whispered Deputy Tirado. "We shouldn't be telling her anything."

"Everyone is going to know before the end of the day," said Sheriff Lawrence.

"You think it's Ivy," said Lucy as she did her best to regain her composure. "Meaning you don't know for sure." She went over to the body as Deputy Tirado tried to stop her. She took a good look at the body as he tried to pull her away.

Lucy took everything in. The body was covered in slash marks and there were pieces of her missing. Lucy's stomach turned as Deputy Tirado succeeded in turning her away. Lucy did her best not to throw up as Sheriff Lawrence went to her and rubbed her back. Lucy found herself crying.

"Just breathe," whispered Lawrence as he rubbed her back.

"That is Ivy," managed to say Lucy.

"We're not sure about that," said Deputy Tirado as he covered the body with a towel he pulled from his vehicle.

"No," said Lucy. "I know it's her. I saw her last night at her tavern. She was wearing those exact clothes."

Sheriff Lawrence gave her a nod while Deputy Tirado stood over the covered body. The three of them stood there in silence for a couple of minutes when they heard sirens coming their way.

"Finally," said Deputy Tirado as he went to meet the newcomers.

"You should go," Sheriff Lawrence said to Lucy. "You're not supposed to be here."

"What do you think did that?" asked Lucy.

"I don't know, but it must have been some sort of animal."

"What kind of animal can do that and how didn't anyone notice? She must have screamed. How didn't anyone hear her?"

"I don't know, sweety, but you need to go. We'll talk later. I don't want the rest of the force to see you here."

Lucy gave him a nod and left without another word, but not before taking another look at Ivy's body.