Hit and Run

Jeremy Luth

"They say that if someone dies with their eyes open that they deserved it." Jones was lighting a cigarette as he spoke. The red ember lit up his smooth features as he drew in the smoke and nicotine.

If only it were that simple. Regret flashed in my mind as I looked down to Jeremy Luth. He was nineteen years old, weighs about one-sixty and stands at five-foot-ten-inches. His skin is fair, so much so he could get sunburn standing in the shade, and his hair is such dark a sandy blonde it could almost be brown. His eyes are green, glossy and open; staring up at the stars.

I use a pen to lift his hand from the pavement. Rigor Mortis hasn't set in just yet but his thumb still sticks out as if he'd be asking someone for a ride to get out of the wind. I pull up the collar of my old peacoat as a chill runs through me that has nothing to do with the weather.

I cough to clear my throat and refrain from sobbing. "How long until the Medical Examiner can be here? We'll have a hard enough time as it is getting a reasonable time of death with the weather factoring in for the body temperature." How long did he sit out here waiting for someone to find him? I see the faintest tan line on his left wrist and right ring-finger. "His valuables were taken from his body. Do we have the name of whomever called this in on file?"

Officer Jones let out a lung-full of smoke, "Nope. In this neighborhood I'm surprised we even got a call. Mind yourself there." He pointed with two fingers holding his death stick to the coagulated blood about an inch from my knee.

"I'm not worried about it. Anyone know if the Seven Eleven has working security cameras?" The other officers let out a series of grunts or other throat clearings that all told me 'no.'

"Well let's not all volunteer to go ask!" My voice is low, dry. I hadn't meant for it to be sharp.

Jones spoke next. "What bug crawled up your ass tonight? Fuckin' A."

"Jones, drop it. And mind how you speak to your supervisor. Last I checked you're still on thin ice as it is." Ramirez's came from the back of the nearby cruiser clear and pointed. His partner sat beside him. Officer Michals approached and placed a hand on my shoulder.

Without a word he looked me in the eyes. After a moment of silence he nodded. "You go ahead and check for the security footage. Ramirez and I will be able to keep everyone on task while we wait for Dr. Phranks to show up. If you'd like we can have a different team brought in on this. I'm sure Master Sergeant Lynch would be happy to step in on this one."

I clenched my jaw, weighing the option. The idea of passing this off onto someone else put the taste of rot and acid in my mouth. "That won't be necessary. Though, I appreciate the sentiment."

He nodded and turned to Jones, his expression likely malicious. He was a superstar, Theodore Michals. It's easy to see why.

There were fractions of echoes as my feet hit the wet pavement. It had been raining non-stop the last three days. Today there wasn't a cloud in the star-filled sky. I looked to them hoping for one to shoot across the void above me and grant me a wish.

Inside the convenience store the overzealous heating dried out my skin in an instant. I found the clerk stocking the shelves of potato chips. "Good evening miss. I was hoping I might be able to ask you a few questions about the hit and run that occurred just across the street." I held my badge up for her as she looked up from her work.

"Sure. I don't know how much help I'll be though. Didn't get a look until after the car peeled out of here. Damn shame. The kid was in here just before he got hit too. Nice guy."

"I was wondering if the security cameras outside the door are working. If they are, we would like a copy of whatever footage they might have."

"Ahh... I'm not sure about that. I can have the manager come in though. He'd have to get the footage for you either way." She moved around the counter and pulled a phone from beneath the register as she spoke.

"I'd really appreciate that. You said Jeremy was in here just before he got hit. Did he buy anything? And did he seem like anything was wrong?"

She lifted her chin as her brow furrowed somewhat. "He seemed like he was doing okay. He bought some mini chocolate doughnuts and a coke. Only customer I'd had all shift."

The next twenty minutes are a blur of routine question and answers before the manager comes in and makes a copy of the security footage. Not long after that I'm back outside kneeling beside Jeremy.

Jones' voice barely registered as other officers helped Doctor Phranks put Jeremy into a body bag. "Listen. About earlier. I didn't mean to come off as such an ass. I had no idea."

"Forget about it. As far as anyone else knew this was just another hit and run. We get a few now and again. Most end up with a broken legs or dent in their car door. This one just happens to have done a lot more damage than most."

A gust of wind pulled at my peacoat as someone approached from behind. "Officer Luth." It was Chief Debiase. Her voice was professional, hiding the undertone of motherly affection. "I understand that you might want to stay on this and work the case. I can't allow that. Considering that there was no ID or other items found on him other than his clothing, I need to ask you to come back to the station and officially identify the body for Doctor Phranks."

My shoulders shook, the impossible weight making me buckle. The rain started again all at once and the sky's tears blended with my own as I finally broke down.

She placed a hand on my shoulder, "I know this isn't what you want to hear right now. But I need you to cooperate so we can find whoever it was that hit your brother."