Prophet of Death

Chapter 1

     Pete put the phone back on the nightstand and then laid back on the pillow and tried to go back to sleep. Before he could even close his eyes, his phone started to ring again. From the ringtone, he could tell it was work. Police dispatch was calling, but he wasn't in the mood to play along. He had been working all night, so they had no right to call him back in so soon.

     He let it go, aware that dispatch would just have to call someone else to take care of whatever was going on. He ignored the phone, and it stopped ringing seconds later. He tried to go back to sleep again, but the phone just didn't want to leave him alone. This time, the ringtone screamed a new tune at him, one he knew couldn't be ignored. He sat up and picked the cell up off the nightstand.

     "Detective Gibbons."

     "Gibbons, why aren't you answering your damn phone!" snapped Darcy McManus, Captain of Homicide and Pete's boss. "We've been trying to reach you for the past hour."

     Pete checked the time; it had been less than twenty minutes since dispatch called but he let it pass. "I was up until four doing the paperwork you asked me to finish. I'm trying to sleep."

     "I'm sorry for waking you," McManus said with a tone that really said he didn't give a shit. "We need you back in here as soon as possible. I have a case that I would prefer you handle personally."

     "Seriously?" Pete asked, despite the fact that he already knew his boss wasn't making a request. After his boss told him once again to get his ass out of bed and get back to work, Pete huffed and slowly dragged himself into the bathroom to clean up and toss some water into his face to wake up. He considered taking a shower but passed on it since he was expected to get out to the crime scene as soon as possible. He had the address and, considering it was one of the wealthiest parts of the city, there was no telling what kind of scene he was going to find.

     Riding downtown, Gibbons wasn't worried about being put into a situation that would require him to bend the rules. His boss knew better than that, so Pete was sure this murder was not only big, but one that was going to cause an enormous frenzy with the press. That could be the only reason he'd be woken up after clocking so much time at the station the night before. He didn't use his lights or siren to make his way to the scene, just in case it wasn't public knowledge. They were known to conceal what went on with the upper crust until the press dug around for the details. As he approached the building, he noticed a police officer guarding the entrance to the underground parking.

     As he pulled up to the gate, the officer quickly stepped into the way. "I need to see proof of residence in order for you to enter."

     Pete took out his badge. "Detective Gibbons, homicide."

     "Sorry, Detective," the officer said as he stepped aside.

     "Thank you." Pete could have sworn that the officer almost seemed relieved to see him. He didn't like that; nervous cops at a scene was a big red flag. Whatever was going on up there was something that had spooked even a seasoned officer. This worried him, because he used to do the beat himself and they managed to see and experience a lot. Pete drove his vehicle into the parking lot and pulled into the first available spot he could find. As he strolled over to the elevators, another officer was waiting for him.

     "Detective Gibbons?" he asked.

     Pete showed his badge again. "Last time I checked. What do we have?"

     "Someone's been murdered," the young officer answered.

     "Considering that I work for homicide, I kind of figured that part out." Pete hit the button to fetch the lift. "What I mean is where and how many."