(//TW/CW: HEYY before we get started, I just wanted to put this out there, there will be:
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF DEAD PEOPLE
in this chapter, you've been warned.//)
The phone call Sasha had received was a tell-tale sign of how the rest of the day was going to go, the entire conversation consisted of the following:
"Hello?"
"Yes, Detective Egorov, we have something you need to look at, it's urgent." an officer's voice echoed through the phone.
"How urgent?" he hesitated, turning his head to the others and then turning away, "I have the victim's families in our investigation headquarters right now, can't it wait?" he stated.
"Yeah about that, bring them along, they may want to identify the person."
Sasha's skin grew cold, his heart beginning to patter strongly in his chest. "We'll be there right away..." he said blankly.
"Oh, and Sasha?" the voice called out before hanging up. "The coroner's on her way."
All of the detectives and others piled in the back of the cramped cop car, managing to squeeze all five of them in the front and back.
"So Tammy, how do you know Sasha and Matt?" Hestia asked quietly.
"Well, I met the both of them in high school before, y'know, I transitioned." she pointed to her hair. "Matt's also trans, but Sasha is one hundred percent man." she chuckled.
"Wow, first you called me a coward, and now you're calling me one hundred percent man, you flatter me, Tamm." he laughed "And here I thought our breakup in high school drove you away from me!" he fake gasped.
"Wait, wait, WAIT." Wren moved her hands around in confusion "You two dated?!" she questioned in utter confusion.
Matt laughed at all of them, "Haha, yep, I told Tammy it was a bad idea, but noo, "He's cute," and "He's okay with me being trans." not like that mattered anyway though." he muttered.
"I still don't." Sasha jabbed Matt with his elbow in frustration, "We had to break up because being in a relationship and going into the police force is almost impossible if you don't beat your partner." he sighed.
The rest of the car ride was silent, the awkward air couldn't manage to be broken, despite multiple attempts to start a conversation, to no avail, the rest of the tedious ride to the location was completely silent except for the faint rumble of an engine under the hood, and wind blowing past the car.
The group piled out of the stuffy police car, and onto what appeared to be a crime scene, the caller was correct, the coroner had not yet arrived, so in the meantime, the detectives of the group had time to investigate.
"So, what do we have here?" Sasha asked approaching one of the officers near the entrance of the scene.
Wren looked around her surroundings, seeing endless amounts of yellow crime scene tape, and an old abandoned house, clearly not lived in for decades. The roof was caved in, revealing the inside of the house, just as decrepit and run down as the rest of the crumbling building.
"This place gives me the heebie-jeebies..." Hestia whispered to Wren. "Why are we here again?"
"Well girls," an officer approached them, pointing to the house. "There's someone in there that you might recognize, it'll put a wrench in your investigation though..." he sighed with obvious exhaustion.
Wren's heart began to patter quickly, as her blood ran cold, was her father lying dead in this old abandoned house in the middle of nowhere? Is this where he went?
"Let's head in I guess." Matt hesitated, lifting the tape for them to crouch under.
The inside of the house was no different than the outside, moss growing on the shattered windows, broken floors, leading directly to the entrance to a chilling basement, the words DEAD PEOPLE DOWN HERE with an arrow pointing to the doorway.
"Yikes..." Wren muttered, "I've got a bad gut feeling about this guys..." she told them.
"I'll go first girls, trust me, I've seen dead people before, this can't be that bad." Tammy inched her way down the old creaky stairs, one nearly snapping under her weight as she crept down. the sound of her shoes on the concrete floor became farther and farther away, silence, and then- feet violently sprinting back to the stairs, nearly falling over, Tammy raced back up the stairs.
"OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!" she huffed, eyes were blown wide and her face paled slightly.
Sasha sped over, throwing his coat over her shoulders, "What did you see down there Tamm?!" he questioned frantically "What in the hell was down there?!" he shook her lightly in an attempt to get some information out of her.
Wren quickly walked past both Sasha and a traumatized Tammy, making her way down the stairs.
"Wren wait!" Tammy called out, shifting her way out of Sasha's arms and after Wren. "Don't go down by yourself.
"Hold on kid!" Matt exclaimed as the rest of the group made their way into the basement.
Wren was already way across the dusty basement before the rest of them managed to catch up, but it was too late, she'd already seen what shook Tammy up so much.
"Dear God..." she whispered, having to cup her mouth as she stood at the feet of the corpse of none other than Ryeo Eun Sun, her Mother's nurse. "Whurgh-" she hacked, attempting to keep herself from vomiting all over the floor.
(//UH OH. HERE COMES THE GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF CORPSES I WARNED YOU ABOUT//)
Ryeo's body was severely mangled, her smocks torn halfway open to reveal half of the stomach, a large stab wound made into her abdomen, resembling a c-section scar, intestines, and bowels exposed to the cool air. A thick gash made across her face, cutting straight through her cheek and into her mouth, now hanging open with dried blood crusting on the edges of her lips and the cut-through of her cheek. Overall, there was no way she would've or could've survived, she was a goner.
"G-Guys, look." Hestia tapped her on the shoulder, pointing to one of the concrete walls, the words: I'M STILL HERE BITCH scrawled in black spraypaint, directly above her corpse.
"Holy shit..." Matt gasped, "It wasn't her, you were right Wren." he managed to get the words out, as another set of steps walked towards them.
"What are you dumbasses doing down here?" an annoyed voice called out. They all turned to face Heidi, the coroner, hands on her hips, gloved in thick blue rubber. "How were you allowed down here before me, I'm the one who supposed to see the victims first." She pointed harshly at the rickety stairs, a sign for them to leave.
"We were just-" Wren tried to explain, but was promptly cut off by Miss Wilkinson.
"AH-AH, SHUT UP" she yelled, reverberating off of the walls as she approached her, "I don't care, STOP sticking your nose in what doesn't involve you little shit." she insulted, pressing her gloved finger to Wren's chest.
"Miss Wilkinson, that's enough," Matt stated firmly, approaching her as he pushed Wren aside. "Our investigation involved Miss Eun Sun, therefore, we were called first." he was serious with her, looking her directly in the eyes, Heidi looked pissed.
"As if I care?!" she laughed loudly "You think SHE was the one that killed your Mom and Pops, you can't be serious!" she cackled. "If you idiot's read the damn autopsy, you'd know that she died of natural causes," she said.
"Murder isn't a natural cause Heidi," Tammy remarked, still seeming to be shaken up as Sasha's arms were placed around her shoulders.
"Tamm, don't-"
"Shut it Sash, look, I read that autopsy, the one YOU performed, it was wrong Heidi," she stated gravely.
"Excuse me?! That's confidential information, there's no reason you should've read that before the Gluskin family-" Heidi roared.
"I read it too, it's wrong." Wren blankly said.
"And how would you know?" Heidi stared daggers at her, her eyes devoid of all light, cold, and soulless as she glared at her, sending a shiver up her spine.
"I know my Mother lady, you said she had a c-section scar, she didn't have me via c-section."
Heidi finally laid off, leaning back from her previously offensive position. Sighing as she adjusted her gloves she finally managed to calm herself.
"Look, just get out of here, I don't need this shit right now, just... get out," she grumbled.
The group made their way off of the crime scene and back into the car, Tammy switching places as she sat in the front with Sasha.
Sasha sighed heavily. "I'm sorry you had to see that guys." he glanced over at Tammy, who glanced back at him.
"Well, now we know it wasn't her right?" Hestia stated, trying her best to be optimistic, but was only met with silence. "I'll be quiet now..." she mumbled.
They made their way back down the road towards Exland once again, slowing down as they came close to the funeral home along the road. Sasha pulled into the paved parking lot.
"Wren, Hestia, get out here please, the rest of us are going back to the police station."
"Sure." Wren blankly said, exiting the car as the both of them waved goodbye as the car pulled out of the parking lot.
11:22 pm, Exland police station, Detective quarters.
"I just don't think I can unsee that..." Tammy whined into her arms as she explained what she saw to Sasha. "I've seen dead people before, but never like that, they were usually sewn up and well..."
"Not that graphic?" Sasha soothed her, rubbing circles into her back.
"Yeah." she sighed.
"Hey when you two lovebirds are done consoling each other, we've gotta close up shop, it's almost 11:30," Matt told them.
Swiftly separating from each other, Tammy exited the building, "Guess I'll be heading the funeral home then, she said, closing the door behind her, shivering as the cold air hit her skin.
"Ah, wait, Tamm, before you head out can I talk to you outside in a minute?" he gestures to her.
"Sure!" Tammy replied almost surprised, stepping outside as the door shut quietly behind her.
"Go gettem' tiger!" Matt teased.
"Matthias, zip it." Sasha shushed as he followed behind, shucking on his coat quickly.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Tammy asked, clutching her arms close to her as she attempted to block out the cold. "Earlier today, when we explained to the kids why we broke up, what did you mean by that?" she questioned.
"Ah, the beating your significant other thingies, yeah sorry for that, it kinda just fell out of my mouth..." he sighed. "Yeah, I just-I wasn't able to keep up the police academy and a relationship at the same time," he said.
"Oh...ok, so is that all?" she asked.
"I want to try again!" he blurted out suddenly.
"Come again?" Tammy blanked, staring at him in disbelief, "You wanna date, again, in the middle of a crazy serial killer case?!" she questioned.
"Look, I've matured, I'm sure I can handle both at the same time now, I'm able to separate work and personal life from one another now!" he told her.
"Well, if that's the case, my number's always open." Tammy flushed, walking back to her car, waving goodbye to Sasha.
"YES!" Sasha shouted in victory as she pulled out of the parking lot. He did a little dance before going back into the station. "Hey, Matt guess what?!" he exclaimed, muffled by the doors.