Sloan
”Have you ever seen anything like it?”
I stood with Sheriff Stilinski on the other side of the caution tape surrounding the crime scene. Blue lights illuminated the darkness of the preserve where the jogger had found the body - well, half the body. I’ve only been in Beacon Hills for a couple of months, and nothing has gotten more exciting than the average speeding ticket. That was, until we got the call about half an hour ago about a dead body found in the woods.
Sheriff Stilinski shook his head, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat. A ray of light caught his badge, making it shine for just a sliver of time. “Not like this,” he said.
I sucked in a deep breath as I took another look at the lower half a woman’s body. “She was probably in her upper twenties,” I said. I crouched down next to the body, examining it further. The coroner glanced up at me, tapping the grey hairs on his chin.
”You’re right,” he said. He adjusted his thin-rimmed glasses with a gloved hand. “The body temperature is still unusually warm compared to the state of the body. Based off my prediction I’d say she’s been dead for about six hours or so.”
Sheriff Stilinski thanked him before he left us to discuss the possibilities of what happened here. I ran my hand over the dead leaves, some of which were stained a dark scarlet. I grabbed my flashlight from my belt and clicked it on to illuminate the shadows. The legs were matted with dirt, but there was no bruising or sign of struggle.
”What kind of sick person does something like this?” I ask the Sheriff, standing back up.
He shifted the weight on his feet, finally lifting his head to meet my eyes. “I don’t know, but we need to find the rest of the body.”
”Maybe it can give us more clues as to who did this,” I said, my eyes flickering the the lower half of the dead woman for only a split second. I was thankful I grew up with an older brother and learned not to be squeamish. “I just can’t believe it…cutting someone clean in half,”
”We’ll figure out who did this,” said the Sheriff.
”And we’ll throw their ass in jail for the next century,” I said, not thinking before I spoke. Blood rushed to my cheeks and I tucked my chin. I can’t believe I just swore in front of my boss like that. I dared glanced up to see that he was actually nodding in agreement. My body relaxed.
We both turned our attention to the two new vans that pulled up next to the rest of the patrol cars. I followed the Sheriff as he walked over to them, taking one last look at the body before moving. Two men got out of each of the vans, greeting the Sheriff before going around to the back and letting out a round of search dogs. I imagined my first hands-on encounter with the dogs as a simple drug bust at the local high school. Never did I think that it would be to find half of a dead body. I guess life is just full of surprises.
I watched as the Sheriff spoke with the new detectives. I had to blink away the sleep that fogged up my eyes. Usually my day would have ended a couple of hours ago, but with a dead body being found on county property nearly every deputy was called in.
"Boo!" I jumped at the touch of someone's hands on my shoulders. I turned around to face the person who owned the laughter that was erupting in my ears at the moment. I folded my arms across my chest. "Did I scare you?"
"You know, now's not really a good time for jokes. In case you haven't noticed, we have a killer on the loose," I scoffed to the man in front of me.
"Oh come on, Bridget - "
"Don't call me Bridget," I spat.
Jesse rolled his pale-colored eyes. He's about two years older than me and ever since I started working here a couple of months ago he's taken it upon himself make me the butt of every joke. He said the same thing happened to him when we was new, so it was only fair that he passed on the tradition. I don't feel the same way.
"Come on, lighten up!"
"Lighten up?" I hissed. "We just found half a dead body and you want me to lighten up?"
He held up his hands in defense. I really don't have the capacity to deal with this right now. I shoved my flashlight into his chest, pushing past him. "Get to work," I muttered.
I strode away to talk again with the Sheriff about what the plans were to search for this body. "Stress isn't healthy!" Jesse called out to me.
"You're my least favorite person!" I called back to him, not even bothering to look back. I could just picture the smug expression on his face. That was about all I could take. He's what gives me the most stress.
I approached Sheriff Stilinski and he handed me another flashlight. I muttered a thanks. He's been like a father figure to me ever since I moved here. He and his two kids are about the closest thing I have to a family anymore with being so far from my own. I guess I don't mind much, though. I have stability here, and that's more than I've ever had before.
"Let's take the west side before it gets any colder out here," the Sheriff directed. I nodded, flicking on my flashlight.
Second month on the job and I'm searching for a dead body. Maybe this town isn't quite as boring as it seems.
Grace
Simultaneously, my brother and I glance at each other, but what else are we to do? There's only one other phone and I sure as hell am going to be the one to listen in on my dad's phone call. Usually I leave this task to Stiles, my older brother, but my dad's worried tone makes me believe that this call may have to do with something remotely interesting.
I've always been a crime junkie, as has Stiles, but that could possibly be because my father is the town sheriff. You'd think that being the sheriff he would do all kinds of bad ass things, right? Well, I'll tell you that this is an incorrect assumption.
The only major event to happen was ten years ago when I was around six and that was when the infamous Hale house burned to the ground. But then again, it was probably a kitchen fire. You know, when something burns on the stove and then poof.
Glancing at Stiles tentatively, I burst into action as he lunges toward the phone. I quickly grab the back of his shirt in an attempt to pull him back, which did work because in all honesty I am much more athletic than him. He begins to try to squirm out of my grip and I shove my hand in his face as I try to push him back and away from the phone.
He then grabs my side, pushing me away but I quickly trip him and he falls to the ground. I smirk before taking a step toward the phone, but he grabs my ankle causing me to topple to the ground with him. Landing on the hard wood with a grunt, I laugh as my brother squirms on the ground like a turtle on its shell.
Putting a hand on the table, I boost myself up and quickly grab the phone. I bring the phone to my ear as Stiles stands up and he shoves his head close to the phone as he tries to listen in as well.
"Did you say half of a dead body?" I hear my father's voice ask in disbelief.
A dead body? A legitimate dead body. This is going to be the best freaking thing that's happened to this town. I look at my brother to see his face flood with excitement.
"Yes, half a dead body. Two joggers ran upon it in the middle of the woods. We're calling all units in," a deputy explains from the other side of the line.
"Alright," my dad sighs. "I want every unit out in the preserve and keep this quiet."
This is all the information Stiles and I need to hear before hanging up the phone. I glance at him and I can already see a mischievous plan forming in his ADHD brain of his, although I have no room to talk seeing as though I've been diagnosed with it as well.
"We're going?" I ask his hesitantly.
A smug look forms on his face as he states, "We're going."
As if on cue, our father's voice sounds throughout the house.
"Stiles, Grace," he shouts and we both smirk, knowing what he's going to say. "I'm going out on police business. I want both of you to get a good night's sleep before your first day tomorrow."
"Yeah, dad," Stiles calls down the stairs as I groan in distaste.
If there's anything I'm not looking forward to it is most definitely school tomorrow. Tomorrow is the first day of Stiles and I's sophomore year. Another year where the two of us and our best friend Scott McCall walk around like loners due to our nerd status.
There's no doubt in my mind that I'll never reach Lydia Martin's kind of popularity, the girl Stiles has been crushing on since the third grade. Trust me, I know everything there is to know about this girl, such as the fact that she's not a 'red head' she's strawberry blonde, five foot three, fair skinned, and has piercing green eyes. It would be an understatement to say that my brother is in love with her.
The two of us wait until the sound of the front door shutting is heard and then we burst down the stairs. Stiles tuns awkwardly as he rushes toward his car keys while I practically fall onto my face trying to shove my boots on. Almost tripping over one another, we make our way out to my brother's beat up, baby blue jeep and hop in.
The thing is literally a hot mess. The seats are beginning to tear, tha paint job sucks, and the head rest is awfully crappy. I almost prefer the bus over this piece of metal. Almost.
"Are we picking up Scott?" I question my brother as I see him take the familiar turn toward the McCall house.
"Is Lydia the prettiest girl on Earth?" he asks me.
"Well, no. I would go with Emma St-" I begin, but Stiles cuts me off.
"No," he states. "Lydia is the prettiest girl so that should answer your question."
I sigh. "You do remember that she has a boyfriend. Remember Jackson? Biggest tool bag to ever walk the planet?"
"No, for a minute there I thought she was my girlfriend," Stiles mutters sarcastically, obviously annoyed just by the sound of Jackson's name. Not that I blame him. The sound of Jackson Whittemore makes my face twist into a grimace.
Parking the jeep in the McCall's driveway, the two of us climb out. I walk up to the patio and prepare to knock on the front door.
"What do you think you're doing?" Stiles asks in annoyance.
I turn to face him before giving him a confused look. "Um, knocking on the front door."
Stiles sighs. "You can't do that. You'll wake Ms. McCall. Here, if you can just boost me up I can climb toward Scott's window."
"You want to climb to his window?" I question and he nods eagerly. "Uncoordinated, frail boy climbing to a window such as yourself? I don't think so."
"Fine," he grumbles, climbing onto the railing but quickly falling off of it, creating a loud thump. He looks at me with a shocked expression before attempting to climb into the tree once again, this time staying in the branches.
A moment later, I see Scott turn the corner of his patio while I watch Stiles struggle to climb in the tree. My eyes widen as I see Scott hold a bat above his head, prepared to swing.
This being the moment my idiot brother decides to come out of the tree. Swinging halfway out, he lets out a scream as Scott attempts to hit him with the bat. Scott and Stiles then begin to scream at one another until they realize it's actually one another.
"Dang, you're louder than a banshee," I mutter.
"Stiles, what the hell are you doing?" Scott shouts, bat still raised.
Flailing his arms around, Stiles shouts, "You weren't answering your phone! Why do you have a bat?"
"That's what I'm wondering," I say, glancing at the bat in confusion. "Do you or Mama McCall even play baseball?"
Scott glances at his bat before facing an upside down Stiles. "I thought you were a predator."
Stiles scoffs. "A predator? Look, I know it's late, but you've got to hear this. Grace and I saw our dad leave twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called, they're bringing in every officer in the Beacon Hills department and even state police."
"Hey, Stiles," I cut him off. "If you don't get down all of the blood with rush to your head and you will die and I'm not sure how I'll explain that to dad."
Stiles waves a hand at me as Scott asks, "For what?"
"Two joggers found a body in the woods," my brother says and with that he flips out of the tree and onto the ground.
"A dead body?" Scott asks.
"No, a body of water," I deadpan. "Yes, dumb ass, a dead body."
My brother then grabs the railing and quickly lifts himself onto the porch with us.
"Were they murdered?" Scott asks and I shrug.
"Nobody knows yet," Stiles explains. "All they know if that she's a girl, probably in her late twenties."
"Wait," Scott cuts him off. "If they already found the body then what are they looking for?"
Glancing at Stiles, I smirk before saying, "That's the best part. They only found half."
Scott looks at us in confusion as Stiles finally tells him, "We're going."
♔
Parking next to the Beacon Hills Preserve, the three of us hop out of the jeep and grab a few flashlights.
"Are we seriously doing this?" Scott asks in disbelief and I roll my eyes.
Walking toward the woods, Stiles says, "You're the one always bitchin' that nothing ever happens in this town."
"I was trying to get a good night's sleep before practice tomorrow," Scott tells us, referring to lacrosse which both my brother and Scott sit on the bench for.
"Right, because sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort," Stiles tells him as we walk through the trees.
"No," Scott says, already slightly out of breath. Most likely from his asthma. "Because I'm playing this year. In fact I'm making first line."
I chuckle as Stiles says, "Hey, that's the spirit. Everyone should have a dream...even a pathetically unrealistic one."
I nod. "Yeah, Scott, and I'm going to pass Chemistry with flying colors." I tell him sarcastically.
Scott shakes his head at us. "Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?"
"Huh," Stiles chuckles. "I didn't even think about that.
"And uh, what if whoever killed the body is still out here?" Scott asks and I shrug, realizing that Stiles and I did not think this through.
"Then we're screwed," I tell him with a shrug and he chuckles.
Getting onto our hands and knees, the three of us begin to climb up a steep hill.
"It's comforting to know that you planned this out with your usual attention to detail," Scott grunts out in between breaths.
Pulling myself further up the hill, I smirk and I say, "I know."
Glancing back, I see Scott stop and lean against a tree while he grabs his inhaler. "Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight."
Breathing heavily, Scott shakes his inhaler before taking a breath out of it. Stiles and I continue up the hill, but we both dive down when we see flashlights shining around. Scott quickly follows behind and practically falls onto me. Squirming, I push the two of them away from me slightly since they're both practically on top of me.
I snatch the flashlight out of Stiles' hand and quickly turn it off because knowing him he's going to shine it somewhere and get us caught.
Quickly jumping up, Stiles says, "Come on."
"Stiles, Grace," Scott shouts as the two of us get up.
There's no doubt that this is probably one of the dumbest things that I'll ever do, but if Stiles gets caught I need to help him come up with a plausible lie. If there's one thing you can trust me on, it's that Stiles cannot lie to save his life.
I continue to follow him, crouched down slightly as we jump over twigs and swerve through trees. I hear Scott's footsteps begin to sound from behind us as he tries to catch up.
"Stiles, Grace," Scott hisses once again, but we continue to run although I have no idea where we're even running to.
I cringe as we continue to run and I see the deputies coming closer to where we are. If I get caught because of Stiles he's going to regret it. I mean, there may be hair dye in his shampoo tomorrow.
"You guys," Scott hisses one more time and Stiles and I slow our pace to wait for him.
Not even a moment later, a flashlight shines in our faces and a dog barks at us causing Stiles and I to fall to the ground. We're dead. We are so, so dead.
Sloan
The Sheriff had given me one of the search dogs along with several other deputies. Luckily Jesse was put with the other search party going east. I'd have to thank Stilinski for that later. Right now, we have a dead body to find.
The leaves crunched beneath my feet and I was careful not to trip over any twigs or branches. The dog I was leading pulled on the leash, yanking me ahead. I tugged back, but he began barking. That's when I saw the two figures appear out of the dark.
"Stop! Stop right there!" I called, the dog barking like mad. The two figures had both fallen and were scrambling on the ground. I shone my flashlight on their faces, a groan rolling up and out of my throat when I realized who it was. "Sheriff!"
He walked over and stood next to me, sweat dotting his hairline. Both of his children stood up, trying to appear as innocent as possible. Stiles held a hand to his face to try and block the light I was shining on him and his sister. I should have known that these two couldn't resist a little snooping around.
"Hey, Dad, how you doing?" Stiles asked nonchalantly.
"Do you two listen in on all of my phone calls?" The Sheriff asked.
"No," they both replied, though in two different tones.
Stiles was slightly out of breath, a smear of dirt covering his forehead. He was holding a flashlight of his own. Grace tugged at the sleeve of her jacket, giving a forced smile to appear as innocent as possible to her father.
"Not the boring ones," added Grace.
The Sheriff gave a slight nod before glancing around the rest of the woods. "So where's your usual partner in crime?"
"Who? Scott?" Stiles said. "Scott - Scott's at home. He said he wanted to get a good nights sleep before his first day back at school tomorrow,"
"Yeah, you know, rest up for lacrosse practice and all," said Grace.
"So it's just you two?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow. I had to re-grip my hold on the leash of the dog. The light rain that had been falling for the past twenty minutes was making the leather slippery in my hand.
"Yep," said Stiles.
"Just us," added Grace.
"Alone," said Stiles.
I knitted my eyebrows together as they glanced at each other, but only for a moment. It didn't take a genius to hear the lie in their voices. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time I've caught these two getting into trouble, and I'd only been here a couple of months.
"Scott!" Sheriff Stilinski called out. He shone his flashlight around the woods. I did the same, looking for any sign of movement. "Scott? You out there?"
I paused at every tree and every dark shadow, but there was nothing. Either they were actually telling the truth or Scott is just extremely good at hiding in the forest at night. Based on past experience, I'm going to go with the latter.
Sheriff Stilinski grabbed his two children by the backs of their jackets and began leading them off. "Alright you two, I'm going to walk you back to the jeep and we're going to have a nice little conversation about invasion of privacy."
I watched him walk them away, hoping that maybe there was a slim chance they'd learned their lesson this time. With a sigh, I tugged on the leash of my dog and continued on with my search. A shiver ran down my spine as a crack of thunder echoed through the trees. We needed to find this body before the rain caused it to lose its scent.
Or worse, before the killer strikes again.
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