When Jim had gotten the call from Flo to head straight to Benny's, Mary had expected a robbery — or something less extreme. However, when she and her father arrived on the scene, she had been horrified to discover it wasn't a robbery. Or anything less extreme.
Benny was dead. Hunched over one of the tables, a pistol in his hand, finger on the trigger and a hole in his head.
Jim had insisted Mary should in fact wait in the car and the teenager had almost obliged without argument. But after a moment, she realised that if one day, she got to follow her father's footsteps and become Chief, she'd have to be used to cases such as suicide. And so she stayed and eventually, Jim had allowed it.
He and the other officers inspected the scene, along with Mary who's curious brown gaze took in every detail. Mary was a different kind of smart from the likes of Nancy Wheeler and Barbara Holland. Whereas the other girl would pass her exams with straight A's, Mary was a little more behind on D's and C's.
But it were only because of her inability to truly focus, especially on boring school work she couldn't care less about. But she enjoyed things that made her think, truly think. Where she could sit up late at night in excitement tying to figure out a puzzle.
That's why Mary loved the idea of being a cop, figuring out mysteries, it's what she loved. Even as a kid, chasing after her father with a plastic gun in her holster, Jim's Chief hat on her head and a certain drive for fighting crime.
Jim was speaking to Callahan whilst the girl inspected Benny's body, a lump resting in her throat as her eyes scanned the setting in front of her; dried blood around the bullet hole in Benny's head, slightly damper lighter blood in a puddle on the table, some of it dripping off the side and onto the polished floors.
Mary crinkled her nose as she stood up, her hands settling on her hips, "This doesn't make sense," She spoke up quietly but loud enough for her father to pick up on her words and he and Callahan glanced over at her, "You're sure it's suicide?" She asked, looking over her shoulder and to her dad.
Jim took a moment to reply and that was enough for Mary to know he wasn't a hundred percent sure on Benny's death being a suicide, "The guns in his hand, Mary — there's no sign of a struggle." He attempted, but his heart wasn't fully in it and Mary looked back down to Benny's pale body.
"Theoretically — and this is all theoretically," She started, holding up her index finger as she began to pace, "Benny could have been murdered. We could say it was by anyone, but I think, theoretically, whoever did could be experienced. The bullet struck his temple, where most suicide shots hit. And look around us, there's no blood splatters — a bullet hitting bone and blood from the range, shouldn't it cause a bit of a mess? Other than the blood on the table, of course."
Mary wasn't really speaking to anyone anymore, just saying the first things that came to her mind as Jim and Callahan continuously exchanged glances, "Alright, Mary. So, theoretically, you think that what Whoever killed Benny had experience?" Her father asked and she looked up at him, trying to figure out her next words.
"I'm not sure. I just have this feeling, like in my gut." She tried, gesturing with her hands, a pleading look on her face to her dad, hoping he wouldn't write it off as a suicide so quickly.
Callahan rose his eyebrows, "That's probably nausea from all the blood and the dead body." He chimed in, earning a perfectly timed glare from each of the Hoppers from over their shoulders, never looking more alike than in that moment with firm scowls on their faces and Callahan shrunk back.
Mary rushed to her father's side, grasping onto his wrist and looking up at him through light brown eyes that had made the man give into her plenty of times she had begged for an extra cookie or a cool new way overpriced toy.
"Dad, please," She begged, her eyes locked on his, a hard determination on her face, "I don't know how to explain it, it's just a feeling. But something isn't sitting right with me about this being a suicide." She told him and Jim sucked in air through his teeth, slowly nodding.
"Me too, kid," He agreed and Mary continued looking up at him, hoping he wouldn't quickly close the case and would also go on his own instincts, "I'll ask around, talk to his friends, see how he's been acting recently — if there's anything dodgy about this, we'll find out." He assured her and she sighed in relief, a tiny almost hidden smile on her lips.
Callahan grunted, too lazy to go through an entire unsolved case when there was already the vanishing of Will Byers, "Really, boss? This looks like a suicide to me." He attempted, shoving his hands into his pockets and Mary found her eyes narrowing up at him,
"That's because you're an idiot." She shot over at him, making the man's lips part as he looked to Jim, expecting him to scold his daughter whom was already walking towards the door, but instead he was smiling.
Mary suddenly stopped, looking over her shoulder with a blank look, "You coming or what?" She chirped over at her dad, raising her eyebrows and Jim fished out his packet of cigarettes as he looked to Callahan.
"You gonna let your daughter talk to me like that?" He asked, his pride swollen and Jim mocked a face.
"You are kind of an idiot," He told him carelessly, taking a cigarette from the packet as he turned his back the way his daughter had, "And beside, that kids gonna be Chief one day. Get used to it."
———
Mary and Jim had returned to the station, instantly getting Flo to call a few people that Benny was close to. People that knew enough about him to tell if he had been acting oddly or mentioned anything about suicide.
Her father was talking with one of his friends, Callahan at his side like the usual dog following it's owner whereas Mary sat off at the side, speaking with an elderly woman whom was an every day customer in Benny's. Mary liked her, she was kind with hair still a deep red, making her look very warm and welcoming.
"You look a little young to be a cop, dear." Anne said, a gentle smile on her face as she sat opposite from Mary, her walking stick resting against her knees.
"Oh yeah, for sure — I'm still in high school, unfortunately," She said with a slight sigh before pointing off to where Jim sat questioning Benny's friend, "Jim's my dad, he's the Chief. I want to be too someday. So I was just wondering if you could tell me a few things about Benny? I hadn't saw him since I was a kid." Mary said hopefully, a twinkle in her eyes that the lady couldn't say no to, much like most people.
"I suppose there's nothing wrong with a little conversation, is there?" She rhetorically asked, a mischievous smile on her lips and Mary found herself grinning, "It's truly a tragedy. Benny was a lovely and kind man, he didn't have one bad bone in his body." Anne said, looking off sadly and Mary reached over, putting her hand over the older ladies comfortingly.
"Too kind for any enemies?" She quizzed, leaning off the edge of her seat, the two back legs off the ground a little.
Anne frowned, "Oh, for sure. Benny was kind to everyone. And the diner was doing well, you see. There were always customers, always loads of people piling in for his infamous burgers. So, it doesn't make any sense that he'd... Well, it doesn't make a lick of sense." The woman said, shaking her head and looking downwards sadly and Mary nodded.
"Exactly what I was thinking. When was the last time you saw Benny?"
"Yesterday. Just before he shut the store early because a little boy had snuck inside and tried to steal his food from the —"
Suddenly, Mary's eyes were widening, "A little boy?" She interrupted and Anne nodded slowly.
"Yes, a little boy. I spoke with Benny about him, he was going to call social services to come get him. He was terrified, shaking like a leaf." Mary could feel her heat racing and her breathing getting heavier as she leaned closer to Anne.
"Anne," She said, clutching the woman's hands, "Could you describe the little boy?" She asked her hopefully and the woman pursed her lips solemnly, looking guilty.
"I didn't have my glasses on, my dear. I didn't get a right good look. All I could really see was his shaved head and I'm sure he was wearing a nightgown — no, a hospital gown." Mary furrowed her brows, that didn't sound like Will Byers. Last she had checked, Will had almost as much hair on his head than she did.
"And then what? Then what happened?"
"Benny gave me some ice cream to take home to the grandchildren and then he shut down the diner." Mary stared straight ahead, biting on her bottom lip in contemplation before she twisted her lips into a smile and gripped Anne's hands tighter.
"Thank you so much, Anne. You've been a great help." She told her and the lady gave her hands a squeeze.
"And I hope you will be too — when my grandchildren are all grown up and you're Chief." She said and Mary found the smile on the ladies lips contagious and suddenly she was smiling widely, showing her perfectly straight teeth that had been put that way with braces when she was younger.
Mary rushed to her feet and to her father whom was already standing up, "Dad, Anne said something about a kid in Benny's —"
"One with a shaved head and a hospital gown," Her father added, "Tom told me. He said that the kid was stealing from the kitchen. It could be Will?" He suggested, pulling his daughter aside for some quiet.
"Yeah, maybe. But his head shaved and a hospital gown? Officers have already been at the hospital, right? And there were nothing weird going on there. Not one kid there under strange circumstances." She said, her brows pulled downwards and her father sighed deeply.
"I'm gonna head back to the woods with Callahan and Powell, just to do a quick sweep," He told her and Mary nodded, "You should head home and rest — or um, you could go to your douchebag boyfriends if you want... For your good behaviour." Jim scratched the back of his head sheepishly, looking straight ahead by Mary's head.
Mary's face lit up, "Actually, a few of my friends are going over to Steve's tonight — even Nancy Wheeler and Barbara Holland are going. It's low-key..." She trailed off, looking at her father expectantly whom pursed his lips, not keen on the idea but eventually he threw his hands up.
"Alright, fine," He gave in and Mary smiled hugely before he was holding his hand up with an authoritative look on his face, "But no drinking — and no stupid stunts, alright? I don't want to end up going to AE for you, okay? Oh, and be home by eleven." He said, waving his finger in her face, attempting to be the authority but she was still smiling.
"Thank you, dad."
———
This whole chapter was just detective Mary and I'm not even sorry :'))