Creeks Bend

I hear voices in my head and I love that it’s totally okay.

~ Alora Kate

Copyright © 2018 by Alora Kate

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All rights reserved.

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Editor: Silvia Curry

Cover by: Alora Kate

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This is a work of fiction. Characters, Names, Places, and Incidents are products of MY Crazy imagination. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in

critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Copyright © 2018 by Alora Kate

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Dedicated to

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There are not enough words

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#NotYours

I did a lot of research for this book.

I talked to a lot of people, including

detectives, police officers, coroners

and even though there is real information

in the story, it is still fictional.

I really hope you enjoy the story!

Thank you so much!

This book contains graphic language.

This book contains graphic scenes.

This book contains VERY graphic scenes.

Recommended for 18+

You have been warned.

Creeks Bend

by

Alora Kate

Chapter 1 – Deklan

Even in death, she’s beautiful, the coroner of Crook County said, admiring the body on the slab while I did my best to keep my shit. Never, and I mean never in my career had I seen something, someone so tragic.

Christ.

It was bad.

I pushed my mask tighter against my face, the one the coroner gave me after dropping some oil on it—apparently, to mask the smell, which didn’t work. Even though I was pushing it into my skin, I could still smell her. I had a job to do though, so I did my best not to breathe too deeply, or at all.

Creeks Bend was in Crook County and was about a hundred miles from where I lived in Morris Hill. It was tucked away, nestled up in the Appalachian Mountain Range in Tennessee. Though Crook County had a few deputies, they were missing a detective so when the call came into the station, my commanding officer, Dan, decided I needed a break from my life and I jumped at the chance to get out of town.

Don’t you think? the coroner asked, glancing at me.

What?

"I said, ‘Even in death, she’s beautiful.’ Don’t you think so, Detective?"

I wondered what he was breathing through his mask as he looked down at the victim’s body again. Her face—what was left of it—was rotten. Her jaw and mouth were gone, one eye was missing, and all the hair on her head looked like it was plucked out, one strand at a time, leaving not even a hint of stubble on her bald scalp. She had multiple puncture wounds, small and circular and it was unclear if something had eaten part of her face or if it had melted away.

She was beautiful, not today but prior to her death, I thought, yes. Yes, she was probably beautiful. 

Sure, I answered, continuing to inspect her mutilated body. I noticed all her fingertips were missing, along with her toes and the left side of her stomach. They weren’t missing because they were cut off; no, they looked just like her face—like melted plastic.

The coroner leaned closer to the victim, his hand hovering above her arm as he closed his eyes. I heard him take a sharp inhale, the coroner’s nose a breath away from the curve of the woman’s neck. She was, the young man said and I shook my head.

Can we get on with it?

He straightened and gave a curt nod, then grabbed a file from a side table and handed it to me.

I’m still considering things while I wait for the test results, but I’ll tell you what I do know.

I nodded, not removing my hand from the mask. I could flip through the file when I was in for the night and had time to look it over.

No blood.

Excuse me?

No blood. Completely drained.

Christ.

Judging by this look, he ran his finger along her face, that’s on most of her body . . . I think it was acid or lye. Maybe a combination of the two. It didn’t eat her whole body so I’m thinking, he rubbed his chin, the killer only used a small amount, enough to get rid of the fingerprints, her teeth . . . you know, stuff that could be used to identify her.

The killer wants to make it harder for us to identify her.

True. I’ll see what I can do with the tissue samples and what organs are left.

Good idea.

I wonder if he was testing it out? he added.

What do you mean?

Acid can dissolve a body in just a few days, but she still has most of hers left.

I’m listening.

I was always listening.

Not much of a talker but I could listen.

And observe.

Maybe he was testing it out on her. Maybe he applied a little at a time, like a drop or two, to see what it did and how it reacted to the body and the tissues.

I tucked the folder under my arm and held my breath while I pulled out my pocket-sized notebook and pen, taking a few notes. I realized it was a bad idea because the tainted air crept into the side of my mask, making me gag.

When I got myself under control I said, "Could be his first kill."

True. Or his tenth and he’s figuring out new ways to kill and make his victims suffer.

Christ, I muttered. This was going to be harder to solve with so much of her missing and destroyed. 

Her left eye looks perfect, though. Like it was preserved somehow—still has a little a hint of blue in it.

Really?

I don’t see any immediate damage to it.

I watched him run his thumb over her eyebrow like he was admiring the woman, making me feel a bit uncomfortable. This was the second time he’s touched her body like she wasn’t dead, like she hadn’t been completely gutted and had parts of her missing.

Even though it's perfect, I’m taking it out. I’ll inspect it and get that information to you when I’m done. He stood up and looked at me. So, there is a lot going on here. So many things happened to her and I think we’re just scratching the surface of what she suffered. The coroner looked back to the victim. This is my first murder. First body where I don’t know what happened. If you haven’t noticed yet, our town is small. I normally deal with natural causes or a freak accident, and those are rare. He gave me his full attention. I do the job of many people, we need all the help we can get sometimes. I do the crime scene investigation, collect samples, take pictures, and then, do autopsy’s and try to find out how they died. This one will take some time though.

I took a better look at the coroner and studied his motions. What I took for curious excitement could be nerves. He was young, inexperienced. I had done some research before coming here, as much as I could, and I heard that their previous coroner passed away a few years back. His intern’s final test was performing a full autopsy on his boss before taking over.

Appreciate it. I flipped my notebook shut and shoved it into my back pocket, then returned my pen to the inside pocket of my coat.

I doubt the person who did this even lives here, he added. No one’s gone missing either, but I’m thinking she was missing for a while.

He took his time.

I agree. He pulled the white sheet up, covering her, then pulled his mask off. The thought of him torturing her for a few weeks crossed my mind. Maybe he wanted to play with her. Maybe he was lonely and wanted to keep her alive for as long as possible and that’s why he experimented with her. The coroner studied me for a moment. Can you imagine the horrors this poor girl suffered in her last days, weeks . . .  hell, we have no idea how long she suffered . . ..

I nodded. Whatever happened to this girl was unimaginable.

There was no evidence of her being sexually assaulted either, so it’s not about sex.

Good to know. At least she didn’t have to suffer through that as well.

The coroner cleared his throat, effectively ending our awkward silence. The motel you’ll check into is the only one we have. Not to sound crazy because I don’t want to be on your list of suspects, but I’ll never have this chance again so don’t mind me and my obsession with this woman. The man was serious. Forgive me if I have my own ideas about her, and well, if you don’t mind . . . I’d like to help you with this. Maybe canvas the scene, ride along with you when I can? He looked around the small room. You know, get out of the office more. Work amongst the living. He chuckled and shook his head at his own joke.

Sure. Who was I to deny the kid, plus I needed all the help I could get. As of right now, it was just a few of us and the sheriff and his deputies had to continue their regular patrol as well. I’ve never officially been given a partner, but I also don’t take on all cases alone.

Sweet, man, I appreciate it.

Let me know when more results come back.

Sure thing. He pulled his gloves off and walked me out into the hallway. The rank scent of death began to dissipate the closer we got to my beacon of hope—the front door. Want to see the crime scene now?

###

Crook County was out in the middle of nowhere, and nothing had ever brought me this way. But driving into town, and now driving deeper into the heart of the mountain, I knew I’d been missing out. Even though the weather was cold, the trees were still green and alive—I’d never seen so many shades of green. The colors were so vibrant and full of life that it felt like I was inside of a painting. Driving my old truck along the winding mountain roads, my breath hitched at the views of the valley below. Everything looked so impossibly small as I wound further up the mountain, and the peaks across the way looked picturesque with the dusting of snow along the ridges.

Keeping a steady bit of distance between my truck and the coroner’s vehicle, my eyes drifted back and forth, taking in the lakes below that I knew were home to some amazing fish, and the streams dancing down the rocky natural walls that acted as a guide to our destination. The air was cleaner and breathing it in gave me a slight boost of energy.

It was too beautiful.

Quiet.

Unreal.

I continued to watch the scenery pass by on the way up to the crime scene. As I pulled my truck in next to the coroner’s, I shook my head. I had time to admire the beauty of Creeks Bend on my down time. Now was time for me to get my head in the game. The killer wouldn’t be admiring the scenery, and neither would I.

I had experience conducting investigations, researching, and following leads. I’ve even solved a few murders in my career, but this was different.

This was it.

The biggest case of my life.

I knew it.

Felt it.

I wasn’t going to get ahead of myself just yet though. I knew the procedure. I’d keep Dan, my commanding officer, in the loop and if needed, we’d reach out for help from the FBI.

For now, it was all on me.

Mentally, I started making a list. I needed to know everything about Creeks Bend and everyone in it. I had to watch everyone, their body language, what they said, and how they acted, even though I agreed with the kid, the killer wasn’t from here. Or maybe he used to be from here and moved. I had to find out who’s moved in the past few years, track them down. Anything and everything could be a clue.

I had to dig deep.

Find a connection.

This town seemed perfect, and so far, from what I saw, it was.

After a small hike up into the mountain, the coroner—

Hey, kid, what’s your name again? He turned around with a grin on his face.

It’s Mason.

Mason. I won’t forget.

No problem, it’s been a weird day.

We walked a little bit and then cleared a few trees when I saw the yellow crime scene tape around a very sharp right bend in the creek. The old trees seemed to stretch up to the sky, their branches reaching out to one another. The leaves were a mix of greens, reds, yellows, and orange, exactly what I would expect for late-October. Several pine trees dotted the edge of the forest, bathing everything in an almost eerie green glow. Old and new leaves blanketed the forest floor, padding our way as we walked around and over larger rocks and branches. The creek was wide enough to separate the forest, about ten feet across, with large boulders nestled within the water, perfect for an afternoon of sunbathing in the summer.

Who found the body?

Craig.

I shot him a look.

He’s a deputy but was off duty.

Why was he up here?

Everyone comes up here. It’s the creek. He said it like I should have known this.

Again, I shot him another look and he kept going.

Before the cold settles over the forest, this spot is remarkable. Over there, he pointed behind and I looked, is where the picnic tables are during the summer. Sometimes there are late night barbeques and fire pits going. People use this area to have birthday parties for their kids . . . and many first dates end here. Hell, my buddy proposed to his fiancé here. The city moves the picnic tables and fire rings into storage once the weather changes to preserve the equipment. I turned back to him and he added, We love the creek. It’s soothing.

I made a mental note of that and got back to it. She wasn’t in the water?

No.

We slipped under the tape and I glanced around at the markers on the ground.

Sheriff took pictures, but we have no way of printing them. Craig, I guess he’s like the second in command, drove them over to the ski resort to get them developed— ‘bout a thirty-minute drive. Surprised he’s not back yet, but he’s dating a chick that lives there. Could have stopped for a quickie.

I haven’t actually met Craig or the sheriff yet, but I did talk to the sheriff over the phone on the drive up here. I went straight to the coroner’s office, where the coroner and body were waiting for me since they had already moved the body.

The creek bends sharply right here. He pointed. I’m sure you noticed that. Her body was laid next to the creek, not in it and her arm, the left one, was positioned so her hand was hanging in the water.

I kneeled, listening to the trickle of water running over the rocks and down the mountain. Reaching out, I lowered my hand into the water, feeling the cold water bite into my skin. He positioned her.

"After what he did to her body, you think he’d do something nice?"

I pulled my hand out and put my glove on. "Maybe it wasn’t nice. Maybe he’s a sick fuck who gets some kind of satisfaction from the thought of her hand hanging in the creek, like she was just out for a walk and wanted to admire it. Maybe something spooked him and he took off, so he never had a chance to move her arm out of the water. Gotta think about everything, every possibility, even the