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THE TWO BODIES LAY in the bayou a few feet apart. One was bloated and grotesque looking. Decomposition had already started while the newer body had only been in the water a short while.
The older body had lost all distinguishable characteristics. Fish, and more than likely some carnivores, already started to eat the body, but the newest body remains were untouched. Her face still showed the anguish of the terror she’d suffered. It was twisted into a grotesque mask that showed her final minutes of life.
The man stood over the bodies, frozen in fear. His mouth silently moved in terror as his eyes surveyed the grisly scene in front of him. The scream caught in his throat. It could not be forced out. He stood frozen in place. His eyes refused to shut out the nightmare in front of him. His breathing stopped, and his rapid heartbeat thundered in his ears. His fingers went numb and lost their grip on the rifle he held. He never even heard the thud as it hit the ground near him.
Suddenly, his brain pieced together what he saw. He felt the bile rise in his throat. The air became thick and closed around him.
A noise behind him shook him out of his reverie. The sound of his son’s approaching footsteps brought him to action.
He hollered back at his son, “Owen stay there. Don’t come any closer.” He planned to take his son duck hunting for the first time, but it looked as if their plans for the day were ruined. As he looked at the bodies, though, he realized at least he still had his son. Some parents were about to learn their daughters weren’t coming home. He said a quick novena over the bodies and made the sign of the cross before ushering his son back to the truck. Taking out his cell phone, he called the police to report what he’d found and made sure that his son was secure in the vehicle before giving the grisly details. He kept his gun ready to fire in case the killer was still lurking about, but from the look of the bodies, he was long gone.
As soon as he got back into the truck, Owen asked, “What’s wrong Dad? Aren’t we going hunting? Did work call?”
He shook his head, “No son. There is something in the water. I had to call the police. We need to wait for them before we can leave, though, okay?”
Owen, being a curious twelve year old, “Cool, can I go see what it is? Is it an alligator that someone shot? Come on Dad. Let’s go look one more time.”
Grabbing the door handle before Owen could open the door, “No son, this isn’t something that you should see. It’s something that no one ever needs to see.”
***
THE DISPATCHER DREW in a deep breath before calling Ledet, “A hunter found two bodies in the bayou sir. He and his son were going out duck hunting this morning when he stumbled upon the bodies. At least he told his son to stay back until he checked the area for alligators and such. One appears to have been there for a bit, but the other one looks as if she was just placed there.”
Ledet replied “Get the crew out there as soon as possible. Please ask that hunter to stay there until we get there.”
“That is already done, sir. What about Detective Hutcherson?”
“I will call her. Get the rest of the team out the door, please?”
As he hung up the phone, he waited as the news spread over him. He called Hutch to let her know what was going on.
Even though traffic was light at this hour, it still took him half an hour to get to the crime scene. As he climbed out of his car, he saw what could only be the father’s truck. They assumed they would be enjoying a quiet morning of hunting and instead their peaceful morning was ruined. The father would never view the world the same again. He would think twice about heading to the bayou again. You never knew what you may find floating in the water.
Beyond the ferns and cypress trees fringing the bayou lay the bodies that washed up from the bayou. They were still partially submerged in the dark, murky water. The smell of death hung heavy in the air. It would be a while before he could get the smell out of his nose.
Ledet introduced himself to the father as the son stayed in the car, playing games on his dad’s phone. Ledet agreed that was for the best. The child didn’t need to hear what his father had to say. After he had taken statements and any necessary information, Ledet sent the father and son back home.
By the time they had left, Bryant had arrived. Hutch was still walking the scene. As he headed to the water’s edge to observe the bodies further, images of the previous crime scenes flashed through his mind. One look confirmed that this was the handiwork of their killer.
A flurry of activity took place around them as crime scene techs gathered evidence and took pictures. Dr. Ortego examined both bodies before removing them.
A haze settled over the bayou this morning. Summer had returned with a vengeance. It gripped you by the throat and squeezed with a viciousness. Barely eight o’clock and it was already ninety degrees outside. Dr. Ortego wiped the back of his neck with his handkerchief before tending to the bodies. Most would fault the heat and humidity for the discomfort here at the crime scene. They all knew the heat wasn’t to blame for the suffocating pall. No, that was not it. Evil had settled over this area once again. It spread its tentacles of malice like a silent cancer taking hold of the unsuspecting body.
Dr. Ortego barked out orders. “David, put on your waders. You need to get in the water to help with the retrieval. We have to be extremely careful when we move the body. Let’s try to get the body bag underneath before picking it up.” Dr. Ortego turned to Ledet, “It will take all of us to lift the body. We can’t just pick it up not knowing exactly how long it has been in the water. We want to avoid as much slippage as possible.”
Ledet shuddered at the thought. It took some maneuvering to get the body bag under the body. It was heavier than he thought, and the smell became worse now that it was moved. They proceeded to do the same thing with the other body, even though decomposition hadn’t started on the poor lady.
As Ledet looked over the crime scene, he pondered his choice of career. He dealt with human trash on a daily basis and had to witness such sweet innocence destroyed by monsters bent on making sure their sick desires were satisfied.
His heart constricted at the thought of telling not one but two families about their loss. One body wasn’t able to be identified by sight. It would take a while to identify her.