Free Candy: Part 4
READ THE FIRST THREE PARTS HERE
Emma sat quietly, with her eyes bleak and lost. The world around her had become a blur. Words echoed in and out of her mind, her body shivered in the cold that had descended over the night. She could feel people all around her, but she paid them little heed.
Her body jolted a bit as she was hoisted into the ambulance, and the doors closed. She could feel the sway of the ambulance as it drove away, and it was then when she allowed herself to break for just a moment. Her tears came with a furious vigor. Emma released her grief, her cries becoming one with the wail of the ambulance siren.
Back at the diner, the police had swarmed. The darkness of the night was illuminated by the cluster of red and blue flashing lights on the lonely road that traversed the cliff side woods. The smell of magnesium permeated the road, and yellow crime scene tape skirted the outer areas of the diner.
Officer Bowman held his flashlight tight as he walked the perimeter, looking for any other evidence that could be found. His first sweep had come up empty, but another one couldn't hurt.
He was also trying to stay away from the front of the diner. The scene there was grim and chaotic.
Four bodies lay on the ground in front of the half demolished building. Covered in tarps, they were silent reminders of the horror that had unfolded. As Officer Bowman finished his sweep, and turned round towards the front of the diner, a new sight added to his stomach's discontent.
Two other officers walked from the old utility road. They carried something large between them, covered with another tarp.
Rosa had been found.
Officer Bowman put his hand to his mouth, overcome for a fleeting moment, with the sickening horror of the night.
Rosa was gently laid with the rest.
A larger man in a gray suit strode over to the bodies. He lifted Rosa's tarp, and grimaced at the state she was in. The man stood up, and ran his fingers through his wiry black hair. Officer Bowman approached him, his eyes flickering between the man and the bodies.
"I...I did another sweep Detective Wallace. No signs of anything else in the back of the diner." Wallace looked from the bodies to the broken glass of the diner, then to Bowman.
"Thank you officer. We have this under control now. anything else you want to put on file you tell the commander before you head out. Otherwise, we’ve got it from here." He already knew Bowman had seen enough. Bowman thanked him and walked off.
Wallace shook his head. He had more important things to deal with than a queasy rookie. He headed into the diner, and there met up with his partner, Detective Phillips.
"They get anything on security cameras?" Wallace asked as he stepped carefully around the debris. Phillips opened his mouth, but then stopped. He was searching for words, and that alarmed Wallace.
"Well, yeah. They did. Quite good footage, actually." Phillips said.
"We get a good look at the fucker's face?" Wallace asked. Phillips again tried to find the words. Phillips shook his head, his face confused.
"Well, that's the thing, you just need to check it out." Phillips said. Wallace readied himself and they headed into the small management office where the monitors were.
There was the diner manager, looking distraught and tired. He turned to the men as they walked in and nodded. He rubbed his eyes and then turned back to the monitors.
"Play it." Phillips said. The manager obliged. The screen flashed and then displayed the front of the diner from a cornered angle. It was in black and white, but clear.
Wallace watched as Emma and Cassie entered in a frantic state. He could see the fear in their mannerisms. He felt his muscles tense as the lights flashed in from outside and the van broke through the window. It had run over two customers by the window and crushed Cassie. Debris and dust flew everywhere, creating a cloud that obscured the footage for a moment.
The dust settled. The van reversed, and the front of it was now facing the camera. Wallace watched the scene unfold, but his eyes had to be lying to him. The van pulled back, the steering wheel turning as it worked itself free of the wreckage. There was one thing missing.
There was no driver.
The steering wheel moved on its own. There was just an empty seat behind it, and it was clear as day. Wallace had the manager rewind it and replay it several times. The video did not change.
"See what I mean?" Phillips said. Wallace was speechless. He stood in stoic refrain before he spoke.
"Get me a copy of this, and any other shots of the van coming in or going. Something isn't right here." Wallace said as he turned on his heels and walked out. His mind was running.
Remote controlled? Driven from a different location? Was it possible?
His thoughts came to a screeching halt as he exited the diner and was greeted by the sound of a descending helicopter.
A black, unmarked helicopter came to rest, and two men in black suits got out and walked up to Wallace. The helicopter began to rise once more as the men came up and shook the hand of a very confused and agitated Wallace.
Through the noise of the retreating helicopter, the men introduced themselves.
"Detective Wallace, I am Agent Redding and this is Agent Kessel. We are with the FBI. We need you to bring us up to speed as quickly as possible." He shouted over the noise as he shook Wallace’s hand. Redding was a tall, bald, and well-built African-American. Kessel couldn't be more different. He was short, white, slightly pudgy, and had greasy black hair. Kessel looked more like an Italian hitman from the eighties rather than an FBI agent.
Wallace was still in a state of shock as he led the men into the diner. They caught the manager of the diner as he was trying to leave, and had him run the footage one more time.
It was a long night that just would not end.
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