Waxman

Chapter 1: The News

It was not dark yet, that much he could tell, but he was so drunk he had no idea what time it was⦠or what day for that matter. All he knew was that Allie had left 5 days ago for the store and had never returned. Ed Masters was sure, heâd failed again and Allie had left, tired of him not being able to keep a job, but heâd tried, he hadnât been drinking for the last 8 months and heâd been able to keep the job at the electronics shop for 6 months. Hell, only last week his boss had offered him to promote him to store manager! He had come home on Wednesday and told Allie, she said sheâd go buy things to make a celebration meal and sheâd never come back. But her things were all in the bedroom, all her clothes and make-up, all the things she held dear. He wasnât worried, he was drowned in self-pity and drink, Ed blamed himself for everything bad that happened, he seemed to enjoy feeling guilty, or maybe he just needed an excuse to drink himself into the ground.
A knock on the door, Ed sat up as straight as he could and listened intently. There it was again, another knock. He picked himself up from the carpet and stumbled to the door when he noticed the dark uniforms through the glass panel. He set the bottle down on the table, straightened his clothes as much as he could and coughed, as if this would carry more oxygen into his alcohol-soaked brain. He opened the door wondering why the cops would be here, not because heâd been absent to work surely. The grim look on the two officersâ faces sobered him up a little.
âMr. Masters? Edward Masters?â the tallest officer asked in a clear voice, obviously noticing his drunken state.
âWhosh ashking?â Ed muttered in a slurring, raspy voice
âMr. Masters, we bear sad news, unfortunately, Iâm Officer Reynolds, this is Lieutenant Davidgeâ added the second officer, taking his cap off as he spoke and then flashing his badge.
âWha? Am I fires from the shtore?â Ed asked, not having the slightest clue what on earth was happening.
âMay we come in, Mr. Masters? I believe youâll want to sit down to hear what we need to sayâ replied the tallest officer curtly.
âHuh? Yesh sureâ the last two words came out sounding as a single sound. Ed moved aside and allowed the two officers to walk into his sitting room.
Both policemen sat down watching Ed closely; they could see he was obviously very drunk.
âWhy donât you wash your face, Iâll pour you a cup of coffee, Edward?â offered Officer Richard Davidge.
âYes, Edward, that sounds really good, doesnât it? Mind if I pour myself one too?â added officer Tobias Reynolds.
Ed nodded diagonally and walked off to the kitchen sink to wash his face with cold water while Davidge poured three mugs of coffee, he added some sugar to his and sweetener to Reynolds, but none to Mastersâ, the man needed to sober up quick.
They sat down and both officers waited for Ed to drink some coffee and saw his eyes clear up a bit, they knew theyâd be clouded by grief in a matter of minutes.
âWhat do you, officers need?â asked Ed, feeling just a teeny bit closer to reality and not liking it at all.
âEdward, Mr. Masters sir, we have some bad news that have nothing to do with your jobâ said Reynolds, as gently as he could.
Davidge jumped in; he was the people person and would try to give him the news as mildly as possible. He coughed and lowered his voice while moving closer to the edge of his seat, trying to shorten the distance between him and Ed.
âEdward, Alice Marie Watson Masters, your wifeâ said Davidge slowly, in a soft voice that was almost soothing.
Ed perked up immediately âAllie? Where is she? She left me on Wednesday, where did she go? What do you know about her?â he asked nervously, jumping to his feet and dropping the half-filled coffee mug.
Reynolds stood up at once and with both hands on Edâs chest, he pushed him back into his seat, whispering gently âlet Lieutenant Davidge explain you and we will try to answer all your questionsâ
Ed nodded, but his heart was beating furiously in his chest, he knew something was very wrong, he could feel it.
Davidge picked up where heâd left, in as soothing a voice as he could muster, though there was no easy way to say what followed. âWe found Allie in Roderick Park, earlier todayâ he paused for Ed to digest his words.
âWhere is she? Is she hurt? I want to see herâ blurted Ed without really understanding the meaning of Davidgeâs words.
âEdward, she isâ¦was murdered. Iâm so sorry for your lossâ Davidge said swallowing with each word he said.
Reynolds added sheepishly âIâm sorry for your loss, Edwardâ
âEd, call me Edâ he said shaking his head âAre you sure itâs her, it has to be a mistake. Allie left me because Iâm a failure, she canât be dead!â tears were stinging his eyes and his voice sounded even raspier than before.
Davidge stood up and put a hand on the broken manâs shoulder. He looked in the breast pocket of his jacket and peeled out a pouch with an ID card in it, it was Allieâs. He showed it to Ed âWeâre unfortunately sureâ he whispered.
Reynolds was feeling awkward and getting nervous so he stood and began pacing the room âDavidge, shouldnât we get going?â he said, peering at his watch.
Davidge shot him a sideways glance that shut him up and made him stand still.
âEdwardâ¦Ed, we need you to come with us, to recognize the body and answer some questions, we want to find who did this and we definitely could use your help with some facts about your wife and information on her usual routine and stuff.â Said Davidge, as he straightened up and offered a hand to help Ed do the same and follow him.
Ed took the proffered hand and stood up, almost losing balance as he did, but not out of drunkenness this time. He was torn apart by the news, he wanted to believe the body in the morgue belonged to someone else, but subconsciously he knew it was his Allie. He dropped to his knees and broke down in tears without anyone being able to hold him. Both officers walked into the kitchen to pour more coffee and give the man some privacy to grieve, even if for just a few moments.
They drank their coffee in short sips, after they were done, Davidge went to get Ed while Reynolds rinsed the cups and emptied as many bottles of booze as he could, in the sink.
âCome on, Ed, we should get goingâ Davidge told the crumpled heap of tears that sat in the middle of the sitting room sobbing.
Ed looked up; his eyes were clouded with unshed tears and sadness. He nodded slightly and stood up, went towards the bathroom where he washed his face and tried to tidy himself up as best he could.










Chapter 2: The Body

When he came out, both officers were standing outside the open door and for a moment Ed wished they had just knocked on his door, heâd just opened the door and they were there to tell him Allie had been arrested by mistake, for shoplifting or something petty like that, but he knew that wasnât true. He shook away the thought and the few tears that welled up in his eyes and attempted to take a step. His knees were wobbly, but he took a deep breath and finally made it to the door, where Officer Reynolds put his hand on his elbow and guided him to the patrol car. He ducked into the back seat and lowered his head closing his eyes. He tried to picture Allie, imagining what she might look like on the table. Sheâd be naked, for sure, but probably sheâd look as if she were sleeping. He thought of the many times heâd watched her sleep for hours until he fell asleep and smiled lightly.
Just then, Lieutenant Davidge interrupted his reverie, âEd, you must know, he body is⦠damaged. There are bruises and cuts all over her face and half of her hair, well itâs not there.â
âWhat do you mean not there? Was it shaved off? What happened? Was she murdered in a Hit and run? Why is she so damaged?â Ed was infuriated by this information, but he knew the officers had no fault, so he paused and took a deep breath âI apologize. Do you know what happened?â His hands were fisted tightly and he could feel his nails digging into his flesh, as if trying to break skin, but he was trying to keep himself calm, though the thought of Allie having suffered was too disgusting. âPlease tell me at least that she didnât suffer, that she died instantly!â he begged.
Both officers looked at each other unable to say the words Ed needed to hear so desperately. âIâm sorry, we canât say that, Edâ Reynold said straight forwardly.
Reynolds wasnât a bad person, he wasnât cold either; he was just pragmatic and quite shy. He didnât like to go on roundabouts about saying things and people just werenât something he was good with.
Ed nodded and looked down; staring at his crotch he began trying to imagine what Allie might look like, trying to prepare himself for what heâd find.
Silently they rode to the Police Station, without a word, the officers got out of the car, opened Edâs door and signaled him to follow them. They crossed the waiting room, he was asked for his ID at the entry office and checked for any weapons, then he went through the door and down a long set of metallic stairs, surrounded by metallic walls. Everything was so cold, clean and quiet down there, while upstairs people were talking, some laughing and others yelling angrily. Ed couldnât really understand what was going on, he had fixed an image of Allie in his mind, a broken and torn apart Allie. He wanted to be able to just recognize the body with no emotional reaction, though the image in his mind made his insides churn with anger.
They arrived at a door labelled âMorgueâ, Davidge opened it knocking once.
âDoctor Krauss?â he asked in a voice that sounded almost shy âItâs Davidge and Reynolds for the Watson Masters caseâ He cast a glance towards Ed hoping he wouldnât get upset about the case label, but he seemed to be lost in thought.
They walked in and a short, bald man with round glasses perched on a thin nose approached them. âDavidge, Reynoldsâ¦â he nodded a greeting and then faced Ed âMister Masters? Iâm sorry for your loss. This way pleaseâ he said in an even voice that showed he was not sorry at all.
Ed followed silently, they stopped in front of a metallic table where there was obviously a body, but it was neatly covered with a sky-blue sheet. He braced himself and nodded towards the doctor to uncover it. There was nothing in this world that could have prepared him for what he saw, Allie was barely recognizable, her face was swollen, her lower lip was missing and there were deep cuts above her eyelids, he forehead protruded in an enormous bump and the right side of her head was not only bald, the scalp seemed to be shredded, as if it had been ripped off. He felt nauseated, but he pulled the sheet backwards and screamed at the sight of Allieâs bare chest, not because of the Y-shaped scar of the autopsy, but because her breasts seemed to have been cut off and there was some sort of white solidified substance in her belly button. He swallowed some acid that rushed to his throat and pulled the sheet off the table, uncovering Allie completely. There were cuts in her thighs and bruises all over her legs, he was on the verge of throwing up but he held on to himself and walked around the table, her toes were twisted unnaturally and they were black and swollen twice their normal size. He continued to the end of the table so that heâd be facing the soles of Allieâs feet. There were tattoos there; two black skulls seemed to have been freshly tattooed on the soles of her feet. Allie must have screamed wildly, she hated needles and her feet were about the most sensitive part of her body. Ed shivered at the thought and looked upwards, thatâs when he saw the one thing that finally made his stomach turn out all its contents. He bent over to the side of the table and threw up everything he had and apparently some more. His eyes teared up and he had to leave the room at a quick pace.
Davidge guided him into an office where they let him sit for a few minutes while a rookie brought him a glass with water. He drank in short sips, but every time he closed his eyes, every time he blinked, the image came back to him. Allieâs legs had been slightly apart when Ed had looked up from her feet, there seemed to be a cut that began at her pubic area widening where her vagina should have been, but as far as he could see, thereâd been nothing there.
He felt another wave of nausea, but took a few sips of water and took a few deep breaths, he needed answers and he wanted revenge. He stood up and looked at the two officers sitting opposite him, Reynolds had pen and a notepad in hand, and Davidge seemed to be analyzing his reactions.
Ed sat down again, his right hand bunched up in a tight fist on the table while his left was pressed on his stomach. He took a few deep breaths trying to calm down and slow his heart. It felt like he would die any minute, he wanted to scream, to punch something⦠he wanted answers.
Lieutenant Davidge sat up straight and nodded, as if giving Ed permission to ask his questions. âIâll try to give you as many answers as I can, but this is an ongoing investigation, Mr. Masters.â The Police Officer was being very serious and polite. Ed looked to his right, sitting on the table was a recorder, obviously taping this conversation, hence Davidgeâs politeness.
Ed looked from one officer to the other and decided to focus on Davidge since he seemed to be the one leading the case. âLieutenant, tell me what you have so far, please. Iâll tell you anything you want to know about Allie, I want whoever did this to suffer!â Edâs nails broke flesh in his fist and a tiny drop of blood formed at his pinky finger.
The lieutenant nodded âI understand your pain and your need for answers, sir. But being the officers in charge of the investigation of this murder, we need some answers too, so if you allow meâ¦â
Ed was outraged and overwhelmed all at once, he stood up turning all red and was about to yell at the men, when he realized this would do him no good. He sat down breathing deeply once more. He closed his eyes for a few moments until he got a grip on his temper, then he opened them and in a mild voice he asked âI understand, but could you please give me some answers as to what exactly was done to my wife?â
Davidge smiled mostly to himself, he knew those anger management control techniques all too well. âYes sir, your wifeâs body was found in Roderick park by a man who was walking his dog, it was actually the dog who found her, by the scent, you know.â
Ed nodded though the idea of a dog sticking its nose in Allieâs body was revolting.
âShe seems to have been held captive and tortured for a few days, Mr. Masters, though we still donât know exactly where or when she was taken, thatâs where we need your helpâ Davidge continued.
âI understand, but can you please tell me what was done to her, what the coroner has found so far in her bodyâ Ed asked trying to keep his voice at a low, calm level.
âSir, only authorized personnel has access to that information at this stage of the investigation, we can tell you she was tortured horribly, raped and mutilated in the most indescribable ways.â Davidge couldnât look at Ed while he muttered these words, the pain that man had to be feeling.






Chapter 3: What happened to Allie?

It was Wednesday and Allie was happy, her husband had been offered a promotion at his job. Poor Ed had always felt a failure ever since coming back from the Army. They had torn him apart. Heâd had PTSD ever since, and therefore had resorted to drinking to be able to sleep, but this had lost him many jobs. But it had been eight months since the last time heâd tasted alcohol and heâd gotten the job at the electronics store six months ago, and now heâd been offered to be store manager. She was so proud of him sheâd gone out to the grocerâs to buy some things to make him a special dinner. It was late, so she hurried before Mr. Jackson closed, sheâd buy some roast, onions, potatoes and some strawberries and ice-cream. Sheâd show Ed how proud she was of him.
She entered the store and Mr. Jackson greeted her as usual, with a smile on his face.
âEvening Mr. Jackson, sorry Iâm so late but I want to make a special meal for tonight.â She said with a smile.
The old man nodded âThatâs fine dear, whatâs the occasion?â
âEd got offered a promotion at work and I want to celebrate!â Allie said happily.
âAh, Miss Alice, itâs good to be happy for his accomplishments, congratulate him for me please⦠now tell me, how may I help you with this wonderful meal?â Mr. Jackson was rubbing his hands on his apron and walking behind the counter.
âIâd like to buy some roast, that cut would be perfect, yes⦠some red onions, a few potatoes⦠yes, exactlyâ she said pointing at different parts of the counter. âNow, for the dessert Iâd like some strawberries and a small bucket of ice-cream, pleaseâ
âMmm⦠maybe I should invite myself to dinner at your house tonight, sounds like it will be a delicious mealâ Mr. Jackson joked as he collected the items and put them into two bags.
Allie smiled and took her wallet out of her jeansâ pocket to pay.
She left the shop with a big smile that made her green eyes shine on her lovely face; her long auburn hair fell down her shoulders making her look like a model instead of a housewife.
She began walking towards her house, but after a couple of blocks she got nervous, it was dark now and the streets seemed to have emptied suddenly, but she could hear noises, a creak here, a crack there, a squeak elsewhere. Allie walked faster, but the bags were heavy and the breeze blew her hair in her face so she had to shake her head slightly every now and then.
Three blocks from home she heard footsteps behind her, she didnât turn to look, decided to ignore it and just keep on walking. âWhat a bothersome breezeâ a man said right next to her. She looked and all she saw was a hood and sunglasses, a hand clasped her hair tightly pulling her head backwards at the same time as another covered her mouth with some stinky cloth that made her drowsy. The bags fell from her hands as she lost consciousness. The last thing she knew was that she was being picked up by a big, strong man.