2 Introduction (Tim)

I stare down at my hands, I know I am supposed to be taking notes for my article, but my hands don't even seem to belong to me. "Mr. Buckley?" The officer pulls me out of my reverie. I look up at him blinking a few times. "Sorry about that officer. No matter how long I have been reporting the news, these gruesome crimes just get to me."

Officer Smith nods his head, not hard to imagine it being hard on anyone. My gaze moves to the spot the body had been. They removed what was left of the poor man, but the blood remained. "So do you have an identity?" I ask trying to pull myself to the task at hand.

"Yes, but I'm afraid we won't be able to disclose that until the family have been notified. I will tell you, this seems to be a random act of violence. Any information anyone could give would go a long way to bring the murderer to justice. If anyone was near the park last night around midnight, they might have seen something, someone arguing... anything."

"I'll make sure to add that to this article. Do you have a murder weapon?" My mind is having a hard time wrapping itself around what could have caused this much blood spread out how it is. I watch as the officer swallows hard, almost like he is about to get sick. Strange I don't feel sick myself; the smell alone should cause my stomach to clinch in protest. I feel disturbed, but not ill.

"No, right now we have no murder weapon. The medical examiner will have more details later. I'm sorry Mr. Buckley, but I have to get back to work." With that he turns and crosses the police yellow tape. This town is so small I would not have thought I would be covering a murder story. When we moved here two years ago my thoughts of the place was Mayberry. My wife wouldn't be swayed though. Oh I understand why she would want to live here. Five years in New York, her traveling all the time. Marrying a model has its perks, but that fast pace life, can get to the best of us. So my wife one day just sprung on me this move. Of course I fought it at first. I was just making a name for myself and her agent was there. After some debate and finding the paper here needed a good reporter and the pay was surprisingly good, I gave in.

I thought about this murder all the way home. Seeing the murder scene probably wasn't the best way to start my day off, but this was a story I couldn't pass up. I was hired on as lead reporter and there was no way I was going to hand it over to one of the kids barely out of college or to old man Norden. He would no doubt turn it into some PSA about how the world has gone to hell. No this needed to be about facts and the true blue details.

As I pull into my drive I see my wife's car. A smile stretches the corners of my mouth. She had been gone two weeks this time and she always makes my days that much better. Walking into the house it's like she knew I was coming home, standing by the stairs, her long blonde hair a curtain around her shoulders. Even at my six foot five inches, we stand almost eye to eye. Something that had caught me first when we met at the coffee shop below my apartment seven years ago. She smiles at me all the way to her violet eyes. "Hello my love." Her voice a husky whisper.

I drop my bag and wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her to me. "Mmm.. you have the best timing Angel." I kiss her lips and she wraps her arms around my neck.

"Did you miss me?" She pulls back enough to see me and smiles. "I just couldn't stay away. The last two weeks seemed to take a year. The catwalk will survive without me for a while."

I smile giving her another quick kiss, before taking her hand and walking into the living room. "There was a murder last night. Gruesome one at that." Her eyebrow arches as she takes in what I told her. A slight frown pulling at her soft lips. "A murder? Should we be concerned?"

I pull her into my lap. "No, the police think it was some type of random violence." She stares into my eyes for longer than she should of saying nothing. Then smiles at me once more. "You seem tense, let me make you a nice warm cup of tea and we can talk." I nod at her and watch her walk to the kitchen.

A few minutes pass and she walks in holding my favorite mug. Taking a sip I notice a strange taste to the tea. "What's in this Angel?" Looking at her smiling face as she settles onto the couch next to me. "It's a natural sweetener I picked up in Paris. They say it's supposed to have some kind of Holistic components." Nodding I take another sip. It's not bad as far as sweeteners go, but it's nothing like good old sugar. Something I have missed since Angel decided to go on this years health kick.

The tea does the job quick, I feel myself relaxing, setting the mug on the coffee table. Angel leans over kissing me, "Just relax my love, we will talk soon." Strange.....

*******

I wake up to see it has gotten dark out. I must have been more tired than I thought. I look over to see Angel sleeping peacefully next to me. Standing up I go to the bathroom, turning on the shower to warm while I grab a clean towel.

As soon as I step into the shower a stinging pain hits my back. Hell I don't even remember being intimate with my wife, but the proof was making itself known by the all too familiar sting. My wife's nails could be knives. With a shrug of my shoulders I lean my head against the shower wall.

My mind instantly going back to the murder scene. My imagination has always been too good to be healthy. With my eyes closed I recreate what it must of looked like. Right down to the man as his assailant tears him apart. My eyes shoot open, I look at my hands as they shake.

"Love let me help you wash. Earlier you were so stressed that we had to add something harder to your tea. You shouldn't be alone with your thoughts. As soon as she steps into the stall I forget about what my mind created and just think of Angel, my Angel.