CORPSE AT THE DOCKYARD

There were lots of people doing one thing or the other by the port this Saturday morning. Lots of ships could be seen far away from the port and just a few were batched a distance away from TW dockyard. Thomas Wales owned most of the shipping businesses and his wealth of properties in other ventures like clothing and real estate, made him a man of authority.

Quite unusual, there was no evidence of business on his part of the port this morning. Men in blue smart uniforms littered the premises doing everything but business. The police were immersed in their duties without allowing the noise from the rest of the seaport to distract them, including the loud noise from the horns of fishing boats and other ships returning from sea. Thankfully, no foghorns were blasting the air as the weather appeared clear, Jason thought.

Yellow tapes with the inscription 'Police. Do not trespass', was used to barricade the parameter and prevent people from encroaching on the grounds. Reporters were beginning to swarm around and TW's workers whose duties were on hold, hung around in their little cliques trading comments in whispers.

"Do we have a witness?" Jason asked the cops who were first on the scene.

"No one saw what happened." The man in his blue uniform replied. He was in his mid-
thirties but he looked like he was already hitting fifty.

"That is expected of this terrain, it is far into the loading area and out of sight from the busy port. This side of the port is always in use weekdays from 6 am to 7 pm at most, when everyone retires for the day." The uniformed cop told Jason who took his time to survey his surroundings as he nodded to the cop.

The dockyard overlooked the vast water and cool breeze blowing from the northwest chilling everything in its wake. Jason Den had been having his morning jogging when he got the call of a possible murder at TW Dockyard.

His well-chiseled body and straight frame did not expose him as late as forty. He carried his 5ft 9inches body swiftly at first glance you could mistake him for an athlete. Jason was one of the few Detectives who buried himself in his job but ever since his former partner of seven years, Steve Bale, was shot dead in cold blood, he hasn't been his old self.

Standing at the dockyard overlooking the vast sea, he recalled bursting into that facility in Mallon Drive where Cash ran his operation, himself and Steve. The gang had been expecting them, how? It still baffled him how Cash knew they were on to him. Cash wasn't his real name, but over the years nobody referred to him as David McGregor but Cash the Mayor.

A black BMW pulled up with styrene blazing, the commotion brought Jason back to the present and the reality of the corpse beside him. An elegant lady stepped out of the car, she removed her shades as she made her way through the gradually developing onlookers. She had on, smart black pants and a jean jacket that revealed a black camisole. Sera paused just before the barricade and looked to her right towards the reporters who were already setting up, how do vultures locate rotten corpses? She wondered. She turned to her right and observed the men in safety gear waiting to get to work. She looked around for possible installation of CCTV in the area and got none. She turned back to the reporters already screaming questions from where the uniform cops mounted their barricade. What a way to start the day, she said to herself.

She bent over the restriction tape and worked to the corpse.

"Morning Sera" Jason said.

"Morning, how do you do Jason?" She extended her hand and he accepted the handshake. "Ben called to say we will be cracking this one together, sorry about Steve, he was a good man." She said looking at Jason with compassion in her eyes.

"Yeah, it's fine. Thanks, Sera." Jason answered and shifted his attention to the corpse to change the subject. Sera was one of the best Detectives in their division if they just concentrated on solving this crime, they would be just fine, he thought. They both got out rubber gloves and began wearing them as they bent down beside the corpse to begin their inspection.

"So what do we have here?" Sera asked

"A possible Jane Doe, not more than twenty-five and no sign of theft involved." The cop in uniform responded. Jason stretched his hands to feel the jeans pocket of the deceased.

"I know there are usually night guards around here, how many were on duty last night? We need their phone numbers and home address." Sera said.

"That is another issue, Ma'am. The night guards here belong to The Eagle Eye Security outfit and they were called off by their outfit two days ago." The officer in the blue uniform informed them. That piece of odd information, got the attention of both detectives as they stopped whatever they were doing and stood to give the cop maximum attention.

"Why did they stop doing their duties?" Jason asked, pulling his jotter from his jacket's inner pocket and began to scribble on it.

"The owners of the Tampa dockyards make a hell of money why would TW fail to pay for something as important as security? Sera asked also taking notes.

"Our patrol guys said there was nothing unusual last night around this terrain, of course, their jurisdiction is on the roads not inside the dockyard, and this is the jurisdiction of private security except if there is an alarm or report of possible disturbances we don't patrol inside the dockyard."

Jason nodded, he knew something did not add up, he stared at Sera who also had her doubts.

"That is cruel, they make so much money here, why owe the security outfit who protects their property?" Sera asked rhetorically.

"I want to speak with the person who called the police and get Hooper down here too." Jason announced.

"He has been called in; he will be here with his team any moment." The cop responded.

Hooper is in charge of autopsy and a very reliable hand at that. Jason and Sera went through the whole scene and still things didn't add up. The dead lady lay face down in her pool of blood with an obvious injury to the back of her curly black hair. Evidence that she was
attacked from behind. She wore a black long-sleeved turtleneck on a blue jeans. Her dressing was not provocating, Sera thought.

"She should be in her mid-twenties," Sera said taking off her rubber gloves.

"Her dress eliminates her from being a street hooker, possibly working class." Jason said as he also took his gloves off." One hit to the head, visible." Sera pointed.

"Hooper's report will cover that, plus it will also explain if she was sexually abused before death," Jason said.

"The murderer may not have been after her money and she doesn't strike me like one who wears expensive jewelry," Sera said as she walked towards a crate beside the deceased. Her blood had flowed to the crate and sipped under it.

"She was attacked right here, the killer could be a stalker.

"She added." That or she knows her killer very well. This spot is not exactly a romantic spot for her kind. Probably she was meeting someone.

"Jason added." She isn't ruffled so she wasn't dragged, there was no struggle." He mentioned and pointed to her little purse not far from where she lay.

"We have some bills there, three one-dollar bills, four five-dollar bills, and two fifty-dollar bills," Jason said as he handed Sera the bag.

"So much cash. This may not have been a rubbery gone bad, but the murderer must have been after her life or she stumbled on what she shouldn't have been a part of." Sera said.

"You may be right; this is murder alright with no visible murder weapon and no means of identity to tell us who this unfortunate lady is. One clean blow to the head." He said as he examined the blood clothed spot where she had been hit.

A van with the inscription, POLICE, pulled up beside the other police cars, and men and women in white lab coats jumped off and the crime scene became busier. Hooper got off the front of the van and joined the team by the body.

"What a way to start work after a vacation." He said as he said hi to the detectives and the other uniformed police officers. "Good to see you back to work Jason." They shake hands.

"Thanks, Hooper, and nice to see you too." Hooper stared at the young lady and heaved a sigh. Always the young ones. He got to work.

"We will leave the rest of the job to you, Hooper, when will the report role in?" Sera asked. Hooper didn't respond immediately, he squatted beside the corpse with his assistant, placed a gloved hand on the wrist of the dead girl, and turned to face the detectives.

"Time of death should be around 5 to 6 hours ago." He pauses waving one of his assistants over.

"You know the drill, two to three hours to perform our job but you will get the preliminary results within 24 hours." He replied with finality as he began dishing instructions.

"We leave you to it, Hooper, bye," Sera said and gestured with her head for Jason to join her. They worked out of the restricted area and headed towards Sera BMW.

"What will she be doing around these parts at that ungodly hour?" Sera asked nobody in particular as she wrapped her hands around her chest.

"I would figure she was brought down here by her killer," Jason added not certain. "Most people come to places like this to get a quickie, so two things automatically come to mind. She was killed by her boyfriend because she couldn't have followed a stranger down here.

Secondly, someone attacked them, killed her and her boyfriend got scared and ran off." Sera said.

"Nice story Sera, but I don't buy it," Jason said dismissively.

"So tell us hot shot, what do you think happened," Sera asked him smiling sarcastically.

"Look at the way she dropped to the floor, she was running from somebody. When you stand at that point where she dropped and look backward to where she must have come from, you would see she ran into the port from that direction which leads to the main road. So obviously she came this way hoping that someone would stop her pursuer." He paused and looked at Sera.

There was an awkward silence. It was undeniable; she had someone pursuing her, but who? Jason overruled the idea that she was here with some dude to be shagged, she came here for help but she only made it easy for her killer to take her out, Sera thought.

"Let us go and have a little talk with the man who called it in." Jason broke the silence and checked his wristwatch it revealed 7:34 am.

"We will talk with LW's Manager and Head out to Eagles Next Security Office."

"I will drive," Sera said as they walked to her car.