Dark Absentia: Blood Infernal Chapter Four

A few hours passed as I tagged along with Officer Craig. She didn't speak much, and I was content to observe her as she worked. She didn't seem to mind after she noticed my attraction to her. Every now and then, she would take a look at me. To see what I was doing or to look at what area I was combing. Craig is very meticulous in collecting evidence. Her first name was Sarah; I got that much from her name tag. She took pictures of every detail available. At least her work ethic was high caliber. Although what little we did find, I didn't hold out any hope of any substance. The destruction here was complete. I found that the longer I was here, the more I would dwell on Officer Craig or Deputy Gaines. My lewd thoughts even wonder to my own partner Detective Tate at this point. It was better than thinking about whatever befell these people. I felt ready to wrap up the work on this scene. 'Maybe the victims can shed a better light on what happened here.'

"So, what do you think caused the fire?" I asked.

"I honestly don't know. Nothing short of a nuclear explosion or a meteorite impact could cause such a crater. If you can call this a crater," Sarah whispered.

"Well, both theories are implausible…," I whispered.

"What do you think it is? Detective Hunt," Sarah asked.

She looked me in the eye for the first time since I met her. Waiting for my opinion on what occurred here. I hadn't formulated a theory yet, not one that made sense. I'd learned from experience that events like this couldn't be adequately explained. Not if you wanted to stay sane, that is. One's sanity could quickly descend into madness if one ventured down the rabbit hole deep enough. Sometimes, there was no digging yourself out of such holes.

"Something happened here that is outside our human comprehension. That's all I can say for now…," I stated.

"Outside human comprehension?" Sarah whispered.

The technician was tossing my words around in her head. She took a moment before responding. "That seems like a likely possibility," Sarah said.

"Well, I would rather not find out what actually occurred here. Best to chalk it up to arson," I countered.

The sound of a car pulling up drew my attention. I did a double-take when I recognized the car. Three familiar faces exit the vehicle.

"This day keeps going downhill," I mumbled as I approached the three familiar women.

I hear Eddie curse loud, but not enough for the new party to catch his words. I met the three well before they stepped foot past the crime scene. The lack of official presence here has seemingly dwindled since I entered the basement. Aside from a couple of reporters off to the side. Only the coroners and Thomas were left, not counting Sarah. Kyle and Young were still walking the perimeter at the moment. I focus my attention on the three new faces. One of them, who I knew was a lawyer, stepped forward. She wore a black double-breasted dress that ran shorter than just above her knees, combined with sheer black pantyhose and stiletto heels. My brother's wife, Lorelei. Her vivid red hair was braided to her left side and hung over her shoulder. The lawyer had dazzling green eyes like Camillia. Eddie liked well-endowed women, and Lorelie fit that category. She was strikingly similar in appearance to Rachael Kyle in the same way Camilla was to Hannah Tate. I always wondered about that. Her round face was stern, showing her angled eyebrows off, a dimpled nose, and devilish lips. I was confident she was beyond upset. Bearing the bulk of Camilla and Demi's anger and resentment. After all, she was their lawyer.

As for Camilla, she wore a green maxi dress with jade stiletto heels. 'Shit, she hadn't worn those pair in a while.' This must be her day off. The dress fit her figure eight physique well. 'She's not even wearing a bra. Was doing that for me?' As usual, her jiggly breasts were erotic, as always. I could see her nipples slightly peeking through the material of her dress. I salivated over the black sheer heart-shaped patterned pantyhose. Camillia hadn't dressed up in a while. The sight took me back a bit. She stopped just a few feet behind Lorelei, folding her arms awkwardly. A tick she did when she wasn't quite sure of something. I could tell she had her hair done for the first time in a while. An elegant side braid that hung down to her knees. Camilia's face is oval, having a petite nose, pouty lips, and curved eyebrows. Her expressions tend to expose her true feelings. A trait I adored about her. In most cases, she was purer than I was but could dirty her hands for loved ones.

Demi wore a similar dress to Camilla, a purple summer dress that amplified her curvy coke bottle figure. Flowing in the wind that threatened to expose the erotic lingerie she was no doubt wearing. Demi wore light purple hosiery that was sexy yet classy. The pink open-toe heels accented her exquisite look. Even her long silky auburn hair was stunning. It flowed with her dress in the wind. Her deep hazel eyes were scanning the scene for Ben. Seeing her heart-shaped face, dainty nose, and delicate lips made me pause. Leave it to the Hunt brothers to seek out wives with similar qualities. The three of them were blessed with oversized melons and peachy round bottoms. Demi pretended she wasn't interested by folding her arms and tapping her finger. A dead giveaway, she was nervous. These women knew us like the back of their hands, and we knew them just as much.

Seeing the three women made me anxious about why they were here. Lorelei seemed to be waiting for Eddie to come over. Knowing him, he tried to be professional and let me handle their presence. How long that lasted was a crap shoot. Lorelei was beginning to get impatient. It was best to discover her reasons for being here with my wife and Ben's.

"Lorelie, what are you, Camilla, and Demi doing at a crime scene? This is a restricted area. You know better. For that matter, why the hell are you even here to begin with? This is over two hours from the city," I said.

"Your lawyer said you would be here, and so did Eddie's and Ben's. I'm here to serve paper. For divorce, that is," Lorelei stated, handing me a sealed envelope. "We can't keep going on like this. I know this isn't what Eddie wanted, but not only was your lawyer adamant that you wanted a divorce, but so did your brothers. There's no reason to think any of us are reconciling at this point," she explained.

I wasn't too surprised by that. It was just a matter of time before it came to this. Camilla went through a lot during that period; they all did. Lorelei lost her position as an assistant DA. Demi had to move to Maine to get work as a doctor. It was no better for Camilla. My wife lost her real estate business. What surprised me was that I hadn't talked to my lawyer in over a month. I was betting the same was true for Ben and Eddie. 'So, how the hell did my lawyer tell her that? For that matter, why did he say I was ready to call it quits. From what I remember telling him, he was to stall as long as he could. I assured him Camilla, and I would get back together. He agreed with my position. There was no way he'd fuck me like that. Parker was a good man and a close friend.' Captain Cook wouldn't tell them that. The man, like Parker, went out on a limb for me when Ben's case went south. All the corruption allegations and all. Nor anyone in the Bronx. Ben didn't live in New York anymore, not since all the publicity around our parent's disappearance and his investigation into it.

"I want you to be real clear with me, Camilla, Lorelei, and Demi. How did you hear we were here, and when? Because I haven't talked to my lawyer. I only got this assignment a few hours ago," I explained.

"Look, Thomas, all I want to do is put this behind me," Camilla snapped.

"Hold on, Camilla. This is important. Did you contact my lawyer or my brothers?" I asked again in a serious tone.

"No, they called me yesterday evening around four," Lorelei revealed.

"That's impossible, Lorelei. There wasn't even a crime like this yesterday evening. Gimme your phone," I explained.

She hands her cell phone over. I checked the recent calls. Sure enough, Parker Wells' number was there at 4:15 pm. I take my own phone out and dial his number. The call goes straight to voicemail. I dial his emergency number. Again, the call goes to voicemail. Next, I called his office. I knew his secretary would answer. A moment later, I heard Mrs. Davenport's voice. She never missed a day despite being in her late fifties.

"Wells and Wells Law Firm, how may I assist you today?" Mrs. Davenport said.

"Hello, Cynthia, this is Thomas Hunt. Is Parker in today?" I asked.

"No, in fact, he hasn't been in all week. I was just about to give him a call myself today. He was supposed to be back from a vacation today," Mrs. Davenport revealed.

"Listen, call 911, and have them send a unit to his house. While you're at it, have a unit come to your office, too," I explained.

I had a giant frog in my throat at the news I was hearing. Parker wasn't due to take a vacation until Thanksgiving and Christmas. The man was a workaholic like Eddie and me. I thought of his wife, Georgiana. She was in Europe for business with his sister Harper and her husband. Parker only stayed here in the States for a few other clients. I didn't want to think of the worst. 'Was he targeted because of the case I was working on?' If so, that meant Ben and Eddie's lawyer could have been targeted too. 'Shit, this can't be related to our dad?'

"Oh, dear, is something wrong?" Cynthia asked.

"I don't know. After you've done that, call your husband and check on him too. I have to go now. Make sure you wait for the officers to show up," I said. "If it comes down to it, get out of the city. Take care of yourself, Cynthia," I stated.

She agreed and hung up. I hand Lorelei's phone back to her. All three of them had a look of concern on their faces. I was worried too. That led to my next call. The phone rings a few times before going to voicemail. 'Shit, Cook, never let my calls go to voicemail.'

"Lorelei, why are the three of you here?" Eddie asked from behind me.

"Call your Captain, Eddie! Your lawyer too!" I said. "Detective Kyle and Deputy Young! Over here!" I yelled as I dialed the precinct.

The desk sergeant wasn't answering. That in itself was unusual. New York is a busy city. Thousands of calls come in a day. I called dispatch, discovering my cell phone no longer had a signal.

"Eddie, did you get in contact with your Captain?" I asked as Kyle and Young arrived.

"What do you want with Captain Kremer?" Kyle questioned.

"Round up those two reporters and the coroners. We're leaving now," I instructed.

"My Captain isn't picking up, nor is our squad room," Eddie said.

"Check your cell's signal too. I've got none all of a sudden," I said. "Camilla, you, Demi, and Lorelei, go back and stay in your vehicle. Lock the doors, and don't get out. I'll get my partner to escort you to a hotel," I said.

"Hey, what's going on?" Young asked.

"Get Sheriff Waters on the radio, now," I barked.

"Sure thing," Young said.

"Something wrong," Detective Kyle asked.

"Someone lured Lorelei, Camilla, and Demi out here. I think my lawyer Parker Wells might be in trouble. I need you to go with Deputy Young to the Hotel. Detective Tate, Deputy Gaines, Ben, and his partner will take control of the scene from here. I'm heading back to the city," I explained.

"Okay, let me know if you get a hold of Kremer," Rachael said.

I fished out my keys and headed to my cruiser. Young reported our current situation to Waters. For now, he could handle things. This was his town, after all. Eddie and I had to look into this while things were still fresh. My hairs on the back of my neck and forearms were on ends as I cranked the cruiser up. Theories of who would go to such lengths rattle around in my head as I speed down the same road from earlier in the morning. It was already noon. I could be back in the city in the evening.