To Kill A Dahlia

Chapter 1: Just a Typical Day

DETECTIVE  BROWNS POV

They say life is full of surprises, but none could have ever prepared me for this. I'd order my typical coffee for the day a strong Brazilian blend with a shot of caramel sauce to tone down the strength of the bean. The barista who always worked and smiled politely to me with the kindest voice that could melt anyone's heart wasn't there for the day, which in itself was strange. It hit even harder when some high-school students came in with candles light as her picture hung in the missing persons section of the coffee shop towards the back wall. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to that sweet girl that everyone loved so much and who in the right mind would take a girl and her unborn child. I couldn't stand seeing the kids cry anymore over her photo, so I took my leave. It wasn't until later that the tragedy would hit me.
      The next morning, I'd walk into my office and see my secretary with a long face, her eyes filled with sadness and tears. "Detective Brown, the case you took on about the barista, Cadence Montgomery, the police have found her body. They say you should come out and see it for yourself and see if you can find any clues they already ran the DNA tests, but there was nothing other than the father of her unborn child's DNA found at the scene. Are you okay?" All I could do at this point was do my job. I did the best I could to conceal my tears and emotional attachment to this girl, just barely 18. I couldn't help but feel like what if this had been my own daughter. It could have been anyone in this town to be the victim of an act so heartless. I'd pull to underneath the bridge where all the other officer's cars were, but no sign of them anywhere near. I'd climb my way up the hill, feeling the dirt underneath my nails as I did taking a hike a few miles into the woods, getting to a field opening filled with dahlias it was there I saw it. A body! Cadence Montgomery's cold lifeless body, her long brown hair with blonde highlights resting there showing no signs of struggle or anything like that, the baby bump and her hand resting perfectly upon it, but her throat sliced open and the millions of little stabs in her hips and belly her eyes left wide open but lifeless as they looked very veiny and bloodshot but they blue in her eyes was unmistakable and still pretty it was no wonder men went crazy about her. She hadn't even started decomposing yet. It was clear to me just the way she was laying this wasn't an ordinary case. This was a murder but who would have done it and why. "Detective Brown about time you got here. What do you think happened to her?" One officer questioned. I'd just shrug my shoulders for a minute while looking over her body that had a pocket knife hidden under it "she was murdered that's all I can tell at the moment well have to take the boyfriend into questioning as soon as we can and run prints on the knife if it's his then we know who did it we just need the why" the officer's nodded to me then walked in the opposite direction as I headed back to my car unable to take all this in.