Someone Hiding in the Shadows...

149 - Flat Lined (Part One)

My heart pounded loudly in my chest. It seemed surreal. We stood there in the nurse's flat, awaiting instructions from Gemma. One of her black suited agents handed out sterile gloves, where we were grouped together, urging us all to put them on.

"Remember everyone, touch nothing with your bare hands. We don't want to leave our prints. If you find anything let me know. Don't shout and try not to make a noise. Let's try and keep this under the radar if we can. We have eyes outside and at all the access points, so it gives us plenty of time to get out if we need to. Right, let's get to it," said Gemma firmly.

The gloves felt weird on my hands, the latex became hot and sweaty, so my fingers slid within the confines. I opened the wardrobes in the bedroom, searching for anything of interest as directed.

The last door looked like an airing cupboard. A cold feeling hit the pit of my stomach as I pulled the door towards me. The scream left my throat of its own accord. A submerged body was lying in a bath of blood, with a lone arm dangled over the side with dried bloodied fingers and brownish streaks on the tub.

The smell of death hit my nostrils, as nausea rose in my throat. The buzz of flies hovered close to the corpse's head. I shut the door with a slam, pushed my back against it to make sure it could not open, as my body slid down the white painted surface, until my bottom reached the floor. The door of the bedroom abruptly opened, as Gemma and her security detail bundled in, almost falling on top of each other.

"Didn't I say, try not to make a noise," said Gemma.

When I didn't answer, I felt her eyes on my face.

"What's wrong?" asked Gemma.

I pointed to the door, unable to utter any words. Two of her staff pulled me up and went to open the door of the bathroom.

I stuttered, "You don't want to go in there." I said in a sob, as I rushed out of the room, as fast as my legs could carry me, until I reached the sink in the kitchen. The entire contents of my breakfast, almost immediately emptied into the sink.

I ran the tap, letting the sick flush down the plug hole, letting some of the water gather in my hands, but it soon slid away due to the medical latex that encased them. Gathering what I could, I rubbed a little water on the back of my neck and over my head and lips. It felt old and not exactly soothing with the slippery application but the coldness of the water was refreshing and eased the queasiness. The chair in front of the kitchen table looked inviting, as I sat down with my elbows on the table, letting my head rest in my hands. My eyes closed of their own accord and I enjoyed the calmness of the darkness.

It seemed only moments before Gemma's footsteps clicked along the kitchen floor and my eyes slowly opened, as she drew nearer.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I think so. It was just a shock," I responded.

"Boss, we just found lots of plastic packaging in the bin for shop bought ice," said one of the suits, "I thought you would want to know. As seems a bit odd."

"I think he's been dead a day or two but we won't know for sure until there is an autopsy. I'm guessing the bath was filled with ice to keep the body fresher for longer and make it harder to guess the time of death," said Gemma.

I nodded my head.

"The flies will help us decide on the time of death. Their larvae--" said Gemma

"Too much information," I said interrupting Gemma, "honestly, I'd rather no know."

"Sorry, I was thinking out loud. It's an occupational hazard," said Gemma.

I grimaced at the thought.

Gemma turned to one of her staff, "I need you to take some DNA swabs, do we run some tests to see who our John Doe is. I 'm assuming it's the nurse from the hospital who has been off sick for two weeks, but let's not make any assumptions."

"Yes, mam, I'll get right to it," he said, not apparently fazed by the task.

"Do you want to carry on sitting there or help looking, maybe not go to a room on your own this time?" said Gemma softly.

I nodded, "Yes I'd rather be doing something, stop me thinking of that bath," my head and shoulders shuddering, not being able to bring myself to say dead body, as I stood up.

"I've found some keys," said a big muscled man, in Gemma's entourage, "and they don't belong to here as the lock is completely different."

"Let me see," said Gemma. "Do you recognise them Athina, by any chance?"

"This one looks like the front door key to Jarod's flat,"

I responded in a whisper. "I'm sure I'm right. I don't have his keys with me but his front door key is very distinctive, it's a special four lever lock with deep grooves in it."

Gemma handed me the keys and I slid my fingers over the large key. "Yes, it definitely looks like his," I gasped, as I misjudged sitting back down on the chair, narrowly missing falling onto floor but somehow Gemma grabbed the chair and me just in time.

"Thanks," I said to Gemma.

"Your welcome. Now, we will need to check it out for sure. I'll take the key with me and swing over there later," said Gemma.

"They won't let anybody in. The Police have taped the place up. I'm still waiting to see when I get my belongings," I told Gemma.

"We'll see," said Gemma as a small smile covered her thin lips, as she slid the keys into her jacket pocket.

Edit 3 - PAL - 18/6/2017

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Many thanks Kimberley S B Lieb