Riverside Bench

The investigation

No one would say, that a crime scene is soothing. Except when it's the clear rivers of a local park, where children play and dogs run free. So, when former detective, Alan Brender took a look at the crime scene. All he saw was beauty, not death. Jessie was his close friend. But he still couldn't put his mind to the fact that under the pleasing waters, a sharp plot developed. Maybe under that water, were the jutting rocks, and the rapid current. Jessie's death was a signal that maybe the river is not so safe. 

He could feel a chill tingling down his spine. The chief of police, Sam Finald, tapped him on the shoulder. "Listen, Brender. I only called you down to take a look, because she was your friend. Not to include you in our investigation. You know why we can't start this argument, again." Alan sighed and took a sip of coffee, "Sir, I know I can't participate. I'm just still upset over her death." Sam Finald nodded and walked away. 

It would be tough to stop Alan from being the detective he is. But he had given up because Sam always rejects his ideas. Anyways, when he was a detective, he only completed four cases. Within eight years of working there. So there was no point in trying. 

The investigation went normally, they tested the water, took a look around. Found nothing, just her picture album in her bag. The detectives waited for results on the water test. 

Alan's phone rang, it was the chief. "Alan, we've got a few funky results on the water test. Come down to see them, I know you'd be interested. " Alan rushed to the station. The results were strange, the water had high levels of lead in them. This could mean that there's more to Jessie's cause of death involved. But her autopsy results haven't come in yet. Alan knew this would mean, the park would have to be closed until the lead was removed. But the town didn't have enough money to do this for long. "Sam, this is going to cost a lot of money. You know that right." Sam bit his tongue, "But look what happened to Jessie. You can't have people running in lead infected water." Alan honestly didn't care about that. He cared about Jessie, he had a bad feeling about this. 

Later that night, an unknown number called Alan's phone. It was a dark voice, with a grim tone.  "Better watch out, Brender. Those futile water test results. They'll do you nothing in the investigation." Before Alan could ask who it was, they hung up. 

Alan thought about what they said all morning the next day. What did they mean? How did they know him? The water results didn't change anything. The autopsy results didn't come yet, he'd have to wait for that. But was the investigation pointless? He would have to go deeper into it, by himself. The chief didn't believe him anymore, not since he'd been fired. Those three months ago, he was fired. It put him into tough times since he was the only one to support his son. Jessie took care of his son, Calvin. She was always there for him, when his wife and his unborn daughter died, and when he lost his job. So this case was really important to him. 

"Mia I've been trying to call you all day. Where are you?". That was the last call Jessie made. According to Sam Finald, Jessie's book fell and she tripped into the water. And she died of natural causes. If you call tripping into a river, drowning, and cutting your neck on rocks, a "natural cause".