Interbay Pilled

 Chapter 1

Interbay Pílula

A yellow X crisscrosses the doorway of the makeshift grocery store pallet studio.  Two officers stand between Tyler and the turned-cold body hidden behind the frame.

"It's not a kid is it?" Breathless, panicked, is all he can gasp.

"Sir, this is an active crime scene, we have to ask you to please step back."

Tyler paces the perimeter of the tape, horror show worst case scenarios playing out in his head. He approaches another officer he thinks he's familiar with.

"Sir, excuse me, please, I think I might be able to provide some information about what happened here, but I need to know is the person who died a young kid? That's my friend, I'm looking for them and I haven't seen them all night."

Offhandedly acknowledging Tyler, a badge with the name "Field" pulls him aside and rummages a notepad from a chest pocket.

"Sir, if you have any information about what may have occurred here I'll take down your name and number. Did you see or hear anything?"

Pausing to collect his concerns, "I have a friend who stays here many nights of the week, they help me out at my girlfriend's restaurant and I kind of look after them. I haven't seen Traci all night please you have to tell me who's in there or I need to go looking."

Field sizes Tyler up, "so you're saying there's a missing person also?"

Tyler shakes his head, "it's only been the afternoon and the evening, Traci might not have been here for the night I need to know if it's a teenager in there because if not I need to go looking."

The officer gauges Tyler again, really seeing his anguish laced features over a youth who might just be lost but unharmed. "They're not in there, adult male, not a child."

"Thank you," Tyler whispers, "I think I know where to look. If I have more information I can provide you later do you have a card with a case number?"

Field jots down a sequence on his business card and forceps it delicately into Tyler's palm. "If you think of anything that was going on around here that might've caused this, we'd be glad to hear from you. If your friend stayed at this camp sometimes they might know something about suspicious activities recently."

"I'm sure they weren't involved with whoever did this, but I just want to make sure they're safe and get them a different spot to stay. If they know anything we'll come talk with you." Tyler couches.

"We appreciate anything you can tell us, right now we're still processing but further details about known associates of the people who stayed here would certainly be helpful." Field plies Tyler more, hoping to fill out the opaque caricature of whodunnit.

"I don't know who hung out with Melissa and Shamrock, but she's a social worker and has kind of a lost puppy thing, she helps my friend out and cooks for all the neighborhood people. Traci probably knows more I'll ask and we can come talk with you."

"Great," field dryly states, "we'll hear from you and we have your number to follow up."

. . .

Tyler plows down the side street to the loading dock of the grocery store. He knows where Traci would go to charge up and play tunes and regroup.

Sitting on the edge of the recycling trailer plugged in, sure enough Traci is bobbing and humming to a low music video on the phone.

"Did you see what happened back at Melissa and Shamrock place? Are you ok?"

Detached, Traci hums a little louder and faster trying to drown out the surroundings.

"If you saw anything you need to let me know T, none of us are going to be in any more trouble than we already are we can figure out how this happened and make it right."

"I didn't really see it, I just heard it." Traci stumbles over the words inaudibly barely over the phone. "Shamrock kinda raised his voice and next thing it sounded like a car backfiring or fireworks or something. I hid. I saw somebody leave but it was dark it happened before sunrise."

"Ok." Tyler doesn't pry, gently. "We'll get there, right now we have to figure out if we're alright and we need to get down to that station after I get home from work and let them know what you did or didn't see. Do you have anything you have to do today why don't you come to work with me we can get breakfast and I'll cut out early, you can listen to music in the park near the job site."

"Ok, ya, I wanna hang out with you today I don't have anything to do. No services or anything and I wasn't gonna hussle I been hanging onto a little bit of money for a minute."

"Do you need a change of clothes or anything I got some stuff in the truck." Tyler turns and twists the passenger side door lock to look in the backseat, finds a clean tee and sweater and cargo shorts.

"I made it over to the gym yesterday between runs, I was going to stop by and see if Melissa left some Tupperware out for me under the table but I heard the noises and stayed back, then I came here before the cops showed up I knew we'd talk later."

"Need a smoke?" Changing the subject to keep moving. "I need some coffee I almost didn't sleep last night either, you can nap in the pickup if you want."

"Ya I'm tired, let's get outta here I'm almost at 90% good enough." Gravity still hanging a muted thundercloud above Traci's head.

"It's ok if you're scared, ya know. Your friend just died." Tyler murmurs.

"Melissa was ok though right? I didn't see or hear her and the person ran away." Traci puzzles.

"She might not have come back yet either or she could've been sleeping, you alright?"

"I talk with the counselors tomorrow, you're here and I'll be ok, I can't do anything about it." Traci defeats the devastation of the sorrow that can't be unsung.

"You have the day to think it over, we'll get you something to eat and go fill in the police after you've rested."

Tyler turns the engine over and they sidle away from the loading dock, wheels silently spinning in both their heads while they try to cruise along to the beat of Traci's indecipherable music.