Chapter 9

When Chip and Moses got to the scene there were several uniforms milling around and plenty of media behind the crime scene tape. The man was hanging by one leg from some contraption outside an old building. It was pretty obvious what had happened. Once again there was lots of blood.

"Hi there Carl. What brings the shift commander down to a run of the mill homicide?"

"Don't give me that run of the mill shit Moses. You know as well as I that these fucking people hanging by one leg are a pain in the ass. That first one was just about moving to the back pages when this happens. These kind of things give the media something to talk about. Something else they know nothing about. The dumb asses."

"Yea, well tell me what do you know about this one? Oh, by the way Carl this is my partner Chip Scott. Chip this is the meanest son of a bitch on the force, Carl Turner."

"Nice to meet you Chip."

"It's a pleasure Carl."

"Let me see, Moses. We think the guy was inside and lashed up to that hay hook and pushed out those doors. We're guessing somebody cut his dick off just like the other guy but we can't tell for sure because his pants, while open are hanging down covering his crotch area. We can tell that's where the blood came from. Oh, yea, we think the cutting was done inside rather than cutting him on the ground and hoisting him up because we found what looks like blood up by the upper doorway."

"Did you find anything inside that would help?"

"Clean as a whistle. There is some fairly fresh hay upstairs but there is no way to know when it was put there or by whom. There is one shoe print inside but we are pretty sure that it belongs to the dead guy. Everywhere else it looks like the floors were swept. We wont know about prints until forensics get finished."

"Do we know who owns the building?" Chip asked. "They should know when the hay was put down or at least the last date when there was no hay there."

"Oh yea, we know who owns the building and they wont know shit about anything."

"Is this old building what I think it is Carl?"

"Yea, Moses it is."

"What's that?" asked Chip.

"It's the old Mounted Division horse barn. When Moses and I came on the force they still used mounted officers. This is where the animals were stabled. There are still stalls inside downstairs. A truck load of hay bales would pull up right under where the body is hanging and they would lower the hay hook and lift several bales into the loft upstairs. The lift is on rails and will run all the way to the back of the building.

"There is a large hole in the upstairs floor where they would throw down the hay to be forked into the stalls for feed. Moses you remember Tom Mix. He was mounted. Chip, his first name really wasn't Tom but that's what everyone called him because of the famous movie cowboy named Tom Mix. I think his real name was Cecil. Yea Cecil, that was it. He used to pronounce it Cesscil like the English do."

"Sense that hook can be lowered as far as the ground and the lift can be located anywhere along the rails I wonder why the killer didn't just hang the body through the hole in the floor. Just as effective and a lot less chance of getting seen while doing the job with the door open and it would be longer before the body was discovered."

"Two reasons that I can think of right off," Moses said. "First with all the blood there is almost no way the killer could avoid walking in it and second which I think is the real reason and that's that the killer wanted the body seen, wanted it discovered soon after the killing. Granted this isn't as public as a lamp post at the corner of Cox and Elm but it is traveled every day thus assuring discovery. Who found the body Carl?"

"Some guy cutting through here going to work on the docks. We questioned him pretty good. He doesn't know anything. We've got his name and all the information. It'll be in the first reponders report which I'll be sure you get a copy of right away. Ah, the M.E. Now we can get some answers."

As Moses and Chip turned they saw Annie getting out of the City car and walking toward them. She looked tired and it was still morning. "She needed to get some rest," Thought Chip.

"Gentlemen, and you to Chip."

"Hi Annie," the three of them said almost in unison. "What do you want us to do with the body? We can lower it or we can pull it back inside and you can look at it up there," Carl said. "If we take it inside we are going to have to bring it back out to get it to the ground. I don't think the meat wagon boys can take it down that ladder inside."

"A ladder. Did the killer take it up a ladder or raise it on that hook?"

"We think the stiff started on the inside because of some blood splatter near the upper doors. Now how he got up there we have no idea but we are pretty sure he wasn't killed on the ground and hoisted up like you see him now. I'm sure you'll be able to tell us something once you get on the table."

"Well, if he is going to come down on that hook sooner or later it may as well be sooner. Have them lower him Carl. That all right with you two. Do you need him to stay up there for any reason?"

"No, but lower the whole lift. I want to see and preserve that knot that his leg is tied with. Your forensics guys can do that can't they Carl?"

"Yea. I'll go tell them now so the wagon can take the body when Annie's finished with it here."

"Anything new on the first body guys?"

"We thought we had a good line on a group of suspects but when this guy showed up it kind of put that on hold. Maybe this guy was gutted and not denutted and we can get back to our suspects."

"Well, they have him on the ground let's go see."

Annie spread the vic's pants and took a look. After a cursory examination she stood up and directing her statements at Chip and Moses told them, "Same as Kane. All indicia of his manhood are missing. I'm afraid we have another one."

"Could it be a copy cat? What happened to Kane has been all over the media."

"If I had to guess Chip I would say no. The information on the type of cuts was not released to the media so it would be a real coincidence for a copy cat to do this. I would expect most people to use loppers or hedge cutters to do the job or if they used a knife for their to be hacking or chopping marks. The penis is a stronger muscle than it looks. Ha, ha. Sorry.

"Until I get him on the table and cleaned up I can't say for sure but I think we have a repeater. Anything else before I go? No. O.K. I'll have a report by tomorrow noon. See ya."

"Later Annie."

As Annie walked back to her car Chip walked over to where the body had been. He had seen the forensics boys taking multiple pictures of the knots both on the leg and around the hook shaft as well as the body and the area around it. He saw Moses coming out of the stables. "Anything in there?"

"Nothing. It looks like Merry Maids just paid a visit. Whoever this cocksucker is he is one smart cookie. I didn't go upstairs where everyone is pretty sure the action took place because the forensics guys haven't released it yet. We can come back tomorrow and take a look. By then we will have Annie' report which might help with viewing the scene. Ready to go?"

"Yea, I'll meet you at the car."

He had noticed her standing over behind the crime scene tape waiting to speak to him. She was pretty as ever with short bobbed hair, emerald green eyes and knockout body. "Hi, Maggie. How have you been? Long time no see."

"Hi, Chip. I was wondering if you had seen me over here. Can you help me out with a little something?"

"Gee Maggie I'd like to but any statement is going to have to come from the watch commander. He's over there. Carl Turner."

"I know Carl. That son of a bitch isn't going to tell us dick. He never does even though I know the brass has been on his ass to have better relations with the press."

"He has probably gotten stung by you guys one too many times. We kind of get gun shy after repeated abuse."

"You think sleeping with me was abuse. Was I that bad?"

"No, no I wasn't talking about me just cops in general. You were always great. You never heard me complaining. Everything was fine until you decided to get married and turned monogamous. How is that working out for you?"

"I might be giving you a call soon."

"You have my number. I will tell you this Maggie. He died the same way as Kane. I don't want to hear that on the news unless it is confirmed by Carl Turner. You ask him and he wont lie to you. He might say no comment and that can be your story."

"Do you know the guys name?"

"Yea, but Turner will tell you that. I have to go now, Moses is waiting in the car. I'll be waiting for your call."

"Thanks Chip. By."

"Wasn't that the gal on channel 12 you use to have a thing with?"