《Taxi》


 Beginning

    It was 11:54pm when the automatic doors slid open onto the outside world.


    In the cocoon of fluorescent lights and elevator music I''d almost forgotten about the storm raging outside. I pulled my coat up over my head to shelter from the rain and jogged back to my cab. The door shut behind me and muffled the downpour.


    I tore open the packet of M&Ms I''d just bought and tipped half the pack into my mouth. That''s about all the time I''d have for food, it was a Friday night, everyone wants a taxi on a Friday night. I set off, my wipers working at full speed.


    That was when I saw her.


    She was standing alone at the bus stop in the dark. One of the streetlights directly above her was failing and flickering. I could see her looking at it, nervous. She was scared. I couldn''t really blame her, you get some serious weirdos in these parts.


    She had flowing, dark brown hair. It was plastered to the side of her neck from the rain and her mascara had run in streaks down her face, but she still looked beautiful. Her arms were crossed tightly in front of her chest in a feeble attempt to keep warm.


    I pulled my cab up against the pavement and wound down my window.


    "Hey you know the buses don''t run this late?" I warned her.


    "You''re shitting me" she said.


    I laughed, "No ma''am! Where are you heading, I can take you?"


    She told me she didn''t have enough money for a cab, she''d got separated from her friends at a bar and had to scrape together change for the bus. I told her I couldn''t in good conscience let her stand in the dark alone at this time of night, so I offered her the ride for no charge.


    She looked at me hesitantly and I offered up my nicest smile in response, her eyes flicked from my face to the street to the ''taxi'' sign on the roof, contemplating.


    As if on cue a drum roll of thunder rumbled across the sky, I guess it was all the convincing she needed that this was better than being outside.


    She climbed into the back, soaking wet. Her clothes squeaked against the leather interior as she shifted along the seat. She thanked me again.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "It''s no trouble, I wouldn''t want my daughter standing out in this" I said.


    We got talking on the ride, told me she''s a nursing student, lives alone after her boyfriend broke up with her. She was new to the city, hadn''t made many friends yet. In return I told her about my failed marriage, figured she wouldn''t feel so bad if she wasn''t the only loner in the car. I told her she reminded me of my daughter and she laughed with me as I reeled off stupid stories of my attempts at parenting.


    After a while the conversation fell short, as it always does. I turned the radio on and looked at her in my rear view mirror. I don''t know how long I watched her, but God she was mesmerising. At one point she glanced up and caught me looking, I quickly cleared my throat and looked back at the road, but I definitely saw her smile.


    We got to her apartment complex sooner than I''d expected and said our goodbyes. She slid across the seating again and disappeared into the fog and rain. I sat for a bit and thought about going after her, but no, that was a stupid idea.


    Just as I was about to leave her face reappeared at the passenger side window so suddenly it made me jump. She laughed and gave a small little wave before climbing in, shutting the door behind her.


    For a few moments we sat in awkward silence, neither of us knowing what to say.


    "Look I don''t usually do this." she broke the tension. "Actually, I can''t believe I''m about to do this, but what you did tonight was really nice." she blushed.


    She leant in and took my hand from the steering wheel, holding it gently in hers. Her hands were soft and warm to the touch. I noticed for the first time that night how bright and blue her eyes were, almost grey.


    She produced a little, blue, ballpoint pen from her jacket and started to scribble her number across the back of my hand. There was barely any ink left so she had to press down pretty hard to make it work. She muttered a few little awkward apologies while we laughed.


    "Give me a call sometime?" she grinned.


    Works every time.


    Tell them about your daughter and your pathetic little divorce using your big sad eyes the whole time. I don''t have a daughter. I''ve never been married. I took the pen from her hand and smiled.


    Then I drove it into her neck.


    They always look so surprised. There was more blood than I would''ve liked. I sighed with annoyance - I''d have to wash my seats again. That''s what I get for improvising.


    Her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out, it doesn''t usually take long. I fumbled for the lever under her seat and collapsed her chair back, I didn''t need anyone seeing her. I wiped the blood from the window and started the car again.


    She started making those ridiculous gasping sounds they always make.


    It was 12:16 when they stopped.

 Discovery

    Katie Nevill woke with a start, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness of her bedroom. She turned her attention to the green glow from her bedside table, 04:03 on the display of her alarm.


    The last hazy remnants of the dream she''d been having slipped slowly from her consciousness as she began to register the sound that had woken her; her phone vibrating beneath her pillow.


    She fumbled clumsily for it, squinting at the brightness of the screen, and answered the call.


    "Wake up, get dressed.¡±


    Paul. She responded with a grunt of protest and sat up slowly.


    "Katie seriously you have to see this, I''m coming to get you. I''ll be there in twenty, shower fast"


    Before she could respond, the line clicked and the call disconnected.


    DI Paul Richards had been her boss for the last six years, since she''d moved up into the major crimes unit. He was about about fifteen years her senior, but she had made her way through the ranks quickly, and was eyeing his job closely now as he got nearer to retirement.


    Katie''s initial annoyance at his wake-up call made way for fresh intrigue when she realised in all the time they''d worked together, she''d never heard him so excited before. Maybe this was something she''d want to see after all.


    Thirty minutes later she was sitting in the passenger side of Paul''s beaten up Mondeo, heading through dimly lit backstreets. It was cold, gray, and steadily raining; standard, miserable British weather. The rain thundered down on the roof as she looked over at him.


    He hadn''t changed in all the time she''d known him. His hair was always immaculately parted to the side, dark brown but with silver just starting to creep into his sideburns if you looked closely. Age or stress she didn''t know, probably both.


    Paul reached up to scratch his chin, as he often did when deep in thought, and Katie smiled at the sound of his fingers scraping against his stubble, he did it so often there was something familiar and comforting about it.


    Not a bad looking guy really, she caught herself thinking, then almost laughed aloud. She''d been single for years, that sure as hell wasn''t changing anytime soon. Besides, Paul was married and she was good friends with his wife.


    "You''re staring" he said in a sing-song voice, grinning.


    "God sorry, I was completely daydreaming" she responded, caught off guard and feeling embarrassed.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Oh yeah? Was I any good?" he quipped.


    She shot him her standard ''shut up'' look and smiled to herself.


    "So what''s this all about anyway?" she asked.


    "Dog walker found a body in the early hours" he replied. She saw a quick flash of excitement behind his eyes, barely disguised.


    "That''s nothing new for us?" She probed.


    "Katie just wait."


    ***


    Paul flashed his warrant card at the baby-faced officer stationed on the cordon, and Katie followed suit. The officer nodded, and with a courteous acknowledgment of "Sir. Sarge.", lifted the police tape for them both to duck under.


    They followed the road ahead a few meters, Katie pulled her hood up and raised an arm against the rain. Her eyes travelled up to the bridge looming over the road. From her angle she could just about make out the train tracks that ran across the top.


    "Nah, not up there, don''t worry" Paul had noticed her studying it.


    He motioned towards the side of the bridge, hidden in shadows beside the pavement, was a set of stairs leading down another level.


    "C''mon, but watch your step" he warned.


    Katie placed her feet carefully as they descended. The concrete slabs of the steps had worn away in places and left plant life sprawling up through the cracks in their search for the sun.


    She noted the graffiti that scrawled all the way down the wall adjacent to them. Assorted "tags" and crudely drawn shit, the usual. A faint, musky, smell of urine and marijuana became stronger as they continued their descent, and she let out a noise of disgust under her breath.


    "Nice place, right?" Paul joked from in front of her.


    When she reached the bottom she found herself next to a canal. The bridge, now almost directly above them, continued across to the other side and into the distance. They were on a small footpath that stretched alongside the length of the water as far as she could see.


    On the horizon the sun was starting to rise, casting orange and red ripples of colour across the water. Birds had started to wake with the sun and the city, and sound reverberated under the bridge all around her. It was beautiful, and she stopped to let herself appreciate it for a few seconds.


    The bright, white roof of the forensic tent soon broke her eyeline and shattered the illusion.


    Back to reality.


    ***


    Through the forensic suit and mask, Katie could still see that Paul had a wild look of excitement in his eyes as he gestured down to the body.


    "Honestly have you ever seen anything like it K?" He whispered.


    Katie, now crouching near the woman''s head, let out a slow, steadying breath. The victim was flat on her back, her long, dark hair spread across her face and chest. Her light blue eyes were now bloodshot and cloudy, fixed on the roof of the tent.


    Katie sighed and tucked a strand of the woman''s hair behind her ear with a gloved hand, before gently closing her eyelids. She was young, maybe early twenties. Pretty, even now.


    Katie didn''t need a SOCO to lay out the evidence for her. What had killed this woman was seemingly obvious; the injuries, the pooled blood, the position she lay in, the bridge right above them, it was all consistent with a fall.


    She stood, removing her gloves with a loud snap, and letting out a sigh.


    "Paul, please don''t tell me you''ve called me out here for a drunken accident. I guarantee you it''ll come back that she was inebriated" she said, eyes closed in growing irritation. "You remember those girls last month with the train? Tried to shortcut over the tracks while they were drunk? Same thing here."


    "Maybe" Paul smirked.


    Then he bent down and turned the woman''s head a fraction to the left. Her hair rolled away from the side of her neck.


    Katie''s breath caught in her throat.


    "Is...Is that a fucking pen?"

 Cleansed

    I watched the blood snake its way down the drain. A stark contrast against the porcelain white of my bathroom sink. I cupped another handful of water to my mouth, rinsing out the last of it, and spit. I wiped the condensation from the mirror with my palm, and studied myself. My skin was angry and reddening from where I¡¯d scrubbed at it in the shower. I took a swig of whiskey from the glass I¡¯d sat on the window ledge next to me and grimaced from the pain. I pulled my bottom lip to the side and examined the space where one of my wisdom teeth used to sit.


    The simmering rage I¡¯d felt for the last two hours boiled over, and I grabbed the glass and threw it at the wall, raining glass over my feet and across the tiled floor.


    How had I let things get so out of control.


    Everything had been fine as we¡¯d left the apartment car park, she was silent, unmoving. I got stupid, I got fucking complacent. I''d almost made it home, maybe a mile out, driving through an industrial estate when it hit me. When she hit me. I had this sudden blinding pain in my jaw and for a minute I saw stars, I think she must have thrown an elbow. I had the immediate sensation of blood filling my mouth. I swerved up onto the pavement, hitting the brakes. By the time I¡¯d regained control of the cab, I looked to her side and the door was open, she was gone.


    Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t made it far. The blood loss was insane, but she¡¯d still managed to stumble through some trees at the side of the road and start heading up a grass embankment. Swearing, I flung my door open and chased after her. I burst through the trees to find that we were on some railway tracks, a small wall either side. I called after her as she staggered slowly away.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re the first one to try and run!?¡± I yelled loudly, so my voice could be heard above the rain


    She looked over her shoulder sobbing, probably realising she couldn¡¯t outrun me. Realising she was already dead, that this was just her last ounce of adrenaline. Her final bit of fight or flight. It was impressive in a way, and I smirked at the sight of her still trying to drag herself along the tracks.


    ¡°What exactly do you think you¡¯re going to achieve here?¡± I asked her, walking slowly behind her now, all sense of urgency gone. ¡°I mean to be honest you¡¯re doing me a favour actually, train accident it is.¡± I grinned ¡°It¡¯s messy but it works, I¡¯ve done this one before you know: ¡®Two Girls In Fatal Shortcut Over Tracks¡¯ was the headline if I remember correctly¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    That seemed to do the trick. She stopped and turned to face me, her colour drained from the blood loss, swaying unsteadily. Her hands were shaking, desperately trying to hold pressure around the pen protruding from her neck. She¡¯d stopped crying. I know the look well. It¡¯s the look of acceptance. See, people like to think they¡¯d never go down without a fight, never stop trying, but there always comes a point when the realisation hits: Your time is up.


    I stopped about six feet away from her, holding my hand to my jaw, pain still radiating from it. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll make you a deal, just pull the pen out. That should finish you off quickly, you can even do it yourself, I¡¯ll stay ov-¡°


    I never got to finish my sentence.


    That crazy fucking bitch. She¡¯d thrown herself over the wall like it was nothing. Just launched at it. I heard the disgusting crunch of her landing before I¡¯d even processed what the hell had just happened. I walked over to the wall and peered over the edge, down at the path below. She was on her back, dead. Blood pooling from her head. She¡¯d landed about a meter away from a canal, probably would¡¯ve survived if she¡¯d landed in it. Not her luckiest day.


    I shook my head and laughed, mentally thanking her for saving me from the effort of a lot of digging when I got home. Now she was just ¡®Drunk Girl Falls From Bridge¡¯. I gave a little salute down at her, and then turned to head back to my cab. I was halfway there when suddenly the realisation flooded me. My stomach turned over and I sprinted back to look over the wall. The pen. Her neck. Drunk people fall all the time, sure, but they don¡¯t stab themselves in the fucking neck on the way down do they.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± I swore under my breath, smacking the wall with my palms, my eyes darting around trying to find the quickest way down to her.


    At the end of the wall I spotted a dirt path leading down to the canal below. The rain had churned it up, making it muddy and almost impossible to walk on. I half fell, half slid my way down, scratching myself on trees as I blindly grabbed at their branches to keep from falling all the way to the bottom. A sudden movement in the corner of my vision stopped me dead in my tracks. Half hidden behind a tree I watched across the water as an elderly man rounded the corner walking a large German Shepherd, he would see her first, there was nothing I could do now. I scrambled back up the bank, clawing at the mud, cursing my stupidity.


    The blood was thumping in my ears as the panic set in. She''d held my hand in the cab, I''d held the pen. My prints. The blood from my mouth. Fibres from my clothing. Skin. Hair. Fuck. Was I even certain she was dead? This was wrong, all wrong. I''d seriously messed up. When I reached the side of the tracks again I turned so I was walking backwards. As quickly as I could, I dragged my feet, shuffling and kicking up pieces of mud and twigs as I made my way back to the cab, disguising any bootprints I saw. It wasn¡¯t perfect but it would have to do, I was out of time.