A strange case of dismemberment

The evidence lay strewn in tatters across the  tarmac  path.   Bits of it  were being blown by a sharp westerly breeze, that rattled the brittle trees to a hiss.  Detective Inspector Raven was the first to arrive upon the scene.  Through his long years of experience, he  paced  the ground; analysing  the evidence to hand; and noting the warm blood. Evidence  to support the fact that If  this was a murder, then the suspect could still be in the area.  Not long after he arrived came Detective sergeant Crow.
       ‘Gald to see you here Crow.  Now…what do you make of it?’ Crow kept his distance; unsure as to how he should react.  
         ‘There has definitely been an assault carried out sir…The blood alone-
          -Yes yes!  but look around! What do you see.
         ‘Houses sir?’
        ‘Precisely.  And not one  of these homes  called in any activity, or heard anything untoward.  Don’t you think that’s  rather odd?’
       ‘Sir, I simply received a  message  to meet you here. I  don’t know the background of the case at all.’
       ‘- Ahh I see… well, this is all I know, we  received a call on the wire, from someone anonymous, though we traced call to someone in the vicinity of  Barley Lane…’ Raven nodded to the line of houses to his left and just behind where Crow stood.  ‘…a little after half past seven this morning. The call informed us  that an attack  had occurred in Sylvan Heights…here…  I came here first and saw this, and you arrived a little later. In sum… I am in the dark as much as  you are… However, there  is plenty of evidence to support the fact that  a particularly vicious attack has occurred…Note  the blood upon the path. The scratch lines in the concrete and the amount  of-
       ‘-Yes, sir I see it.. its quite disturbing.’
        But no body Crow!  Not one part of the body is found!’
        ‘Then someone  must have carried it off.’
         'But carrying a body with all these houses around…
         ‘You think that there might be more than one accomplice  sir?’
        'Yes  Crow I do!’ 
      Slowly, Raven began  to gather the evidence together.  While  Crow and two other officers patrolled the area for other signs of violence. They  did  not have  to look far. A little  over one hundred  feet away down a side alley. 
            The body lay twisted and misshapen. Spread out as if lying upon a wooden cross.  The head lay twisted at a hideous angle; and  one of its’ eyes had been  gouged out.  That lay glistening wet in the late morning sun,  a few inches from the cadaver’s head.  The feet had been gnawed at, as  had one leg.
            The stomach   had been ripped open and its liver and lungs  had been torn free.
           'Sir. Called Crow, you better come quick.’
             Raven appeared a moment later.
           ‘-My gods! its only a young un.’ Said  one officer.
            Raven  turned to Crow.
            ‘Its another one..the same MO!  look!’
            ‘-How…how are  we going to tell the parents?’
             ‘-whoever  did  this was an animal!’ said another officer.
            ‘I agree…’ Raven’s  eye  glistened misty. ‘…we need to identify the body and then contact the relatives. But keep this quiet!  Whatever it is is still here in the area.
           ‘How can you tell?’
            ‘Look Crow.’ Raven could barely hide his annoyance. 
            Crow saw steam  slowly rise from the dead body.
          '-ETD five minuites ago.  We know the other evidence occurred two hours ago, so who, or whatever did this, is still in the area. Crow get other officers!  I want a perimeter set up. If anyone sees anything,  call me straight away! Also Don’t let anyone out of this area know  what’s  going on!  We have  to contain the region and  maintain a low profile.’
           ‘I know a Curtis Magpie, who  lives in the block over there Crow nodded to the block of flats to the far end of the estate.
           ‘Go and check him out and see  what he knows!’ Muttered Raven
            Within five minutes Crow had cornered Magpie as he was coming out if the flats.
           ‘Oi Magpie!’
            ‘Get out of it Crow! I’m  goin’ straight!’
            ‘You stay where you are!’
          Magpie was about to take off, when Crow knocked him down and sent him flying across the  parking lot.
            ‘God’s  you needen’t do that. I pay me taxes I don’t hurt  no-one!’
         ‘There’s a fucking  kid dismembered  just not five hundred feet from where you live Magpie!’
            ‘-I didn’t  do it! I never hurt  kids!’
             ‘-Nah, your just a thieving git!’
              ‘-Got a make an honest livin.’
              '-‘what you know about honesty.’
             ‘-More than you Crow!’
            ‘yeah! Where were  you at six thirty this morning?’
              ‘-taking a dump yer filth!’
           Crow  leaned on magpie forcing him to the ground. They faced each other, their eyes full of hostility and cold blooded murder.
             ‘-Don’t give me that.’
             Another officer appeared, then another, then a third.
             Magpie backed down.
           ‘I  …I  was in me room ask the wife ask the  wife I saw nothing! I head a scream is all.  I howl that sent a shudder through me, but… I saw nothin’ Nothin!’
            Crow took a  step back. Then he nodded  his  head  as Magpie  shot off.
            ‘If you hear anything, anything at all…’  but the call fell on deaf ears, as Magpie was fast out of sight. That’s  the world today no one sees anything, anything at all…              ‘Crow! Come here!’
             Crow heard Raven shout and came as soon as he could.  He could see Inspector Raven and three other officers  at the top of the alley by a large bin shed.  They were staring at something  upon the ground.
            ‘What you found?’
             Raven took a step back to reveal a huge print in the dirt.
             ‘Is that what I think it is?’
              ‘There is only one creature alive known to do that.’  Replied Raven.
            Raven turned to see a hideous single slit eye, peer though the wooden fence toward him.  A dark growl  followed.  Crow saw it next and leapt  to the right as a dark furry talon  suddenly  ripped through a  hole in the fence.   Both Raven and Crow managed to get clear as the creature  took  the fence  in one huge leap, and then with its  body low  its eyes  full of malign  fury, its  long lips  pulled back over razor sharp teeth, it snarled as it  began  to prepare for the attack once more.  It leaped into the air, its  talons slashing, its hideous  howl sent shudders  down  the backs of the officers.  One officer managed to get away, while another wasn't so lucky. For the creature's sharp teeth clamped down with savage fury  upon the officers leg who then cried out in pain. 
       Crow and some of his other officers circled and then attacked the  creature one at a time,  fending off the monster with savage blows; until the  beast hissed and with a scream  fled down the alley over the fence and out of sight.  Crow  came to  the injured officer and called it in;  while Raven cautiously descended  the path that the  monster  took down the alley.  
He came back a moment later. '
          'The  beast has entered  one of the houses. Right now, there is nothing we can do….I don’t   know…fucking  human’s  keeping beasts  like that should be a crime….Crow call in the medical team and get the word out.  No bird is safe in this area  until the beast is dealt  with!  
        With that, Raven took off to headquarters; after all  he had to find the parents  of the baby Pigeon. After that, no bird song was heard in Sylvan Heights  that day or for the rest of the week, while the beast lay in its basket, slowly purring itself to sleep.

The end

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