Instant Justice

Instant Justice

When detective Ed Cowley moved from his smallmid-western town to Chicago and joined the metropolitan police force, he wondered if he had bittenoff more than he could chew.Initially unable to land a job as detective, he took the position of beat-cop and was paired up with an aging, hard-nosed veteran. On the rundown streets of the lower west side of Chicago, he learned quickly that enforcing the law can be a harsh and sometimes violent endeavor.After his partner was injured on the job, he was promoted back to detective, where he struggled to find a balance between the brutal and sometimes out-of-control methods used on the streets, and the slow and often frustrating procedures of detective work. When detective Ed Cowley moved from his small mid-western town to Chicago and joined the metropolitan police force, he wondered if he had bitten off more than he could chew. Initially unable to land a job as detective, he took the position of beat-cop and was paired with an aging, hard-nosed veteran. On the rundown streets of the lower west side of Chicago, he learned quickly that enforcing the law can be a harsh and sometimes violent endeavor. After his partner was injured on the job, he was promoted back to detective, where he struggled to find a balance between the brutal and sometimes out-of-control methods used on the streets, and the slow and often frustrating procedures of detective work. "There is a body on the seventh floor. We were watching TV when we heard a gunshot. I listened at my door for a few minutes but didn't hear anything so I peered into the hallway and that's when I saw the man lying there. I thought he might just be drunk or something so I crept toward him. A few of my neighbors came out to join me and we went and looked at him. That's when we saw the blood on the wall and also that he was lying face down in a mess of it, so I ran back into my apartment and called you." A second cruiser pulled in as Ed looked up from his notepad and nodded to Jack that he'd captured the statement. Jack turned back to the woman while hoisting his pants over his slightly sagging belly. "Okay, ma'am. Can you take us to the body?" She nodded quickly and then headed toward the front entrance. Jack followed her into the decaying eighteen story brown brick building after signaling the newly arrived officers to stay put outside. Ed hooked his notebook back on his belt, and tapped the butt of his gun. He glanced at a plaque of the city's logo above the front door. Its colors had long ago faded, leaving only a sprinkling of dull specks clinging to their hue. Reluctantly, he headed in as his mind suddenly raced ahead. He pictured a hallway covered in blood with dismembered body parts strewn about as if thrown out from a gigantic blender. Running a hand through his short-cropped hair, he tried to clear the gruesome images. Ed's gaze darted from shadow to shadow as his eyes adjusted to the low light. Eventually, his attention settled on a graffiti splashed wall. He squinted at the colorful expressions of discontent until the scurrying of a couple of fleet footed cockroaches distracted him. The sound of the opening elevator startled him and his head flew around toward it. He paused a moment to let his racing heart wind down before stepping forward. His feet squished into the sticky buildup on the elevator's floor. As they ascended, he fidgeted and shuffled his feet fearing standing still would cause him to become stuck in the thick layer of grime. When the elevator opened, the scent of death enveloped Ed. He pushed the smell out of his mind as he watched Jack inhale deeply. They followed the woman cautiously toward a group of mostly robe-clad people, loitering near the body. A splash of deep red against one of the doors caught Ed's eye. It was as if a balloon filled with paint had exploded there. Ed studied the plain gray numbers, 705, hanging just above the blotch of red. Glancing to the body, he felt a little queasy and had to turn away. The scene wasn't nearly as hideous as he'd imagined, but an overwhelming reality flooded his senses and he felt the urge to throw up. He closed his eyes and fought the subtle but constant upswings in his stomach. Jack scanned the group a moment then continued toward the body. He looked closely at the push-bar handle of the stairwell door before pushing it gently with his elbow. After a quick look, he moved back to the body. Ed moved the crowd back, then pulled out his notepad and stood beside Jack. A glistening pool of blood framed the upper half of the corpse with a smooth, deep red border. Jack scanned the body from head to toe. "Dark brown hair matted with blood, worn out and faded brown tweed jacket, gold watch, no rings, blue casual slacks, possibly silk blue socks, and black leather shoes," he recited as Ed took notes. "Looks like a single gunshot wound to the back of the head," Jack said, standing. "He seems a bit over dressed to be living here. Probably a drug deal gone