Same time next week maybe?”

“Yes. Again, my apologies. This is something that doesn’t happen very often.”

“Emergency magic show?” she asked.

“Something like that,” Cael said, finishing his glass of whiskey. He pulled on his black leather jacket, stood up and thanked Kelly for taking the time to meet with him. She returned the gesture and suddenly, like a true magician, Cael disappeared into the night.


4

 

 

The journey to Epping Forest was a 40-minute trip that Cael covered in twenty. Reckless driving was an art form that had been lost to the ages, although the Sunday-evening desolate roads made for a simple journey.

At the entrance to Epping Forest, yellow crime scene tape prevented anyone from entering or leaving the area. The tape had garnered the attention of curious onlookers, most of whom had their mobile phones above their heads, seeking grim imagery. Fortunately, the abnormal visuals were deeper inside the forest.

Cael parked his Ford at the forest entrance. He was greeted by a large man in a police jacket who had been tasked with keeping the public at bay.

“Cael Adler,” he said to the gentleman. “I’m here by request of Tyler Easton of the London Metropolitan Police.”

The gentleman motioned to someone out of sight. He waved his hand for Cael to enter the area. As he Cael did, a police officer came running toward him.

“Cael, welcome to hell,” said the officer.

“I’d expect nothing less from a London tourist hotspot,” replied Cael.

The officer in question was Tyler Easton, a 20-year veteran with the London Met. Whenever Cael was summoned to assist with police investigations, Tyler was his partner of choice. Tyler was old school, driven by a longing for justice rather than a sense of personal prestige. The new guys on the force were “paperwork officers,” as Tyler had once put it, often worrying about the excessive admin work they’d have to undertake if they physically interjected themselves into a situation. Tyler, however, would shoot without question. Paperwork would come later, although most of the time he didn’t bother with it.

“Come on through. I think you’re going to like this.”

Cael and Tyler walked along the dirt paths through the forest. Impossibly high trees caused an overcast of shadows, with only fragments of early-evening light seeping through the cracks. It was uncharacteristically deserted. A rare sight for a London landmark, even on a Sunday evening.

“What have we got?” asked Cael as the pair made their journey toward the death site.

“Everything you saw on the picture and more.”

“Is this a one-off?”

“That’s your area, not mine,” said Tyler.

“Who called it in?”

“A guy named David Richards called us an hour ago. He said his son had kicked his football down here, followed it, and found her body.”

“That kid must have gotten the shock of his life.”

“Yeah. They were a family of four. They’re all a little shook up but we’re taking care of them.”

Following a 10-minute walk, Tyler and Cael approached the crime scene. Uniformed officers and forensics teams worked away, taking photographs of the surrounding area. Two officers wearing medical apparatus knelt beside the victim, obscuring Cael and Tyler’s view. The officers picked themselves up and walked over to the detectives.

“She’s all yours, boys,” one of them said.

“Thanks. Ready?”

“Not really.”

“Perfect.”

In life, she had clearly been very beautiful. She possessed pale, feminine features, framed by shoulder-length golden hair. She was a natural blonde, through and through.