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"You're next, bitch. My lawyers will have me out by lunch, and then I'm coming for you."
"You can sure try. Unlike your wife, I am always armed, and I fight back. You wouldn't know what to do with a woman who fought back, would you? You only prey on defenseless women because you are a coward, little boy."
"Little boy? Who are you calling a little boy? I'll show you how much of a man I am when I am riding you like the whore you are."
"Shut your mouth," Joey said, catching up and hearing the last few words. Pulling out his gun, he pointed it at the man on the ground. Teagan holstered her Taser and pulled the cuffs out, making quick work of securing his hands. Rising from her position, she glared at the man on the ground. There was a bit of satisfaction in seeing the blood coming from his nose and chin from where he had hit the concrete when she tackled him.
"Or what? You going to shoot me? I'm an unarmed man. Come on, big boy. Shoot me. I dare you."
"What? No threats for me? You can't handle going toe to toe with a real man," Joey replied.
"I'll tell you what I will do," the man sneered. "I'll let you watch me rape your bitch partner, here."
"Get this asshole out of my sight!" Teagan yelled to the approaching uniform police officers. Once they had him in a squad car, she turned to walk back to the crime scene. Walking past the uniformed officer, she reentered the modest, sunshine yellow rancher. The victim had been life-flighted to a level one trauma center, and her young children were transported to the hospital by another member of the team. Sighing deeply, trying to regain her courage, Teagan readied herself to go into the house.
"It looks like a war scene in here," Joey said, coming up behind her. Teagan pulled on a pair of gloves.
"He wasn't our normal, middle-class domestic violence perp," Teagan said. "He was out of control. He wasn't trying to hit her in a place that wouldn't show. He went out of his way to cause the most amount of injury."
"I hope she lives. Those babies need her," Joey said, and Teagan nodded her agreement. She peered at the picture of a happy family on the walls, father, mother, two children. Mom's hand was resting on her swollen stomach. Although she had a smile plastered on her face, her eyes told another story. Teagan wondered how long the father had been beating her.
"Detective, the victim's mother is here." The officer stuck his head in the front door.
"Don't let her in here," Teagan said. She had to protect the integrity of the crime scene, especially if, God forbid, the woman died. More so, Teagan didn't want the victim's mother to see the blood. There was so much blood.
"You've got this?" Joey was bent over, snapping photos with his cell phone. CSI would eventually be on scene, but they would take their own notes and photos for their report.
"Yeah," Teagan agreed. She had the gentler bedside manner when dealing with victims. Joey, while a top-notch detective, was abrupt and could lack empathy with his straight forward, hold no punches, personality.
As she removed the gloves she had just put on, Teagan took a deep breath. This was one of her least favorite parts of her job. At least, I don't have to give a death notification, she thought. Not yet, anyway.
"What is her name?" she asked the officer who had told her of the woman's arrival.
"Um, shit."
"You didn't ask her name?" The look on his young face answered her. "Next time, ask for a name."
"I'm sorry," he started, but Teagan held her hand up.
"It's fine." Scanning the crowd of people that had gathered behind the yellow crime scene tape, Teagan's eyes rested on the older woman wringing her hands.
"Ma'am?" Teagan approached her. "Do you know the family?"
"I'm Janet's mother," the woman answered.
"Please, come with me." Teagan carefully guided her around the tape to a spot under a large tree.
"Please, what is going on?"
"First, can I get your name?"
"Oh. Margaret. My name's Margaret."
"My name is Teagan. I am a detective with the Special Victims Unit. Have you spoken to Janet today?"
"An hour or so ago. She called me in a state of panic. Craig was laid off from his job at the plant and was coming home. She said he sounded upset and asked if I could come get the children. I rushed right over. I left the house so quickly that I forgot my phone there." That explained why Maria hadn't been able to reach her.
"Please," the distraught woman begged, "my daughter? My grandchildren?"
