Chapter 4 If He Had Called Me

He clutched his phone tightly, and his breathing grew heavier with every passing second.

The rest of them watched him in tense silence and dared not utter a word. His fingers, trembling, flew across the screen and typed in a string of numbers. Alas, the screen showed the words 'Incorrect password.'

He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he handed the phone over to the team member behind him while looking utterly drained. His voice quivered as he said, "There's no way to piece together a body from what's left. We'll have to rely on DNA testing and unlocking the phone to confirm the victim's identity."

Just as he was about to place my phone into an evidence bag, it suddenly started ringing.

Everybody stared at the screen in shock as they answered.

When it turned out to be just a scammer on the other end of the line, the collective exhalation from the group was one of disappointment before they went back to the grim task of gathering what was left of my body.

Once all was packed, the