• As Kat knelt near the body, she questioned murder. Staring at the drops of blood running through the mud, she summarized her questions. Who did it belong too? The victim or the murderer? However the blood wasn’t running from the body. Grabbing a tube to collect the blood, she filled it up and contained the tube with a stopper. Looking at the tube, Kat realized the blood wasn’t the right color, for it had just turned white. Unusual?

    As a detective for the Alice Springs Police force, things like this didn’t usually happen. Kat placed the tube in her backpack, then turned to the body. She already knew the victim he was named Professor Nash and he had died here on the golf course, possibly at around 2:00am. He was found ripped into four pieces; head, arms, body and legs with no trace of blood. Circling the body Kat looked for clues, then out of the corner of her eye, she found two holes at the corner of his neck. “Snake?” she thought? However it didn’t fit the explanation about the ripped body parts, so it couldn’t have been a snake could it.

    Thinking of all things that could have bitten the professor, only two were coming to mind, snake or … vampire! It could explain how there was no blood left. But… vampires didn’t exist. It was fanciful. Although it was one crazy explanation. She would need help!

    Liz the forensic scientist down in the lab could help, however would she listen? Probably not. Quickly, Kat picked up her camera and took photos of the dismembered body, then headed back to the station to write up her report.
    …
    The results were taking a while to process, Kat sighed with annoyance, and the tapping of Liz’s impatient foot was unbearable. With a beep, the results were complete; Liz walked over to the desktop, searching the computer screen. “So?” said Kat. Turning around Liz looked into blank space. “The blood samples you found were not blood, it was some sort of white mucus, and the DNA samples… well, it seemed that the cells were dead, I don’t know for how long, so we’ll have to do some more tests,” replied Liz. “How long?” asked Kat. “I don’t know a couple weeks or more, since the tests will be sent to Sydney labs, we’ll send Ray because well, he should do something for a change.” Kat chuckled, “Well at least you’re right about that.”
    …
    Leaving Liz to her work, Kat headed down to the Hospital’s Mortuary. Walking into the room, Kat found a tall, lean man tapping his polished army boots, while inspecting the mortuary trolley, marked number 9. “Excuse me, she said, “what are you doing here?” Turning away from the trolley, the man gazed at her. “Matty?” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. “Yeah, sis, it’s me, thought I might drop in to see you, it’s been awhile.” Running towards him she gave him a big hug, tears flowing down her cheeks. She hadn’t seen her brother or talked to him in years, ever since he joined the army, 9 years ago exactly. Not since the day, he asked her to come with him when their parents separated, but she didn’t go because she wanted to be a detective. And now before her stood Matt. Loosening herself from him, she took a good look at him, “So brother, what have you done all these years?” she asked. “Oh things, joined the army, got discharged, then led the quiet life until now” he replied. “So what’s on this trolley that’s got everyone spooked, any vampires lurking about?” he teased. Kat laughed, “ Thanks for the compliment, bro, on the subject of vampires, you’re going to love this.” Pulling the trolley closer she opened the mortuary bag revealing no body parts to be seen. “Oh my god, they’re gone!” she cried. The body parts were gone, nowhere to be seen. Where could they have gone? What was going on? This was getting too weird.
    …
    As they gathered in the Alice Springs Police force conference room, everyone was wondering where the body parts were. No one had gone into the Mortuary except Kat and Matt apart from the hospital orderly. Liz had been at lunch with Dazza (Assistant to the chief detective), The two other forensic scientists, Cope and Daniel’s had been out on another job out at Palm Valley with Webber one of the other detectives. The other scientist on the job, Ryan Ray had flown out at lunchtime to Sydney with the blood and DNA samples.

    Who had let Matt in? Nobody had seen him, not even the hospital staff. “It must have been Matt, he was the only person there until you walked in” stated Dazza. “Daz, to have opened the door to the Mortuary, you had to have the key, and only the Shift Coordinator or the Head Orderly had access to the Mortuary apart from the police it was the only way it could have been opened since it didn’t look broken?” Liz queried. “No, the only other way someone could have opened the door and accessed the trolley is from the inside. And the only body in the morgue had been the professors did that mean the professor wasn’t dead, but he ‘s dead” replied Kat. How had Matt accessed the door? Why had he been in the morgue in the first place was there another agenda she didn’t know about?
    …
    Back home sitting on her couch, Kat waited for Matt. He had left a note saying he was going down to the IGA store to buy groceries, however he been gone for hours and the shop was only 5 minutes drive away, she was sick with worrying. Her mobile started ringing. Picking it up, she found Liz at the end.
    : Kat?
    : Hi Liz, what’s wrong, its midnight you know
    : Sorry for waking you up, but we got news, we found the body
    : Where, Liz?
    : In one of the rooms at the back of Bojangles.
    : Wait there, I’m coming
    : Kat, wait, there is something else, what the hell? ARGGHH!
    But kat didn’t hear her as she had already got off the phone.
    …
    Arriving at the scene in her car, Kat looked outside to see a grey gas looming near Bojangles. Searching through her car, Kat found a gas mask and put it on, hopping out of the car Kat walked towards Bojangles, through the hazy gas, Kat found a couple of bodies , looking closer Kat found they were Liz, Dazza. “What was it ?sleeping gas?” Kat thought. Looking towards Bojangles, Kat thought the answer must be there.
    …
    The door was locked; Kat put her shoulder to the door shattering the door. Passing behind the bar, Kat opened the door behind it. The room was dim; the light was turned on but the dim switch was turned down, A sack was slumped on the ground. Kat slowly opened it, curious to find out. A pinch of salt fell out. Strange, why was there a sack of salt in here? Having a better look, Kat gasped. The body was in the sack! CLLSSH! It became darker; the light shattered. “Who’s there?” gasped Kat. Suddenly, a hand fell on her shoulder holding her still. Fangs! She saw a pair of blood dripping fangs out of the corner of her eye. “Who are you?” cried Kat, perspiring in fear. Pushing her closer to the window, Kat had a better look, it was Matt. “Why?” She cried. What are you doing here? “, I had to come back so you would know what truly happened to me. I joined a brotherhood of vampires after I was bitten by a vampire.” Kat opened her mouth to cry; however he put his finger to her lips. “ I met Professor Nash, he taught me everything as he too was a vampire, he told me to kill you, to destroy my childhood, my suffering couldn’t listen to him as I loved you too much so I killed him.to stop him tyring to make me kill you. This allowed me to gain power, however that was a load of crap; I lost my true self as a human, and the chance of a normal life. A loss of life over the desire of eternal life and the need for blood.

    So now I must go and you will know the truth of what happened to Professor Nash my life is at an end as you know it. The case will remain unsolved put it down to some bizarre act carried out by a madman in the territory the truth will never be discovered as no one will ever truly believe it was the act of a Vampire.