Hi everyone, I'm ljwrites85 but most people call me LJ. This is my first time participating in the Block Party and I'd like to thank Kelly Anne for this opportunity.

So this is a little celebration for me. My first ever story on Wattpad, Criminal Intentions (a collection of 22 mystery/thriller themed short stories), is a year old!

I genuinely can't believe it's been a whole year since I took the big scary leap to publish my stories on Wattpad!

I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has read, commented and voted on it. You have really help me grow and become more confident as a writer. You rock!

So as part of the first birthday celebration I have written a story exclusively for the Block Party. I hope you enjoy it!

The Other Policeman.

The blue and white crime scene tape flapped gently in the wind, as the final rays of the wintery sunshine disappeared from the sky over the forest.

"I'm at the point now," whined Police Constable Aaron Marling, "that I don't think I'll ever get warm again."

PC Marling stomped his feet and rubbed his hands together, trying to get some feeling back in his cold numbed body. He buried his face in his yellow reflective jacket and pulled his standard issue police cap down as far as it could go.

"Stop being so mel-o-bloody-dramatic," replied his companion from the other side of the crime scene. The trees were so dense, Marling could barely see the other policeman. He was sure he caught sight of a yellow jacket earlier but that was it.

It had nearly given him a heart attack when a deep male voice had greeted him earlier, he'd been told he was on the night shift alone. Really he shouldn't have been that surprised, his bosses were always doing this sort of thing to him.

"I'm not," he replied, his breath forming a cloud in front of him. "I just don't see why we're here out in the middle of the woods, freezing our backsides off for no reason."

"The killer might come back."

"Doubt that very much, in this weather," mumbled Marling. "Plus the fact they finished with this place weeks ago it's not like there's anything else to find."

He looked down at the mud that had been churned up by the crime scene techs, no frozen like some sort of weird shrine. There was a patch near the centre that he knew was darker and redder than the rest. This time it wasn't the cold that made him shudder.

"If there's still crime scene tape up, there's still a crime scene," replied the other policeman.

Marling was so tempted to pull the stupid tape down and go back to the station for a nice hot cup of tea.

"This your first guard duty?" the other man asked.

Marling snorted. "I wish. Apparently I've got a knack for it, well that's what the boss says whenever I complain."

He barked out a laugh.

"What's your name by the by? I didn't catch it before," called Marling.

"Sergeant James Curtis."

"Sergeant? Who'd you rub up the wrong way to get the graveyard shift?"

"Lots of people," Curtis replied "It'd take all night to go through the list, my wife and kids being top of it."

Marling laughed. "I've never worked with you before, how long you been on the force?"

"Oh, a good fifteen years now."

"Just two years, meself but I've got me detective exams coming up soon then goodbye uniform and goodbye guard duty."

"Good luck with that."

"Cheers, mate."

They lapsed into silence. The sun had completely disappeared and with no moon out the night was almost pitch black. He pulled his torch out from his belt and flicked it on.

"Do you know what happened here anyway?" asked Marking unable to take the silence any longer.

"What do you mean?"

"The person they found, how did he die?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah."

"Stabbed," said Curtis unemotionally. "At least ten times, in the back."

Bile rose up his throat but he swallowed it back down again. When he became a detective, he would have to deal with stuff like that.

"Really?"

"Yep. They still haven't found the knife. I reckon he buried it out here, just waiting until the crime scene gets taken down."

"Surely they would have found it by now, they've been combing these woods for weeks."

"I'm not going to rest until they find it."

"What d'you mean? You can't stay out here forever."

No response.

"Curtis, you alright round there?" Called Marling.

Still nothing.

He swept the beam of his torch across the trees. He couldn't see anyone.

"Curtis?" He called again.

Still no reply. What if the killer had come back? What if he'd injured Curtis badly?

Marling started off into the woods. He checked his radio was still attached to his jacket, just in case he needed to call for back up.

The branches from the trees scratched at Marling face as he pushed his way through to the other side of the crime scene.

He still couldn't see anyone.

Marling had never realised how quiet the forest actually was. No cars. No people. There was the odd shuffling of leaves but apart from that...

A twig snapped behind him. His heart immediately began pounding in his chest. He reeled around to find his boss, Inspector Donahue standing there, his round face looking eerie in the harsh light of the torch.

"What the hell are you doing," snapped Donahue, "abandoning your post, like that?"

"I-I wasn't," replied Marling. "I-I was checking on the other policeman."

"There's no other policeman, you're the only one assigned out here," he replied. "Not that you have to stay out here any longer, I had orders from up high that we're releasing the scene."

"But boss, there is another policeman, he said his name was Sergeant James Curtis."

Donahue paled. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No."

Donahue placed a hand on Marling shoulder, in a sort of fatherly gesture. This scared him more than when his boss was shouting at him.

"I think you should go back to the station, get warm because the cold is messing your brain, what little you have, anyway."

"With all due respect sir, what do you mean?"

"Sergeant James Curtis was murdered in this very spot," replied Donahue. "He's dead constable."

If you enjoyed this story head over my profile and check out Criminal Intentions. I've also included the link below:

http://my.w.tt/UiNb/Vsb0C4likE

Also, to celebrate Criminal Intentions one year anniversary and the #WattpadBlockParty, I am offering the promotion of the Wattpad book of your choice on my Instagram, Twitter and blog pages to one lucky winner. The giveaway is open internationally (although books must be written in English only). Make sure to click at the bottom of the post to enter.

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