1969-the Summer Everything Changed

"Everything was going to plan until that summer of 1969. However many may not remember unfortunately I'm one of those few who do. You see I was there in the middle of it all that summer. This was the summer of 69 the summer where everything as we know it changed."

Chapter 1
Earlier that year...
"Tom" shouted Kel from the back yard. "Tom" Kel shouted again.
"What is it?" I asked as I waked quickly through to the back yard.
"She just took her first steps Tom, Jenny just took her first steps!" Amazed Kel ran and scooped our daughter up into her arms peppering her face with light kisses.
I smiled before walking up to my two girls stood in the middle of the yard. Hugging them both closely I whispered well done to Jenny before kissing them both on the top of their heads. Looking up at the sky that was starting to turn Red as the sun went down signalling to the people out of their homes that nightfall was soon to be upon us.
"We'd better head inside" I said to Kel while moving them both slowly towards the door.
Once we were inside and Kel had put Jenny to bed, we settled down to take in today's events before heading to bed ourselves.
"I can't believe Jenny walked today" Kel said looking at me from across the room as she settled into the red arm chair.
"Well she's growing up Kel we can't keep her wrapped up in cotton wool forever."
" I know Tom but she's our little girl and growing up can be dangerous, I should know." Kel glanced towards the floor, I could see the tears forming in her eyes. Kel had, had a hard life when she was growing up her father was violent and her mother had died trying to protect her; if it wasn't for me ans the rest of the investigation team Kel may not have lived much longer. I had fell in love with her from the day I latex my eyes on her and a month later we were married. A year after we had a beautiful baby girl who I swore to protect from the moment I held her in my arms.
Shaking my head to bring me back to the present and out of my past thoughts I got up from the red couch and made my way over to Kel.
Taking her face in my arms and forcing her wet eyes to look into mine I swore to her that nothing would happen to get like that again and especially not Jenny. Tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks while at he same time washing away the make-up she wore. Hugging her to me I waited for her years to stop before I took hold of her hands and pulled her from the chair. She stood and I allowed myself to take in the beautiful image that was my wife. Her short black hair that she had cut into a bob a few months ago showed off her elegant cheek bones. Although black mascara was streamed down her face from all her crying she was still as pretty as a picture. She wore a simple red dress that clung to her body and showed off her amazing figure. Any man would have been lucky to have her; I'm glad that I was that lucky man. Smiling gently to her I led her upstairs where we both let our day end.

Waking up to the smell of bacon and eggs I quickly got myself dressed for work, deciding to wear a black stripped suit and a white shirt, just to top it off with a black stripped hat. Going down the stairs I heard the babbling of Jenny's voice and Kel talking back to her in the way that all mothers talked to their babies. Grabbing Kel from behind I swung her around and gave her a good morning kiss. She placed her hand on my chest and smiled at me before sliding her way around me in a flirtatious way and placing my breakfast on the table next to my daily newspaper and cup of coffee. Smiling I ate my breakfast and drank my coffee. Looking at my watch I stood up heading for the door which Kel and Jenny stood in front of. Stopping for a second I took in the image of the two standing their; not willing to let me out of the door. Walking towards them I placed a kiss on Jenny's head as she babbled something that we grown ups don't understand. I went to kiss Kel but she moved away. I stepped back and a confused expression swept over my face.
"Don't you be late again" Kel said sternly pointing a finger at me. " I know they need you at work but you don't have to work late on a case that isn't even yours ; we need to see you to on your working days."
I looked at her and saw her bright blue eyes searching my face just trying to find an answer. I then looked at Jenny she to was looking straight at me, her eyes huge, wondering. With a sigh I answered Kel , "Kel, I promise I won't be home late tonight, I won't work on any cases that aren't mine and I will see both of you tonight." I kissed her full on the lips and I felt her grin widely. Ruffling my daughters hair as they both stepped aside; I slipped out of the door and into the open world that awaited me.

Chapter 2
"What work have you got for me today" I said to my partner Carl as I walked through the door. Turning to me Carl answered, "there's been a murder on 58 street we need to get down there to check out the scene."
"We'll let's get going"
We both headed out of the door and left the investigation building as I personally like to call it to go and do what I do everyday solve crimes and bring criminals to justice.

"You enjoy the weekend Tom?" Carl asked as we drove down the road to get to the crime scene.
"It was great Carl, I enjoyed spending time with my wife and daughter. What about yours?" I turned to him briefly, looking at his expression before turning back to concentrate on the busy road.
"Oh you know" Carl says with a sigh "same as it is every weekend, go to the pub, have a few beers, wait to see if any of those pub girls are interested in you, find out they want nothing but your money, then you leave to go home empty handed with still no girl."
I pulled in as we reached our destination. I rolled down my window as we approached the police man, pulling out my badge I said, "investigation team" with a nod the police man allowed us to pass through. Parking the car we both stepped out and shut the door behind us. Heading to the taped off area of the crime scene I whispered to Carl, " you'll find a girl eventually you know and she will want to marry you despite what happened in the past, you know not everyone recovers from his wi..."
"Don't; I really don't need to hear it Tom, the past is the past and I really don't want to go back to that."
I left the conversation at a hold as we approached the crime scene, knowing that Carl didn't want me to say anything else but knowining that I would try again anyway despite what he had just said.

The police officer lifted the tape and we ducked under it and went straight into the crime scene, the press as usual were already there as they had been at every crime scene I had been to. Snapping photos and asking questions that they knew we wouldn't answer from behind the tape and fence of police officers around it preventing them from entering. Looking at them as they fought like a pack if lions over a last scrap of meat to get the best photos I shook my head and looked towards Carl; who nodded in he direction of John the oldest and most experienced investigator in the city of New York. However John was retiring at the end of the month and was the one who would be taking his place.
"What happened John?" I asked as we come to a halt beside him. Carl all ready had is pen and notepad out ready to take notes and helpful leads and tips.
With a sigh John answered; "A woman, looks around the age range of being in her middle twenties. Definitely murdered and found by an elderly woman who was walking her dog." We all looked in the direction of the elderly woman, who had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders to try and comfort her from the horrifying image of what she had witnessed. Her dog was sat beside her although it was a scrawny looking thing it was obviously obedient as it sat quietly with its head on her lap. The elderly woman looked to be around her late 50's, early 60's. Shaking our heads John continued as he led us through what may have happened to this woman and eventually to her body.
"Poor lass" John said shaking his head, " she'd just begun to live. Well it looks like you two will be able to take it from here, I'm going to go back to the investigation unit to see if anything else has come through on the murder. When your done assessing the body and the things around her, go and talk to the elderly woman and try to find out what happened. Whatever trail you boys get follow it, we'll get this bloody killer." With a sigh John turned and headed off. We watched him until he got past the police tape. John certainly wasn't getting no younger, that's for sure. With John gone we turned to assess the body.

'Hmm." I said as I studied the woman's many injuries. "We'll there's bruises that go all the way along the arm, there's multiple wounds to the neck." I heard Carl's pen as he quickly made notes. Moving down to examine her hands I continued my examination. "Looks like signs if a struggle, there's dirt under the finger nails and most of them are either worn down broke or bloody." Moving her hand aside I looked for any other clue as to why her fingers were in this state. In the soil right below the hand I found my answer. The poor woman, despite the amount of pain she must have been in had tried to carve a message into the soil during her last few minutes alive. The message read;
'Help. Take care of Ja...' Again I looked up to Carl and gestured with a nod of my head for him to join me for a moment. Puzzled Carl came and crouched down next to the body. I pointed to the message and Carl quickly scribbled it down.
"What do you think it's supposed to mean?"
"It looks like she was leaving a message to get us to protect and take date if someone so she obviously knew she was going to die"
"But the question is who are we supposed to find and protect?"
"Exactly" I said to Carl.
With our leading clue I examined the rest of the body.
There were cuts and bruises and a blow to the head which had obviously killed her. With the worst part out of the way, the real investigation starts.

What human could have done this? I asked myself as we walked away from the crime scene to find out who this killer was.