2Drip, drop, dribble…Splatter… He looked gloomily outside of the window. It was a Friday, his day off. The man barely ever gets a day off and for what? A rainy day?
His feet were on top of his desk as he sat in a rather comfortable chair. Smoke filled the room and it smelled awful. The lovely, new, violet slash blue paint job was turning a sickly yellowish color. Ashes flew into a tray as he breathed in and out. He smashed it into the tray and lit another. "Aah, what I'll do for the sweet taste of a cigar."
A person stepped out of the shadows to his left. The young man crinkled his nose in disgust at the odor. "Mr. Richmond," the other man dropped his cigar into the tray at his name, "You should really quit, it's quiet disgusting here. It's sad I always know where you are or were with this suffocating stench. I don't even need to be a detective."
"Can it Luis, and call me Wane not 'Mr. Richmond,' I'm not that old yet." Wane stated staring at Luis.
"Whatever. Anyway to why I'm here."
"It ain't good I see."
"How'd you know," Luis asked mischievously with hidden amusement in his eyes.
"I know you, every time you show up something bad happened and there's a case that can kill me outright."
"What's your point Detective?"
"That you're bad news, now spill the beans. Before I make you," with that Wane lit another cigar.
Luis moved quickly and snatched it out of Wane's fingers. He also grabbed his pack and threw itacross the room into the trashcan.
"What the fuck!" Wane said angrily.
"You'll thank me later, when you realize I saved you from a early death sentence, not that it's too late for you to be living to 80. So no grand kiddies laughing and bouncing on your lap."
"Why would I…" he grumbled.
"What is lovely Sienna too much to handle? I'll gladly take her off your hands." Luis stared dreamily.
Wane glared at him. Luis threw up his hands in mock defeat. "I'd watch it Luis or you'll regret it."
"Is that a threat?"
"Maybe," Wane stared at Luis expectently.
"Well anyway, I'll leave your beautiful 22 year-old daughteralone for now. Wellas I came to say..." Luis started.
"Finally!" Wane declared.
"Anyway as I was saying," he glared at Wane whilst Wane glared back, "A new case has opened up. Hopefully you can handle a serial rapist." Wane looked up actually paying attention, "I see I caught you're undying attention."
"Shut it, Luis."
"Not going to, this rapist has already attacked atleast three girls that we know of. They were either 21, 23, or 26 and all were attacked by the Melee Woods."
"I see," Wane rubbed his chin with his fingers, "That's horrible, I'd hate it if Sienna became a victim. Though I have a simple question. Why do they do this? What's the point?"
Luis sat down, "That's two questions and he answer, who kmows."
"Exactly, and if they're that desprete there are always prostitutes and hookers who'd be willing though it ain't cheap."
Luis stared at him with unbelieving eyes. "Wane, fuck you. I can't believe a detective of all people would say that. That's expected from a slime bag. I'm leaving."
Luis stood up straight and headed for the door. He stopped halfway and looked back at Wane one last time, staring into his cold eyes. "Quit staring and leave, unless you want to stay with a slime like me." Wane remarked.
"Oh shut up Mr. Richardson," with that he opened the door and slammed it shut. As his footsteps died down the hallway, Wane mumbled something and picked up his cell phone.
Cedric woke up the next morning, unaware of the previous night's meeting. He groaned as he realized he fell asleep on the couch. His hair was ruffled and face red. You could tell the uneasy sleep that he had, it was all over his face.
"Ack! My aching back!" he cried in distaste, with that he rolled off the couch onto the floor with a thud banging his head on the hard wood flooring. "Shit!" was the instant reply.
Everything was hazy. A couple of blinks made no difference. "Cedric?" A famine voice called from the kitchen. "Are you okay?"
He thought, 'I must be crazy. Is that Charlotte? No it can't be, she's gone. But that's her voice.' "Charlotte?" he called. "Is that you?"
"Who'd else would it be, Martha Stewart?"
"No, no, of course not." I must'a dreamed it all, he thought to himself. "What'cha doin' love?"
"Nothing, nothing at all, just making breakfast." She said happily, grinning from one end of her face to the other. "You know my specialty."
"Your specialty, eh? Well then I can hardly wait to taste your poison."
"Hey!" she replied, "It ain't poisonous, it's the opposite...I believe."
Then the scene changed and she was gone. He cried out and got up and ran into the kitchen searching for her, crying out her name. "No," he whispered, "No."
He fell down to his knees and laid his head there with hardly a thought at all with eyes turning a glassy white, spacing out into the past.
Thump, thud, thump, thud… "Cedric you are there, right?" A voice called from the door.
No response.
"I know your there, so open up." Still no response came. "Dammit Cedric! I'm coming in whether you like it or not."
The door slammed open and a man clad in a black outfit came straight in looking quite a bit ticked off, the flushed cheeks might of given it away. His cape like shirt swooshed as he neared the still form of Cedric.
"What'd you do? Wake up, wake up," he said and when Cedric didn't respond he put his booted foot on Cedric's back and shoved it forward jerking Cedric awake from his thoughts. "Finally," he muttered.
"GOD DAMMIT!" Cedric yelped in pain as he rubs his back tenderly with his fingers, "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!" He yelled at the man.
He grinned, "Who the fuck do you think I am?" he asked mischievously.
"Don't have a clue, but if you don't tell me and leave, I'll call the cops." Cedric reached towards the phone.
"No need. I'm Roy Thomas, your private eye or detective or whatever you call it."
"What else is there to call it?"
"You really don't want to know, seriously. I'll just make myself at home," Cedric began to object but Roy ignored him, "Oh shut up, you are so screwed. You are stuck with me," Roy grins.
"Just my luck," Cedric muttered, "I got the idiot."
"Hey I heard that!" Roy cried, "I'm no idiot."
"Keep thinking that," Cedric remarked and Roy pouted. "Hey Roy just one other thing."
"Huh?"
"Shut up and quit pouting, you look like you're gay or something, unless you are."
"I'M NOT GAY!" He cried.
"How am I supposed to know? Are you even a privite eye, cause you're acting like a moron."
"Whatever, I'm not gay or a moron. Anyway I'm here to inform you of a few things." Roy waited until he got Cedric's undivided attention. "It's pretty minor like I'm going to ask you a few questions and then inform you of a few things at the end, got it?"
"Uh huh," Cedric shook his head, "I get it."
"Good, now the first question. When was the last time you saw Charlotte?"
"At the Mêlée Woods when we took a walk and the like, actually at Moray Park a block or two from the woods and she went off there as I left for home since she wanted to do something."
Hmm, all the victims have the Mêlée Woods in common. "Ah huh. Now why did she go?"
"I'm not too sure to be honest. I think it might have been to go for a quick hike or something since she was still pretty energetic." Cedric glanced down to his hands and lowered his eyes when it finally dawned on him. "Mr. Erickson lost his daughter Charise to the same woods, does the woods have anything to do with anything?"
Roy looked up at him putting his notepad on his lap. He said honestly to Cedric, "I'm not really sure, maybe or maybe not is all I can say until I know anything for sure. I still have to pay a visit to Mr. Raskter."
"Oh…" he lowered his head down, eyes glued to his toes. "Continue, I guess."
Roy stared at him with sympathy as he grasped his notepad into his hands once more. He looked down to the next question and said, "Screw this."
"Huh," Cedric looked up with that distant look in his eyes.
"Screw these damned questions, there isn't really anything important anyway." Roy chucked his notepad behind him with it landing with a thud onto the wooden flooring.
They looked at each other with more things passing between them than any words could. With that one look, Roy knew all that he needed to know and more.
Roy sat up and said his goodbyes saying that he still had to pay Mr. Raskter a visit since he already got Mr. Erickson right before Cedric. He walked around the chair and bent down to collect his notepad noticing it was turned to a page that he'd rather forget. Roy quickly closed the notepad and feigned a smile for Cedric, the man was uneasy enough.
He stuffed the notepad into his pocket and left without taking a second glance behind him. Not realizing that the one page that had brought back something he'd much rather forget fell out and now was lying on Cedric's floor. Roy wouldn't notice until much, much later. Not until he was at his house looking through his notes until he'd realize its disappearence.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Alright somebody has to leave a review. Actually atleast 2-5 people or I won't continue the story. All you have to do is say whether you liked the story so far or not, and what changes that could could be wrought...If I do continue I might switch around between Cedric and a few other characters. Whatever person's views best for the chapter. Well anyway I'll try not to do just talking in each chapter as I kinda did in the beginning...