Twisted cases 2

Friday, the 6th of May.

07:03 am

There was something about the Manhattan spring morning asides from the fact that it was always chilly, or maybe it was just the way Tia felt. She was unable to get any comfortable sleep last night and she had been awake long before the alarm had gone off. She knew why she felt like this, and it was because of the fact that she had a puzzling case at hand and it was giving her sleepless nights. None of the cases she had worked on in the past had troubled her this much.

Unable to sleep and unable to stay put, she had left the house earlier and had gone to the office, maybe she could have a head start in this. Pamela Neil and Clarissa Jan had more than just one thing in common, and asides from the fact that they might have possibly been killed by the same killer - no, hold that thought, it was a fact as clear as day that they had definitely been killed by the same person - they also had each other’s DNA sample in the other’s murder scene. This killer was playing a twisted game and as much as Tia appreciated the suspense and the chase, she still would love to get to the bottom of this.

She spun in her chair with Clarissa’s file in her hands, who was she kidding? She hated the suspense. She bit the end of the pen in her other hand as she read out her file report out loud. The other detectives had already arrived, at least some of them, but the office was empty for now because they must have gone to get coffee or something.

She continued to read to herself out loud.

VICTIM’S NAME: Miss Clarissa Jan.

DESCRIPTION: White female, aged thirty.

PRECINCT/AREA: Tribeca, Manhattan.

Recorded missing on the 12th of February. Body found on Monday, the 21st of March, at 05:31 pm. Fished out from the Hudson river by a Mr. Robert Lance who was fishing in the river as at around the time.

IDENTIFYING MARKS: Two stab wounds into the lungs and one in the stomach. No sign of a struggle.

The killer definitely knew his victims. Or no, more specifically, the victims knew who their killer was and probably did not think of that person as a killer and that was why there was no sign of a struggle.

She leaned forward and placed the open file back on the desk beside the file of Pamela, something was connecting these two women and it was more than what they had just discovered, she knew that. It was something that would take them closer to the killer or at least give them a hint of the person’s motive.

She repeatedly tapped the files with her pen. “Just who are you, mystery killer?”

“Started without me I see.” She turned to see Aiden strolling into the office and taking off his coat while smiling at her.”You are here earlier than I predicted.” He teased.

Tia shrugged her shoulders. “Could not really sleep so I chose to turn in just a little earlier.”

“I could bet it was a lot earlier. How long have you been here?” He asked as he plopped himself down on the chair beside her.

“Long enough.” She replied and went back to Clarissa’s file.

Aiden took the file from her. “You got all the reports on Clarissa Jan from Bernard?”

She sighed. “Yep, I was hoping to maybe come across the name of the killer or a solid and better description but I know that was too far a catch so I settled for maybe a hint of some kind but this is clean. Like too clean. Is he just too damn good or am I just being a little paranoid. I mean we just started this, right?” She looked to Aiden for some sort of comforting advice or something but he stared at her with a blank expression.

“Aiden!” She called out loud.

“What?” He asked. “Look Tia, I do not exactly know what to tell you that would relax your nerves but you are right though, we just started with this so please, stop beating yourself up and give it some time at least.”

Tia nodded repeatedly. “I guess you are right, but I would still have to go talk to Pamela’s family, maybe her daughter or any of her daughters knew Clarissa. That could give us a start, right?”

Aiden smiled softly at her. “It is a detective’s job, after all, you should do that.”

Tia chuckled. “I am thinking that WE should do that.”

Aiden chuckled too. “Yes ma’am. Coffee?” He offered.

“I think I really need one.” She chuckled. “Thank you.”

“I will just rush over to The Rain coffee shop and grab two.” He said and stood up to leave but Tia stopped him briefly with her question.

“The Rain coffee shop? That was the place we went to yesterday, is it not?”

“Yes, it is.” Aiden replied with an eyebrow raised. “Why? Anything wrong?”

Tia blushed lightly and shook her head, looking away. “No, nothing. Just asking, that’s all.”

Aiden looked confused for a bit. “Okaaaayyyy…?” He allowed the word to slowly roll off his tongue.

“Can I come with you then?”

“You are asking? Like you need to ask? Tia are you alright?”

Tia groaned and stood up in a flash, grabbing Aiden by the arm and pulling him behind her. “Come on, let us go then.”

*  *  *  *  *

01:45pm

Tia rang the doorbell once, she had come to 52, Stone street, where Pamela Neil had lived with her younger sister and their aged mother hoping to have some time to talk to Pamela’s younger sister, Trisha. The last time she had come here with Aiden was to break the terrible news to them and she had not been in the best frame of mind to answer their questions as she had just been trying to accept the fact that her sister had been murdered and would never be returning home ever again.

She rang the doorbell again and stood, waiting. The neighborhood was really quiet and looked empty and lonely but Tia knew that people were around, they were just in their houses and did not want to bother with anyone outside of their personal concern. Tia wondered what kind of neighbourhood this was. It was indeed secretive and suspicious, like the kind of neighborhood one would come to when one wanted to buy crack or hard drugs in little quantities.

She stood uneasy on the porch, wondering why it was taking so long to come to answer the door, she could not help but feel like many people were secretly watching her. There was no way anyone would be able to tell that she was a cop in her tight-fitting jeans, plain orange top, and thick leather jacket with her hair held back.

From within the house, she could hear the soft pat-pat patting of feet and she ignored the feeling she had of being watched and stood properly in front of the door, waiting for it to swing open. And it did, soon enough.

Tia was met with an aged woman who had answered the door, she looked tired and frail, supporting herself up with a walking stick. She adjusted the glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose, tilted her head upward, and focused her attention on Tia.

“And who might you be?” The elderly woman asked. Her voice was calm and she smiled too.

“I err… I am detective Tia.” Tia said and brought out her badge to show to the lady who rather took her time in studying it before nodding back at Tia. “I am here to have a word with Trisha.” She explained.

“You want to talk to her or you are here to get her? Tell me, what has she done this time?”

“Oh no no,” Tia tried to calm the lady down. “She did not do anything wrong, I just want to have a word with her for a few minutes.”

The lady eyed her suspiciously before stepping away from the door and ushering her in. She closed the door behind her, partially glad that she was no longer in the open and vulnerable to all the curious eyes that might have been watching her from their open windows.

“Well, Trisha is not home. She has not been home for three days.” The lady said as soon as she had sat down, she stretched out a hand towards a chair, offering it for her to sit. “But because you said you were a cop, I figured that maybe you had some things to say or ask concerning Pamela and that is why you came?”

“Mrs. Neil, I am truly sorry about your daughter…” She began.

“What would satisfy me now would be getting justice for her.” Mrs. Neil spoke, her voice was shaky and her eyes teary. She looked away from Tia briefly and blinked severally, trying to hold the tears back. She took in a deep breath and exhaled through her trembling lips, there was no way she could hold back the tears.

“Mrs. Neil…” Tia tried to comfort her but did not know exactly how to go about it.

“She was such a sweet girl, you know?” She continued and faced Tia now, her eyes sore and the tears streaming down her face. “Why would anyone hurt her? How would they possibly want to? What did she do so wrong to deserve that?”

Tia moved closer to her and took a hold of her trembling hands, squeezing gently. “I promise you that we would get justice for your daughter Mrs. Neil. I will do everything that I possibly can to find this killer and he will be punished.”

Mrs Neil sniffed and forced a smile. “I just hope it would be sooner.”

“We are trying to gather up every information that we can and that is why I have come here, to speak with Trisha.”

“Trisha is not home. She has not been home for three days now.”

Tia furrowed her eyebrows and slowly let go of her hands, returning to sit comfortably on the couch. “For three days? Is she missing?”

“Oh no, I doubt that.” Mrs Neil waved that thought aside. “It is not the first time she is staying out of the house for this long, she would come home. Soon.”

“Mrs Neil,” Tia called, momentarily pushing aside the talk of Trisha. “Do you perhaps know any of your daughter’s friends? Pamela’s friends? Maybe people she was close to.”

Mrs. Neil took a breath in and turned to fully face Tia but she did not look at her, instead, she looked past her, to the portrait of Pamela on the wall as she tried to recall the friends of her daughter which she might have known. “I do not think I have ever met any of them before but she might have mentioned a few. Some times. Maybe.”

“Okay, did she perhaps mention someone named Clarissa? Clarissa Jan?”

“I do not think I have ever heard her mention that name nor talk of that person.” She looked at Tia now. “Why do you ask? Is there something about her friends relating to her death?” She pressed on.

Tia shifted closer, silently wishing that Aiden had come with her. “We can not say anything for now but be sure that if we find out anything, we will keep you updated as well.”

By the time Tia left the house, she had probably promised Mrs. Neil more than what she thought she could achieve but that did not mean that she would not still give it a shot. Standing outside, she cranked her neck and checked the time, it was past three in the afternoon. Zara would be done with school for the day.

https://m.goodnovel.com/book_info/31000096787/Mystery-Thriller/Undercover