Cinema Files s1 p18

Cinema Files
page 18, chapter 18

Gumshoe Intermission

"Detective."  I nearly giggled as I walked across the street. Rudolph was still down the block beyond the crime scene tape paying the cab driver.

"No." Ryan said pointing at me. "Back behind the line Desdemona." he was over to me, his fingertips digging into my shoulders as he guided me back ten feet to the do not cross barrier. The smirk on his face letting me know it was all he could do not to light up. Oh trust me Detective Whitechapel, the feeling was mutual.

"Is it another drowning?" I asked searching every inch of his face before falling into his not really green not really blue eyes.

"How'd you even hear about this?" he shook his head blinking in disbelief crossing his arms. He was still holding his pen in his right hand as he began to fiddle with it. The pen nothing more than a blue streak teeter-tattering in the air by his shoulder.

"Is it?"

"Not discussing this with you now." he replied as the pen fell hurdling to the ground, him needing to pick it up. This of course gave me a full view of the victim. Which of course he'd known. It was by the looks of it, another drowning. A motel maid was laying on the ground beside her cleaning cart, her hair wet, the bucket knocked off the bottom of the cart, rolls of toilet paper muddy and crumpled, a few sets of rubber cleaning gloves stuck to the middle shelf of the cart frozen in mid-fall. "Serious. Unless you're a witness or police, you can't be here right now."

"We will talk about it later." I said as Detective Ryan Whitechapel gave me another of his smirks.

"Oh indeed we will." his tone was smoky and playful. I blushed as he winked before his attention was taken again. Rudolph had finally caught up to the scene. I left Rudolph trying to get access to the witnesses, his press id only slightly the magick key he'd expected.  Even though it was late, nearly 1am, I didn't feel like going all the way home again, so I headed to Vincent's.  His house is a two story five bedroom tucked in the north end of town. Did I forget to mention Vincent came from a wealthy family. Not rich by today's standards, but comfortable enough to not have to worry for the next few decades. Taking my glasses off I brushed a stray bug that had smashed into them as I rang the doorbell.

"Dessie?"  Vincent looked curious to see me at that hour.

"You alone?"

"Lucky for you I am." he side stepped for me to enter. "Everything okay? There's nothing wrong at the mini mall is there? "

"Everything's fine. The cafe is fine, the store is fine. I was just at another crime scene with Rudolph and Ryan." I answered as I took my shoes off before even thinking about crossing the hallway to the livingroom.

"There is a bad joke in there somewhere. I'm just too tired to come up with it. Wait, another crime scene?" he locked the door behind me. "You want a drink?"

"I'm good. Did I wake you?" I dropped my purse on the edge of the large chair nearest the livingroom door, my jacket on top of that. I noticed Vincent was wearing his grey pajama bottoms and t-shirt he favoured. He ran his hand through his short dark hair yawning.

"Not yet. I was just heading there now. Was just about to lock up. " He leaned against the back of the sofa. "How did you end up at another crime scene?"

"Was with Rudolph when his boss at the paper called told him to cover it." I sat down then on the sofa turning to look at Vincent. "Just an odd evening. First, Rudolph stalked me at the grocery store, then we started to have dinner where he proceeded to con me into doing his job for him next two weeks, then he dragged me to the crime scene where he just forgot about me. Okay, he didn't really drag me there, I wanted to go but..."

"He stalked you?" the tone in Vincent's voice was I think shock, as it was interrupted by more yawning.

"Sort of. He told me at dinner he likes me. That's weird right?" I bit my lip trying to process the whole evening.

"Life is weird."  he relied. "You get a good look at the victim?"  I nodded as I watched him scratch his stomach.

"Same killer I'm more than sure of it. Get this, drowned in a bucket."  I stood again to put my jacket back on.

"Na. Just stay. It's 1am already."  he turned to get me a blanket from the hall closet.

"You sure?"  he nodded another yawn.

"Just know the alarm is set for 7am."


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me(straight up story. Weird is as weird does.)