Murder Day [The Novel]

Chapter 10

I start to pound on the door, calling for someone to tell me what's going on when it swings open again, but the Inspector isn't there. In a fine suit with a flashy metal badge pinned to his shoulder there stands a man with a strong square jaw and hooded black eyes, "Hurry up! Let's go!"

I try to speak but he grabs hold of my arm and pulls me along behind him. I notice the lights don't seem to be working anywhere, they're sputtering and failing, one showers sparks down on top of us.

He edges me down corridors, holding me back at times and rushing forward at others. I don't even stop to pay attention to where we are, he could be leading me to my death for all I know but he seems so sure of what he's doing.

We get to the entrance of the station, the heavy doors are like bad omens, they command that I go back. I pull a little against his grip but he turns to me and pulls me close, "Look, you can either stay here and most likely never see the outside ever again, or you can come with me now and you can be free."

I think for only a second before calming my struggle, I don't know this man but he seems genuine. I take in the sight of his wool suit, the shining badge. Could he be an Investigator? Why would he want to free me from them then? "Where are we going? Who are you?" I finally demand as we leave the building.

"What, you don't remember?" He stops for only a second to smile back at me.

"Uh…" I squint my eyes and think real hard.

"A friend of your parents?"

I reach into the darkest corners of my memory, I can vaguely see his face. Slowly, feeling my tongue shape every syllable I realize I'm saying his name without even thinking it, "Reginald?"

"That's it, come quickly now I can't be seen with you, and I can't be missing for long."

Reginald takes me downtown, it's a place I'd rather not go but he tells me there's no way I can go home now. The towers of the core loom over us, we're lost in the darkness of their shadows before we even hit the streets beneath them. The structure is something like a beehive, towers that reach high into the sky, connected with a series of walk ways and elevated roads.

He takes me to his condo, a sparkling space with nothing but clean white surfaces and well defined corners, "Take your shoes off," He points a thick finger at me before I can even cross the threshold and I oblige.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"No time, I need to get back."

"Back? To what?"

Reginald taps the badge on his shoulder and winks, "Every Inspector in the North East Slums will be looking for you by now, I've got to go sling some orders." On his way out the door he turns to look at me, "Make yourself comfortable, but don't touch anything. I'm sure my wife would want you to clean up first."

The door closes behind him and I'm left alone, again. The whiteness of Reginald's home reminds me so much of the interrogation room that I start to grow nervous. I spin around, looking for a long mirror somewhere, expecting to have someone watching and listening to every word. Reginald clearly works for the Investigators, so why should I trust him? Though, he did get me out of there, and for all I know it was him who knocked on the mirror the first time I found myself there. I step carefully into the living room, everything is so slick, so shiny. I didn't even know things could be this clean.

As I wait awkwardly, unsure if I should sit or not, I hear the door opening again. I spin around in time to see a tall woman enter the room, she's wearing a long red jacket and searching through a pile of mail. 

"Hello," She says without looking at me, "You must be my husband's new project hmm?"

I try to respond but I'm at a loss for words. Her blond hair, her blue eyes.