AnOther Alice: A Novel (Undergoing Editing)

Chapter 13

On the floor of his daughter's room, Detective Kimura sat with his back pressed against the left side of the bed frame. He brought a glass of whisky on ice to his lips as he flipped through pages of his family's photo album, reminiscing over immortalized moments with his daughter. He turned the pages carefully, one at a time, lovingly gazing upon her expressions from childhood, towards the year of her high school graduation. Eventually, he got to the photo of his daughter in her white medical coat during their trip to Japan. Kimura was smiling happily beside her, a far cry from the man he was today.

When his work phone started vibrating, Kimura looked at his wristwatch. It was ten-thirty. Knocking back the rest of his drink, he tucked the album under his arm, took the empty glass and eased himself off the floor. As he left his daughter's bedroom, he locked the door before answering the call.

"We've got another case," said McCullen.

"I figured as much, given the time."

"A young woman fell onto a car from her fourth-floor apartment. She's from Greenwald college."

Immediately he stopped descending the stairs, where he froze for a moment. Seconds ticked by before a new burst of serious energy flowed throughout Kimura and and he raced down the stairs toward the standing rack for his jacket. He checked his pockets for his keys. "Any witnesses this time?"

"Three, in fact," McCullen said. "A couple students were able to positively identify her."

Kimura stepped out the front door and quickly locking it. Raising the key fob, he pressed the button to unlock his car, then slipped right in. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Keep the kids there."

"Alright, I'll try what I can."

After waiting for a car to pass behind him, Kimura reversed out of his driveway. As he drove to the crime scene, he couldn't shake a wrongness in his gut. This week alone they were dealing with Adelaide Stewart's murder, and now there was a second victim from the same school. He wouldn't label the cases as being related yet without the evidence to back it, but the timing of it all was just too strange to ignore.

He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. The fatigue was getting to him but he pressed on, passing a series of cars. And as he neared a street closed off with the police tape and a handful of flashing black-and-white, he took out a small metal tin filled with breath mints and popped several into his mouth, hoping to diminish his alcohol breath.

After parking, he approached the crime scene, flashing an approaching officer with his badge as he lifted the yellow tape to enter the sealed-off zone. Boots crunching against the shattered glass fragments on the pavement, Kimura approached the body of a young woman with dark brown hair. She was belly-up facing the night sky, and it was clear she'd landed back first upon impact, but her entire front was decorated in lacerations. Most likely from the murder weapon. A silver butterfly knife was deeply fixed in the middle of her chest.

Grimacing at the sheer brutality, he turned away and began looking for any sign of his partner. He saw her off to the side, talking to some students.

He moved towards them, keeping his badge visible. "Detective Kimura." All three youngsters focused on him. "My partner explained to me on the way here that you knew the victim?"

"She was an ex-friend of mine," said Leighton.

"And you are, young man?" Kimura said.

"Leighton Albright, sir."

Kimura looked towards a young man with dark wavy hair, wearing a black hoodie with blue stripes. Taking a quick glance of his hands, he saw no cuts on his fingers. Zero bruises on his hands, and not so much as a blemish on his face.