Illusory

A Note

PC Mackie, otherwise known as Ian, walked over to his desk wiping the grease off of his hands on his black trousers from the bacon buttie he'd eaten previously. Letting out a belch he fell into his chair with a groan, the office chair bouncing under his weight. He pushes his glasses up his large nose and twitches making his brown handle-bar moustache shake along with the movement. He notices a suspicious piece of folded-up lined paper, he picks it up cautiously and unfolds it as if it will sprout wings and fly away, reading the neatly written black ink across the lined paper with furrowed eyebrows.

Dear PC Ian Mackie,

I murdered Eliza Young. I can't explain why, nor can I explain who I am. However, I can provide you with a small clue; Eliza Young, is not who you think she is. Find out for yourself:

55 Tailgate Avenue

Signed,

A Friend.

Sergeant Mackie a kind, yet, gullible and slightly dim man who stood at about 5'8" with an overhanging beer belly and rosy cheeks. Mackie was a man used to the occasional delinquent kid and the odd shoplifter from time-to-time but now he was the man in charge of a murder case of a beloved member of the community, and her family. Another thing he did not account for - nor did he consider himself paid high enough for - was a mysterious note from the alleged murderer. Mackie thought himself close to the Young family and always felt welcome in their home when he was invited for dinner. Eliza was one hell of a cook and her children had bright smiles and polite words. The husband was mute, had been for years, but he helped around and clearly looked up to his beautiful wife; Pilates and jogging gave Eliza a toned, young-looking body, she had a pretty face and shiny brown hair that fell perfectly across her shoulders. Of course the husband, Antonio, was quite a handsome man himself: dark hair styled perfectly, tall, athletic frame and warm brown eyes. The couple undoubtedly had three attractive offspring, two girls and a boy: Catherine, Maria and Tom.

The Young family were the envy of the town, not only having the perfect looks but the perfect grades, jobs, sports, life, and everything else you could think of. So PC Mackie took a moment to stare at the letter once, twice and then again until he lost count of how many times he had read it until he decided to take action and type the address into the search engine and discovered it was part of the shadier place in town, what could Eliza's murder have to do with there? PC Mackie was not assigned to Eliza's case and did not have any evidence or a lot of information to understand why he was being sent there, but he had to go. PC Mackie had seen Eliza before she was murdered, and he didn't think he was the only one that knew.

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PC Ian Mackie knew a few things about Eliza Young:

1. Eliza Young was a student in law until she married and had children with Anotnio, who was high up in the oil and gas industry until he was fired.

2. Eliza was a major part of the community - she volunteered, was chairperson of the parent council and helped funding for various community projects.

3. Eliza was a very elegant woman.

All the things he knew about Eliza made him suspicious about the reliability of that letter which implied Eliza hid a secret life and one that was around the notoriously dangerous and crime-filled part of town. It made no sense to Mackie. But then Mackie was often one to look at something from one angle and could never fathom the deeper, different sides that you could look at anything or anyone at. So, when he knocked on the door of the ratty old house-like shed and a man answered, gruffly asking Ian to 'state his business' through the small gap created by the chain-lock still attached to the door - the Sergeant stood confused for a moment, absolutely sure that the note was a hoax and the person had sent him to his death until he had asked the scruffy, middle-aged man with slightly narrowed eyes, if he had known a woman named 'Eliza' to which the man let out a breathy laugh and said: 'I sure do, what's it to you?' the man sized Ian up and the latter stood up slightly straighter and puffed his chest out.

'How do you know her?' He asked, trying to put on his best intimidating stare which did not reach its desired effect on the man, who just narrowed his eyes further before moving to shut the door.

'I don't have to answer anything you ask.'

'You should answer a police officer.' The man stopped and raised his eyebrows.

'If you were an officer, you would have told me that first.' And then the man went to slam the door, but Mackie stopped the door with his foot and presented his badge.

'You will let me in and answer my questions, or I will find a reason to arrest you.' Ian took the appearance and the condition of the man and the area he lived in to have some sort of criminal affiliation, and he most likely guessed correctly as the man shut the door, removed the chain and let PC Mackie in.