Caster chronicles (book one): Underneath the hidden truth.

Chapter one

 It all had started out as a nice day, the sun was out, and the birds were singing and most of all I was looking forward to the meal my father was preparing for us. Though when I open the door to my father’s apartment all I am confronted with is an eerie silence and the smell of cooking lamb.

“Dad?” I call out through the apartment dumping my bag on the floor near the door, but all I get back is the sound of wind blowing nearby. I begin to walk through the apartment in search of him and as I move closer to the study I feel my body slip on the floor, the feel of wetness is on my hands and as I pull them up to my face, I see they are covered in blood – and it wasn’t mine. My heart begins to hammer harder and harder as I reach out and pull the door and there in his chair was his lifeless body, crimson red blood splattered up the white leather chair. His throat completely torn out, I can feel bile begin to rise to my throat, a squeak leaves my mouth and just as I’m about to leg it for the toilet a groan of a sort comes from my father’s mouth. I rush over towards him ready to call an ambulance but as I look for the phone I see it in his bloody hands.

“Daniel,” He mumbles out and I can see it causes him great pain to talk.

“Dad please be quiet, save your strength.” He catches my sleeve as I’m about to turn away to find something to put pressure on his neck.

“Listen to me boy, it’s important.” His voice becoming quieter and quitter, “You need to run for me okay, they’re coming.” My panic levels rise even more as he mumbles the warning out, who was coming? Did they do this?

“Whose coming dad, who?”

“Freeze!” As I turn around I see a plump old man with a moustache pointing a gun at me. I lift my arms up showing I was no threat.

“I’m his son.” I choke out, and as I turn around to stare at my father I can see his eyes are closed and his breath was gone. I turn around and begin to shake him.

“Sir I need you to put your arms up now!” The policeman ordered to me, but I couldn’t care less at what he was ordering I needed to wake my father up.

“Dad!” I screeched at his lifeless body, “Dad wake up!” I can feel tears begin to roll down my face.

“Sir I need you to put your arms up now!”

“Dad please, Oh God please don’t take him from me.” I hold on to his body but even as the police tear me apart from him all I do is call for him to come back to me. I’m pulled outside and am shoved into the police car, though not before my hands are cuffed. I don’t say a word as we drive to the police station.

“Daniel Caster?” I look up at a old black American man, a crisp black suit on which stunk off black coffee.

“Yes?” I say my voice weak from screaming.

“I’m Detective O’neil, I just need to ask you a few questions if that’s all right?” I nod.

“Whatever will help you catch that son of a bitch.”

“Who said there was one Daniel?” I stare at him blankly; he thought I was the murderer.

“No one had to, I saw him.” I close my eyes and shudder at the memory.

“Yes but it doesn’t mean it was murder Daniel.”

“You’re telling me my own father ripped out his throat? Or better yet it was an accident?” He stumbles over his tongue he had nothing to say to that.

“Why were you at his apartment? From what are files say you have your own beach hut near Sheldon beach?” He sits back and sips his coffee.

“He invited me for dinner that is after all what fathers do.” I can feel my anger begin to boil, all the emotions I was feeling was turning into something dark.

“Why was your father’s blood on your hands Daniel?”

“I don’t know maybe because I was holding him as he died, while police stood back and watched?”

“No need to get aggressive now, the police said they heard talking when they arrived, what was you talking about Daniel?”

“He said they were coming.”

“Who were coming.”

“I – I’m not sure.” He had died when he was just about to tell me, I feel my body deflate of anger and sadness takes its place.

“That’s all for now Mr. Caster, you are free to leave.”