The Lawyer's Challenge

His name is J DeMarcus, and he's teenage detective. He may be young, but he's the best at what he does. He asked me to be his assistant, and since then we've seen all kinds of mysteries together. This story is one of many...

It all started when J and I returned to the apartment where he lives one afternoon after seeing a movie. To our surprise, directly in front of his front door sat a small box, packaged up for shipping.

"You got mail?" I asked curiously.

J raised a hand to his chin and puzzled. "Nobody I can think of has my address."

He knelt down and picked the package up, seeming surprised by its weight.

"It could be fan mail," he said. "From some obsessed stalker. Or a criminal out looking for revenge. Either way it's pretty likely to explode."

"Wanna open it?" I asked. He shrugged, then lead the way inside.

We sat on the floor of his living room and opened the package. Beneath the wrapping and box was a big, black suitcase. Opening it, we found all types of crimefighting equipment. I picked up one of two flashlights, and clicked the button to see ultraviolet light shooting out. J grabbed a fingerprint kit.

"Woah," I said, impressed. "Since when do we have tech support?"

"I'm pretty sure I know who sent this now," J sighed, seeming oddly annoyed. "If I'm right we should have a new email or something. Check the inbox."

I pulled out my phone and obliged. He was right.

"A new case needs your attention," I read aloud. "Report to McKenzie Hospital Room 125A Saturday morning."

"Is that all it says?" J asked. "Not very descriptive."

My eyes went down to the virtual signature. N. Mathias.

"That name again," I said. "Who is he?"

J sighed. "Right now, a client."

His attention returned to the briefcase full, holding up a tiny device between two fingers. "Are these trackers?"

I took it from him and looked at it closer. "Yeah, they seem like bugs with radio functions too. I can probably hook these up to my laptop, then maybe even sync the stream to my phone."

"Really?" he said with an impressed grin. "Sweet."

"I guess," I replied. "But what sort of case calls for all this new tech?"

The detective nonchalantly shrugged. "I guess we'll figure that out."

Two mornings later we arrived at the hospital, following staff directions to the room number listed in the email. Upon entering, we saw a single hospital bed with an unconscious man laying there, covered in bandages and hooked up to all types of tubes and machines. There was a brace around his neck and a mask over his mouth to help him breathe. Beside him was another unconscious man, a visitor who had fallen asleep in the seat by the bed. This man was a lot thinner and seemed slightly younger, and he was wearing office clothes. Our footsteps seem to wake him, though, as he sprung up and looked at us.

"Who are you kids?" he asked.

"We're who you're here to see." J answered. The guy looked at us confusedly.

"If you're here," J explained. "I assume you were contacted by a man named Mathias and told to come here for questioning by a private detective?"

He raised a brow. "But how did you-"

"I'm that detective. My name is J and this is my partner, Terra."

"You're the detective?" he said with a disbelief that had become routinely expected at this point.