The Puzzle (The Open Novella Contest)

Chapter 2

Julian's POV

I left Sophiscated Medical Centre at around 8pm in the evening despite everything the city of Chicago is still the same .Like i didn't just lose my best friend and ex-lover . The others don't know that yet. And i dont plan on telling them soon , it would just make me look more suspicious .

I noticed Minnie's raised eyebrow today when i acted like i didn't care that Tatiana's murder was ruled a cold case . She does that when she is trying to figure things out .  That was why i suggested the private investigator  since Mickey was so bent on finding the murderer . Clemencia and Juan Marcos didn't seem to care . I think they  both just want to move on and press through this period.

All six of us worked our ass off before the twins parent finally agreed to let us change the hospital's name and have a good part of this private practice except there is only five of us left now .

I really loved her and it still hurts after everything . We were both cardiothoracic surgeons . Shortly after  her  death, her patients have been asking for her wondering when she was going to come back to perform their surgery except she was never coming back .

We had to hold a press conference outside of the hospital to announce her death and that speech was given by me being the Head of  Cardiothoracic Unit. It was the most difficult speech i had to give .

I sighed as i got into my car driving back to the house .We still haven't packed anything from her room the girls want it that way and i think i do too since thats were i go to sleep when am not on call unknowingly to the girls.

Minnie's POV.

Mickey is right . we need to find who did this to Tatiana. Julian thankfully will find a private investigator for some reasons he seemed hesitant to do it though like he didn't want to dwell in this mess though Mickey was having none of such.

She thinks we owe Tatiana this and frankly i think she is right. We were all at the lakehouse that night and we heard nothing not even the person she was making video with. Another thing i don't really get.

You make video  and laugh in it with someone you love not a stranger . Except few seconds later we all heard her screams . Someone she knew and trusted did this to her .

I entered my car and drove home making a mental note to talk to Julian . He acted strangely earlier. Fact is everyone is acting in a bizzare manner except Mickey .

I had better head home to bed straight  because once Mickey comes home i bet she will ask us all clean up the dust in Tatiana's room . I just don't get why she refused to let the maid do it .

Mickey's POV

Today has been stressful enough .As if being the Head of Neurosurgery Unit wasn't stress in multiple folds. I lost the twelve year old patient she spent almost ten hours in the operating room trying to save.

I couldn't help her the tumour was already pressed against frontal lobe and then there was the issue of intercranial bleeding in the Operating Room . She was already a dead girl before she was even wheeled into my OR.

Yet the parents never gave up and they were still willing to take the risk . The hardest part of being a surgeon was walking back to the waiting room and telling your patients family members that you couldn't save their loved one.

I sighed as i strode  back to my office. Now i have to go back home to face a bunch of teenage-acting-doctors who have been been close friends with me since i and my twin were in grade school.

I really don't know if this was their way of griefing or they are actually acting like they are hiding something unknowingly. Time to head out and  talk to them.

I bet they are all sleeping their tired ass off and Julian in Tatiana's room . He probably thought no one noticed but i did though i don't about the others.

Clemencia's POV

I can't believe she is gone after everything we all went through together. One of us is dead . I think its time for us all to move on .

The funeral was a closed casket one that  they didn't let us see her since she was murdered. The last i saw of her was when she said she wanted to get a coffee and we just nodded our attention on our phones.

Then we all decided to stroll out round the neighbourhood only for us to come back to see the cops everywhere and blood also there were lots of blood in the woods except it was more obvious since it was blood with snow.

She died with my secret anyways and there was no way of anyone finding that out ever.

Julian opened the front door and came in.

"Hey how was your day, " i asked him

"Tiring , had a very stressful surgery today and after everything the patient died, "  he replied looking stressed out.

"Hey were you talking about a dead patient , i also lost a patient today ," Minnie said as she also made her entrance into the house known .

"And me too .Now that we are all here . Where is Juan Marcos ? is he asleep ? Clemencia go wake him up we need to talk guys , "  Mickey said it all at once as she rushed inside a moment after minnie came in.

"About what ? Haven't we discussed everything that needs to be said, " why won't Mickey just let it go and let us all move on

"Don't bother waking me up am here" , Juan Marcos rubbed his eye and settled on the couch.

"Okay guys so there is something you need to know that has probably been suspicious but none of you bothered to care about it or take notice because you are all busy trying to move on and forget all this, "  Mickey said staring at us all.

"What is it Mickey spit it out and let us all know about it .Is it about the closed casket funeral we had for Tatiana, "  i asked confused

"Yeah exactly at least someone apart from i and Minnie noticed that, "  Mickey said having a solemn look on her face now

"Wait what are you trying to say ? I still don't get it, "  Julian said panicking

"There was nobody guys , the cops didn't find Tatiana's corpse on the tree , "  Mickey said looking crestfallen.