On a cool summer's night. While the streets were gradually getting emptier, someone was racing against time in a brand new Buggati. Making a sharp turn at Clinton Street and stopping right in front of the rather small police department, Frank, head of it came racing inwards.
Wasting no breaths and dashing straight up to the second floor, he barges into Detective Henry's and his partner Officer Charles' office.
"HENRY!" He yells abruptly fixing his eyes onto the Detective who's quietly seated on his desk, working.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Detective asks in a monotone, "You're gonna have to do better than that to surprise me."
"Phew..." The worried party let's out a relieved sigh.
"Is the party over?" Henry spins in his office chair, facing Frank, "Why are you here?"
"Nothing,... I just...ahem!" Frank clears his throat, "How long are you gonna stay here? Everyone's waiting for you!" and practically pulling the Detective out of his seat, Frank drags him to his car.
Though for now, for tonight, Henry will fun with his fellow coworkers for the last time, because starting tomorrow things will change.
Detective Henry's (POV)
Just like everyday, I get dressed and stand in front of the mirror in the corridor of my apartment. Just like everyday I fidget with my necktie, only to leave it loose on my shoulders.
~I've got to hurry, Goddammit! I stand in front of the mirror in our corridor, desperately trying to wear this damn tie! It was always like that, I get dressed in 15 minutes and then spend an hour on this tie. Or at least that's how it used to be.
"Oh come here!" My beautiful wife, already in her dark blue uniform which makes her blue eyes stand out even more and her long black hair up in a neat ponytail, walks out our bedroom quickly striding towards me. "Stand still," she sternly instructs grabbing both ends of my tie.
She'd then make one end longer than the other before making a loop. Twisting it twice from either side and finally pulling it up smoothly at the end. Her long delicate fingers tracing it's outline on my chest.
"There! See it's easy," she says with a big smile, looking up at me and I'd chuckle.
"What would I do without you?"~
"Valerie...." I look at her photo that's next to a candle on the side table beside the mirror, "I found this girl and I couldn't protect her. I did somethings foolish that caused her to suffer."
~"How do you know anything about The Code?"~
~"We left little clues wherever we could."~
She's been reaching out to us all these years asking for help to end her sufferings while all I did was hate. I hated The Code, and I started hating her simply because she was a part of it. "I'll save her this time," I look at Valerie again, "I promise."
Frank's (POV)
"Don't bother sitting," I tell Henry as I see him standing near his desk, "come to my office."
Detective Henry's (POV)
"What is this?" Frank turns his monitor screen to me where the surveillance camera plays last night's footage.
"What does it look like?"
Frank slams his fist on the table, yelling, "I TRUSTED YOU HENRY-"
"SAME GOES TO YOU!" I yell back at my friend. We've known each other for 26 years. I always had his back and he had mine. He was everything, a father, a brother, a friend. "HOW CAN YOU CHANGE SO EASILY?"
"Henry, I told you to let go of the case. It's not something for us to interfere with."
"WHY?"
"HIGHER AUTHORITY ARE INVOLVED! Too many of them..." Frank looks off to the side, "I'm sorry Henry, hand me your gun and badge."
What? Is he serious? I've done so much for this department, for him and that's how it's gonna be?
"Gladly!" I growl placing both the items on his desk and leaving back to my office to pack my stuff.
"They fired you for that?" Charles unbelievably and angrily stares as I put away all my things, "This place isn't just anymore. I'll quit with you!"
"No!" I grab his shoulders sympathetically, "I need someone on the inside I can trust." At that Charles nods giving me a pat on the back mouthing good luck.
Diane's (POV)
Today is the worst day. Why? Because today's bath day. And that nameless dog hates and I mean HATES bathing. But since the annoying pretty boy's here, I don't have to do anything.
Yes, I am totally exploiting him, my fault he doesn't leave me alone?
"Here's the shampoo," I hand him the tube and pat his back, "good luck!" I slam the door leaving that bathroom as quick as possible.
What should I do now? I turn on the T.V and hear a scream coming from the bathroom.
I drop the remote and rush towards it. Swinging the door open, I burst into fits of laughter.
It's not even been a minute and the pretty boy is somehow laying in the tub while the dog is standing on his back pulling his black shirt and choking him in a way. The water and shampoo are everywhere, there's actually more of it on him than the dog who looks completely dry.
Seeing me the dog jumps off his back and sprints, clinging to my leg. "AHAHAHA! You look...hahah...hilarious!"
"HA HA HA!" He sarcastically rolls his eyes, "Very funny!"
"It is!" I manage to say before laughing once again. I then pick up the dog and give him a big hug, "Good boy."
The pretty boy then stands up and I put out my hand motioning him to stop, "You're full of shampoo, and I can't have you dirty my bathroom more than you already did."
"Well what am I supposed to do?" He crosses his arms and a smile spreads across my face as I toss him the dog.
"Bath time!" I exclaim turning the water on. And that is how for the first time in my 30 years I washed a young man with a dog. Fully dressed of course.
After all traces of soap disappeared, I wrap the dog in a towel and hand the pretty boy one as well.
"You finally got bathed huh bubble?"
"Bubble?" Confused I stare at him, "What kind of name is that?"
"Well since you weren't giving him one, I thought I would."
"I am not calling him that, it's a disgrace to his specie," I make a dramatic face and the pretty boy giggles. Giggles! Like a girl.
"You know," he says wiping his face with the towel, "today's the first I've seen you laugh and smile."
"Yeah," I look at my knees, "it's been awhile," I then regain my composure, straighten my back and ask, "so what's your name?"
"What?" He looks taken aback as his eyes widen, "You're asking me? Like actually asking me?"
"If you don't wanna say it's fine," I head towards the door of my bathroom and hear him call after me.
"It's Bradley."
Detective Henry's (POV)
I've copied the video onto my laptop to view it in better options and am now watching it for the third time. But there's nothing to it.
The video begins to play showing the living room. Nora and a few maids. Then Nora is joined by both Eve and James. They're all sitting on the large yellow sofa. To the right of the sofa is a large mirror on a wooden base. Above the mirror hangs a small portrait. The screen turns gray after some minutes and plays again. The living room this time is empty. And once again the screen turns gray but then immediately plays back. Showing everything on fire and David jumping into it.
It's all the same as when they showed it in the courtroom. But it can't be, there must be something to it. Whoever the higher authority are they wouldn't keep the evidence locked up for nothing.
Focus! I command myself beginning to watch the video for the fourth time now. Eve, James and Nora are discussing somethings on the yellow sofa. To the right of the sofa is a large wooden mirror and above it hangs a small portrait. Further to the right is the wide opened door for the living room. The screen goes black and everything's on fire and then David appears standing in that wide open door.
Wait!
I rewind the video to the part before the fire and then fast forward it to when the fire does start. The portrait. It's missing.
I re-watch these parts multiple times to assure myself and notice any other changes but there aren't. Except for the small portrait above the wooden mirror. It's missing in the fire scenes.
What happened to it? It could've fallen or someone could've removed it. Parts of the video are missing so it could be anything.
I screen shot the scenes and press print. I then also print all the other pictures of files I've taken last night.
Address? Address? I flip through the papers, where is it?
Westford 3042. There it is. I grab my phone and making sure to lock the door behind me, I run to my car.
Westford 3042. Sounds familiar....oh right! I remember, I investigated that case 3 years ago. There wasn't much to it, all was burned down by an 'accidental fire'. It started from the kitchen and spread throughout. Conclusion was, a maid or someone in the house must've left the stove on.
The case was disclosed so quickly I don't even remember it. I pull up the car in front of where the house was. It's now just a patch of open space. A new project hasn't started here yet but it will.
"Excuse me," I knock on the booth of the watchman, "wasn't there a house over here?"
"It burned down long ago," he grumpily replies because I must've disturbed his nap.
"No, I mean the other one. It was right there," I point to a specific place and he looks out the window.
"Burned down too, last year,"
"Huh?"
"Look if you're looking for a place to live wait until a new company arrives, it should start building next month."
"No, no, I'm not- wait! New company? What company?"
"Build.it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my nap."
"Yeah," I smile backing away from his booth, "thank you." Build.it. huh? I then take out my phone and search it's location before driving to my designated area.
"Do you have an appointment?" The annoying receptionist at the company asks, not letting me in.
"I told you I'm-"
"I'm sorry, I cannot let you see Mr.Peterson without an appointment."
Dammit! If only I still had my badge.
"Henry?" A young man dressed in a grey suit walks towards me and I seem to recognize the face.
"Sam?" I look at him as he pulls me into a hug, "it's been so long."
"Yeah," Sam, my brother in law smiles, "what brings you here?"
"I need to speak to the CEO of Build.it. and this," I look at the receptionist, "isn't letting me."
"Well come on then," he pulls me, "cancel all my meetings." He tells the receptionist and I understood that the CEO is my brother in law.
He takes me to his grand office and after some catching up we had to do after all these years I talk about the reason to why I'm actually here.
"The previous company?" He furrows his eyebrows, "It was Gyuners."
"You mean....Nora's company?" I ask and he nods.
"It was a new project she was working on. Fully equipped Model Mansions. Each house exactly identical to the other with built-in furniture. What one house had, the other would have the same-"
"Isn't that weird?" I interrupt, who would want to have same furniture as their neighbors?
"Of course everyone had a choice of whether to keep the furniture or change it. You could keep whatever you like and change the rest. Just like you, Nora doubted if people would like this idea so she started small. Constructed 2 houses, one for her and one for some other wealthy family. The period of testing would be 5 years and then the decision of whether to activate this project was supposed to take place. Sadly Nora died and the houses were burnt down before it could happen."
"I see," I nod while thinking hard, how come I didn't know about the other house burning down? Who handled that case? "When did the other house burn down?"
"I think," he takes a pause trying to remember, "April 23-24 last year. It was April for sure."
"Do you know the residents?"
"No, sorry. All I know is they were wealthy and one of them died in the fire. Body burned to ash."
I need to find the residents. I also need to go to a professional photographer.
"If you want," Sam offers, "I could get the information for you."
"Please. And could I have the blueprints too?"
"Sure, but give me some time."
**********************
David's (POV)
It's been exactly one year for me in this prison. One down, one to go. Things are going a little smoother now and seems like my plan's working.
I do nothing and those who beat me get bored and will eventually stop. Why? Because other than fun they don't get paid. Who gets paid? Sally.
Speak of the devil, she's here. Sally enters my cell with a big grin plastered on her face. Swinging her metal bar she motions for me to come along and as I walk past her she starts her idiotic insults start.
"Ooh look at me," she yells, "I think I'm so cool and all that because I am an assassin. No matter what happens I am better than these people because I am an assassin. I've fought hundreds, I've killed, I've disgraced my family and now I'm in prison receiving punishment for my sins. You think it will all just magically disappear once you get out? The crimes you've committed, families you've deprived of their loved ones, the shame you brought to your family, it will never leave. Wherever you go, you will always be looked upon as that person. A criminal. A disgrace. A failure. Actually it's not entirely your fault, your family's to blame here too. Being so f*cking careless as not to be able to raise their only child properly. A bunch of losers. I guess being f*cked up failing b*tches runs in the family. Starting from you grandmother-"
At that I couldn't hold myself back anymore and I spin around to face her, my eyes just like my fists in rage. I place my arm in position. No one dares to bad mouth my family, not for any reason!
Before I could even begin to swing my arm, someone kicks me to the side of my head and I stagger. Caroline then jumps on me, punching mainly my face, trying to knock me out.
"It's alright!" I can hear her telling Sally, "Once I'm done, I'll put her back."
"Good!" Sally spits in my hair and soon after she leaves, Caroline's beating stop and I feel myself lifted off the ground.
Pulling my arm around her neck Caroline grunts, "Stupid. How stupid can you get? Didn't I warn you before? Even if she speaks about your family, just ignore the bastard."
I look at Caroline and silently say. 'I know, but it's getting harder to ignore every time.'
She places me back in my cell and takes out the first aid kit she gave me long ago. "Why are you doing this?" I ask as she begins to treat my wounds. I just can't understand this person, first she hates me and searches for any reason to pick a fight. Then after time of beating crap out of me, she starts pulling punches. And now she's treating my wounds.
"You're thinking where did my f*cked up attitude go?" She looks at me with laugh, "I wasn't always such a b*tch you know. I was just like you. Happy and positive. Eager to communicate and friendly. Silly and and always looking at the good not the bad. I even got an early release too," she smiles, "and that's when shit started happening. Just like how you get beat everyday, so did I. By different prisoners, by all the prisoners. Just like you I thought if I ignore they'd stop. I'll endure and soon it'll be over. My plans were good but then I f*cked up. One of the prisoners said some bullshit and I got so pissed I caught a punch...and you can guess what happened next." She puts away the aid kit, "You see because you were just like me, I hated you when you first came. Your positiveness, your skill, I hated it all. But because of that I don't want you to end up just like me."
"How did you end up here?" I ask as she helps me sit better and looks off to the side as if remembering something.
"I was 17 and my boyfriend, was associated with drugs a lot. I was 8 months through pregnancy when I left him to raise the child in a better environment. I moved in with my mother and a year later he showed up. Apologizing, saying he's changed. He didn't ask for me to take him back, he asked if he could provide for the baby. I agreed and that was my worst mistake. He bought me and my son a new apartment fully furnished but it was a setup. Not even a week after, cops showed up and found stacks of marijuana under the floor tiles. I told them the truth but as they couldn't find my boyfriend nor did anyone other than my family confirmed this, I was arrested. Given 7 years in prison. I had to give my son to my sister and mom so they'd take care of him. They visited every week and then I got an early leave for good behavior. Which I messed up. I realized it was over for me. I would never see my baby again and he wouldn't even remember me. I thought it was better this way, I didn't want him to live knowing his mother is prisoner. But as if that wasn't enough, on my 5th year here I received a call saying he died. His school bus got into an accident and he died on the spot. My six year old baby was gone just like that, and I never got to be in his life. After that I thought why? Why is it so unfair? I do good but all I get is shit in return, around that time I lost hope in goodness. I stopped believing in such things."
"What was his name?"
"Connahan,"she wipes away her tears, looking up, "Bradley Connahan."