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Imitation of Life Chapter One
"You're late. But I'm not surprised." Joshua Mulligan smirked as he took the rubber gloves offered to him and put them on. "It wasn't my fault this time, Tracy. You wouldn't believe the traffic I had to scale through." "Well, you made it out alive. Right?" Tracy Morgan's sarcastic tone was really hard to miss. And it made Joshua grin all the more. "So, what's the gig?" He asked casually. Tracy glared at her partner for a couple of seconds, then she shook her head slightly and proceeded into the apartment. Joshua followed obediently, then paused at the doorway. It was absolute chaos in room 367. Joshua would've liked to believe that the apartment he stood in once looked like any other apartment he'd been into: a small, tidy space with a few artistic ornaments to spice up the appearance, perhaps a nice painting on the wall, a cute little kitchen probably facing the living room . . . and all that stuff. Or maybe that was just the standard look of a typical apartment
Imitation of Life Chapter Two
The news of Jonathan Walters' murder spread round Chesterfield Springs faster than wildfire in autumn. Being the small town that it was, nothing as grave as a murder could be kept as a secret for long without someone finding out about it somehow. And when they did, they made sure everyone else found out as well. It was soon the number one item in the local news channel, found it's way into the front pages of the newspapers, and was being broadcasted by radio stations. Before noon, a day after the incident, everyone in Chesterfield Springs knew about Jonathan Walters' sudden passing. Joshua turned off his car radio after hearing the name 'Johnathan Walters' for the 5th time in the past hour. He shook his head as he pulled up in the parking lot of the Chesterfield Springs police department. He had no idea how things were being run here, he only got transferred in a couple of weeks ago. The request for more 'seasoned' crime detectives had prompted his abrupt ar
Imitation of Life Chapter Three
Joshua stretched out, releasing a long, tiring yawn that depicted his exhaustion. He stepped out of the bathroom and made his way to his wardrobe, walking past the large mirror he'd hung on his wall, close to the entrance leading to the bedroom. Pausing suddenly, he backtracked and stood right in front of the reflective glass. He was almost taller than the mirror stood, with the top of his blonde head most definitely cropped out. He had a muscular kind of build that was difficult to hide in most outfits, even the large ones. He gazed at the bulging veins that roped around his forearms and into his biceps, flexing them a bit for the fun of it. His head bore solid jawlines, sparse facial hair on the chin and upper lip, a straight nose, and blue tired eyes. To any beholder, they'd say he was a perfect model. To him, he reckoned he didn't look too bad, but he wasn't a hottie either. Especially now that he knew he was stressed as hell. After putting on a sleeveles
Imitation of Life Chapter Four
“Richard laughed at the answer a student gave to his question. The class also roared in laughter, with students pounding the desks in amusement. The culprit, however, just sat there and flashed a big smile. Richard kept chuckling when he heard a tap on the classroom door. The Principal stood there, also wearing a smile. ‘I see you guys are having a good time,’ he remarked. He beckoned to Richard to come closer. ‘I'm just going to borrow Mr. Richard for a couple of minutes. Hope you guys don't mind?’ The Principal left without waiting for a reply from the students, with his palm on Richard's back. ‘They're really enjoying themselves,’ he observed, still wearing his smile. ‘That's the best way to get their attention,’ Richard replied. ‘Making them understand that learning shouldn't be a chore. It should be fun.’ ‘That's why we have you in this department, Richard.’ The voice came from behind both men in the large hallway. Richard turned to face the ori
Imitation of Life Chapter Five
“Richard fixed his stare on his hands, fiddling with them nervously. He sat alone in Philip's office with the loud voices of children reaching him from outside. Lunch break, he remembered with a smile. He could see some students walking past the window, engaging in the most interesting conversation to them. It made him remember what it was like when he was here, not as a teacher but a student. More than thirty years ago. He barely had friends, he recalled. Most of them labelled him as weird and uncomfortable to be with. He'd soon grown accustomed to it, and even enjoyed it most times, seeking to remain on his own at every given point. That was until he met Charles Vincent in the 9th grade. It still surprised him how the vitality of the most popular kid in class back then rubbed off him. Richard the loner, being friends with Charles the Popular. A very unlikely and awkward match up of personalities. But it was real, his best moments of high school.
Imitation of Life Chapter Six
Joshua rapped on the door for the fifth time. He looked around the empty hallway and shivered at the silence. If he didn't see people down the lobby and outside the hotel, he'd have concluded that the building was completely deserted. No place occupied by a living person had the right to be this quiet. He thought about Tracy for the first time, and hoped she was faring better than he was. Joshua raised his fist to pound at the door this time, then stopped himself in time when he heard sounds from within. Rushed movements. A solid object hitting the ground. Some vile language from an exasperated voice. Then footsteps to the door. "Who's there?" For a moment, Joshua didn't know whether to say he was a cop, or to play it safe. A quick contemplation made him decide to stick to the truth. "I'm detective Joshua Mulligan, ma'am." He answered. "I'm investigating the death of Johnathan Walters and I'd like to ask a few questions." No reply came from within the room. "Can I c
Imitation of Life Chapter Seven
"Well, that sounded like fun." "It wasn't so bad, actually. But I was really uncomfortable at first." "Why? Did she come at you?" "Tracy!" Her laugh boomed through the loudspeaker, and all over Joshua's living room. He simply shook his head as his partner continued to cackle mercilessly. "You're just exaggerating," he said. "No one came at anything." He picked up the bowl on his table and guided some noodles into his mouth using chopsticks. He closed his eyes and grinned widely. It was his first taste of noodles in ages, and he never knew he'd missed it that much. He had the chef of Springs Hotel to thank dearly. And Eleanor too. "If you say so, tough guy." She chuckled. "So, are you going to tell me what you fished out, or do I have to wring it out from you?" "I thought we were going with you first." "I've already spilled everything that needs to be spilled. Now it's your turn." Shuffling sounds were all over the background, maki
Imitation of Life Chapter Eight
"How many days left?" "Four days, six hours, twenty-five minutes, and fifty seconds." Joshua glared at Tracy. She smiled sweetly back at him. "I preferred when you were brooding and quiet," he said with a frown. "No, you don't." Tracy said as-a-matter-of-fact. "Makes no difference that the case is about to be closed and we have next to no leads." "Yeah, that sucks." "Exactly." Tracy's office lacked its usual sunny appearance, mostly because it wasn't daytime anymore. The small bulbs embedded into the ceiling lit up the room in powerful fluorescent lights. A mess of papers and documents spread out all over her table, with some spilling over to the floor. But they didn't mind. They didn't bother to pick them up. They were simply . . . tired. "Who's missing from that list of the interrogated?" Tracy held up one of the numerous papers on her desk and peered into it. "We've covered Mrs. Walters, all the Walters' siblings