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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
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- Imitation of Life
Chapter Fifteen
"I always knew that woman was bad news. The creep kept giving me bad energy." "Me too. But talking to John at that moment in time seemed futile. He was always so madly in love with her." "I don't think I want to remind you where that got him." "Sadly. It's a shame." "Indeed." Margaret Walters' house was the place for the occasion again. This time, with less strangers and more family. The Walters of all ages gathered in the living room, eating cranberry cupcakes and drinking orange juice from mugs on saucers. The entire family in one spot was as rare as the perfect alignment of all the planets in the solar system. Of course, none of them were kids anymore; everyone had a life of their own. Bills to pay, some had extra mouths to feed. But moments like these were ones to cherish. Even when the reason for such a gathering wasn't exactly merry. Fortunately, this one had a celebratory tune to it. So no one could afford to miss it. "Mmm . . . " M
- Imitation of Life
Chapter Fourteen
Night time in Chesterfield Springs was probably the most quiet in the entire country. You could hear the humming of your neighbour's refrigerator from across the street. Or the snoring of your landlord from the upper floor of the apartment building. It was so quiet that you could simply go deaf from the deafening silence. Regardless, it was just the way Joshua wanted it to be. The park was deserted, of course. No one brings kids or walks dogs close to midnight. The strong gust of wind blowing around moved the rusted parts of the metallic rides and swing sets, creating an eerie melody that was sure enough to spook anyone. Joshua was sure the inhabitants at the other end of the town could hear the swing sets and see-saw squeaking loudly. Left to him, the park would've been the last place he would've picked. But, he didn't have much of a choice. It wasn't New York that had multiple deserted buildings littered all over the place. Where he could have picked one and planned t
- Imitation of Life
Chapter Thirteen
Shawn Zachary was much different than Eleanor had described him. Her description came from many years back when they were still in high school, though, so the fluctuations were permitted to exist. His once reddish-brown hair had a lot of grey in them too, and had already started thinning out. His thick, black eyebrows moved above his sharp, intelligent eyes, which seemed to scan everything that crossed his view. His lips were nearly covered by the bushy moustache that stretched across his upper lip to the side of his mouth. His chubby cheeks multiplied in size whenever he smiled, which was every time. On his hands were rings of immense quality and expense. With his brown Armani suit piece and designer shoes, he looked way too elaborate for the Cyclone Bar. But that was where he insisted they meet. And Joshua had no choice but to agree. Joshua felt completely underdressed sitting next to him at the counter. He had a simple plain blue shirt tucked into light brown trousers.
- Imitation of Life
Chapter Twelve
Joshua fiddled with the keys for a moment, then slid the appropriate one into the keyhole. After hearing a familiar lock sound, he twisted the knob and opened the door. The apartment was completely different from what he remembered walking into two months ago, although this was the first time he'd seen it in the light of day. The floors had been waxed, walls had been repainted. The furniture had been completely removed, leaving the center of the apartment totally bare. The wall in front of the space that was occupied by a couch had an empty metal suspender, where the TV is supposed to hang from. The kitchen had empty racks, clean cabinets, a shiny sink, and a cleared out fridge. It was an understatement to say that the room had been completely abandoned. Joshua didn't find it at all surprising that he'd find the apartment empty and uninhabited. It might've sounded harsh, but no one would hurriedly occupy a space where a dead man was found. Especially conside
- Imitation of Life
Chapter Eleven
"Funny how you came back here looking for something you won't get, detective." Joshua stood on the steps of the front porch, as quiet as a mouse. Yet, as if practising magic, Mrs. Margaret Walters was able to detect his presence. He squinted up at the sun, which heat was capable of turning the tar on the road to muddles. Joshua wasn't wearing his normal outfit of a leather jacket over a white shirt and a slacked tie. He chose to go entirely casual; a grey Under Armour T-shirt with black jeans and white Adidas sneakers. Part of the reason being the hell of a weather they were having, literally. The other reason was because he didn't go as a detective, but as plain ol' Joshua Mulligan. An ordinary inhabitant of Chesterfield Springs. "Well, aren't you going to come in?" She asked. "Or do you prefer to bake out there like freshly marinated meat?" With that, she rose from the white bench on her porch and grabbed her cane. She was indoors in a flash. With Joshua at
- Imitation of Life
Chapter Ten
"Welcome to Cyclone Bar. What can we offer you this lovely evening?" "Uhm—" Joshua's gaze shifted to Tracy. She, on the other hand, stared right back at him in ignorance. Realizing the game Tracy was playing, Joshua turned back to the waiter with confidence. "A bottle of ginger ale for the lady, and some punch for me." "Coming right up, sir." Joshua nodded at the waiter as he walked away, with approval written all over his face. "Smartly dressed and neat looking," he observed. "Nice." "The place is not bad either." Tracy added. "The population here seems modest, but optimum. You wouldn't want too many people in here with the limited number of tables. The drinks aren't too expensive, else these people would prefer buying from the convenience store. And the music is quite soothing to the ears, I must say. Quality stuff." Joshua stared at Tracy in disbelief, before breaking into a wide grin. "What are you? Some business analyst?" He c
- Imitation of Life
Chapter Nine
“Richard stepped into the bar quickly before the door slammed shut, with the cold gust of wind following him in. He felt the warmth almost instantly, in sharp contrast to the chilly atmosphere outside. The next thing to greet him was the cool, enticing music playing in the background. He almost found himself swaying to the saxophone medley as he slowly began to walk in. The lighting was low, so his eyes took some time to adjust. Then, he beheld the scenery in front of him with fascination. Round wooden tables were placed all around, with four wooden stools at each table, all arranged in such a way that one setup doesn't bump into another. And each one of these tables were occupied with people with the need to cool off after a long stressful day. Or, probably just people who wanted to chill and enjoy the beautiful winter evening. Up ahead, a long countertop with tall stools placed in front of it; for customers who wanted drinks straight from the waitresses at the co
- 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
- 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
